A bottom board separator can remove the bottom board from a stack of lumber moving at process speed. The bottom board separator carries stacks of lumber on a first set of stack conveyors that are spaced apart along a path. Abutment surfaces push the bottom board transversely out from under the stack. A second set of stack conveyors follow the abutment surface and support the remaining part of the stack. Movable guides keep the remaining part of the stack traveling in the process direction.

The lumber business is increasingly competitive. Whether or not a sawmill can be operated profitably usually depends on maintaining high efficiencies. There is pressure on sawmill operators to make the most efficient use of every log processed as well as to maintain a high throughput. Modern sawmills are extensively automated. This is necessary because both logs and labour are major cost components in manufacturing lumber.
In sawmills it can be desirable to remove a board from the bottom of a stack of lumber. An example of this need occurs where a vertical arbor gang saw is used to cut a cant into boards.
Logs are typically made into rough green lumber by processes that include producing a cant by cutting boards or flitches from the outside of the logs. This is typically done after profile-scanning the log to determine the optimum planes along which the log should be cut to make the most efficient use of the wood in the log. The cant is then cut into boards by a vertical arbor gang saw. Depending upon the size of the log and the nature of boards that are desired, side boards may be cut from the cant before the cant is passed to the vertical arbor gang saw.
The top, bottom and side faces of a cant may not be completely planar. Wane can occur along the corners of the cant. Where this happens, one or more of the corners of the cant are not square along part or all of the length of the cant. The shape of the top and bottom of the cant, and therefore the shape of the top and bottom boards sawn by the vertical arbor gang saw are typically determined by the optimization process.
The vertical arbor gang saw cuts the cant into a stack of boards. The vertical arbor gang saw typically has multiple blades equally spaced-apart along a vertical arbor. The vertical arbor gang saw may have a plurality of arbors. The width of the gaps between the blades determines the thickness of boards cut from the cant. The bottom of the cant becomes the bottom surface of the bottom board. The top of the cant becomes the top surface of the top board. Where the corners of the cant have wane, one or both of the top and bottom boards may need to be re-edged to yield narrower boards having square edges. Re-edging is performed in a separate re-edging apparatus.
Stacks of lumber emerge from the vertical arbor gang saw at process speeds which may be approximately 500 feet/minute, or even faster. Top and bottom boards that need re-edging are typically sorted and separated from a stack of lumber manually. Manual sorting is time-consuming and expensive in terms of labour costs. Providing an area for manual sorting can take up space within a sawmill.
There exist devices capable of removing top boards from stacks of lumber. Such top board separators are not able to remove bottom boards.
There is a need for apparatus and methods for removing bottom boards from a stack of lumber. There is a particular need for such apparatus and methods that can remove the bottom board while the stack of lumber is moving downstream for further processing without interrupting movement of the stack of boards.


The present invention discloses a selective independent overload and group overload protection circuit of a power supply. In the power supply, each of a plurality of loads that require a larger power output has an independent overload protection circuit, and the load is connected to a group overload protection circuit, such that a user can select to turn on the independent overload protection circuit or a group overload protection circuit that allows a larger power output and facilitates the user to select an appropriate power output according to the capacity requirement of the load.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply capable of selecting an independent overload protection circuit or a group overload protection circuit for a plurality of loads that require a large electric power output, such that users can select the appropriate electric power output according to the capacity requirement of the loads.
2. Description of the Related Art
Science and technologies advance rapidly, and electronic technology is well developed. Computer systems become increasingly more powerful as the functions of central processing units (CPU) and graphic cards are enhanced. With a variety of other additional functions, the functions of component modules that constitute the basic architecture of a computer become more powerful accordingly and maximize the utility of the whole system. For instance, the specifications of central processing units are improved from single-core to dual-core architecture, and the graphic cards are upgraded to the high-resolution 3D effect for high-level computer players, and some computer systems even employ more than two or three graphic cards.
At present, a high-end graphic card requires an electric power of 150 watts, and a set of computer system consumes an electric power of 300˜450 watts for its graphic cards, and thus the past power supply of 300˜350 watts no longer can meet the requirement now. Furthermore, the quantity of other hard disk drives, optical disk drives and USB connectors increases and each device requires a lower voltage (in volts) and a higher electric power (in watts), so that the system can maximize its utility, and the design of power supply tends to be high power.
Since it is necessary to take the user's safety into consideration for the design of the power supply, the SSI and UL specifications sets a critical value for the maximum output power of a single load. For example, the SSI 1 specification sets the critical value to 240 VA, which means that a current has an upper limit of 20 amperes (A) when the output voltage is 12 volts (V). The upper limit of the current is set to 20 amperes (A) for protecting the safety of computer users. However, a professional user generally connects many peripherals to the computer system, and thus a higher electric power is required. To meet this requirement, power supply manufacturers generally design and develop a power supply system with high power. As a result, a higher development cost is incurred. Furthermore, the power supplies come with various different specifications, and thus both manufacturing and carrying costs are increased as well.
In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, some designers proposed a power supply that allows users to select or increase the output power, and such power supply combines a plurality of power supplies to increase the total output power. For example, the original output current of a load is 20 A, and a select circuit is provided for users to set the output load to 30 A or above. Although this method can increase the output power of the load, the protection circuit is triggered to disconnect the power when the output power of a load is higher than the maximum allowed output power such as an output over 30 A, and the current requirement of other loads is lower than 20 A, and the sum of two output power is smaller than 50 A, and thus this method is very inconvenient and not suitable for practical applications.

Selective independent overload and group overload protection circuit of power supply


A microwave signal connector can comprise a first portion of an inner conductor comprising a first diameter. A second portion of the inner conductor comprises a second diameter less than the first diameter and is in contact with the first portion of the inner conductor. An outer conductor is disposed around the first portion of the inner conductor and the second portion of the inner conductor with a first inner diameter disposed over the first diameter and a second inner diameter disposed over the second diameter. A dielectric material is disposed between the second portion of the inner conductor and the outer conductor that extends along a length of the second portion of the inner conductor. An adhesive is attached to the dielectric material, the second portion of the inner conductor, and the outer conductor.

Microwaves are a form of radio waves generally considered to include wavelengths ranging from approximately 1 millimeter (mm) to 1 meter (m) in length. Microwaves are generally considered to include electromagnetic energy ranging in frequency between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). Commonly, microwave applications utilize electromagnetic energy ranging from approximately 1 GHz to approximately 94 or 110 GHz. More commonly, microwave applications utilize electromagnetic energy ranging from approximately 1 GHz to approximately 67 GHz; however, in microwave applications can also use other ranges of electromagnetic energy.
Microwaves are used in the fields of communication, satellites, radar, radio astronomy, navigation, heating and power applications, and spectroscopy. More specifically, microwaves are used extensively in telecommunications for non-broadcast, point-to-point uses. Microwaves are especially suitable for point-to-point uses because microwaves are more easily focused into narrow beams and require smaller antenna sizes than lower frequency radio waves and provide for broad bandwidth and high data flow. Additionally, microwaves are commonly used for transmitting data for television and telephones both between ground stations and between satellites.
Microwaves are also transmitted or propagate through transmission lines. Exemplary transmission lines include single conductor transmission lines such as rectangular waveguides or multiple conductor transmission lines such as microstrips, strip lines on printed circuit boards, and coaxial (or "coax") cables and connectors. Coaxial connectors include an inner conductor surrounded by a tubular insulating or dielectric layer. The inner conductor and insulating layer are surrounded by a tubular outer conductor or shielding layer such that the inner conductor and outer conductor share a geometric axis along a length of the transmission line. Coaxial connectors can optionally include an outer insulating jacket or sheath.
Coaxial connectors generally include circular cross-sectional areas (taken transverse to the axis of the inner and outer conductors), but can also include cross-sectional areas of any shape. Tolerance for dimensions of coaxial connectors are precisely controlled to maintain constant spacing between the inner and outer conductors. Constant spacing between the inner and outer conductors is important because in an ideal coaxial connector a signal carrying electromagnetic field exists only in the space between the inner conductor and the outer conductor. Carrying the signal in the space between the inner and outer conductors of the coaxial connector allows the signal to be shielded or protected from external electromagnetic interference by the outer conductor.
Additionally, an electric field interaction in the coaxial connector caused by propagation of the signal creates a distributed capacitance (C) between the inner and outer conductors. The capacitance is influenced by a number of factors, including a proximity of the inner and outer conductors, relative surface areas of the inner and outer conductors, and a dielectric constant of the material disposed between the inner and outer conductors. Similarly, a magnetic field interaction in the coaxial connector caused by propagation of the signal creates a distributed inductance (L) between the inner and outer conductors. The inductance is influenced by a number of factors, including the proximity of the inner and outer conductors, the relative surface areas of the inner and outer conductors, and the dielectric constant of the material disposed between the inner and outer conductors. An impedance (Z) of the signal line is a function of both the capacitance and inductance. Stated more precisely, the impedance of the line signal is equal to a square root of the inductance divided by the capacitance: Z=√{square root over (L)}/C. The relationship between the impedance, inductance, and capacitance of a microwave line signal creates a number of challenges for the design of microwave connectors.
One challenge presented by the use of coaxial connectors in systems including microwave line signals is controlling and minimizing reflections of the microwave signal caused by the connectors. Reflections caused within microwave signal connectors can result in part from transmission lines of different diameters being connected to the microwave signal connectors. Systems including more than one size of transmission cables or devices to be connected are not uncommon. Because microwave signal connectors include ends that physically and electrically match the cables or devices being connected, microwave signal connectors also include different diameters, as needed, to satisfy system needs. When a first end of a microwave signal connector includes a first size different from a second size of a second end of a microwave signal connector, a transition between the first and second sizes occurs within the microwave signal connector.
In accounting for the transition between the size of the first and second ends, microwave signal connectors are constructed such that an impedance of the microwave signal connector is constant at the first and second ends of the microwave signal connector. However, because impedance of the signal line is related to a capacitance and inductance of the signal line by the relationship of Z=√{square root over (L)}/C, the capacitance and inductance associated with each of the first and second sizes of the first and second ends of the microwave signal connector change and are not equal even when impedance through the microwave signal connector is kept the same. The variation or change of the inductance and especially the variation or change of capacitance in a microwave signal connector cause portions of the microwave signal propagating through the microwave signal to be reflected. Reflections of portions of the microwave signal are undesirable because the reflections degrade or weaken a strength of the signal being transmitted. Therefore, compensation steps are used to minimize reflections of the microwave signals being transmitted through microwave signal connectors.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary microwave signal connector 10 as known in the prior art. FIG. 1 illustrates details relating to a number of performance related details without disclosing mechanical engagement of the various features. Microwave signal connector 10 includes a connector portion 10a and a transition portion 10b. Microwave signal connector 10 includes a first end 12 configured to be attached to a transmission line such as a coaxial cable, and a second end 14 configured to be attached to a transmission line such as microstrip 16. Microstrip 16 includes a conductive material or waveguide 18 formed at or on a substrate 20. Microwave signal connector 10 is optionally secured to microstrip 16 with securing portion 22. While microwave signal connector 10 is shown with first end 12 configured to be attached to a coaxial cable and second end 14 configured to be attached to microstrip 16, the microwave signal connector can likewise be configured with first and second ends that are configured to be attached to other transmission lines or coaxial cables of different sizes.
Microwave signal connector 10 includes an inner conductor 26 that extends from first end 12 to second end 14 of the microwave signal connector 10. Inner conductor 26 is bisected by central axis 28 of microwave signal connector 10 and includes a first diameter d1 that extends from first end 12 partially but not completely through the microwave signal connector. The diameter of inner conductor 26 decreases in size in a stair-step fashion to diameters of decreasing size. Specifically, FIG. 1 shows the diameter of inner conductor 26 decreasing from d1 at first end 12 to d2, d3, d4, and to d5 at second end 14, where inner conductor 26 contacts transmission line 18.
Microwave signal connector 10 further includes an outer conductor 30 that extends from first end 12 to second end 14 of the microwave signal connector. Outer conductor 30 is bisected by central axis 28 of microwave signal connector 10 such that outer conductor 30 is positioned with the same central axis as inner conductor 26, that is coaxially. Outer conductor 30 includes a first inner diameter D1 that extends from first end 12 partially but not completely through microwave signal connector 10. The inner diameter of outer conductor 30 decreases in size in a stair-step fashion to diameters of decreasing size. Specifically, FIG. 1 shows the diameter of outer conductor 30 decreasing from D1 at first end 12 to D2, D3, D4, and to D5 at second end 14. Optionally, outer conductor 30 includes securing portion 22.
The stair-step decrease in diameters of inner conductor 26 and outer conductor 30 are offset with respect to one another such that an offset K1 exists between the change in diameter from d1 to d2 of inner conductor 26 and the change in diameter from D1 to D2 in outer conductor 30. Similarly, offsets K2 and K3 are shown at the transitions from d2 to d3 and D2 to D3 as well as from d3 to d4 and D3 to D4, respectively.
Dielectric materials 34, 36, and 38 are disposed between inner conductor 26 and outer conductor 30. Dielectric materials 34, 36, and 38 are homogenous dielectric materials and include both air and plastics that maintain consistent dielectric properties and provide low attenuation of electromagnetic energy over large ranges of operating frequencies. In one common embodiment, dielectric materials 34 and 38 are air, and dielectric material 36 is a plastic material. Plastic material 36 includes thermoplastics such as polyethermide (also known as Ultem®), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) (also known as Kel-F®), and fluoropolymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (also known as Teflon®). Dielectric materials 34, 36, and 38 are disposed between offsets K1, K2, and K3. Adjustments to a length or distance of offsets K1, K2, and K3 are made in order to adjust capacitance and inductance within the microwave signal connector 10 and to minimize reflections of the microwave signal being transmitted through the microwave signal connector. A dielectric constant of dielectric materials 34, 36, and 38 is adjusted or changed in order to adjust capacitance and inductance within the microwave signal connector 10 and to minimize reflections of the microwave signal being transmitted through the microwave signal connector. The governing equations used to minimize microwave signal reflections by adjusting the dielectric constants of dielectrics 34, 36, and 38 and by adjusting the offsets K1, K2, and K3 are well known in the art and are based on the use of homogenous or unitary dielectric materials disposed between inner conductor 26 and outer conductor 30.
Details relating to known means and methods of mechanical engagement for microwave signal connectors, omitted from the functional description made above in reference to the various features of FIG. 1, are now addressed. A primary objective for microwave signal connectors is to maintain the position and structural integrity of the inner conductor and dielectric material within the outer conductor when assembled to transmission lines and other devices. Current construction methods, as known in the prior art, use purely mechanical means for holding the microwave signal connector together. Known construction methods for mechanically holding the microwave signal connector together include construction using barbs and dimples, beads, and an epoxy rod for mechanical capture.
A known construction method for mechanically holding a microwave signal connector together includes the use of barbs and dimples. Barbs are used to capture an inner conductor within a plastic dielectric material by deforming or displacing the plastic to receive the inner conductor and then apply pressure to the inner conductor. Dimples are formed in the outer conductor that deform a portion of the outer conductor to capture the plastic dielectric material by extending the outer conductor into, and applying pressure on, the plastic dielectric material. While the barbs and dimples mechanically secure the inner conductor, the plastic dielectric, and the outer conductor to one another, the changes in geometry of the transmission line resulting from the deformation caused by the barbs and dimples undesirably cause reflections of microwave energy during transmission of a microwave signal.
Another known construction method for mechanically holding a microwave signal connector together includes the use of beads. A bead of a harder plastic material including thermoplastics such as polyethermide, PEEK, and PCTFE are used to capture the inner and outer conductors. Grooves are formed or machined into the outer and inner conductors to receive a portion of the bead. The bead can be pressed into the grooves, or alternatively, a subsection of one or more conductors can be screwed together with the bead. In either event, the conductors and bead are captured between the inner conductor and the outer conductor, thereby locking and holding the microwave signal connector together.
Another known construction method for mechanically holding a microwave signal connector together includes the use of an epoxy rod. The epoxy rod is made by forming or drilling holes completely through an outer conductor and completely through a plastic dielectric. A hole or groove and is formed or machined partially through an inner conductor to form a groove. The holes or openings in the outer conductor, dielectric, and inner conductor are aligned and a liquid epoxy is injected into the aligned openings and cured to form a solid rod. The epoxy rod mechanically captures or fixes the dielectric in place relative to the inner and outer conductors by being rigidly fit within the holes made through the outer conductor, dielectric, and inner conductor. Thus, the rod-like shape of the cured epoxy is used to mechanically secure together the components of the microwave signal connector.


A wire cutting device for an electrical discharge machining (EDM) machine with a wire draw-off device, which moves a wire electrode along a feed direction into a cutting zone of the EDM machine; and with a deflection unit in order to deflect the wire electrode running in the feed direction into the cutting zone from the feed direction into a cutting area, in which at least one cutting edge acts on the wire electrode in the cutting area in order to cut it.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally concerns the field of electrical discharge machining (EDM), i.e. machine tools in which an electric discharge between a wire or strip-like tool electrode and a workpiece causes material removal on the workpiece. In particular, the invention concerns a wire transport system for transporting the wire or strip-like electrode through the EDM machine and a wire cutting device to sever the wire electrode in a disposal area following the work area of the EDM machine. The invention also concerns a method for cutting of such a wire electrode.
2. Related Technology
Countless individual nonstationary electric discharges, separated from each other in space and time within a dielectric fluid occur, between a tool electrode and a workpiece in electrical discharge machining. Removal is based on extreme local heating at the location of spark discharge, during which the material evaporates. EDM machines of the type just mentioned utilize the removal effect of spark erosion. During machining the tool electrode is subject to a certain wear because of the spark discharges. For this reason the tool electrode is provided in the case of a wire erosion machine as a continuous wire electrode that passes through the work area of the EDM machine during workpiece machining and is continuously renewed.
For this purpose, a wire transport system is provided, which unwinds the wire electrode from a supply spool, guides it through the work area and transports it to a disposal area, as is known, for example, from DE 196 07 705 A1. In the disposal area the wire electrode is usually cut into small pieces a few centimeters long for space-saving disposal.
A wire cutting device is known from EP 281 511 B1 that has a rotating cutting drum and an elastic mating drum with a rubber coating rotating opposite to it. The cutting drum has cutting edges arranged parallel to the axis of rotation, which are forced against the surfaces of the mating drum during rotation of the cutting drum. The wire electrode is passed between the cutting drum and the mating drum and cut by means of the cutting edge.
This type of wire cutting device, among other things, has the shortcoming that cutting severely loads the cutting drum and the strongly abrasive wire electrode also loads the rubber coating of the mating drum. The elastic coating therefore degrades relatively quickly.
It is neither possible to deactivate the shown wire cutting device so that the wire electrode can be introduced to a disposal container uncut. This is useful, especially in wire electrodes with a diameter of 0.1 mm or less, because they require comparatively little space in the disposal container, so that cutting is not necessary for space-saving disposal. These fine wire electrodes ordinarily consist of tungsten, molybdenum or iron, i.e. materials having higher strength values relative to the conventional wire electrode materials, copper or copper-zinc alloys. The high shear strength of such wires causes additional wear during cutting.
A wire cutting device for an EDM machine is known from EP 1 153 688 A1 in which the wire electrode is guided through a guide tube to a cutting area in which one end of the guide tube forms a cutting edge. A rotating cutting drum with cutting edges arranged essentially parallel to the axis of rotation is arranged on the end of the guide tube so that the cutting edge of the cutting drum is moved transversely over the end of the guide tube and grasps and severs the wire electrode pushed forward on this account.
In this wire cutting device it is neither possible to deactivate the wire cutting device with small diameters of the wire electrode easily so that the wire electrodes can be guided into the disposal area uncut.

Wire cutting device, wire transport system, and method for severing of a wire electrode in an EDM machine


A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes an image bearing member, a developing device developing an electrostatic image formed on the member with a developer, a first receiver receiving a driving force rotating the member from a first transmitter of the main assembly, a second receiver receiving a driving force driving the developing device from a second transmitter of the main assembly. The first receiver and the transmitter are engaged with each other with play in a mounting and demounting direction of the process cartridge, when the driving force is inputted from the first transmitter to the first receiver. When the driving force is inputted from the second transmitter to the second receiver, a part of the process cartridge is urged toward a positioning portion for positioning of the process cartridge relative to the main assembly.

In the field of an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic image forming process, a process cartridge type of apparatus unifies a photosensitive member and process means actable on the photosensitive member, such as charging means, developing means, cleaning means or the like) into a cartridge which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus. The process cartridge type of apparatus is advantageous in that maintenance of the apparatus can be carried out by the user of the apparatus without a service person, so that operability is remarkably improved. Therefore, the process cartridge type of apparatus is widely used in the field of the image forming apparatus. It is desirable that the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus with high positional accuracy between the process cartridge and the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, while providing a proper mounting feeling.
In a widely used system for correctly positioning a cartridge relative to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, a projection is provided on the cartridge, and correspondingly, the main assembly of the apparatus is provided with a positioning portion for engagement with the projection, and when the projection is in engagement with the positioning portion, the cartridge is urged by a spring to assure the support, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei 11-174940.
In another example, as shown in FIG. 9, the drive transmission structure is different.
An axial end of a photosensitive drum 67 is provided with a twisted polygonal prism projection 616, and correspondingly, a coupling end 617 of main assembly side of the image forming apparatus which transmits a driving force to the photosensitive drum 67, is provided with a twisted hole having a polygonal cross-section. When the projection 616 is engaged with the hole, they are rotatable integrally with each other so that a rotational driving force is transmitted, during which a thrust force is produced to pull the projection into the main assembly side of the apparatus by the twisting configuration, and in addition, the axis of the photosensitive drum 67 is positively aligned with the axis of the drum gear 622 by way of the coupling, thus determining the position of the cartridge correctly relative to the main assembly of the apparatus, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei 10-104905.
However, the conventional image forming apparatus involves a problem in the operability in the positioning and removal of the cartridge.
In the spring latch type apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei 11-174940, the spring for positioning the cartridge provides a resistance against the falling of the cartridge in the main assembly of the apparatus. If the spring force is reduced, the resistance is reduced, but the positioning force is also reduced, and therefore, doing so is not desirable. As a result, the cartridge may rise, or ride on another element, so that the cartridge might not be positioned correctly. This results in an excessive load applied to the photosensitive drum and to the transfer belt unit disposed opposed thereto, and may lead to damage in the belt within an image forming region thereof, and then, the image formation is adversely influenced.
The structure of Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei 10-104905 will be considered. In order to smoothly remove the cartridge, the coupling desirably has already been retracted. To accomplish this, a rotation of the twisted hole is required to disengage from the projection 616, and therefore, a rotation link mechanism is necessary which is interrelated with some operation, with the result of a complicated structure, and therefore, an increase in the number of parts, in the cost and in the limitation of the arrangements of parts.

Process cartridge and image forming apparatus


An optoelectronic assembly includes an optical lens element (OLE) coupled to a substrate. The substrate includes a transducer, a standing structure on the transducer, a transducer lens supported by the standing structure over the transducer, and alignment features. The OLE includes an OLE lens and co-alignment features that couple with the alignment features on the optoelectronic assembly. When the substrate is coupled to the OLE, the transducer lens is aligned with the OLE lens.

Optical signals are increasingly used in communication networks to carry data. These communication networks use optoelectronic modules (such as optical transmitters, receivers, and transceivers) to transmit and receive optical signals.
In an optoelectronic module, a light source (such as a laser in a transmitter or an optical fiber in a receiver) must be accurately aligned with a lens and a target (such as an optical fiber in a transmitter or a photodiode in a receiver) in order for the optical signals to be properly routed through the communication network.
FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a conventional optical path in an optoelectronic transmitter 11. The optoelectronic transmitter 11 includes a laser 13, coupling optics 15, and an optical fiber 17. The coupling optics 15 receives light from the laser 13 and focuses it onto the optical fiber 17. The coupling optics 15 is a single unit having a first lens surface 19 and a second lens surface 21. Positioning the coupling optics is difficult because the first lens surface 19 must be aligned with laser 13 while simultaneously aligning the second lens surface 21 with the optical fiber 17.
Consequently, active alignment is needed to carefully place each component such that the light from the light source will be focused exactly on the target. For example, during active alignment of the optoelectronic transmitter 11, the laser 13 is switched on while the positions of the coupling optics 15 and optical fiber 17 are adjusted. The power of the optical signal received by the optical fiber 17 is measured. The laser 13, coupling optics 15, and optical fiber 17 are considered to be at an optimal alignment when the optical power measured is at a maximum level. At this point, the positions of the laser 13, coupling optics 15, and optical fiber 17 are fixed in place with respect to one another.
Active alignment is time consuming and expensive. It requires precision mechanical equipment to achieve the alignment, as well as optoelectronic test equipment to power and monitor the system.

Optoelectronic assembly with coupling features for alignment

Avago Technologies Fiber IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.


A technique is disclosed for remotely managing isolated domains on mobile devices. A request is received from the mobile device to instantiate a managed domain. A managed domain configuration is determined and comprises a security policy controlling access to content of the managed domain of the subscribing mobile device, a content specification identifying the content to be downloaded by the subscribing mobile device into the managed domain, and a content configuration identifying a configuration of the content on the subscribing mobile device. The managed domain configuration is sent to the subscribing mobile device to instantiate a secure, managed domain whose policy, content and content configuration is remotely controlled. The technique is useful for advertising and brand promotion on mobile devices as it simultaneously enables detailed control over the presentation of content by a curator while ensuring privacy and security protection of the other apps, accounts and data on the mobile device.

Online advertising and marketing currently employs a number of different methods in connection with mobile and fixed electronic information devices. For example, web search engines such as Google™, Yahoo!™, and Bing™ support ad placement based on search string key word searches as well as contextual advertisements. Web pages and emails may include banner ads, paid links, advertiser sponsorship content, links to social media websites, and the like. Social media websites such as Facebook™ and LinkedIn™ are commonly used for brand and product promotion.
One challenge faced by advertisers in general is the overwhelming volume of advertising messages and media that compete for consumer attention. Consumer attention is a scarce resource and attracting consumer attention and disseminating information to consumers is a fundamental challenge faced by advertisers generally. In online advertising, this has spawned the use of rich media advertising formats such as floating ads, expandable ads, video ads, interactive ads, expandable banner ads, and so forth, to capture the interest of consumers.
A relatively new segment of online advertising is mobile advertising. The increased capabilities (for example, high resolution displays, touch screens, app support, and so forth), high adoption rates, and large installed base of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices have resulted in the rapid growth of mobile advertising. For example, spending on mobile advertising increased 83% from US$5.3 billion in 2011 to $8.9 billion in 2012: see IAB Global Mobile Advertising Revenue Report, http://www.iab.net/globalmobile. Mobile advertising has typically taken the form of display ads, text messaging ads, paid search ads, mobile apps, and banners within mobile apps.
In this connection, the model of online advertising and marketing is changing with respect to mobile device usage. The number of mobile apps is growing rapidly (for example, there are currently over 1 million apps available on Google Play™, the largest app store for Android devices) and consumers already spend much more time using mobile apps than they spend browsing the web via mobile browsers. Mobile apps have become or are quickly becoming the principal means for consumers to find, discover, package, and present information, services, and experiences on mobile devices.
In keeping with this trend, companies are increasingly leveraging apps for mobile advertising and marketing. For example, in most developed nations, consumers are more likely to receive mobile advertising via apps than via a mobile browser. Additionally companies may develop and distribute multiple apps for the purpose of mobile advertising and marketing, and mobile advertising is also distributed to consumers via banner ads within apps, such as games, video apps, or social networking apps, such as those developed by Facebook™. LinkedIn™, Instagram™, Tumblr™, Twitter™, and YouTube™. Each social network app has its own user interfaces which have been optimized for the particular information being displayed (e.g. short messages, pictures, videos, etc.).
While advertisers and companies that provide apps to consumers for the purposes of mobile advertising and marketing often promote the apps on web sites, consumers are more likely to use an app, such as Google Play™, to discover and download apps on mobile devices. With millions of mobile apps available on various app stores, it is difficult for consumers to discover apps and to recognize the apps that are authentic (meaning they were developed and distributed by the corporation of interest to the consumer rather than some potentially illegitimate third party). A number of app recommendation and aggregation services have emerged that attempt to filter, rank and recommend apps to consumers, but these are often based either on user supplied ratings, which are sparse or oversimplified recommendations based on user profiles and previously downloaded apps. Similar issues exist in connection with social media apps: that is the problem of finding desirable brands, channels, or feeds, for example. Another approach taken by some original equipment manufacturers to overcome the app discovery problem is to provide pre-loaded apps or "bloatware".
In addition to the above challenges facing advertisers is the increasing consumer concern and desire for privacy of personal information. Until recently, online advertising was typically viewed by consumers via web browsers on personal computers or laptops. Participants in the online advertising industry have been able to collect and store a wealth of personal information about such consumers including, for example, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, web sites visited, search words entered, and so forth, and use this information for the purposes of targeted advertising. Such information may also be sold to another advertiser.
In response to the increasing concern of consumers over personal privacy, some national governments have implemented privacy legislation, and some web browsers provide mechanisms to control the 'leakage' of personal information (e.g. private browsing modes). Moreover, efforts have been made to improve the transparency of how personal information is collected and used by corporations engaged in online advertising (e.g. website privacy policies).
As such, personal privacy is also a pressing issue in connection with the use of personal electronic devices such as laptops, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDA's), and the like. Concerns regarding consumer privacy are especially acute with respect to mobile devices because, as compared to a workplace workstation, or even a home PC, for example, users tend to store large amounts of personal information on their mobile devices, mobile devices are constantly connected and mobile devices tend to be with consumers for the majority of their waking hours. No other device is more personal and linked to an individual than a personal mobile device. While users of such devices generally desire unimpeded and effortless access to online content, it is becoming increasingly desirable to control and/or limit the collection of personal information in the process. While there presently exists means to prevent or limit the collection of personal information while accessing online content, they typically involve some interference with ready and effortless access to the online content, and are thus undesirable.
Moreover, the increase in mobile advertising on mobile devices raises additional issues resulting from technological differences from online advertising on personal computers. For example, in personal computers personal information is typically better segregated than it is on mobile devices and internet browsers have features that address some privacy issues. Browsers typically operate in a security 'sandbox' which limits the access of the browser to system resources and/or files which may contain personal information on the personal computer. In a browser environment, for a web page to obtain additional permissions generally requires the installation of 'plug-ins' which then can have lower-level access to the operating system services than the sandbox. One of the issues with such plug-ins is that they can be very invasive and change the configuration of your browser and/or the underlying operating system itself (e.g. change the default media player or search engine). As a result, users have become reluctant to download and install plug-ins.
Mobile operating systems have simplified app development (compared to the PC environment), by providing standardized operating system services for apps to access contact information, device owner information, account information (e.g. email account), location, e-mails, messaging, telephony services and payment services (e.g. various payment "wallets"). These services may also be accessed by apps used for mobile advertising and marketing. This further exacerbates user privacy concerns on mobile devices.
In order to address concerns with respect to information privacy and security, some operating systems, such as Android™, provide a permissions framework (or discretionary access control) whereby a consumer must grant the permissions requested by an app prior to installation (e.g. Internet access, access to contacts, global positioning system (GPS) location data, etc.). The permissions are not granular, however—for example, the user must either accept the requested permissions or refrain from installing the app—and many mobile device users do not understand the implications of granting such permissions or combinations of permissions to a mobile app.
The permissions requested by apps may also be leveraged by in-app ad libraries that are incorporated into many free apps as a means for the developer to monetize their app. Certain in-app ad libraries have been found invasively to collect personal information such as a user's call logs, account information, and phone number see, e.g. M. Grace, W. Zhou, X. Jiang, and A.-R. Sadeghi., "Analysis of Mobile In-App Advertisements", Proceedings of the 5th ACM Conference on Security and Privacy in Wireless and Mobile Networks, WiSec '12, 2012. Also see: http://www.symantec.com/contentlen/us/enterprise/media/security_response/whitepapers/madware_and_malware_analysis.pdf.
Compounding these concerns associated with personal information privacy are general issues with app security. Developing applications that cannot be exploited by malware or hackers (secure applications) is a challenging task even for experienced application security experts. Mobile app development is a relatively new field and there is a shortage of skilled programmers and mobile application security experts. The increasing use of apps for mobile marketing purposes combined with the large increase in mobile malware (including substantially on the Android M platform), make it more likely that apps developed by (or for) an advertiser or company may contain vulnerabilities that can be leveraged by another app or malware to obtain private information; this may then affect consumer confidence in the company.
Nevertheless, a significant proportion of consumers tend to be accepting of advertising if it is engaging, low cost and if it originates from a trusted brand, and are further content to provide personal information in order to receive custom advertising which matches their interests.
A yet further issue with current methods concerns the overcrowding of mobile device homescreens. It is generally appreciated that there is value to a company in having content related to the company, such as an app, present on the homescreen of a mobile device given that a user's attention is most often directed to the homescreen. In practice, therefore, app developers and brand managers seek to have their content reside on device homescreens. Given the limited space on device homescreens (typically there is room for about 20 icons), however, overcrowding and message dilution is a problem. Some companies have attempted to overcome this home screen crowding by developing custom launchers that control the mobile device homescreen (e.g. equivalent to the desktop on a personal computer) including the placement of apps on the homescreen. Such efforts (e.g. Facebook™ Home™) have failed due to consumer concerns over privacy (e.g. the launcher can be used to gather information on which apps the consumer uses and how often they use them) and the invasiveness of such efforts.
There is thus an ongoing and pressing need for techniques which enable the effective provision of desired advertising, marketing, and other selected content to personal mobile devices, while minimizing security risks and providing maximal user control over the disclosure of private information that may be stored on the device.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Managed domains for remote content and configuration control on mobile information devices


A near field apparatus comprises a Radio Frequency (RF) coil including at least one of a shorting bridge from a first point to a second point along an electrical path of the RF coil and/or a discontinuity in the electrical path of the RF coil.

For wireless communication, far field transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves is familiar, even to consumers. Applications utilizing near field energy also exist and are becoming increasingly common.
For instance, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) applications usually employ near field transmitters and detectors. Structures used to transmit and receive near field energy are referred to as Radio Frequency (RF) coils (as opposed to antennas), and include structures such as loop coils, spiral coils, and dipole-like wires, etc. Thus, whereas the term "antenna" refers to a far field radiating structure, RF coils are understood to be for near field applications.
An outgrowth of RFID is Near Field Communications (NFC), which is an extension of the ISO 14443 standard. An NFC device typically includes an interface of a contactless smartcard and a reader and can communicate with smartcards, readers, and other NFC devices. Examples of NFC devices include phones and other handheld devices for applications like wireless payment. NFC communications, at least in the United States, use the ISM band at 13.56 MHz.
Another near field application is Magnetic Resonance Imagine (MRI). MRI machines often include RF coils to produce and/or detect the magnetic field energy that is used to image organs and structures within the body. MRI devices typically operate at about 42.58 MHz/Tesla. Therefore, operating frequency bands will be in the 63.87 MHz band and in the 127.74 MHz band for 1.5 Tesla and 3 Tesla magnetic field systems, respectively.
FIG. 13 is an illustration of conventional near field application 1300. Near field application 1300 includes RF coil 1301, which is an N-turn coil (where N is a positive integer), matching or tuning circuit 1302, transmission line 1303, and RF circuitry (e.g., a transceiver) 1305. RF circuitry 1305 receives and transmits RF signal 1304 over transmission line 1303 to circuit 1302 and RF coil 1301. Conventional RF coils typically employ an external LC circuit as a matching or tuning circuit. Furthermore, conventional RF coils use a continuous conductor so that there is an unbroken current path between the + and − coil terminals.

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd.


Example systems and methods for virtual visualization of a three-dimensional (3D) model of an object in a two-dimensional (2D) environment. The method may include superimposing a first 3D model of an object onto the 2D environment, and replacing the first 3D model of the object with a second 3D model of an object. Further, the method may include superimposing a smart 3D model of an object onto the 2D environment. Additionally, the method may include a code or mark to identify images of the 2D environment to which 3D models of objects have been superimposed.

Interior design may involve developing and evaluating a design for a room or environment. For example, a designer may wish to position various objects, including furniture, lighting fixtures, and wall hangings, within a two-dimensional (2D) environment of an interior room. Conventional interior design tools may enable a user to first form a three-dimensional (3D) modeled space, representing the 2D environment and then position a 3D modeled objects within the 3D modeled space. Another option is to use a scrapbook method and form a collection of 2D images of products one would like to visualize in the 2D environment.
The inventors herein have recognized various issues with the above methods. Namely, although objects may be positioned independently within the 2D environment, it may be difficult to precisely replace an object in the 2D environment.
One example embodiment, may include a method for replacing the 3D model of the object in the environment, comprising selecting a first 3D object in the 2D environment, selecting a second 3D object from a library of 3D objects and replacing the first 3D object with the second 3D object. For example, if the user is trying to decide whether a round table or a rectangular table may fit better within the users living space (the 2D environment), the user may superimpose the round table on the living space and then, replace the round table with the rectangular table. After visualizing both the tables in the living space, the user may finalize his choice.
Another example embodiment, may include a method comprising replacing a 3D object in a 2D environment, comprising, selecting the plane, such as a wall plane or a ground plane or a top plane, selecting a 3D object positioned in one of those planes and replacing the selected 3D object with a new 3D object belonging to the same plane as the selected object.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Method for replacing 3D objects in 2D environment


Amplifier circuitry includes an input stage having a transconductance stage including first and second input transistors and a first tail current source, gates of the first and second input transistors being coupled to first and second input signals, respectively. A bulk electrode capacitance driver includes third and fourth input transistors and first and second associated cascode transistors and a second tail current source coupled to the sources and bulk electrodes of the third and fourth input transistors and to the bulk electrodes of the first and second input transistors. The gates of the third and fourth input transistors are coupled to the first and second input voltage signals, respectively, and the gates of the first and second cascode transistors are coupled to the second and first input voltage signals, respectively.

The present invention relates generally to amplifier circuits, and more particularly to improving amplifier performance by overcoming difficulties caused by capacitance associated with the bulk electrodes of the input field effect transistors.
Bulk electrode capacitance associated with input stages of high-speed operational amplifiers reduces the amplifier slew rates and also causes unsymmetrical operational amplifier responses to the positive-going and negative-going edges of large-magnitude input step signals. Prior Art FIG. 1 illustrates an operational amplifier including a differential input transconductance stage 2 including input transistors 6A and 6B having their sources connected by conductor 8 to a tail current source 7. The bulk electrodes of input transistors 6A and 6B are connected by conductor 10 to the positive supply voltage VDD. The drains of input transistors 6A and 6B are connected to inputs of a prior art folded cascode stage 3, the outputs of which are connected to the inputs of a conventional class AB stage 4.
In the circuit of Prior Art FIG. 1, the bulk electrode capacitance Cb of the bulk electrodes of the input transistors does not significantly affect the signal path of the input signal (Vin=Vin+−Vin−) through the operational amplifier. However, the CMRR (common mode rejection ratio) of the operational amplifier is degraded due to mismatching between input transistors 6A and 6B, since the CMRR is a function of the source-drain voltages of the input transistors 6A and 6B.
Prior Art FIG. 2 shows another configuration of a similar transconductance input stage 2A in which the bulk electrodes of its of input transistors 6A and 6B are connected by conductor 10A to the common source conductor 8, rather than to VDD as in FIG. 1. A cascode transistor 11A is coupled between the drain of input transistor 6A and output conductor 9A, with its gate also connected to Vin−, and a cascode transistor 11B is coupled between the drain of input transistor 6B and output conductor 9B, with its gate connected to Vin+. Cascode transistors 11A and 11B provide improved CMRR of the operational amplifier by providing a relatively constant drain-source voltage across input transistors 6A and 6B. However, the circuit configuration of Prior Art FIG. 2 causes the bulk electrode capacitance Cb to be coupled so as to directly load the amplifier signal path, thereby degrading the large signal response of the amplifier by causing slower settling times and unsymmetrical slew rates.
Specifically, if the bulk electrodes of the input transistors are connected directly to their sources as shown in FIG. 2, the total bulk electrode capacitance Cb can be considered to be added directly to the signal path capacitance. This causes the above-mentioned unsymmetrical slewing operation wherein the rising edge of Vout is slower than the falling edge. For most operational amplifiers, the slew rate is determined by the total input stage tail current divided by the Miller compensation capacitance CM. If all of the input stage tail current flows to the Miller compensation capacitance CM, it does not matter whether that occurs in response to a rising edge or falling edge of the operational amplifier step input pulse. However, if the bulk electrode capacitance Cb of the input transistors 6A and 6B is connected directly to their sources, the total increased capacitance associated with the bulk electrodes of the input transistors 6A and 6B must be charged or discharged during slewing operation and therefore causes slower slewing rates.
During the rising edge of the amplifier input voltage, some of the tail current will go to the source capacitance of input transistors 6A and 6B, so less of the tail current is available to charge the Miller compensation capacitance CM of the operational amplifier output stage 4, resulting in a decreased slew rate.
During the falling edge of the input step pulse, the voltage of the common source conductor 8 of input transistors 6A and 6B will decrease. The total capacitance on common source conductor 8, including source capacitances of input transistors 6A and 6B and the total bulk electrode capacitance Cb, will be discharged through input transistors 6A and 6B and conductors 9A and 9B and through the signal path of the folded cascode stage 3 to the Miller compensation capacitances CM and will produce a current that is substantially greater in magnitude than the tail current I1 of input stage 2A. This causes a substantially faster slew rate than for the rising edge of the input step voltage pulse. Thus, the slewing rates in response to the rising and falling edges of a step voltage input pulse are unsymmetrical.
Conventional buffer circuits may have been previously used to drive the bulk electrodes of operational amplifier input stage field effect transistors, but if so, it would have been found that this approach has significant difficulties because some of the tail current of the conventional buffer circuit would have been leaked to the integrated circuit substrate or ground, i.e., wasted, and therefore resulting in less of the tail current being available to drive the bulk electrode capacitance Cb. This would have resulted in excessive power consumption if the tail current had been substantially increased to drive the bulk electrode capacitance in order to increase output slew rates.
Thus, there is an unmet need for an amplifier input stage that provides symmetrical slew rates.
There also is an unmet need for an amplifier input stage that provides symmetrical slew rates and fast signal settling times.
There also is an unmet need for an amplifier input stage that provides symmetrical slew rates and fast signal settling times without unacceptably increasing power consumption.

Circuit and method for driving bulk capacitance of amplifier input transistors


A multipole lens is provided which is for use in electron microscopy and which is simple in structure but capable of producing X- and Y-components of a quadrupole field and X- and Y-components of an octopole field. The multipole lens (100) comprises: first through twelfth polar elements (10-1 to 10-12); first through sixteenth coils (20-1 to 20-16); a first power supply (30-1) for supplying currents to the coils (20-1, 20-4, 20-9, 20-12); a second power supply (30-2) for supplying currents to the coils (20-3, 20-5, 20-11, 20-13); a third power supply (30-3) for supplying excitation currents to the coils (20-6, 20-8, 20-14, 20-16); and a fourth power supply (30-4) for supplying excitation currents to the coils (20-2, 20-7, 20-10, 20-15). The coils (20-1, 20-3, 20-6, 20-7, 20-9, 20-11, 20-14, 20-15) produce magnetic fields in a first direction. The coils (20-2, 20-4, 20-5, 20-8, 20-10, 20-12, 20-13, 20-16) produce magnetic fields in a direction opposite to the first direction.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multipole lens and also to a charged particle beam system.
Description of Related Art
In recent years, there have been known charged particle beam systems such as a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) each equipped with an aberration corrector for correcting aberrations. Aberration correctors operate to correct aberrations by applying a magnetic field, an electric field, or a superimposition of these fields to a passage for a charged particle beam (such as an electron beam) by the use of multipole lenses (see, for example, JP-A-2005-302405).
For example, octopole fields are used for corrections of four-fold astigmatism and spherical aberration. In some cases, a low-order multipole field is superimposed on an octopole field to reduce the effects of axial deviation. In the case of a dodecapole lens, X- and Y-components of a quadrupole field and X- and Y-components of an octopole field can be created, for example, by applying magnetomotive forces to magnetic polepieces at ratios given in the table shown in FIG. 4. If the X-component of the quadrupole field is rotated through 45 degrees, the Y-component of the quadrupole field is obtained. If the X-component of the octopole field is rotated through 22.5 degrees, the Y-component of the octopole field results. The magnetomotive forces applied to the magnetic polepieces are determined by the numbers of turns of the coils wound on the magnetic polepieces and by currents flowing through the coils.
FIG. 5 schematically shows one conventional multipole lens, generally indicated by reference numeral 101A.
The multipole lens 101A is a dodecapole lens as shown in FIG. 5, and is configured including twelve magnetic polepieces 110-1 to 110-12, twelve coils 120, twelve power supplies 130-1 to 130-12, and a yoke 140. In the multipole lens 101A, the ratios of magnetomotive forces are controlled by the power supplies 130-1 to 130-12. Each of the coils 120 with the same shape and with the same number of turns is mounted to a respective one of the magnetic polepieces 110-1 to 110-12. Electric currents are supplied to these coils 120 from the independent power supplies 130-1 to 130-12, respectively. When one wants to superimpose the four kinds of fields consisting of the X- and Y-components of the quadrupole field and the X- and Y-components of the octopole field and to excite the coils and magnetic polepieces, the sum of magnetomotive forces to be impressed on the magnetic polepieces 110-1 to 110-12 is calculated using the table of FIG. 4. The amounts of currents passed through the coils 120 are found from the numbers of turns of the coils 120, and the outputs from the power supplies 130-1 to 130-12 are controlled.
FIG. 6 schematically shows another conventional multipole lens, generally indicated by reference numeral 101B.
As shown in FIG. 6, this multipole lens 101B is configured including twelve magnetic polepieces 110-1 to 110-12 (hereinafter may be collectively referred to as the magnetic polepieces 110), forty-eight coils 120, four power supplies 130-1 to 130-4 (hereinafter may be collectively referred to as the power supplies 130), and a yoke 140. In the multipole lens 101B, the ratios of the magnetomotive forces are controlled by the numbers of turns of the coils 120. The coils 120 having the numbers of turns which are proportional to the ratios of the magnetomotive forces listed in the table of FIG. 4 are mounted to the magnetic polepieces 110, respectively. These coils 120 are connected with their respective power supplies 130-1 to 130-4. As a result, the polepieces 110 are excited at the ratios of the magnetomotive forces creating the four kinds of fields, i.e., the X- and Y-components of the quadrupole field and the X- and Y-components of the octopole field, irrespective of the output currents from the power supplies 130.
If the coils 120 are controlled independently in the same way as for the multipole lens 101A shown in FIG. 5, various kinds of multipole fields can be generated. Furthermore, the number of the coils 120 can be suppressed to a minimum. However, in order to control the coils 120 independently, it is necessary to provide as many power supplies 130 as there are magnetic polepieces 110. Furthermore, variations in the currents flowing through the coils 120 give rise to deflecting fields and so the multipole lens is subject to the effects of noise.
The number of the power supplies 130 making up the multipole lens 101E shown in FIG. 6 is equal to a minimum number (four) of power supplies 130 producing the four kinds of fields. Furthermore, in the multipole lens 101B, the fields generated by the currents flowing through the coils 120 fundamentally contain no deflecting fields and, therefore, this lens is less subject to the effects of noise, it being noted that deflecting fields are generated only by axial deviations. However, the number of the coils 120 needed is equal to the number of fields multiplied by the number of magnetic polepieces. This greatly complicates wiring and terminal treatment. In addition, the ratios of the magnetomotive forces applied to the magnetic polepieces 110 must be controlled by the numbers of the turns of the coils 120, thus increasing the number of kinds of the required coils 120.

Multipole lens and charged particle beam system


A system and method for manipulating articles includes providing a bed having at least one conveying surface. The conveying surface is adapted to move articles in a direction of conveyance from an upstream end to a downstream end of the bed. At least one sensor is provided to determine the position of any articles on the bed. Selected articles are moved in the direction of conveyance at a speed that is generally higher than articles traveling on the bed that have yet to be manipulated and the articles are selectively rotated.

The present invention relates to conveyors, and more particularly to conveyors that manipulate articles. The invention may be applied in many ways, including by way of example, to separate batches of parcels by releasing parcels one at a time. Another application is to manipulate a stream of articles by delivering the articles one at a time with generally controlled gaps between the articles. The articles may also be aligned, such as lengthwise.
Conveyors-such as belt conveyors, roller conveyors, and other types of conveyors are in widespread use today for moving packages, parcels, mail, boxes, and other articles from one place to another. In many situations the articles that are to be carried by the conveyor are initially placed on a conveyor in a manner that is not conducive to being transported and processed by the conveyor system. Typically, the conveyor system is set up to optimally transport articles when they are arranged in a single-file line. In many situations, articles enter a conveyor system on conveyors that are sufficiently wide to accommodate multiple articles positioned side-by-side. In order to effectively process these side-by-side articles, it is desirable to manipulate them such that they are no longer arranged side-by-side, but rather in a single-file line. It may also be desirable to provide controlled gaps between the articles and to orient the articles in a particular manner, such as lengthwise.
In the past, several different types of article manipulators have been used, but these all contain features that have room for improvement. For example, PCT Application Serial No. PCT/US00/11370 (Publication No. WO 01/74693) discloses a hold and release singulator for manipulating items being transported. The hold and release singulator operates in a batch like fashion. In other words, groups of articles are transported onto the singulator, then stopped, and then individually caused to exit the singulator one at a time. After all of the articles have exited the singulator, another batch of articles is moved onto the singulator and the process is repeated. This method may produce an uneven flow of articles exiting the singulator. Further, a batch type manipulation process may not manipulate items as fast as a continuous process.
A continuous type of manipulation process is disclosed in European patent publication EP 0 979 788 82 (application number 99250264.1). However, not all items that enter the singulator of this patent will necessarily be manipulated during their first transport over the manipulation bed. The manipulation device disclosed in this patent includes a return section 70 in which non-manipulated items are re-circulated through the singulator. The re-circulation of these items is generally inefficient. Further, additional floor space must be provided to accommodate the re-circulation conveyors. Oftentimes factory floor space is at a premium and the use of additional space is desirably avoided.
PCT patent application serial no. PCT/US01/13556 (Publication No. WO 01/83339) discloses another existing type of article singulator. While the application discloses several different embodiments of an article singulator, none of these embodiments disclose a singulator which rotates articles. In addition to manipulating articles into a single file line, it is often desirable to rotate the articles such that their longitudinal axis is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor. The articles that enter a singulator are customarily oriented at all different angles. When a singulator is used, such as that disclosed in PCT application PCT/US01/13556, the orientation of the articles are not altered using the singulator. The articles therefore must be processed having skewed angular orientations, or additional means must be provided to rotate the articles to a desired orientation.
In light of the foregoing disadvantages with several of the prior art singulators, the desire can be seen for an improved singulator that overcomes these and other disadvantages.

Conveyor system with distributed article manipulation


A power assisted snowplow stand for allowing an operator of a snowplow the ability to position the snowplow to connect and disconnect the snowplow. The snowplow stand generally including a stand structure coupled to a power assist mechanism. The stand structure coupled to the snowplow. The invention also including a method for attaching a vehicle, including a subframe, to and operating power assisted snowplow stand for allowing an operator of a snowplow the ability to position the snowplow to connect and disconnect the snowplow; a stand structure coupled to the snowplow and a power assist mechanism being linked to a control system for controlling the power assisted snowplow stand. The stand structure including an up position and a down position. The method including positioning the vehicle subframe for engagement with the snowplow. Operating the control system to actuate the power assist mechanism to align the snowplow with the vehicle subframe. Engaging and coupling the vehicle subframe to the snowplow. Operating the control system to elevate the snowplow. Raising the stand structure to an up position.

The present invention relates to the field of snowplows and specifically to stands for snowplows. Snowplows today are being made out of lighter and stronger materials than they have been made from in the past, however, they are still quite heavy pieces of equipment. In particular, detachable snowplows of the type that can be connected and disconnected to a vehicle present a particular problem in that they are somewhat difficult to connect and disconnect to and from a vehicle because of the weight associated with the plow. The connection or disconnection of the plow can be especially difficult if it is attempted by just one man or woman. Consequently, many types of connection and disconnection systems have been developed to reduce the amount of effort required by a person to connect or disconnect a snowplow to and from a vehicle. All these methods, while increasing the ease with which the snowplow may be connected to a vehicle or disconnected from a vehicle are still somewhat difficult because positioning the plow to be connected or disconnected many times requires dealing with the dead weight of the plow. Accordingly, the efficiency of connecting or disconnecting a plow may be greatly increased if an effective structure and/or method of dealing with the dead weight of the plow is applied.
The present invention by means of a unique and simple design effectively allows the operator of a plow to easily connect and disconnect his or her plow without being adversely affected by the dead weight of the plow itself. The inventors know of no prior art that teaches or discloses the present invention.


A tilt and slide roof opening and closing device adapted to be fixed to the top of a roof comprises two pairs of carriages guided in rails by a pair of cables and a pair of slides carrying a mobile panel. The slides are articulated by a pair of links carrying three operating studs accommodated and moving in guide paths. Each link is coupled to a rear carriage to pivot freely about an axis. Each front carriage carries an operating stud accommodated and moving in a guide path. The thickness of the roof opening and closing device is less than 18 mm.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a roof opening and closing device, in particular for automobile vehicles, comprising a pair of rails fixed to the top of the roof of the vehicle on either side of an opening in the roof, a front carriage pair and a rear carriage pair adapted to be moved in longitudinal translation in the rails by a pair of cables, and an articulation mechanism functionally related to the carriages and a pair of slides carrying a mobile panel to tilt the mobile panel and slide it over the roof of the vehicle, each slide having a front part and a rear part.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a general rule, a roof opening and closing device of this kind is fixed directly to the top of the roof of a vehicle as an adaptation. These known devices have the drawback of having a significant thickness above the roof of the vehicle. This increased thickness significantly degrades the drag factor of the vehicle and so compromises its performance. Also, asperities in the roof surface due to the thickness of a device of this kind give rise to turbulence producing noise which is disagreeable to the vehicle passengers. Furthermore, its great thickness is detrimental to the general esthetics of the vehicle.
Until now articulation mechanisms for the mobile panel enabling it to tilt and slide over the vehicle roof, in the case of a roof opening and closing device fixed to the top of the vehicle roof, have required rails of significant height and therefore a significant thickness of the roof opening and closing device to accommodate the members required to tilt and slide the mobile panel.
An object of the present invention is to alleviate these drawbacks of the prior art. A particular objective of the invention is to propose a roof opening and closing device which has the least possible thickness above the vehicle roof, this thickness not exceeding 18 mm.
Essentially, a roof opening and closing device in accordance with the invention comprises a first front carriage pair functionally related to first guide path means at the front of the slide to raise the mobile panel above the roof when it slides and a second rear carriage pair functionally related to second, third and fourth guide path means at the rear of the slide through the intermediary of a pair of links to raise the mobile panel above the roof when it slides and to tilt it. The links make it possible to reduce significantly the height of the rails and therefore the thickness of the roof opening and closing device whilst retaining the facility for the mobile panel to tilt and slide over the vehicle roof.

Tilt and slide roof opening and closing device, in particular for automobile vehicles


Display systems, devices and methods that utilize one or more native display elements as photo-sensing elements to detect light. A display device includes a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) pixel elements arranged in an array having a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, and a control circuit configured to selectively activate a first LED pixel element to emit light, and simultaneously activate a second LED pixel element to detect light.

Display devices are widely used in a variety of electronic systems. Display devices typically include an active display region, often demarked by a surface, in which the display device displays visual content, typically using an array of display pixel elements. Some display devices may incorporate separate fingerprint sensors. Fingerprint sensors may be used to allow a user to provide user input to interact with the electronic system. Fingerprint sensors also typically include a sensing region in which the fingerprint sensor determines presence, location, motion, and/or features of a fingerprint or partial fingerprint. Fingerprint sensors may be used for purposes relating to user authentication or identification of a user.
A fingerprint sensor may thus be used to provide interfaces for the electronic system. For example, fingerprint sensors are often used as input devices for larger computing systems such as opaque touchpads and fingerprint readers integrated in or peripheral to notebook or desktop computers. Fingerprint sensors are also often used in smaller computing systems such as touch screens integrated in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Displays utilizing LEDs as sensing elements


A method of manufacturing a fryer vat includes the step of welding together side portions and a main portion of a fryer vat, in which the step of welding includes the step of forming a plurality of vertical vat welds. Further, the step of forming includes the steps of applying a torch over a filler material for a period of time sufficient to melt the filler material, and deactivating the torch in order to allow the melted filler material to cool to a temperature sufficient to form a solid material. The method also includes the step of reapplying the torch over the vertical vat welds for a period of time sufficient to remelt only a portion of the vertical vat welds.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to fryer vats and methods of manufacturing such fryer vats. More specifically, the invention is directed towards fryer vats having strengthened vat welds and methods of manufacturing such fryer vats.
2. Description of Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a known fryer vat 1 may comprise a main portion 4 and side portions 2 mounted on main portion 4. Side portions 2 may be substantially rectangular in shape. Main portion 4 may comprise a U-shaped portion 4a connected to side portions 2 and a cold zone 4b extending below and from U-shaped portion 4a. Cold zone 4b may comprise a drain formed at the bottom of cold zone 4b for catching any debris, e.g., crumbs, which may fall off of a food product during cooking. During a known manufacturing process, side portions 2 may be fixed to main portion 4 by a known welding process using a known torch (not shown). Specifically, a filler material, e.g., a known solder, such as a stainless steel-based solder, or the like, may be positioned adjacent to or in contact with those portions of side portions 2 contacting main portion 4. The filler material subsequently may be melted using the torch, such that when the filler material cools to a temperature sufficient to form a solid material, the filler material welds side portions 2 to main portion 4.
Referring to FIG. 2, when side portions 2 are welded to main portion 4, a vertical vat weld 6 may be formed at or adjacent to those lines at which U-shaped portion 4a intersects any two vertical ends or edges of side portions 2. For example, a first vertical vat weld 6 may be formed at or adjacent to a line at which U-shaped portion 4a intersects the front, left side portion 2. Similarly, a second vertical vat weld 6 may be formed at or adjacent to a line at which U-shaped portion 4a intersects the front, right side portion 2. Moreover, a third vertical vat weld 6 may be formed at or adjacent to a line at which U-shaped portion 4a intersects the rear, left side portions 2. Similarly, a fourth vertical vat weld 6 may be formed at or adjacent to a line at which U-shaped portion 4a intersects the rear, right side portion 2. When side portions 2 are welded to main portion 4, a horizontal vat weld (not shown) also may be formed at or adjacent to those lines at which U-shaped portion 4a contacts lower ends or edges of side portion 2.
In operation, fryer vat 1 may be positioned inside a known fryer apparatus, e.g., a pressure fryer apparatus, an open fryer apparatus, or the like. A cooking medium, e.g., melted shortening, cooking oil, or the like, may be placed inside fryer vat 1 and heated to a predetermined temperature via at least one heat exchanger tube (not shown) or at least one burner (not shown). When the cooking medium reaches the predetermined temperature, a basket or a tray carrier holding a food product, e.g., chicken, fish, french fries, or the like, may be submersed in the cooking medium, such that the food product may be cooked. Once the food product is cooked, the food product may be removed and the heat exchanger or the burner may be deactivated, such that temperature of the cooking medium may decrease.
Nevertheless, when the cooking medium is heated to the predetermined temperature, the temperature of those portions of fryer vat 1 in contact with the cooking medium, e.g., side portions 2 and U-shaped portion 4a, also may increase. When the temperature of side portions 2 and U-shaped portion 4a increases, side portions 2 and U-shaped portion 4a may thermally expand. Moreover, when the heat exchanger tube or the burner is deactivated and the temperature of the cooking medium decreases, the temperature of side portions 2 and U-shaped portion 4a also may decrease. When the temperature of side portions 2 and U-shaped portion 4a decreases, side portions 2 and U-shaped portion 4a may thermally contract. Consequently, when fryer vat 1 is used over time, the side portions 2 and U-shaped portion 4a may experience thermal stress, e.g., at notches formed at the ends of vertical vat welds 6, due to such thermal expansion and thermal contraction. In particular, vertical vat welds 6 or the horizontal vat welds, or both, may experience sufficient fatigue to cause them to crack, e.g., at the notches, such that fryer vat 1 no longer may be used to cook food products. Moreover, when a user of fryer vat 1 improperly fails to place the cooking medium inside fryer vat 1 prior to activating the heat exchanger or the burner, vertical vat welds 6 or the horizontal vat welds, or both, may more readily crack than when fryer vat 1 is properly filled with cooking medium before heat is applied.

Fryer vats having strengthened vat welds and methods of manufacturing such fryer vats


A device for removing deer ticks and similar insects from a person's skin is disclosed. The device includes a heatable pointed needle and a spoon member located in spaced relationship alongside the needle with the bowl of the spoon facing the needle. The needle is used for poking the tick in order to cause it to retract its stinger and back off of the skin, at which point the tick may be removed in its entirety by scooping it with a spoon member located next to the hot needle. In a first embodiment of the invention, the needle and spoon member are carried on a body unit or base member in the form of a hand held gun, and the needle may be heated by an internal, self-electrical power source and heating element, or by a secondary heat source. In a second embodiment, the needle and spoon are mounted on a base member which may be attached to a flame-type cigarette lighter to heat the needle.

This invention relates to a device for removing deer ticks and the like from a person's skin.
Deer ticks are small arachnids (slightly larger than the related mites) which attach themselves to warm blooded vertebrate to feed. These bloodsucking parasitic insects, often found in heavily wooded areas, are carriers of many infectious diseases. A recent increase in the incidence of Lyme's Disease is widely considered to have been caused by the spread of the disease through deer ticks.
Recreational activities such as hiking, fishing, hunting and camping in wooded areas expose a human being to the possibility of a deer tick becoming attached to his or her body. Once on the skin, the deer tick drives its stinger through the skin in order to access the blood flow to feed, thereby providing a path for transmitting diseases carried by the tick. It is therefore imperative that the deer tick be removed before the stinger has full penetrated the skin.
At the end of a day in the woods, a person should check his or her body for the presence of deer ticks. By that time, however, the tick may have imbedded itself in the skin (although the stinger has not yet fully penetrated the skin) so that removal may be difficult. Merely pulling the tick off of the skin with one's finger tips or with a tweezers may result in breaking the body of the tick away from the stinger, leaving the stinger in the skin. One method of effecting complete removal of the tick, both body and stinger, is by lighting a match and then, immediately after extinguishing the flame, placing the hot embers against the tick. The hot match tends to cause the tick to back off of the skin, at that point enabling one to easily remove the tick in its entirety. This method of removing deer ticks, however, is both cumbersome and painful.

Hand-held heating device for dislodging and removing skin-embedded ticks and other arachnids


A method and system searches documents that contain an ordered pair of keywords using search indices stored in multiple storage locations. In one embodiment, a server receives the search request that includes an ordered pair of keywords. The server hashes each keyword with multiple hash functions to obtain a hash vector pair, which are used to index a chain of search indices. Hash values in the hash vector pair are used to locate the chain of search indices that are stored across multiple storage locations. The last search index in the chain provides identifiers of documents containing the ordered pair of keywords, with a distance between the keywords in the documents below a predetermined limit. The documents can be retrieved from document repositories using the identifiers.

A search engine is generally part of an information retrieval system that retrieves information from a data repository according to a search query provided by a user. A search query can be expressed as one or more keywords. In response to the keywords, a search engine can generate a list of documents that contain the keywords.
To increase the speed of a search engine, documents in the data repository can be indexed prior to the search. The indexing operation collects, parses, and stores data relating to the documents in a search index to facilitate fast and accurate document retrieval.
A typical document retrieval system includes a front end component and a back end component. The front end component includes one or more client applications (e.g., web browsers and/or special purpose client applications) that generate search queries and transfer these search queries to the back end component. The back end component processes the search queries, looks up a search index, and accesses a data repository to retrieve the requested document.
In some enterprise document retrieval systems, the search index may contain a large amount of data that cannot be easily managed by a single server. Thus, it becomes crucial to be able to distribute this data across multiple storage locations that are managed by multiple servers in an efficient manner.

Searching documents for successive hashed keywords


A microcontroller has a central processing unit, memory, I/O ports and a plurality of peripheral units, wherein one of the peripheral units is a configurable logic cell. The configurable logic cell is formed by a look-up table formed by a plurality of memory cells receiving a predefined number of input address signals selectable from internal signals provided by the peripheral units and at least one external signal provided by at least one external pin and generating an output signal. The central processing unit is configured to directly provide input address signals for the look-up table.

A microcontroller may comprise a central processing unit (CPU), program and data storage memory, input-output (I/O) ports and a plurality of peripherals fabricated on an integrated circuit (IC) die ("chip"). The IC die may be enclosed (encapsulated) in an IC package having connection terminals ("pins") to which external circuits may be connected to the IC die. Electrical connection points on the IC die may be "pads" and may be connected to the IC package pins with bonding wires. The IC die pads are used for the I/O ports, and IC die DC power and ground. Some of these peripherals may be core independent peripherals (CIPs), i.e. a peripheral that does not rely on input from the CPU for operation.
Configurable logic cell peripherals in microcontrollers are known from a variety of microcontrollers manufactured by the Assignee of the present application. For example, application note TB3133, by Swathi Sridar, published in 2015 describes configurable logic cells available in PIC© Microcontrollers and is hereby incorporated by reference. These devices are versatile and provide a selectable logic function to a microcontroller without the complexity of typical FPGAs that also may incorporate a central processing unit. These logic cell peripherals are small in comparison to the real estate required by FPGAs and enhance the microcontrollers such that in many applications no additional or very little additional external logic is necessary.
Many microcontrollers comprise these core-independent peripherals and can provide for up to 8 configurable logic cells. Each configurable logic cell (CLC) can be configured from 8 different options as shown in FIG. 3 of TB3133. Certain configurations have a limited sequential functionality by implementing or adding a Flip-Flop function. Thus, these microcontrollers offer the popular CLC peripheral for implementing simple combinational and sequential logic functions. However, the combinational elements in particular require complicated setup and provide limited options. Many Application Notes are forced to use multiple CLC peripherals to create the combinational logic system required. The CLC is a powerful and versatile peripheral and having to allocate one for simple bridging needs may often be wasteful.
Thus, there are certain restriction and limitations as, e.g., only a predefined number of logic elements is available in a logic cell.

Microcontroller with configurable logic peripheral


The present invention provides a new cutting tool assembly comprising a replaceable cutting head and a tool body having a common longitudinal axis and mating peripheral surfaces. The cutting head has a cutting portion forming a leading end, a pilot portion forming a trailing end, and a cutting head mounting portion adjacent the trailing end of the cutting head. The tool body has a cutting head receiving portion formed at a leading end of the tool body and a pilot recess disposed in the leading end of the tool body to matingly receive the pilot portion of the cutting head. The cutting head mounting portion and the cutting head receiving portion of the tool body each have at least two coupling portions. The cutting head coupling portions and the tool body coupling portions are bound by their peripheral surfaces and generally mate in shape and dimensions. Each coupling portion has a pair of base surfaces, including upper and lower surfaces. The base surfaces extend transversely to the longitudinal axis and provide support of the cutting head in the tool body. A torque transmission wall extends between the upper and lower base surfaces from the pilot portion surface in a generally transverse direction relative to the longitudinal axis and oriented transversely to the base surfaces. A fastener may be disposed in the tool body along its longitudinal axis where it matingly engages the pilot portion of the cutting head and exerts an axial force on the cutting head for pressing the cutting head mounting portion against the cutting head receiving portion of the tool body.

The present invention relates to a cutting tool assembly for rotary cutting and/or machining, comprising a tool body and a replaceable cutting head. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cutting tool having a replaceable cutting head retained on a tool body by a retaining system, wherein the cutting head comprises a unique mating surface configuration enabling an increased retention force on the cutting head while providing optimized torque transferability.
It is previously known to provide rotary cutting tools, such as drills, with replaceable cutting heads or drill tips. These tips have been retained on a tool body by many methods including radial set screws secured through lands provided on the tool body, press fit connections using dove-tail profiles, axial screws and drawbars, etc. While each method has different advantages and disadvantages, none of these tools can be easily and quickly replaced while maintaining optimized torque transferability, high feed rates, and a secure mounting to the tool body. Some prior tools of this type have worked well but have not been generally usable in aggressive machining operations, which produce high stress on the connection of the cutting head to the tool body.
Several examples of prior art configurations use a dovetail profile to connect the cutting head to the tool body. The cutting head is inserted into a recess generally having at least one radial base surface. The cutting head is then rotated such that a dovetail profile on the cutting head engages a dovetail recess of the tool body. This engagement is typically an interference fit type arrangement such that the cutting head is prevented from rotating in a disengaging direction. In order for the interference fit to provide sufficient retaining force, high stresses result at the tool body interface with the cutting head and in some cases, a special tool is needed to connect and disconnect the cutting head. Another problem with such a connection is that the feed force during operation of the tool pushes the cutting head downward into the tool body, which can lessen the retaining force of the dovetail connection and permit the cutting head to loosen.
Other examples of connecting the cutting head use an axial engagement bar to secure the cutting head to the tool body. Although attempting to clamp the head to the body, the high stress at the interface again may result in loosening of the connection and/or make the tool susceptible to eccentric and other loads.
It is also found in various tools with replaceable cutting heads, that it may be impossible to change the cutting head while the tool is mounted in an associated tool holder or machine. Thus, it is required that the entire tool be removed from the tool holder or machine, the cutting head then being replaced, and the tool being reintroduced into the machine for continued operation. Such a process adds labor and time, and detracts from the advantages of having the replaceable insert, and from the machining speeds achievable.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a new drill assembly utilizing a replaceable cutting head which combines the advantages of a replaceable cutting head with the ability to be used in aggressive machining operations in which high stress conditions will exist. There also remains a need to provide drill assembly utilizing a replaceable cutting head which allows the cutting head to be replaced while the tool is mounted in the tool holder or machine to simplify and speed up this process.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new cutting tool assembly comprising a replaceable cutting head and a tool body having a common longitudinal axis and mating peripheral surfaces. The cutting head has a cutting portion forming a leading end, a pilot portion forming a trailing end, and a cutting head mounting portion adjacent the trailing end of the cutting head. The tool body has a cutting head receiving portion formed at a leading end of the tool body and a pilot recess disposed in the leading end of the tool body to matingly receive the pilot portion of the cutting head. The cutting head mounting portion and the cutting head receiving portion of the tool body each have at least two coupling portions. The cutting head coupling portions and the tool body coupling portions are bound by their peripheral surfaces and generally mate in shape and dimensions. Each coupling portion has a pair of base surfaces, including upper and lower surfaces. The base surfaces extend transversely to the longitudinal axis and provide support of the cutting head in the tool body. A torque transmission wall extends between the upper and lower base surfaces from the pilot portion surface in a generally transverse direction relative to the longitudinal axis and oriented transversely to the base surfaces. A fastener may be disposed in the tool body along its longitudinal axis where it matingly engages the pilot portion of the cutting head and exerts an axial force on the cutting head for pressing the cutting head mounting portion against the cutting head receiving portion of the tool body.

Cutting tool assembly with replaceable cutting head