The present invention teaches a system of cooperative driving for use in traffic mitigation or towing, in which two or more non-mechanically connected vehicles are identically equipped with automatic driving controls, which cooperate with sensors and communication devices so that the vehicles are effectively driven by the driver in the leading vehicle.

This invention relates to a new system for traffic mitigation. More specifically, it relates to a system for the cooperative driving between vehicles whereby the flow of automobiles on freeways and city streets at peak hours is substantially increased.
Heavy rush hour traffic is considered an urgent unsolved problem in all major metropolitan areas of the United States. For example, planners in Santa Clara County, Calif., 50 miles south of San Francisco, have declared traffic congestion to be the region's number one public problem. The final bits and pieces of the freeway systems planned and begun in the 50's and 60's are now being completed. Major new highway construction is dubious since the public mood does not support it. Each mile and each interchange is fought by no-growth proponents. Public transit systems are recognized to have only marginal value in areas of low population density, such as Santa Clara County. Even the staunchest advocates of public transit do not think it can replace the private automobile in low density areas.
With major freeway expansions and the replacement of the car by public transit being unlikely, traffic congestion grows worse every year. As a result, there have been several attempts to make the automobile more efficient in heavy traffic thereby allowing already existing freeways and city streets to handle rush hour traffic more easily.
One such attempt is the idea of automatically guided vehicles, which has spawned numerous studies and approaches. Research has proceeded as far as a working prototype of a test track with suitable vehicles for an "automated highway". Typically such vehicles have onboard the following:
1) longitudinal control means for acceleration, speed maintenance, and braking, PA0 2) lateral control means for steering, and PA0 3) communications sensor and logic means for receiving collision-avoidance information from onboard or remote sensors, e.g., radar; positioning information from a remote source, e.g., a wire conductor buried in the roadway as a guide; and operating information from a remote computer or remote human operator, e.g., radiocontrol.
The information received and interpreted by the communications sensor and logic means is operatively connected to the lateral and longitudinal control means so that the vehicle safely and effectively moves along the roadway. In other words, the car goes, stops and steers in response to the data received. Numerous articles have been published on such automated highway systems and many patents have been issued on its variations.
Despite the promise of the automated highway and the urgency of its need, the U.S. Department of Transportation stopped funding of automated highway demonstration projects in 1980. Despair over its complexity and high cost has eroded the public desire to fund experiments in this area.
In West Germany and Japan currently funded demonstrations are limited to the less ambitious "automated route guidance," where the driver retains operating control over his/her vehicle. Automated route guidance means that a vehicle's operator can request and get guidance from a central computer about the best route to take from point A to point B. The computer knows the roads, the normal daily traffic patterns, and perhaps the real time situation with respect to traffic accidents and construction tie-ups. The human operator can then read and follow the computer's suggested directions which are communicated to a display terminal in the vehicle. By directing a driver to less traveled routes, the automated route guidance system is able to make more complete use of an area's total network of roads and highways. The use of such a system, however, is limited to regions which have several roadways between points A and B. In other words, there can be no redirection of the vehicle if there is only one roadway.
Another variation of this operator-controlled traffic mitigation system is an automated control system for traffic lights, currently in use in Los Angeles. Under the Los Angeles system, a central computer automatically controls intersection lights in response to actual traffic patterns. This system has had success in relieving traffic congestion during the Olympics. The advantage of this system is limited primarily to preventing gridlock, a traffic condition experienced daily in New York City, where traffic from all directions is stopped at an intersection for extremely lengthy periods. (The system is able to prevent gridlock by anticipating the ingress and egress flow rate of vehicles into and out of an intersection. By appropriately controlling lights at that intersection, the computer is able to balance the two flow rates so that no substantial back-up occurs.) The automated traffic light control system, though a practical tool for traffic intersection control, is inapplicable in solving the problem of getting more cars on a road between A and B.
Some experiments at traffic mitigation have been made with totally self-contained robot-guided vehicles, but so far, little promise has been shown. One such vehicle was equipped with a TV camera to "see" ahead a short stretch of road while driving itself slowly down the road. In that case, the robot vehicle tried to drive itself up a roadside tree. Technicians later explained that the sun's angle had caused the tree shadow to be unexpectedly sharp. The programmers have promised that next year's model will know more about shadows. I believe robots are decades away from being acceptable drivers.
Other prior art systems, in obliquely dealing with the problem of traffic mitigation, have suggested methods of automatically maintaining fixed close distances between two cars, thereby increasing the potential carrying capacity of a roadway. For example, Ayotte, U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,166, teaches a dual vehicle operating system whereby a lead vehicle is physically connected to a trailing vehicle by a zeroforce mechanical connecting link and signal wires. Mechanical transducers in the connecting link and pedal transducers in the lead car provide information via signal wires of the lead vehicle's steering, braking, and acceleration to an electronic control in the trailing vehicle that controls the trailing vehicle's throttle, brakes and steering. In this way, the trailing vehicle mimics the lead vehicle.
Such systems, however, suffer from the obvious disadvantage of requiring a physical hookup. The requirement of a hookup destroys most of the system's usefulness in dealing with the problem of traffic mitigation. The extra time and steps required to both prearrange for a car to be hooked up and to physically hook up the mechanical connection presents a nearly insurmountable barrier to the general and popular usage of this prior art system. Like car pools, this type of system will most likely die for lack of interest.
Reid, U.S. Pat. No. 3,011,580, also teaches an automatic vehicle control system which attempts to accomplish a similar result of closely spaced vehicles on a roadway. In contrast to Ayotte, Reid teaches a system where the steering, braking, and acceleration of a trailing vehicle is controlled by a leading vehicle so as to maintain a predetermined separation between the two vehicles without the use of a physical connecting means. Reid accomplishes this purpose by employing a pick up assembly on the trailing vehicle which detects infrared radiation from the two tail lights of the leading vehicle. The two tail lights and the pick up assembly, which is centered at the front of the trailing vehicle, define three points of a triangle. The angle subtended by the line between the two tail lights is directly proportional to the distance between the two vehicles. To maintain a fixed distance between the two vehicles, Reid controls the trailing vehicle to maintain a constant subtended angle.
One major disadvantage of this type of system is its inability to compensate for differing vehicular performance characteristics of the two vehicles. To take an extreme example, such a system may be dangerously inoperable if a semitrailer is trailing a high performance sports car. In that case, if the sports car either accelerates quickly or makes a sharp turn, the semitrailer with its poor acceleration characteristics and poor turning radius may be unable to follow the sports car, and in its attempt to do so, may overturn.
Another major disadvantage of this type of system is its failure to provide methods of use during actual roadway operation. For example, there is no provision for a vehicle operator to spontaneously engage in this type of an automatic vehicle control system while on the road. Consequently, this type of system appears to similarly require drivers to prearrange getting their vehicles together In addition, there is no provision for vehicles in this system to voluntarily disengage, thereby limiting the trailing operator's driving freedom and the widespread usefulness of this system.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a new system for the cooperative driving of two or more vehicles which minimizes the disadvantages of the prior art. In accomplishing this objective, the present invention has several uses and advantages. One use is for traffic mitigation. It is well known that individual driver reaction time is a major factor in determining the number of vehicles per hour that is able to pass a fixed point on a freeway or a traffic-light-controlled intersection. If all vehicles are cooperatively paired up, the number of individual reaction times is halved (the trailing vehicles effectively have no driver to react). Hence, the number of vehicles per hour would increase substantially, thereby permitting existing roadways to carry more traffic. Specifically, it is estimated that a 60% improvement over present traffic density may be achieved with a 2 foot separation.
A second independent use of the invention would be vehicle delivery. Once two vehicles are cooperatively paired, no operator is required in the trail vehicle Hence, the paired vehicles could be driven to a destination by a single operator. This would be economically beneficial for delivery of new or rental cars, or for returning a car from servicing. Clearly delivering two cars with one driver is less expensive than requiring a driver for each car.
One advantage of using the present invention's system would be a full savings for the trail vehicle. The drafting effect, i.e. the reduction of wind resistance caused by the lead vehicle, is well known by racing drivers. If the distance between the vehicles is small and the aerodynamics well thought out, the drafting effect could save 25 percent or more in fuel costs.

System for the cooperative driving of two or more vehicles


An improvement in movement of the recording section in a recording apparatus such as a typewriter, a printer or the like is provided. This recording apparatus comprises: a print ribbon cassette having a recording material; a carriage having a solenoid or a cam for moving the cassette; a detector for detecting the vertical or horizontal moving amount of the cassette; and a controller for controlling the moving condition of the cassette moved by the carriage on the basis of an output from the detector. The moving time of the ribbon cassette is changed in accordance with the typing speed of the operator or the size of character to be recorded. Thus, the whole printing time can be shortened and the noise generated in association with the typing operation can be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and, more particularly, to the movement of the recording section thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recording apparatuses such as, for example, thermal printers, wire-dot printers, and further, word-processors, a typewriters, etc., more functions and higher performance are being realized. Particularly, in a typewriter and the like which can edit and the like, the burden for the operator is reduced and persons other than the operators, who were specially and well trained, can make a high grade document.
However, among such many functions, there are also functions which are particularly useful for only the operators who are relatively experienced and which are not well suited for use by a beginner. Therefore, it is difficult for the beginner to use such an apparatus.
For example, the ribbon lifting operation when recording is also one of such inconvenient functions.
A typewriter as a conventional recording apparatus of this kind, in particular, will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
FIG. 1 is an illustration for explaining the external appearance of the typewriter. A keyboard 1 is disposed on the upper surface on this side of the typewriter. The recording is performed on a recording paper 4, wrapped around a platen 3, by a type wheel 6 attached to a carriage 2 which is reciprocated horizontally.
The type wheel 6 is disposed on the side of the platen 3 of the carriage 2 and is rotated by a motor (not shown).
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the recording section and FIG. 3 is a side elevational view. A hammer unit 7 is disposed on this side of the type wheel 6. A hammer 7a is attached to the point of the hammer unit 7.
Also, a print ribbon cassette 8 is detachably attached over the carriage 2.
The print ribbon cassette 8 has left and right arms 8a and 8b. The print ribbon pulled out from the side of the arm 8b is led in the side of the other arm 8a and is wound in the print ribbon cassette 8. This print ribbon passes through the gap between the type wheel 6 and the platen 3 as indicated at a numeral 8c in FIG. 3.
On the other hand, the print ribbon cassette 8 is rotatably supported to the side of the carriage 2 through stub shafts 8d. When the cassette 8 is installed over the carriage 2, it is retained by hooks 5 so as not to be detached.
In addition, a torsion coil spring 10 is disposed below the print ribbon cassette 8. One end of the spring 10 is stopped on the carriage side, while the other is in contact with the bottom surface of the print ribbon cassette 8.
A solenoid 9 is disposed below the bottom surface on the side of the print ribbon cassette 8 near the print wheel 6. A rod 9a of the solenoid 9 is in contact with the bottom surface of the print ribbon cassette 8. When no current is supplied to the solenoid 9, the rod 9a is located in the lower position. In this state, the print ribbon cassette 8 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 3 by the torsion coil spring 10, so that the print ribbon 8c is in the state dropped from the printing position.
Upon printing, when a signal is inputted from the keyboard, the solenoid 9 is excited and the rod 9a is projected upwardly, so that the print ribbon cassette 8 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 3 and the print ribbon 8c reaches the printing position.
In this way, whenever the printing is performed by operating the keyboard, the print ribbon is lifted to the printing position and is immediately shifted from the printing position after the printing, thereby enabling the print to be checked.
However, this ribbon lifting operation has drawbacks such that the solenoid 9 has to be driven and extremely large noise is generated since the rod 9a is brought into contact with the print ribbon cassette 8.
Therefore, recently, in the case where the printing is continuously performed, the ribbon lifting operation is not performed for every character but printing is executed while the lifted state is held under electronic control.
Namely, when a signal from the next print key is inputted within a certain preset time interval after printing a prior character, the lifted state is maintained to eliminate the noise in association with the ribbon lifting operation and to eliminate the time necessary for the lifting, thereby realizing essentially silent and high-speed operation. FIG. 4 shows the flowchart in this case. In step 1, when a key signal is inputted, the ribbon shifting operation is performed in step 2. The type corresponding to the key input is selected from the type wheel 6 or the like in step 3. The printing hammer 7a is driven in step 4 and the next key signal is checked to see if it is inputted or not in step 5. If the next key signal is inputted, the processing is returned to step S2. If the next key signal is not inputted in step 6, the discrimination is made to see if the waiting time t.sub.n (e.g., 200 msec) has elapsed or not. If the waiting time t.sub.n has not elapsed yet, the processing will be returned to step 5. If it has elapsed, the ribbon dropping operation will be executed in step 7.
However, in the case where the characters which have been once stored in a memory by the key inputs are recorded and printed at once in the W/W mode (the recording is performed on a word unit basis), L/L mode (the recording is performed on a line unit basis), etc., the ribbon lifting operation is controlled and the printing can be performed while the ribbon is in the lifted state without carrying out the ribbon lifting and dropping operations whenever one character is printed. However, in the typewriters having only the ordinary C/C mode ( the recording is performed on a character unit basis) without such modes, the waiting time t.sub.n of FIG. 4 is determined on the basis of the experienced operator as a reference. If these typewriters are operated by a beginner whose printing operation speed is slow, the ribbon will have been lifted and dropped whenever the printing is performed, so that the noise is generated and the time necessary for lifting the ribbon is also added to the printing speed as a whole. Therefore, the typing speed will be slow.

Recording apparatus having an improved mechanism for moving the recording section thereof


A powershift transmission with a dual-clutch main transmission and a downstream planetary gearset transmission. The main transmission has first and second partial transmissions. Each partial transmission has an input shaft, an interlocking shifting element, an independent frictional powershift clutch, and a common output shaft. The downstream transmission has an input shaft which can be connected, via a third interlocking shifting element, to the common output shaft which is fixedly connected to a first planetary gearset element. The downstream transmission has an output shaft, which is connected to a second planetary gearset element. A third planetary gearset element can be coupled to a housing by a fourth interlocking shifting element or to the output shaft of the downstream transmission by a fifth interlocking shifting element. The common output shaft can be coupled by a sixth interlocking shifting element to the third planetary gearset element.

DE 10 2007 047 671 A1 describes a powershift transmission for a motor vehicle, having a main transmission in the form of a dual-clutch transmission and a downstream transmission in the form of a planetary gearset connected downstream from the main transmission. The main transmission comprises a first partial transmission and a second partial transmission, wherein a first main transmission input shaft of the first partial transmission is associated with a first frictional powershift clutch and a separate, second main transmission input shaft of the second partial transmission is associated with a second frictional powershift clutch. Each of the two partial transmissions of the main transmission in the form of a dual-clutch transmission comprises, respectively, at least one interlocking shifting element. For the two partial transmissions a common main transmission output shaft is provided. The downstream transmission in the form of a planetary gearset comprises a downstream transmission input shaft and a downstream transmission output shaft. The output shaft of the main transmission can be coupled by means of an interlocking shifting element to a first planetary gearset element of the downstream transmission. A second planetary gearset element of the downstream transmission is connected fixed to the output shaft of the downstream transmission. A third planetary gearset element of the downstream transmission can be coupled by means of further interlocking shifting elements either to a transmission housing or to the output shaft of the downstream transmission and therefore also to the second planetary gearset element, which is connected in a fixed manner to the output shaft of the downstream transmission.
In the powershift transmission known from DE 10 2007 047 671 A1 the downstream transmission, which is in the form of a planetary gearset, serves exclusively as a fixed gear ratio, so that only non power-branched gears can be obtained.

Powershift transmission and method for operation thereof


When a reset-up work has been generated associated with a changing in processing data between old and new lots, a cumulative standard time required for the operator to carry out the reset-up work is calculated, and a lapse time since the starting of the reset-up work is subtracted from the calculated cumulative standard time to obtain a cumulative standard remaining time, and the count-down of this cumulative standard remaining time is displayed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic cutting and crimping apparatus for cutting an electric wire by intermittently feeding the wire for each product wire length and sequentially carrying out a desired terminal processing of the cut wires such as a stripping of covered wires and a crimp-style connection of a terminal metal member at a terminal portion of the wires, according to a plurality of processing data including attribute information own to each manufacturing wire, thereby to sequentially manufacture wires finished with a desired processing, and relates, more particularly, to an automatic cutting and crimping apparatus for enabling an operator to easily understand a progress status of reset-up of items along with the proceeding of this work thereby to substantially improve the efficiency of the reset-up work.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been known an automatic cutting and crimping apparatus for cutting an electric wire by intermittently feeding the wire for each product wire length and sequentially carrying out a desired terminal processing of the cut wires such as a stripping of covered wires and a crimp-style connection of a terminal metal member at a terminal portion of the wires, according to a plurality of processing data including attribute information own to each manufacturing wire, thereby to sequentially manufacture wires finished with a desired processing, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-69722.
The automatic cutting and crimping apparatus disclosed in the above-described publication is planned to smoothly carry out an reset-up work such as a reset-up of electric wires, terminal metal members or crimping dies, that are generated in sequentially and continuously manufacturing products of lots of mutually different specifications in wire diameters, metal members, etc., and makes a display of only the contents necessary for a reset-up of items on the display at the time of the reset-up.
According to the above-described conventional automatic cutting and crimping apparatus, the operator can look at the contents of the display and thus properly understand the contents necessary for reset-up such as change of set conditions, materials to be changed, so as to carry out the reset-up promptly and accurately regardless of the level of skillfulness of the operator.
However, according to the above-described prior-art automatic cutting and crimping apparatus, the apparatus makes a display of only the contents necessary for an reset-up on the display, and the apparatus does not make any display of time information such as the time required for the operator to carry out the reset-up and the time taken since the reset-up work has started. Therefore, there has been a problem to be solved that it is difficult for the operator to understand the progress status of the reset-up work along with the proceeding of this work.
Thus, there has been desired among parties concerned a development of a novel technique which enables the operator to easily understand the progress status at any time along with the proceeding of the reset-up work.
The present invention has been made in the light of the above-described situation, and it is an object of the invention to provide an automatic cutting and crimping apparatus which calculates a cumulative standard time required for the operator to carry out a reset-up work when a reset-up work to be carried out has arisen associated with a reset-up in processing data between old and new lots, sequentially subtracts a lapse time since the starting of a reset-up work from the calculated cumulative standard time to obtain a cumulative standard remaining time, and makes a count-down display of this cumulative standard remaining time, thereby to enable the operator to easily understand the progress status of the reset-up work at any time along with the proceeding of this work, and thus makes it possible to substantially improve the efficiency of the reset-up work.
In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic cutting and crimping apparatus for cutting an electric wire by intermittently feeding the wire for each product wire length and sequentially carrying out a desired terminal processing of the cut wire such as a stripping of covered wires and crimp-type connection of a terminal metal member at a terminal portion of the wire, according to a plurality of processing data including attribute information own to each lot of a manufacturing unit, thereby to sequentially manufacture wires finished with a desired processing, the automatic cutting and crimping apparatus comprising: processing data memory means for storing the plurality of processing data; standard time memory means for storing standard time required for an operator to carry out reset-up works, for each of reset-up items such as exchanges of the electric wire, a terminal metal member and a crimping die; processing data comparing means for comparing processing data between old and new lots by referring to the plurality of processing data stored in the processing data memory means; item extracting means for extracting a reset-up item associated with an updating of the processing data between old and new lots, based on a result of a comparison by the processing data comparing means; standard cumulative time calculating means for accumulating a standard time corresponding to a reset-up item extracted by the item extracting means, by referring to a standard time for each reset-up item stored in the standard time memory means; cumulative standard remaining time counting means for counting a cumulative standard remaining time by sequentially subtracting a lapse time since a starting of a reset-up work from the cumulative standard time calculated by the standard cumulative time calculating means; and display means for making a count-down display of the cumulative standard remaining time counted by the cumulative standard remaining time counting means.
According to this aspect, at first, the processing data comparing means compares processing data between the old and new lots by referring to a plurality of processing data stored in the processing data memory means. Based on a result of this comparison, the item extracting means extracts a reset-up item associated with an updating of the processing data between the old and new lots. Next, the standard cumulative time calculating means accumulates a standard time corresponding to a reset-up item extracted by the item extracting means, by referring to a standard time for each reset-up item stored in the standard time memory means. Then, the cumulative standard remaining time counting means calculates a cumulative standard remaining time by sequentially subtracting a lapse time since the starting of a reset-up work from the calculated cumulative standard. Then, the display means makes a count-down display of a cumulative standard remaining time counted by the cumulative standard remaining time counting means.
As explained above, according to this aspect of the invention, when a reset-up work has been generated associated with a reset-up in processing data between the old and new lots, a cumulative standard time required for the operator to carry out a reset-up work is calculated, and a lapse time since the starting of a reset-up work is subtracted from the calculated cumulative standard time to obtain a cumulative standard remaining time, and the count-down of this cumulative standard remaining time is displayed. Therefore, the operator can easily understand the progress status of the reset-up work at any time along with the proceeding of this work. As a result, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the reset-up work.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an automatic cutting and crimping apparatus of the above first aspect, wherein the display means makes the count-down display of the cumulative standard remaining time, accompanied by a display of reset-up items extracted by the item extracting means.
According to this aspect, the display means makes the count-down display of the cumulative standard remaining time, accompanied by a display of reset-up items extracted by the item extracting means. Therefore, the operator can easily understand the progress status of the reset-up work at any time along with the proceeding of this work. Further, as the items to be changed over are indicated to the operator, it is possible to improve substantially the efficiency of the reset-up work.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an automatic cutting and crimping apparatus of the above second aspect, wherein reset-up items extracted by the item extracting means are displayed in a list in a design status.
According to this aspect, reset-up items extracted by the item extracting means are displayed in a list in a design status. Therefore, as the whole items to be changed over are displayed to the operator, it is possible to improve remarkably the efficiency of the reset-up work.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided an automatic cutting and crimping apparatus of the above second aspect, the apparatus further including: a plurality of reset-up completion detecting means for detecting work completion of each of reset-up items such as exchanges of an electric wire, a terminal metal member and a crimping die, wherein when a work completion has been detected by at least one reset-up completion detecting means out of the plurality of reset-up completion detecting means corresponding to reset-up items extracted by the item extracting means, a reset-up item of which work completion has been detected is erased from display contents on the display means.
According to this aspect, when a work completion has been detected by at least one reset-up completion detecting means out of the plurality of reset-up completion detecting means corresponding to reset-up items extracted by the item extracting means, a reset-up item of which work completion has been detected is erased from display contents on the display means. Therefore, the operator can easily understand the progress status of the reset-up work at any time along with the proceeding of this work. Further, as items of which reset-up have not yet been completed among the items to be changed over are indicated to the operator, it is possible to improve more remarkably the efficiency of the reset-up work.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided an automatic cutting and crimping apparatus of the above second aspect, the apparatus further including: a plurality of reset-up completion detecting means for detecting work completion of each of reset-up items such as exchanges of an electric wire, a terminal metal member and a crimping die, wherein when work completions have been detected by all the reset-up completion detecting means corresponding to reset-up items extracted by the item extracting means, all the display contents relating to the reset-up on the display means are erased.
According to this aspect, when work completions have been detected by all the reset-up completion detecting means corresponding to reset-up items extracted by the item extracting means, all the display contents relating to the reset-up on the display means are erased. Therefore, when all the reset-up works has been completed, it becomes possible to make a display of necessary information of processing data associated with a lot after the reset-up, in place of display contents of the reset-up that is no more necessary. As a result, it is possible to provide an extremely practical information providing status.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided an automatic cutting and crimping apparatus of the above fourth or fifth aspect, wherein the plurality of reset-up completion detecting means detect the work completions of reset-up items respectively, by utilizing a fact that the positions of members in which respective detecting means are provided during a processing period are different from the positions of the members during a reset-up period.
According to this aspect, it is possible to properly detect a completion of the reset-up work.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Automatic cutting and crimping apparatus


A method for packaging a full set of snorkel components and a resulting package. Swim fins are arranged in an overlapping configuration. A mask including its strap, surrounds the two overlapping fins with the mask positioned about halfway between the ends of the fins and facing in the same direction as the foot aperture of the front-facing fin. A snorkel tube is positioned on the edge of the overlapping fins in a direction generally parallel to the length of the fins. The snorkel tube may be attached to the mask strap and the mouthpiece of the snorkel tube is placed between the mask and the foot aperture. This assembled set of snorkel components is placed in a clear plastic, zippered bag having a narrow end and a wider end. An optional cover carton may be added to cap the respective ends of the zippered bag, provide added structural support and provide surfaces for some limited graphics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of snorkel equipment including mask, snorkel tube and swim fins. The invention relates more specifically to a packaging method and the resulting package for a set of such snorkel equipment.
2. Prior Art
Consumers interested in purchasing snorkel gear, normally need to buy all of the basic components one wears when snorkeling. These components are a mask, a snorkel tube (with mouthpiece) and a pair of swim fins. Historically, such components have been sold separately in their individual packages. As a result, it is relatively common for consumers to purchase the mask of one manufacturer, the snorkel tube of another manufacturer, the swim fins of yet another manufacturer and the carrying bag of still a different manufacturer. Even if a consumer wishes to purchase the various components of a single manufacturer, it is common to find these in their own respective packages which, of course, adds to the cost of the products as compared to a form of common packaging of the combined components.
One of the difficulties of packaging the mask, snorkel tube and swim fins in one combined package, is that they are radically different from one another in shape and size, as well as in respective materials. Of course, it is possible to simply divide an ordinary rectangular carton into several disparately sized compartments. However, that brute force approach results in relatively large and unattractive packages which require large and expensive exterior graphics to improve the packaging aesthetics. Moreover, the large package size quickly exhausts shelf-space limitations requiring more frequent deliveries to retailers thus also adding to the cost of the displayed product.
Therefore, it would be highly advantageous to provide a package for an entire set of snorkel equipment (i.e., mask, snorkel tube and swim fins) which package is relatively space efficient, inexpensive, aesthetically pleasing and easily recognized in regard to the snorkel components contained therein and which includes a carrying bag.

Packaging method and the resulting package for a set of snorkeling equipment


The present invention generally relates to topical skin care compositions having at least one cyclic diester. More specifically, the present invention relates to novel topical skin care compositions having at least one cyclic diester of an alpha hydroxy acid, and at least one polar non-aqueous solvent.

Alpha hydroxy acids ("AHAs") are known to be useful in skin care compositions for treating various skin conditions, including rhytids (i.e., wrinkles), xeroderma (i.e., dry skin), hyperkeratosis, ichthyosis, and discoloration. Specifically, AHAs that are short chain carboxylic acids, such as glycolic acid and lactic acid, are preferred in cosmetic compositions due to the AHAs ability to penetrate skin. In particular, the bioavailability of short chain AHAs stimulates cellular activity in the epidermis and dermis, as well as increases desquamation of the outer layers of the epidermis to help alleviate and treat the skin conditions above. Furthermore, short chain AHAs can aid and stimulate collagen synthesis, which further helps reduce rhytids, while improving skin elasticity and firmness.
However, a major problem with using AHAs in skin care compositions is the fact that AHAs are acids, which can lead to skin irritation. And while using AHAs for their acidic properties may be desirable in certain applications, such as for skin peel applications, the acidity of AHAs can have detrimental and undesirable effects for more daily and routine applications.
In order to reduce the irritation associated with using AHAs in skin care compositions, other compounds can be added in an attempt to make the overall skin care composition less acidic. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,886,042 and 5,385,938 discuss adding an amphoteric or pseudoamphoteric compound with the AHAs to try and raise the overall pH of the cosmetic composition. However, not only do these compositions require an additional component, such as amino acids and imidazoline compounds, which may not be desirable for a particular composition or use, but this strategy also does not address the underlying issue regarding the acidity of the AHAs. Rather, by attempting to balance the AHA with another compound, the acidity of the AHA is merely being masked and not reduced. By not addressing the problematic acidity of the AHAs, skin irritation and intolerability can persist, especially in users with sensitive skin.
In addition to problems associated with the acidity of AHAs, skin care compositions in the field generally have problems sustaining relatively long-term stability, while also allowing sufficient penetration of the active ingredient into the skin. Stability problems can occur based on a variety of environmental factors, including changes in temperature and humidity during processing, shipping, storage, and use, as well as chemical factors within the compositions, including the miscibility or homogeneity of the various components. In this respect, less stable compositions can be more acidic and can potentially become more acidic over time due to masking components becoming diminished or separating out of the compositions, which further exacerbates the irritability of the compositions.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for skin care compositions that have reduced acidity and potential irritability, while also having sufficient stability and penetration properties. As such, there remains a need in the art for skin care compositions having at least one cyclic diester, such as at least one cyclic diester of an AHA. Moreover, there remains a need in the art for skin care compositions having the aforementioned cyclic diester and at least one polar non-aqueous solvent.

Skin care compositions having cyclic diesters and methods thereof


There is provided a white polyester film which retains practically satisfactory reflectivity with respect to the visible light range, can undergo stable film production even when inorganic fine particles are added in high concentration and is stable against a dimensional change caused by heat generated from a light source. The polyester film is a polyester film which comprises a composition comprising a copolyester and 30 to 50 wt % of inorganic fine particles based on the composition, shows a thermal shrinkage at 85° C. in longitudinal and transverse directions of not higher than 0.7% and a thermal shrinkage at 150° C. in the longitudinal and transverse directions of not higher than 5.0%, and shows an average reflectance at a wavelength of 400 to 700 nm of not lower than 90%.

A white polyester film is widely used as a base material of a printing record reception sheet for ink-jet printing, thermal printing, offset printing or the like. This white polyester film is generally produced by having a polyester contain inorganic fine particles or an incompatible resin.
In recent years, due to improvements in printing precision and the sharpness of a printed material, a white polyester film which appears more sophisticated has been demanded. To fulfill the demand, a white polyester film resulting from adding two or more types of inorganic fine particles to a polyester and a white polyester film resulting from adding a combination of inorganic fine particles and incompatible resin to a polyester are proposed in JP-A 4-153232 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") and JP-A 6-322153. However, these techniques are also subjected to demand for further improvements in sharpness and fanciness. Particularly, in an internally illuminating billboard used for displaying the name of a store such as a convenience store or advertising merchandises, the number of fluorescent lamps as light sources is increased to increase the brightness of the surface of the billboard to 1,000 lux or higher, or colorful neon tubes are used to make a design drawn on the billboard more noticeable, so as to increase an advertising effect. The internally illuminating billboard uses a reflecting plate for increasing illuminance. Further, for liquid crystal displays that have generally employed a backlight system which sheds light from the back of the display in lighting the display surface, a sidelight system as described in JP-A 63-62104 has been increasingly widely used owing to an advantage that it can be thin and light the display surface uniformly. The sidelight system is a system which sheds light of cold cathode tubes or the like from the edges of an acrylic plate or the like having a certain thickness. Because of dot printing, illuminating light is dispersed uniformly, and a screen having uniform brightness is obtained. According to the system, the display can be made thinner than that adopting the backlight system because lights are placed not at the back but at the edges of the screen.
To prevent illuminating light from entering the back of the screen, a reflecting plate must be placed on the back of the screen. The reflecting plate must be thin and have high light reflectance. As a white polyester film for a liquid crystal display reflecting plate which matches this purpose, a white polyester film containing titanium oxide is known because it is easy to handle and inexpensive. However, as described in JP-B 8-16175 (the term "JP-B" used herein means "Examined Japanese Patent Publication"), the white polyester film having mere addition of an incompatible resin or titanium oxide has a limitation on an improvement in reflectance, and it cannot be said that the brightness of the screen is satisfactory.
An improvement in reflection efficiency can be expected when inorganic particles such as titanium oxide are added in high concentration. However, for example, when 50 wt % of the inorganic particles are added, ruptures often occur and film formation becomes very difficult or even impossible in some cases due to the very high particle concentration. Further, as a realistic measure for decreasing the frequency of occurrence of the ruptures when the particle concentration is very high, it is conceived to copolymerize a polyester resin. In this case, however, the thermal shrinkage becomes very high, and only a film showing extremely poor thermal dimensional stability can be obtained.


The present invention is directed to a system for using the ductwork of a building for transmitting electromagnetic radiation. The system includes a device for introducing electromagnetic radiation into the ductwork such that the ductwork acts as a waveguide for the electromagnetic radiation. The system also includes a bi-directional coupler positioned to re-radiate the electromagnetic radiation around an obstacle. The system further includes a device for enabling the electromagnetic radiation to propagate beyond the ductwork. The present invention is also directed to a method for transmitting electromagnetic radiation using the ductwork of a building and a method for designing a system for transmitting electromagnetic radiation in the ductwork of a building.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to wireless signal transmission, and, more particularly, to wireless signal transmission in a building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
2. Description of the Background
Wireless transmission of electromagnetic radiation communication signals has become a popular method of transmitting RF signals such as cordless, wireless, and cellular telephone signals, pager signals, two-way radio signals, video conferencing signals, and local area network (LAN) signals indoors. Wireless transmission indoors has the advantage that the building in which transmission is taking place does not have to be fitted with wires and cables that are equipped to carry a multitude of signals. Wires and cables are costly to install and may require expensive upgrades when their capacity is exceeded or when new technologies require different types of wires or cables than those already installed.
Traditional indoor wireless communications systems transmit and receive signals through the use of a network of transmitters, receivers, and antennas that are placed throughout the interior of the building. These devices must be located in the interior structure such that the signals are not lost or the signal strength does not diminish to the point that the data being transmitted is unreliable. The placement of the devices becomes more complex when portable receivers, such as laptop computers, are integrated into the communications system.
Due to the variations in architecture and types of building materials used in different structures, the placement of transmitters, receivers, and antennas is very difficult. Wall board, steel studs, metallic air ducts, electrical conduit, plumbing, etc. all have an effect on wave propagation in a structure. Methods to determine optimal placement of communications system components to account for wave reflection and absorption include ray tracing, which uses geometrical optics and diffraction to model the propagation of waves through a structure. Statistical channel modeling, which attempts to characterize the general indoor channel by determining the most appropriate distributions for a set of channel parameters, can also be used. Despite these methods, the placement of communication systems transmitters, receivers, and antennas is still largely a process of trial and error.
Many communication systems are thus implemented inefficiently. High power or redundant transmitters are often positioned to ensure full coverage of the structure. Furthermore, a change in position of objects such as metal desks, metal filing cabinets, etc. that are placed in a room can affect the transmission or reception in that room.
Thus, there is a need for a method and a system for efficiently transmitting electromagnetic radiation signals such as RF waves, microwaves, and infrared radiation indoors without having to install an extensive system of wires and cables in the building. Also, there is a need for a method and a system for efficiently transmitting electromagnetic radiation signals indoors without having to design an elaborate system of transmitters, receivers, and antennas that may not have optimal placement.

Wireless signal distribution in a building HVAC system


An optical recording reproducing apparatus, an optical recording reproducing method, and a computer-readable recording medium thereof, are provided. The optical recording reproducing apparatus is configured to operate an optical disc by using alternative reproducing files and includes an interface which accesses data recorded on the optical disc and reproducing-managing files used for reproducing the data, and an alternative reproducer which operates the optical disc by using the alternative reproducing files when accessing the reproducing-managing files cannot be performed.

1. Technical Field
Devices, methods and medium consistent with what is disclosed herein relate to an apparatus and a method for reproducing optical recording, and a computer-readable recording medium. More specifically, exemplary embodiments relate to an optical recording reproducing apparatus configured to reproduce contents by using alternative reproducing files when java applications cannot be normally loaded and activated due to defects on a Blu-ray optical Disc™, an optical recording reproducing method, and a computer-readable recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
High density optical disc Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) may be divided into high density movie Blu-ray Disc™ which is widely used, and Java Blu-ray disc (BD-J) which is recently commercialized. An optical disc device such as Blu-ray disc player (BD-Player) provided with a function of reproducing BD-J implements Java virtual machine (JVM®).
Such JVM® is a term which indicates an applied program used by Sun Micro Systems who is a developer of Java language and its implementing environment. That is, an applied program that performs an interface role between complied Java binary codes and a microprocessor implementing program commands or hardware platforms.
Further, unique disc type information indicates that the optical disc type is BD-J is recorded on lead-in area of BD-J. In addition, Java archive (JAR) file is recorded on an initiative section of data area.
A JAR file is Zip file which includes Java application files and various materials that Java applications will use. The optical disc device performs implementing a plurality of Java applications that run JVM®.
Further, in response to completing implementation of a Java applications, the optical disc device generates menu images of various user interfaces supported from Java applications, displays outputting through a TV, and performs a voluntary process requested by a user; for example, a series of reproducing functions that read and reproduce audio and video data recorded on BD-J.
However, in response to a user reproducing a read-only optical disc such as conventional BD and DVD-ROM, and when physical defections occur on the surface of the disc, the user may experience a problem that contents cannot be reproduced because normal loading of applications recorded on the optical disc is not possible due to process errors.
Therefore, a user having a defective optical disc should buy the same disc again, which incurs additional cost. Further, even if compensation is provided, the process may be difficult to perform. Thus, a user may experience a lot of inconvenience.

Apparatus and method for reproducing an optical recording, and computer-readable recording medium


A machine tool, in particular a wood-working machine, with a tool for chip removal rotating in direction of rotation D and a suction hood covering the tool with a partially opened circumferential wall that has a radial spacing A from the tool and that has a suction nozzle for suctioning off chips. In the machine tool rotating air vortices directed in the opposite direction based on the direction of rotation D of the tool can be generated in the suction hood in the area of the suction nozzle during the chip removal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a machine tool, in particular a wood-working machine, with a tool for chip removal rotating in direction of rotation D and a suction hood covering the tool with a partially opened circumferential wall that has a radial spacing A from the tool and a suction nozzle for suctioning off chips.
2. Discussion of Background Information
In known embodiments of suction hoods, the flow conditions in the hood vary substantially between the idling and processing conditions. During processing, the hood opening through which the tool interacts with the workpiece is largely closed by the workpiece. As a result, insufficient air flows into the hood, and the flow in the hood breaks down. Uncontrolled turbulences develop.
Suction hoods of this type generally have a straight hood wall running tangentially to the tool circumference in the chip intake area, so that the spacing from the tool in the direction of rotation first decreases and then increases again. A back pressure thus forms before the narrowest cross section, against which back pressure the chips have to be transported.
In particular low-mass chips and particulates that have only a low kinetic energy and therefore have to be guided and transported with the air flow inside the hood, are not adequately captured. On the one hand, they do not arrive in the hood at all or they rotate with the tool in the hood and then escape again. Undefined flow conditions prevail in the area behind the outlet opening for the chips, since here the flow of suction air and the tool's own ventilation more or less cancel one another out. These problems occur particularly in the processing of MDF, rigid foam and gypsum-bound or cement-bound materials when the powdered portion of the chips predominates or the chips have a low mass.
A machine tool, in particular a wood-working machine, is known from DE 100 49 500 A1, with a tool for chip removal having at least one cutting edge and a suction hood covering the tool with a partially opened circumferential wall and a suction connection for suctioning chips. The circumferential wall of the suction hood is embodied in a conically or spherically curved form in the area of the rotational plane of the at least one cutting edge of the tool and the suction connection is arranged in the area of the largest diameter.
In the case of low-mass chips and particulates that have only a low kinetic energy, there is a danger that they will be captured only inadequately and will not arrive in the hood or will leave the hood again after the revolution of the tool. The area located behind the outlet opening for the chips in the direction of rotation is problematic, since here the direction of movement of the tool cutting edges runs counter to the suction direction and the two flows cancel one another out to a certain extent. Particles that have flown past the outlet opening can no longer be suctioned and leave the hood again through the processing opening. In the case of low-mass chips and particulates it does not help either to provide the conical shape of the interior wall for a second, axially displaced chip circulation, since a certain kinetic energy of the particles is necessary for this chip circulation.


Apparatus and method for performing beam failure recovery in a wireless communication system are provided. The method performed by a User Equipment (UE) includes receiving, from a base station, a first bandwidth part (BWP) configuration corresponding to a first BWP, a second BWP configuration corresponding to a second BWP, and a BWP inactivity timer; determining whether a BFR procedure is triggered; when determining that the BFR procedure is triggered: stopping the BWP inactivity timer and performing BWP switching from the first BWP to the second BWP.

In fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) wireless communication system, the bandwidth part (BWP) has been introduced in NR to solve the problem that UEs may not require to operate with wide system bandwidth defined in the 5G NR system. Moreover, BWP can also support power saving for the UE by scheduling the UE to smaller BWP. Specifically, a BWP inactivity timer is configured to UE. Once the BWP inactivity timer expires, the UE automatically fallbacks to a default BWP. This timer will be restarted if UE successfully decoded a downlink control information (DCI) to schedule PDSCH in the active BWP. In addition, a beam failure recovery procedure has been introduced in 5G NR wireless communication system to enable the UE recover from temporary signal quality degradation without trigger a radio link failure (RLF) procedure and an RRC reestablishment. Since there are timers designed for the beam failure recovery procedure, the interaction between the BWP switching and the beam failure recovery procedure should be well designed to avoid BWP mis-alignment between the BS and the UE.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A system and method for pre-allocating resources for use by registering consumers of applications and/or services available via a protocol that identifies a user through items including, but not limited to, a cookie and/or a persistent connection (e.g., the Internet) is provided. The system includes one or more components for pre-allocating resources for use by consumers registering to use applications and/or services available over the Internet. Since consumers can be served by more than one application and/or service server, and since resources can be managed by more than one resource manager, information concerning a consumer may be replicated to the more than one resource manager. The system thus includes one or more components for processing requests from consumers that require access to resources so that requests from newly registered consumers can be processed by a resource manager that has information concerning the newly registered consumers.

As more applications and/or services are provided over the Internet, it has become more common to have multiple resource managers associated with managing resources allocated to consumers of such applications and/or services. Employing multiple resource managers has become important due to the volume of consumers registering to use applications and/or services and the corresponding volume and variety of resources employed to support the consumers. Requiring resource allocation to be performed by a single resource managing component can produce problems including, but not limited to, undesired delays in registering users of applications and/or services and undesired delays in granting access to applications and/or services to newly registered users. Such delays can be caused by replication latency problems.
Conventionally, when a consumer registers to use an application and/or service provided over the Internet, the application and/or service provider (hereinafter the ASP) collects information from the consumer (e.g., name, address, payment method, domain name, username/password). The information collected can initially be stored on one resource managing component, where that managing component may be one of many components managing resources associated with supporting the application and/or service. The information collected can be employed to generate data concerning the registering consumer (e.g., a security identifier). After registration, the consumer information and/or generated data will typically be replicated to components managing the resources associated with supporting the application and/or service. Such replication may not occur immediately, which can lead to replication latency problems.
By way of illustration, when a consumer registers to use an application and/or service, the consumer may thereafter attempt to use that application and/or service. If the consumer access generates requests associated with using the application and/or service, before the consumer information and/or generated data has been replicated to the components managing the resources associated with supporting the application and/or service, then it is possible that a resource managing component will receive a request for which it has no corresponding consumer information, and thus the managing component may deny the request. This can be frustrating for a user who signed up for a service and then is denied access to the service. Such delays and denials can negatively impact the business of the ASP.

System and method for processing requests from newly registered remote application consumers


An engine with an acoustic emissions valve or reflector for an exhaust system is disclosed. This reflector is disposed outside of the exhaust system—the reflector is disposed in the atmosphere into which the exhaust system discharges. The reflector is moved between a reflecting position (where the reflector reflects or obstructs acoustic emissions from the exhaust system) and a non-reflecting position (where the reflector does not obstruct the bulk exhaust gas flow from the exhaust system) by rotation of the crankshaft.

Mufflers, silencers, expansion chambers, and similar acoustic mitigation devices utilize wave principles of energy dispersion, absorption, and wave interaction to modify the acoustic wave ultimately exiting these devices. There remains a need for at least some applications to further modify the acoustic signature provided by these types of devices, preferably without modifying either the associated engine or an existing muffler.

Engine with exhaust system and external acoustic emissions valve


An endoscope adaptor to be connected to a robot arm of a robotic surgical system through a drape adaptor according to an embodiment may include a base section, a holding section, a driven member, and a transmission mechanism. The base is to be detachably connected to the drape adaptor. The driven member is rotatably provided on the base section and configured to be rotated by a rotation drive section of the robot arm through the drape adaptor. The holding section holds an endoscope rotatably about a rotation axis, the endoscope including an insertion section including an image capturing section provided at a distal end of the insertion section and a body section connected to the insertion section, wherein the rotation axis extends in a direction in which the insertion section extends. The transmission mechanism is configured to transmit rotation of the driven member to the holding section holding the endoscope.

The disclosure relates to an endoscope adaptor, and particularly relates to an endoscope adaptor that holds an endoscope, a surgical system that includes the endoscope adaptor, and a method of attaching the endoscope to a robot arm through the endoscope adaptor.
In a related art, there has been known an endoscope holding apparatus that holds an endoscope (e.g., see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-129956).
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-129956 discloses an endoscope holding apparatus that includes a mount section including a permanent magnet that attracts and holds a holder section of an endoscope, and a gear section housed in the mount section and meshing with a gear provided in the holder section of the endoscope. The endoscope holding apparatus of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-129956 is configured such that, when the holder section of the endoscope is attracted to the permanent magnet of the mount section, the gear section of the mount section meshes with the gear of the endoscope and the endoscope is thus rotated by driving of the gear section.

Endoscope adaptor, surgical system including the same, and method of attaching endoscope to robot arm through the same


A single cell power unit for a motorized surgical power tool includes a single cell power unit enclosure. A high temperature battery cell is mechanically supported within and disposed at about a center of the single cell power unit enclosure. An electrical connector having a plurality of connector pins is configured to couple to a mating electrical connector of a tool part having a motor. A motorized surgical handpiece tool which prevents the motor from operating when the power unit is removed, a method to start a multi-phase brushless sensorless motor of a surgical hand piece tool in a controlled manner, a power unit for a motorized surgical power tool with a battery insulated by a flexible circuit boards, and a safety switch system for a motorized surgical power tool with a lever magnet motor speed control are also described.

Motorized surgical tools including battery operated tools are well known in the art. In order to develop the needed motor power, such as for a portable surgical saw, conventional motorized surgical tools generally use a plurality of batteries wired in series and or parallel. However, the inclusion of several batteries greatly increases the weight of the device, making it difficult to hold and to precisely maneuver during surgical procedures. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a surgical device having a single battery (or multiple smaller batteries) that is relatively lightweight such that it is easy to maneuver during surgical procedures.
Another problem with conventional rechargeable battery powered surgical instruments is that the battery packs need to be sterilized between medical procedures through the autoclaving process. Conventional multiple lithium ion cell battery packs need to be treated with some care so as not damage the battery pack during sterilization. In some cases, only low temperature sterilization can be used, typically by chemical sterilization, such as by exposing the pack to a peroxide gas plasma. In other cases, multiple cell battery packs can be placed in an autoclave, however only for a very short period of time (e.g. under four minutes exposure) and at limited dry times and temperatures. By contrast, some medical sterilization protocols have a minimum 18 minute high temperature exposure requirement followed by a 45 minute heated drying time autoclave cycle—preventing conventional battery packs from meeting necessary sterilization protocols. Also, many autoclave systems use a series of temperature and pressure cycles including several periods of high temperature and vacuum pressure that battery packs were not designed to withstand. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a power unit that can withstand the autoclave process.
In conventional designs of handheld surgical devices that utilize pins to provide an electrical connection between electronic circuits, which need to be protected and sealed away from the extreme environment of the autoclave, the pins were either over molded or potted. However, each pin provides a potential path for the high pressure steam from the autoclave to enter the enclosure, therefore reducing the number of pins will improve reliability by reducing the number of potential leak paths, as described below in the detailed description. Accordingly, a need exists in the art to reduce the number of pins that must be sealed and that provide a potential path for high pressure steam.
Motors in surgical tools must also be able to turn in a carefully controlled and predictable manner in response to movements of a motor speed control lever by the surgeon. Adding to the complexity of the starting process is that the torque loading can range from towards binding if the cutting edge of the tool bit is, for example, against a bone, to virtually no torque loading if the bit or saw blade is in air and not yet held against the surface to be cut. Some conventional surgical tools apply a nominal starting sequence which works well on average. However, such starting can be rough and also can cause a jerking motion of the tool and/or the tool bit. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a method to smoothly start the motor without an accompanying jerking motion of the tool or toolbit.
The maximum speed of a motor is determined by the voltage applied across its terminals. If it is being powered by a battery using a lead acid or nickel technology, the decline of the battery voltage is discernible almost straight from the point of full charge. One of the advantages of lithium technology batteries is that they maintain their voltage much better, until the last few percent of remaining charge. A motor-driving application with electronic speed control will further compensate for a falling voltage by adjusting the length of the motor control pulses. Often, the first inkling the user has that the charge is depleted is that the motor suddenly stops. This could be extremely inconvenient if this event were to occur in the middle of a delicate maneuver during a procedure.
A visual warning indicator e.g. fuel gauge, flashing LED, is problematic as it may well be obscured due to the way of holding the handpiece, or the surgeon concentrating entirely on his work. An audio sensor is a possibility, although there are severe constraints on space, sound transmission through a battery case, and lack of transducers with suitable temperature characteristics. The motor itself can be made to sound, but this can only work while the motor is stationary, and would therefore interrupt the procedure. With the relatively poor start-up characteristics of a sensorless motor, there is also a risk of inability to restart after. Accordingly, there exists a need to notify the user of a low battery without relying on a visual or auditory indicator.

Autoclave tolerant battery powered motorized surgical hand piece tool and motor control method


A power management integrated circuit including a reference signal generator, a start-up unit and a supervisory circuit. The supervisory circuit includes an electrical resistance circuit connected between a first end node and a second end node; a power supply input for receiving a supply voltage, this power supply input being connected to the first end node; a low reference potential node; a comparator for comparing a reference voltage value at a first input and a divided voltage value at a second input connected to an internal electrical node of the electrical resistance circuit, the comparator can output a monitoring signal. The supervisory circuit includes a switch controlled by the start-up unit so that the switch is selectively closed and opened based on a detected operational state of the reference signal generator indicating a normal functioning phase of the power management circuit.

Power management integrated circuits are circuits used for managing power requirements of at least another circuit or an electronic device, often referred to as a host system. Thus, power management integrated circuits may refer to a wide range of circuits. However, most include some electronic power conversion and/or power control functions. A power management circuit is generally included in battery-operated electronic devices, such as mobile phones and portable media players, in particular to decrease the amount of space required.
FIG. 1 shows a simplified circuit diagram illustrating an example of a known power management circuit. The circuit of FIG. 1 is divided into three main parts, which are a reference signal generator 3, a power management unit 5 and a supervisory circuit 7. The reference signal generator 3 comprises a start-up circuit 9, a bias or reference current generator 11 and a reference voltage generator 13. The start-up circuit in turn comprises a start-up resistor 15 connected between a switch 17 and a power supply input 19 arranged to receive a supply voltage Vbat from a power source. The switch 17 is controlled by a start-up unit 21 incorporated in the start-up circuit 9. This start-up unit is arranged to first generate, in an initial start-up phase or mode, a start-up current for starting-up the reference signal generator and then the whole power management circuit. The start-up unit is also arranged for detecting whether the reference current generator 11 has started to operate correctly, in order to terminate the start-up phase, by detecting whether a bias current Ibias, provided by this reference current generator at a current sensing input of the start-up unit, reaches a minimal value of a certain range of current values corresponding to a normal functioning of the reference signal generator. Thus, the start-up unit assures a correct start-up of the reference signal generator, in particular that the obtained stable operating point of this generator corresponds to the expected one and not to a possible unwanted other stable point. Finally, in a normal functioning phase or mode, the start-up unit continues to monitor the value of the bias current in order to determine whether it remains within the mentioned range of current values.
The start-up unit 21 needs to have a simple analog design allowing the generation of a start-up current to prime (to initiate/start-up) the reference current generator 11, before the power management circuit has established a reference voltage and a regulated voltage. This means that the start-up unit, for allowing the start-up phase, needs to be functional before the whole power management circuit. The start-up unit thus needs to be first launched directly from the power source for generating a start-up current. For this purpose, in order to have an efficient and reliable start-up phase, the generation of the start-up current is triggered directly by a detection that the supply voltage Vbat is at a high level, i.e., that the input voltage detected by the start-up unit is above the voltage threshold which is generated by the start-up unit itself. The generation of the start-up current is thus controlled by such a detection. When the start-up unit 21 detects a high level at its voltage sensing input, meaning that the supply voltage Vbat is above the voltage threshold, it generates a start-up current to prime the reference current generator 11, so that a reference voltage Vref can then be established. It follows that, in order to stop the generation of the start-up current when the start-up phase terminates, it is needed to set the input voltage detected by the start-up unit at a low level, well under the threshold voltage. For that purpose, the start-up resistor 15 and the switch 17 are incorporated, in a series configuration, in the start-up circuit 9 with the voltage sensing input of the start-up unit connected between them.
It is to be noted that the transistor forming the switch 17 is designed to be open when not powered. Thus, the switch 17 is initially open and remains in this state until the start-up unit changes its state after a reference voltage and a regulated voltage have been established, i.e., when the start-up phase terminates. For controlling the switch 17, the start-up unit 21 determines whether a bias current Ibias provided by the reference current generator at a current sensing input of this start-up unit is within a normal range of current values, in order to detect whether the reference current generator 11 has started to operate normally. Once the start-up unit 21 detects that the reference current generator has started to operate normally, it closes the switch 17 so that the input voltage detected by the start-up unit has then a value corresponding to the Ground GND. The closing of the switch 17 terminates the generation of the start-up current and thus the start-up phase. This is the raison why this switch 17 is needed and has to be closed when the power management circuit enters in a normal functioning phase.
Finally, when the bias current does not remain in the mentioned normal range but felt under this normal range, the start-up unit 21 opens the switch 17 or the power management circuit does no more power enough this switch so that it returns to its initial open state. The switch 17 and the start-up unit 21 function as an analog loop. The start-up unit 21, after having closed the switch 17, is arranged to maintain a supply voltage on the control gate of the switch as long as the bias current Ibias is within the given normal range. As long as the start-up unit detects a voltage value lower than the threshold voltage (in particular approximately corresponding to GND due to the closed state of the switch 17), it does not again initiate a start-up phase. When the start-up phase is terminated, it is thus important to maintain the switch 17 in a closed state to not generate again the start-up current during the steady state operational phase (i.e., the normal functioning phase). Thus, during the steady state operational phase, the switch 17 must remain closed. However, by doing this, an electrical current continuously flows through the resistor 15.
In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the supervisory circuit 7 is configured to output a first output voltage signal SV1 and a second output voltage signal SV2. These two voltages values take binary values, i.e. a logical '0' or '1'. A sub-circuit 23 inside the supervisory circuit 7 is used to determine the values of the signals SV1 and SV2. In this example, the sub-circuit 23 has a first input node and a second input node to provide divided voltage values of the supply voltage Vbat. A set of resistors 25 connected in series is used to obtain the divided supply voltage values, as this is better shown on FIG. 2 (embodiment of the present invention, which will be described in the following). The sub-circuit 23 further has a third input node for receiving a reference voltage value Vref generated by the voltage reference generator 13 and a fourth input node receiving a binary reset signal por_n from the power management unit 5. The inputs at the third and fourth nodes are also used to control the values of the first and second output voltage signals SV1 and SV2.
High power consumption is the main disadvantage with the above described circuit. The high power consumption is to a great extent due to the fact that during a normal, steady state operation, a current constantly flows through the start-up resistor 15 and the set of resistors 25. In addition, power is consumed by the other circuits elements. The currents through the start-up resistor 15 and the set of resistors 25 may easily be approximately 50% of the entire power consumption in the power management integrated circuit. This power consumption can be reduced by increasing the resistance of the resistors arranged in a series configuration, but this has the disadvantage of increasing the silicon surface area.

Power management integrated circuit including a supervisory circuit that controls a switch arranged between a node of an electrical resistance circuit and a reference potential node


Media file organization for shuffled playback or rendering. One or more sets of media files available to be rendered are defined. Each of the defined sets represents one or more contiguous media files. A media file is randomly selected from one of the defined sets to be rendered. The one or more sets of media files are redefined, each of said redefined sets representing one or more remaining media files to be rendered. Another media file is randomly selected from one of the redefined sets for rendering. A packed array, sized according to the number of sets of contiguous media files, is used for allocating memory and identifying unplayed media files.

Due to recent advances in technology, computer users are now able to enjoy many features that provide an improved user experience, such as playing various media and multimedia content on personal, laptop, or handheld computers, as well as cellular phones and other portable media devices. For example, most computers today are able to play compact discs (CDs) and have an internet connection capable of streaming and downloading audio and video so users can enjoy their favorite media while working on their computers. Many computers are also equipped with digital versatile disc (DVD) drives enabling users to watch movies.
In some multimedia environments, a computer has access to a computer-readable medium storing media files such as Moving Picture Experts Group audio layer-3 (MP3) files and WINDOWS MEDIA technologies audio (WMA) and video files. The computer typically organizes the media files into playlists when the media files are rendered on a computer by a media player application.
Users often desire to play back a particular set of digital media files in a random order, hopefully without repeating any of the media files, until all available tracks are played. For example, a user may use a random or shuffle playback feature for playing the tracks of a music recording album in a random order rather than the original order. The user may also use random or shuffle playback for rendering a collection of image files, such as a random photo slide show.
Traditional implementations create random or shuffle playback of music files by preparing a pre-randomization of all of the music files into a "playlist" and playing the music files in a linear order from the list. This type of traditional approach, while guaranteeing the first two randomly selected music files are consistently random with easy traversal, perform poorly when the number of available music files changes. As such, the shortcomings of the pre-randomization implemention require reshuffling or a reconstruction of a new pre-randomization list which, in its simplest implementation, results in a loss of the historical data and causes music files to be repeated before the entire list has been played once. Such an implementation could even lead to the same music file being played twice in a row.
Other conventional techniques maintain status data, such as played or unplayed, for each music file. For example, a flag may be used for each music file to indicate whether or not the item has been played before a music file with an unplayed flag is randomly selected. This use of an "already played" flag in a file's state data in this approach suffers tremendous disadvantage by requiring a CPU-intensive search to find a next music file to be played. In this implementation, typically a random location in the list is chosen and that file is checked to see if it has been played. If it has not been played, then the file is chosen and played. If it has been played, then the random selection is repeated until an unplayed item is located. It is possible to construct situations in which this random selection implementation can search infinitely and never find an unplayed item.
In yet another known implementation, a list of music files yet to be played is maintained and a music file is selected from the list as needed. This approach performs a relatively easy "one hop" random selection to find the next music file to play and allows for easy addition of new music files to be shuffled. This traditional implementation, however, requires a large initial amount of memory to track the unplayed music files. This is undesirable, especially for memory-constrained devices, because it requires an immediate static allocation of a large amount of memory space to accommodate the unplayed music file list. For large lists of music it is possible to construct a scenario where sufficient memory is not available to accommodate this initial allocation thus placing an artificial limit on the size of the playlist that can be shuffled.


A rod-shaped device holds the equatorial region of the lens capsule during cataract/intraocular lens implantation surgery of patients with a weak or ruptured Zinn zonule. The device has a handle with a length of 6 mm or more and a thickness ranging from 0.01 mm to 1.0 mm, a tip bent into an acute angle, with the length up to this angled tip being 1.5 mm or more from the trough of the bend, and the bent tip having a linear branched or flat pad, with the width between the branches being 1 mm or more or the flat pad having a surface area of 1 mm2 or more.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to eye surgery and, more particularly, to a device and method for retaining a lens capsule during ophthalmologic surgery, particularly cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation surgery.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of ophthalmology, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation surgery are now common, with high surgical success rates and improved rates of postoperative recovery of the patient's visual functions. In cataracts, the intraocular lens becomes clouded, causing impairment of visual acuity, and the most widely used technique for treatment of this symptom is phacoemulsification/aspiration surgery.
In this surgical technique, the anterior capsule of the lens, which is a clear membrane enclosing the surface of the lens, is incised using an incision needle (anterior capsulotomy). Next, a phacoemulsification/aspiration needle is inserted into the eye via the incision wound in the corneal limbus, and the lens cortex and nucleus are emulsified and aspirated out via the site of the anterior capsulotomy. Finally, an intraocular lens is implanted in the bag-shaped lens capsule. Accordingly, it is vitally important in these phacoemulsification/aspiration and intraocular lens implantation procedures to maintain the intracular lens capsule, which holds the intraocular lens in position, in a round bag shape.
The lens is connected to a transparent tissue composed of countless thin fibers referred to as the Zinn zonule which runs from near the equatorial region of the lens capsule to the ciliary body, and this maintains the lens' shape and position. During surgery, the lens is subjected to external pushing and pulling forces in response to movement of a retractor and the phacoemulsification/aspiration needle. The Zinn zonule is also subjected to stress accompanying this movement of the lens, but this usually does not result in damage to the Zinn zonule because the healthy zonule is ordinarily sufficiently strong.
However, in elderly patients, patients with poor pupil dilation, patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome, etc., it is frequently the case that the Zinn zonule is inherently weak, partially torn or out of position. In such patients, there is an increased risk of complications such as luxation of the lens if the zonule ruptures or the extent of this rupture expands, or dislocation of the luxated lens into the vitreous cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,480 of Mackool describes a device for stabilizing the lens capsule. Mackool's device is a hook-shaped lens capsule stabilizer in which the margin of anterior capsulotomy with a brittle or ruptured Zinn zonule is subjected to traction together with the ring of the iris. Mackool's device has a hook-shaped, curved portion which catches and pulls on the margin of the capsulotomy to retract same, but it cannot be used in situations where the incised anterior capsule shows fissures. Cases of a brittle or ruptured Zinn zonule are treated as refractory cases of cataract surgery, and it is known that in such cases, extraction of the lens nucleus is difficult, and complications such as lens dislocation, posterior capsule rupture, intraocular lens displacement, and dislocation into the vitreous cavity may occur.
Maintenance of favorable dilation status is one of the conditions for safely performing cataract surgery. Eye drops are ordinarily used to dilate the pupil, but some patients with a history of conditions such as glaucoma or uveitis fail to respond to eye drops, making it impossible to sufficiently dilate the pupil.
In such poorly dilated eyes, a surgical auxiliary device referred to as an iris retractor has conventionally been used in order to forcibly dilate the pupil. When a metal iris retractor is used in patients with a brittle or ruptured Zinn zonule, the edge of the iris (papillary margin) and the margin of anterior capsulotomy are pulled together, subjecting the lens capsule to traction as well, but it is impossible to secure the proper shape of the lens capsule as the retraction site is a margin of the capsulotomy only.
In the lens capsule-stabilizing device developed by Mackool, the retraction site also is a margin of the capsulotomy only, making it impossible to secure a sufficient bag-like shape of the lens capsule.
Capsular tension rings and fixation arms of intraocular lenses (haptics) are used in order to secure a round shape of the equatorial region of the lens capsule. Capsular tension rings are used to prevent after-cataracts by preventing proliferation and extension of the epithelial cells of the anterior lens into the posterior capsule and intraocular lenses are used for correcting visual acuity. In cases where the Zinn zonule ruptures, capsular tension rings and intraocular lenses may be dislocated into the vitreous cavity resulting in the possible need for resurgery.

Intraocular device for retaining a lens capsule


A cable connector (1) for receiving a flexible circuit member (101) includes an insulative housing (11) with a receptacle (13) for receiving the flexible circuit member therein. A plurality of terminals are provided in terminal receiving cavities (14a, 14b). The housing includes a pair of end portions located at opposite ends of said housing with the end portions having a pair of spaced apart walls (16, 35) to provide flexibility to at least one of said walls. Each the flexible wall has a locking member (30) thereon. An actuator i(21) is mounted on the housing and moveable between first and second operative positions. The flexible circuit member being insertable when the actuator is at the first open position and being engaged by the terminals in an operative manner when the actuator is at the second closed position. The actuator includes an actuator body generally extending along the receptacle when in the second closed position and a locking portion (26) disposed on opposite ends of the actuator body. Each of the housing locking members engaging one of the locking portions disposed on the actuator when the actuator is in the second closed position.

The present invention relates to a connector and, more specifically, to a connector for receiving a cable such as a flexible printed circuit.
Conventionally, in order to connect a flexible circuit member, typically referred to as a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a flexible flat cable (FFC), to another circuit member, a cable connector has been used. (See, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. H10-12331.) For convenience, such FPC and FFC are hereinafter referred to as FPC.
As shown in FIG. 18, the conventional cable connector has a housing 801 made of an insulative material such as a synthetic resin and a plurality of terminals 804 made of a conductive material such as a metal, each of which is held in the housing 801. Further, an actuator 802 made of an insulation material such as a synthetic resin is rotatably mounted on an upper surface of the housing, so that the actuator 802 may rotate between an open position (illustrated in FIG. 18) and a closed position.
A metal plate support fitting member 811 is positioned on each of the opposite sides of the housing 801 and includes a circular shaft bore 812 formed thereon, so that a support shaft 806 projected from each of the respective sides of actuator 802 is rotatably inserted in the shaft bore 812. The actuator 802 can rotate about the support shafts 806 on the opposite sides with respect to the housing 801.
When the actuator 802 is moved to the open position thereof, an FPC may be inserted into the connector from an open front portion of the housing 801. After insertion of the FPC to the back of the housing 801, the actuator 802 is manually rotated to the closed position thereof by a finger or the like of an operator. In such position, a locking projection 807 formed on each side of the actuator 802 is engaged in an engagement hole 813 formed on the metal support fitting member 811 and, therefore, the actuator 802 is locked relative to the housing 801. The FPC is engaged by the locked actuator 802 from above, and conductive contact pads (not shown) on the lower surface of the FPC contacts the terminals 804.
In such a conventional cable connector, upon opening or closing actuator 802, the locking projections 807 of actuator 802 engages against the periphery of the respective engagement holes 813 of the support fitting member 811. Since locking projections 807 are made of plastic and support fitting member 811 is made of metal, the locking projections will eventually be subject to wear. Therefore, the operational durability of the actuator 802 and thus the durability of the entire FPC connector may be degraded.
Another conventional cable connector (not shown) in which a locking projection provided on the actuator engages a plastic locking portion on the housing. According to such a conventional cable connector, the locking projection of the actuator is made of plastic and the locking portion of the housing it engages is similarly made of plastic so that abrasion of the locking projection is reduced. However, in such a conventional FPC connector, the strength of a support member supporting the locking projection must be reduced. In the alternative, if the support member is made thicker in order to improve the strength of the locking portion, the size of the housing must be increased and this in turn brings about an increase in the size of the entire cable connector.


Devices and methods for enhancing electrical safety are provided herein. Devices testing the safety of light fixtures are provided. Also provided are a variety of testing tools for improving electrical safety. The devices are generally capable of wirelessly communicating with a computer, particularly a hand-held device such as a smart-phone or tablet. Methods for using the devices are also provided.

Field of the Invention
This relates generally to devices for enhancing electrical safety. More specifically it relates to testing electrical safety with devices and methods that can wirelessly communicate with a computer.
Description of Related Art
The electrical industry today is far more advanced than when electricity was made widely available during the 1920's. Newer construction is protected by both national and state electrical codes, and licensing procedures. Code inspections make the industry much safer than in prior generations. Certification bodies, such as Underwriter's Laboratories, test equipment and device for electrical safety and list electrical equipment that has met industry standards.
Nevertheless, faulty or defective electrical wiring, overloaded circuits, and improper fail-safes continue to pose substantial hazards. For example, the U.S. Fire Administration ("USFA") estimates that electrical problems account for more than 26,000 residential electrical fires each year in the US alone. Many of those electrical fires can be traced to old or improper wiring, receptacles, switches, light fixtures, and extension and appliance cords placed under rugs or high traffic areas, poor maintenance and overloaded circuits. Over half of such fires are attributed to wiring problems. The damage to property (e.g. from fire, loss of use, and even water damage from triggered sprinklers) amounts to billions of dollars yearly, while the harm to people (e.g. shocks, burns, electrocution) is incalculable. USFA estimates almost 300 deaths and over 1000 fire-related injuries occur each year as result of these fires.
It is also compelling to note that compared to fires that have a nonelectrical cause, residential fires caused by electrical problems are actually much worse in terms of both injuries and property loss. The dollar losses for electrical fires are more than double those for nonelectrical fires. Deaths are almost 70% increased in electrical fires.
There are many groups and individuals concerned with improving electrical safety, including code-setting bodies, code-enforcing bodies, licensing bodies, testing and certifying bodies, code-enforcement officials, electrical contractors and engineers, licensed electricians, home inspectors, first responders (e.g. firefighters), insurers, property owners, and residents. Currently there is much communication and cooperation between many of these groups, however, often the property owners and/or residents do not play an active role in electrical safety.
Many electrical fires/deaths could be prevented by providing homeowners with basic education on electrical theory, and instruction on maintenance and repair. Basic concepts and practical (applied) electrical terms such as 'open ground', 'open neutral', 'open hot', 'reverse polarity' are not well understood. Moreover, it is difficult to convince many homeowners or residents of the importance of checking for problems and monitoring for electrical safety issues. The situation is quite similar with commercial property owners and tenants.
In addition, one of the keys to electrical safety is testing equipment or tools. Many tools for electrical testing exist in today's market, such as tools to determine if wiring is correct, receptacle testers, contact and non-contact voltage detectors, continuity testers and multimeters or the like. Unfortunately, while the tools have gotten easier to use in some cases, they can still be very difficult to understand or interpret even for the skilled professional. At the very least the homeowner would ideally have tools for testing wiring, circuits, receptacles and outlets, lighting fixtures, power cords, switches, and charging cords, adapters, and devices for electronics gadgets.
There is an ongoing need for devices and systems that can improve electrical safety.

Testing device for electrical safety using wireless communication