Various methods for controlling an aggressor user equipment (UE) can use two transmission power control loops to mitigate UE-to-UE adjacent carrier frequency band interference to a geographically proximal victim UE. The aggressor UE can select between different transmission power parameters based on two (or more) power values. The usage of any particular power value depends on the time period of the transmission. For example, if a proximal victim UE is scheduled to receive when the aggressor UE is scheduled to transmit, a lower power value may be selected as instructed by a co-scheduler or determined by the aggressor UE. The aggressor UE can also send dual power headroom reports to its serving base station based on the two power values.

Coexistence refers to the ability for multiple wireless protocols to operate in or around the same or adjacent time-frequency radio resources without significant degradation to any radio's operation due to interference. Note that interference may occur at a reception radio frequency or at any intermediate frequency used within a receiving device for the purpose of demodulation. Without coexistence mechanisms, radio frequency interference can cause, amongst other degradations, loss of connectivity, decreased data throughput or reduction in quality of service, or increased current drain.
When adjacent radio frequency bands are allocated to different uses, wireless interference can result. In general, there is an elevated risk of wireless interference when a frequency band used for uplink transmissions is adjacent to a frequency band used for downlink transmissions; the wireless transmissions in one band can create interference for wireless receivers operating in the adjacent band.
For example, a user equipment (UE) transmitting at 704-716 MHz (e.g., the United States Federal Communication Commission Lower 700 MHz band, B and C blocks) can interfere with nearby or collocated user equipment receiving at 716-728 MHz (e.g., the United States Federal Communication Commission Lower 700 MHz band, D and E blocks). As another example, a base station (eNB) transmitting at 734-746 MHz (e.g., the United States Federal Communication Commission Lower 700 MHz band, B and C blocks) can interfere with a nearby or co-sited base station receiving at 716-728 MHz (e.g., the United States Federal Communication Commission Lower 700 MHz band, D and E blocks).
The United States (US) Federal Communication Commission (FCC) established common emission spectrum limits and common field strength limits for this entire section of spectrum (i.e., 698-746 MHz). Given these limits, a common method applied to alleviate interference is to introduce a "null" or "guard" frequency band between deployed bands that are sufficient to reduce or avoid interference. However, there is very little guard (nominally zero) band between the US FCC Lower 700 MHz C block (710-716 MHz) and its adjacent Lower 700 MHz D block (716-722 MHz).
As guard bands narrow, improved filtering and/or physical separation of transmit and receive antennas is commonly used to reduce interference caused by adjacent channel leakage (such as harmonics, intermodulation components, parasitic emissions, frequency conversion spurious emissions, etc.). Although this is feasible at base stations, improved filtering and antenna separation may be difficult or prohibitively expensive to implement in user equipment where physical constraints (such as small dimensions which result in low coupling losses between transmitting and receiving antennas) and low cost targets apply. Because multiple radios can wirelessly interfere with each other in various ways, and effective filtering may not be available at a reasonable cost, coexistence mechanisms should be developed for a variety of collocated and non-collocated scenarios.
With the continuing emergence of a variety of wireless communication technologies operating in adjacent frequencies, there is an opportunity to provide more effective solutions to mitigate interference and coexistence problems among collocated and non-collocated radios. The various aspects, features and advantages of the disclosure will become more fully apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon careful consideration of the following Drawings and accompanying Detailed Description.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments. Also, flowchart boxes may be rearranged into different sequential orders, repeated, or skipped in certain instances.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

Method and apparatus for multi-radio coexistence on adjacent frequency bands


A driving circuit according to the present invention for driving a display apparatus based on display data and a control signal includes: a delay circuit for delaying the input control signal; and a data load section for loading the input display data to the display apparatus at a timing generated by the delayed control signal, where the delay circuit delays the control signal in such a manner that load timing at which the display data is loaded to the display apparatus varies according to fixed timing determined by a constant cycle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving circuit, a liquid crystal display apparatus and an electronic information device, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a driving circuit for driving a display panel, such as a liquid crystal display panel, which is configured to disperse peak current; a liquid crystal display apparatus equipped with such a driving circuit; and an electronic information device including such a liquid crystal display apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flat display apparatuses, such as a liquid crystal display apparatus, have conventionally included a display panel such as a liquid crystal display, a driver for driving the display panel, and a control circuit for controlling the driver.
In recent years, as these display apparatuses become larger, have higher definition and are driven faster, the output frequency of display signals (gradation voltage) to be output as display data to a display panel becomes higher and the number of display signals to be output increases. As a result, in a data driver for driving such a display panel, unnecessary radiation caused during data outputting has become problematic.
Hereinafter, a detailed description will be provided with an example of a conventional data driver for driving a display panel.
FIG. 14 is a block diagram describing a configuration of a conventional data driver.
A data driver 901 shown in FIG. 14 has n-numbered signal output terminals 911-1 to 911-n, and the data driver 901 is capable of outputting display signals for indicating display data (gradation data) of a p gradation from each of the output terminals to a data line of a display panel.
In summary, the data driver 901 includes, as signal input terminals to which signals are input from the outside, a clock input terminal 902, a plurality of gradation data input terminals 903, a control signal input terminal 904, and reference voltage terminals 905 to 909. The data driver 901 also includes n-numbered signal output terminals 911-1 to 911-n, from which signals are output to a liquid crystal display panel.
The data driver 901 includes, as internally provided circuits, a reference voltage correcting circuit 921, a pointer shift register section 923 for operating based on a clock signal CLK, a latch circuit section 924 for latching and sampling display data, a hold circuit section 925 for latching and holding latched-and-sampled display data, a D/A converter (Digital Analog Converter) section 926 for performing a D/A conversion on latched-and-held display data, and an output buffer section 927 for outputting display data subject to D/A conversion.
Herein, the pointer shift register section 923 includes n stages of shift registers 923-1 to 923-n. The latch circuit section 924 includes n latch circuits 924-1 to 924-n. The hold circuit section 925 includes n hold circuits 925-1 to 925-n. The D/A converter section 926 includes n D/A converter circuits 926-1 to 926-n. The output buffer section 927 includes n output buffers 927-1 to 927-n, each constituted of an operational amplifier.
Next, the operation of the apparatus described above will be described.
In the data driver 901 with such a configuration, an input of display data DATA, a data control signal LOAD, and a clock signal CLK from a control circuit (now shown) for controlling the driver 901 allows the pointer shift register section 923 to select one of latch circuits 924-1 to 924-n in accordance with the clock signal CLK input to the clock input terminal 902. In such a condition, an input of the gradation data DATA from the gradation data input terminal 903 causes a sampling value of the gradation data to be stored in the selected latch circuit in the latch circuit section 924.
In addition, latch circuit selection signals output from the pointer shift register section 923 cause a first stage latch circuit 924-1 to an nth stage latch circuit 924-n to be selected consecutively by the clock signal input from the clock input terminal 902. Therefore, an input of n clocks enables storage of the gradation data in all of the latch circuits 924-1 to 924-n. In addition, the gradation data stored in the latch circuits 924-1 to 924-n is transferred to corresponding n hold circuits 925-1 to 925-n by the control signal LOAD, to be digital input data of D/A converters 926-1 to 926-n.
The D/A converters 926-1 to 926-n select and output one of p types of gradation voltages to be input, according to the digital input data above. P types of gradation voltages are generated by the reference voltage correcting circuit 921 based on reference voltages V0 to V4 input from respective reference voltage terminals 905 to 909.
Further, the output buffer section 927 performs an impedance conversion on the gradation voltages output from the D/A converters 926-1 to 926-n, and the gradation voltages are output to data lines of a liquid crystal display panel (not shown) as driving signals from each of the signal output terminals 911-1 to 911-n to the liquid crystal display panel.
In the conventional data driver 901 with such a configuration, since data transferring is performed from the hold circuits 925-1 to 925-n to the D/A converter circuits 926-1 to 926-n all together by the control signal LOAD as described above, the gradation voltages output from the D/A converter circuits 926-1 to 926-n are simultaneously changed. Thus, a large amount of current is generated instantaneously in the data driver 901. This current has an extremely large value due to the increase in the number of the signal output terminals 911-1 to 911-n and the increase in the driving performance by the output buffer section 927. Owing to this fact, not only is more current consumed by the data driver 901, but also unnecessary radiation caused by the current becomes problematic.
Accordingly, a method disclosed in Reference 1 has been proposed as a method for preventing peak current from increasing due to concentrated current.
FIG. 15 is a diagram describing a configuration of a data driver disclosed in Reference 1.
In a data driver 300 in FIG. 15, circuit blocks CB1 to CB4 correspond to the hold circuits, D/A converter circuits and output buffers in the data driver 901 shown in FIG. 14, and respective sets of the circuit blocks CB1 to CB4 are grouped by a plurality of groups CG1 to CGm. In summary, the circuit blocks CB1 to CB4 in each group correspond to respective data lines of a liquid crystal display panel, and they output display data to corresponding data lines.
Further, in the data driver 300, the control signal LOAD input via an input protection circuit E (30) is directly input into a first circuit group CG1. The control signal LOAD from the input protection circuit E (30) is input into a second circuit group CG2 via a first delay circuit 31a1. The control signal LOAD is input into a third circuit group CG3 via the first delay circuit 31a1 and a second delay circuit 31a2. In summary, the control signal LOAD is input into an m circuit group CGm via a first to m−1 delay circuits 31a1 to 31am-1.
Thus, in a liquid crystal display apparatus equipped with such a data driver, since there is a delay circuit D provided in between circuit groups CG, display output signals (gradation voltages) are output from respective circuit groups CG with each display output signal shifted by a delay period of time of each delay circuit D.
Owing to this configuration, display output signals are dispersed for respective circuit groups CG to be output. Therefore, peak current flowing through a power source line is dispersed even in a case where the number of signals is increased due to higher definition and a wider screen, and unnecessary radiation can also be reduced.
Reference 2 discloses subject matter which causes timing for taking gradation data into a hold circuit to be different between data drivers.
Reference 1: Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 8-22267
Reference 2: Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-262132

Driving circuit for driving a display apparatus based on display data and a control signal, and a liquid crystal display apparatus which uses the driving circuit


A semi-active secondary suspension comprises a relatively large actuator for handling low-frequency forces such as those caused by uneven passenger distribution, etc., by means, for example, of a position control loop. A pair of such suspensions on opposite sides of the car or rail can be made to act in concert, for example, by actuating only one at a time. An inner loop can be added to the position control for each secondary suspension to restore its actuator to a selected preload position when not being used as an actuator. The semi-active secondary suspension is made fully active by adding a relatively small actuator for handling higher frequency dynamic forces. A roller guide embodiment has rollers pivotally mounted on links which are spring-biased toward the rail blades. The relatively large actuators are connected to the link springs to slowly increase or decrease the preload force on the spring acting on the links to counter low frequency disturbances. The relatively small actuators also act on the links to ensure that high frequency disturbances are quickly countered thereby ensuring a substantially vibration-free ride. Suspensions comprising slide guides, electromagnets, etc. are shown.

An elevator cab assembly will typically comprise a passenger cab which is mounted in a rectangular frame. The cab assembly moves up and down in the elevator hoistway along guide rails which are mounted on opposite walls of the hoistway.
Japanese Kokai Publication No. 3-23185, published Jan. 31, 1991, discloses a system for stabilizing an elevator cab as it is moving along guide rails in a hoistway, which guide rails possess a varying compliancy. The system includes transverse beams above and below the cab assembly. Rail guides are mounted on the ends of the transverse beams by means of vibration-proof rubber pads. The beams are also connected to the cab assembly by vibration-proof rubber pads. A contoured guide piece is fixed to the hoistway wall which mimics the compliancy values of the rails, and contact sensors are mounted on the beams to slide over the guide piece. Motion of the contact sensors is monitored by a control which operates actuators operable to laterally shift the beams in response to movement of the contact sensors. The rail guide will thus be moved laterally relative to the cab assembly as the rail compliancy varies. A problem found in this teaching concerns the fact that if the beam is moved to the left to shift the left-hand rail guides in response to variations in compliancy of the left-hand rail, then the right-hand rail guides must necessarily move in the same direction as the left-hand rail guides. The objective of moving the rail guides toward a rail as rail compliancy increases, and away from the rail as rail compliancy decreases is thus only attainable on one of the rails, and the opposite rail guide movement occurs at the other opposite side rail. The use of the guide piece is also cumbersome, and its ability to mirror rail compliancy is problematic, at best. Kokai 3-51280, published 5 Mar. 1991, shows other aspects of the same system.
Another approach shown in Kokai 3-51279, published 5 Mar. 1991, uses actuable horizontal ropes strung on pulleys from corner to corner on diagonals across the cab's roof and converging at a point above the cab to control the tilt of the cab.

Elevator horizontal suspensions and controls


First, second, third and fourth liquid chambers including a liquid encapsulated therein are defined by disposition of first and second elastomeric members between outer and inner sleeves. The first and second liquid chambers communicate with each other through a first orifice having a relatively large diameter, and the first and third liquid chambers communicate with the second and fourth liquid chambers through a second orifice having a relatively small diameter. When a small load is input, the first and second liquid chambers are deformed to cause the liquid to pass through the first orifice, so that a relatively small damping force is produced by a resistance due to the liquid passing through the first orifice. When a large load is input, the third and fourth liquid chambers are deformed to cause the liquid to pass through the second orifice, so that a relatively large damping force is produced by a resistance due to the liquid passing through the second orifice. Thus, it is possible to provide a sufficient damping force over a range of a small input load to a large input load.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid-encapsulated bushing including an elastomeric member disposed between outer and inner sleeves having axes parallel to each other. A plurality of liquid chambers are defined to face the elastomeric member and communicate with one another through orifices, so that the radial relative movement of the outer and inner sleeves is buffered by a resistance due to a liquid passing through the orifices.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 7 shows a conventional liquid-encapsulated bushing. As can be seen from FIG. 7, the conventional liquid-encapsulated bushing B includes an outer sleeve 01 and an inner sleeve 02 having an axis L. First and second liquid chambers R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are defined by the outer sleeve 01, a first elastomeric member 04 which interconnects a collar 03 fitted over an outer periphery of the inner sleeve 02 and by a pair of second elastomeric members 06 coupled to the outer sleeve 01 through spacers 05. The first and second liquid chambers R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are connected to each other by two orifices O.
When the first elastomeric member 04 is deformed by a load to cause the outer and inner sleeves 01 and 02 to be relatively moved in directions of arrows X and X', the volumes of the first and second liquid chambers R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are alternately increased and decreased. The liquid in the first and second liquid chambers R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 flows between the second and first liquid chambers R.sub.2 and R.sub.1 through the orifices O. Thus, the load is buffered by a resistance, due to the liquid, generated during the flowing of the liquid. When a further larger load is input to cause the outer and inner sleeves 01 and 02 to be moved largely relative to each other, the first elastomeric member 04 is brought into close contact with one of the second elastomeric members 06, thereby inhibiting the increase in amount of relative movement of the outer and inner sleeves 01 and 02 to exhibit a stopper function.
In the above conventional bushing, when the input load is small and the amount of relative movement of the outer and inner sleeves 01 and 02 is small, the volumes of the first and second liquid chambers R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are effectively increased and decreased to provide a sufficient damping force. However, when the first elastomeric member 04 is brought into close contact with one of the second elastomeric members 06 by an increase in input load to establish a state which permits the stopper function to be exhibited, a problem arises in that the volumes of the first and second liquid chambers R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are varied very little and thus provide an insufficient damping force.


This invention relates generally to ultrasonic extrusion apparatus, methods and products. A flowable substrate may be supplied by an infeed to an extrusion chamber having an ultrasonic horn. The flowable substrate contacts the ultrasonic resonant horn and receives ultrasonic energy before and/or as passing through an extrusion orifice. Suitable flowable substrates may include meat emulsions, pomace solutions, and dough. The extruded product may have virtually any solid or hollow shape. The flowable substrate may form a shape-retaining product that may be cut without significantly deforming.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to ultrasonic extrusion apparatus, methods, and products. Specifically, this invention relates to a flowable substrate that is formed into a product with the addition of ultrasonic energy.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Many edible products are produced by conventional extrusion devices, such as, augers and screws to form solid or hollow products. However, these conventional devices may have slower line speeds than desired and may necessitate additional duplicate units to achieve needed throughput rates. The additional units increase capital expenditures for equipment and factory floor space. The additional units increase cleaning and sterilization requirements between product batches.
Often conventional extruded product does not hold its shape as well as may be desired, especially during subsequent processing, such as, slicing and baking. Often long ovens are employed to condition or dry a product rope to a sufficient level before a slicing machine. Similarly, conventional extruded products may not be as dense and/or as uniform as desired.

Apparatus, method and product for ultrasonic extrusion of a flowable substrate


Ultrasonic inspection system, method, and apparatus for subsurface ultrasonic inspection of curved objects. The inspection system includes an apparatus having a support structure for supporting a selected transducer and a selected acoustic mirror adapted for immersion in a coupling fluid. The total inspection path distance for the ultrasonic radiation includes a first portion defined by the transducer-to-mirror distance, and a second portion including the mirror-to-object distance. The first and second portions may be relatively adjusted within a constant total inspection path distance to focus the ultrasonic radiation at a desired subsurface depth. Selection of the transducer is at least partly dependent on subsurface depth of the desired inspection zone. Selection of the acoustic mirror is at least partly dependent on the selected transducer, the total inspection path distance, and curvature of the inspection object.

The present invention relates generally to ultrasonic inspection systems, and more particularly to an ultrasonic inspection apparatus including an acoustic mirror and to methods for ultrasonic inspection of parts having curved surfaces.
Ultrasonic inspection may be used to detect defects inside an object when the defects are located beneath the exterior surface. When an ultrasonic inspection is performed, a transducer is calibrated on a block having a planar entry surface (i.e., flat-top block) made from the same material as that being inspected, and containing flat bottomed holes of known diameter and known depth from the surface. A set of inspection parameters, such as gain, operating frequency, and water-path, are set and calibrated to the flat-top block. The inspection parameters are used to inspect production hardware.
Conventionally, curved surface parts with surface curvature larger than about 38 cm radius are inspected like parts having planar surfaces. For radii less than 38 cm, typically the operator will increase the gain (energy level) in an effort to compensate for losses due to the curved entry surface. Increasing the gain, however, also increases both the system noise (electronic noise) and the material noise. Thus, some production parts become uninspectable because of "high noise." Because the ultrasound beams can be de-focused or over-focused by curved entry surfaces, the problem is escalated during subsurface inspection.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,619 discloses an ultrasonic inspection system that utilizes a transducer to emit ultrasonic radiation that is shaped and reflected by an adjustable acoustic mirror. U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,419 discloses an aspherical curved element transducer to inspect a part with a curved entry surface. These disclosed systems and methods do not provide desired outcomes for subsurface inspection of parts having curved entry surfaces.
Improving ultrasonic inspection capabilities through curved surfaces is desired in the art. Scientists and engineers continue to seek improved ultrasonic inspection systems and methods for inspection through curved surfaces that imitate the inspection sensitivities of inspection through a planar entry surface.


A method of preparing a V.sub.a Sb.sub.b M.sub.m N.sub.n O.sub.x catalyst useful in the ammoxidation of a C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 hydrocarbon to its corresponding .alpha., .beta. unsaturated nitrile comprising heating an aqueous mixture comprising V.sub.2 O.sub.5 and Sb.sub.2 O.sub.3 at a temperature above about 100.degree. to 250.degree. C., preferably 110.degree. to 175.degree. C., most preferably 120.degree. to 160.degree. C., under autogenous pressure with agitation to form a catalyst precursor, drying the catalyst precursor and calcining the catalyst precursor to form the finished catalyst.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the catalytic ammoxidation of paraffins and olefins containing from two to five carbon atoms to the corresponding alpha, beta unsaturated nitrites. In particular, the present invention is directed to the process of making a catalyst useful in the ammoxidation of propane or propylene to acrylonitrile.
Because of the price differential between propylene and propane, an economic incentive exists for the development of viable catalyst useful for the conversion of propane to acrylonitrile. The development of a propane ammoxidation process to acrylonitrile has been quite elusive. The following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,214,016; 5,008,427; 5,258,543; 4,788,317; 4,746,641; 3,860,534; 3,681,421 and Great Britain Patents 1,336,135 and 1,336,136 are directed to various vanadium antimony type catalysts useful in the ammoxidation of propane to acrylonitrile and teach various methods of making the catalysts. The present invention is directed to a simple procedure for the preparation of vanadium antimony catalyst useful in oxidation and/or ammoxidation reactions such as o-xylene oxidation to phthalic anhydride or propylene and propane ammoxidation to acrylonitrile. In particular, the process of the present invention is directed to the manufacture of a catalyst useful in propane ammoxidation. The beauty of the process of the present invention is that it is a very simple procedure substantially eliminating the exotic materials used in previous procedures as well as eliminating many of the steps set forth in the previous procedures. This, of course, leads to a more economical and commercially viable procedure for the preparation of the catalyst useful in propane and propylene ammoxidation.

Process for the preparation of antimonate catalysts for (AMM) oxidation of alkanes and alkenes


The present disclosure provides a chimeric receptor binding protein (RBP) resistant to proteolytic digestion wherein said RBP comprises a portion of a receptor binding protein derived from a bacteriophage fused through a designed linker region consisting of 1 to 70 amino acids, to a portion of a receptor binding protein derived from a different bacteriophage, wherein said linker region is designed to be resistant to proteolytic digestion.

One of the critical aspects to be addressed when considering protein-based DNA delivery vectors, such as packaged phagemids or Eligobiotics®, is their stability in in vivo conditions. Depending on the route of administration, packaged phagemids may be exposed to different factors that may affect their stability and functionality. For instance, orally administered packaged phagemids will have to traverse the gastrointestinal tract: harsh conditions, such as the low pH in the stomach and the presence of certain digestive enzymes, may have a negative effect on the structural stability of the particles.
Phages have evolved to be stable in a wide range of conditions [1]. From the evolutionary perspective, being able to resist these conditions is a clear advantage for any phage.
However, it is well known that many phages are not resistant to low pH values for a long period of time [1], [2], although this can be circumvented by the use of stomach acid neutralizers [3]-[6]. Similarly, some phages have evolved to be resistant to digestive enzymes, such as those found in pancreatic juices (trypsin, chymotrypsin, etc.), while some others are readily degraded [4], [7], [8] although the exact mechanisms of degradation have not been studied in detail.
From these facts, it can be concluded that for the development of a highly successful optimal phage-derived DNA delivery vector, such as an Eligobiotic®, it is useful to obtain a vector which is stable in in vivo conditions.
The present disclosure provides a solution to this need.
A powerful engineering pipeline has been developed to generate phage-derived DNA delivery vectors with improved or modified host ranges as disclosed in WO2020109339. To do this, the natural variability of phage parts has been exploited to generate functional protein chimeras in existing phage scaffolds: for instance, one was able to modify the tropism and injection efficiency of packaged phagemids by modifying the two main host range determinants of lambdoid phages such as the lambda phage, the gpJ and STF (Side Tail Fiber) proteins.
In the course of vector development, it was observed that one had to differentiate between functionality and stability. A given protein chimera (for instance, a STF fusion) can exhibit an ideal functionality, for example can contribute to a high injection efficiency into a target strain in in vitro conditions, but may be affected when exposed to pancreatin (i.e. still functional but less stable). This was an unpredictable aspect of the protein engineering process so far: starting from two different STFs that are not degraded in the presence of pancreatin could yield a protein chimera that was less resistant to proteolytic digestion.
Different direct (on the packaged phagemids itself) or indirect (on the environment of the packaged phagemids) approaches can be envisioned to protect these protein chimera from in vivo proteolytic digestion, e.g. a suitable formulation, such as controlled or delayed release formulations enabling the release of packaged phagemids displaying said protein chimera in the intestine or the colon. The present disclosure shows that another solution is to act directly on said protein chimera.

Chimeric receptor binding proteins resistant to proteolytic degradation


The present invention provides a chemiluminescent ink formulation, comprising: a phthalocyanine metal catalyst; a visible dye; and a solvent. The formulation is useful in catalyzing a chemiluminescent reaction, by admixing for example, luminol or isoluminol with an oxidizing agent, a base and the chemiluminescent ink formulation to emit light.

Western blotting is a very useful and common laboratory procedure. In the typical procedure, protein mixtures are separated on polyacrylamide gel into bands using an applied electric field. After the proteins are separated into bands, the separated bands are transferred to a membrane. After transfer, the separated proteins are probed with primary and secondary antibodies for detection. The detection can be accomplished via radioactivity, chemiluminescence, fluorescence, or absorbance. The most common detection method is chemiluminescence; however, in order to detect multiple analytes simultaneously, fluorescence has recently gained popularity.
After the separated protein bands are transferred to a membrane, it is often useful to show the separated bands, or to provide orientation or other experimental information from the membrane. Annotation and/or marking the position of protein standards for a Western blot membrane is typically done using a Sharpie® or other indelible fine tip felt pen. The film is overlaid and aligned atop the membrane and standard positions such as a protein ladder are noted on the film. With the use of imagers as a replacement to film, a need to mark the membrane directly is needed. Currently, other technologies for marking Western blot membranes utilize phosphorescent (Glow Writer®) or luminescent pens (Advansta®). Due to the various wash steps, it is often difficult to find suitable types of ink that will withstand the harsh wash steps.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a pen to mark membranes and other solid surfaces which will be exposed to biological or chemical substrates and procedures. The present invention satisfies this and other needs.

Phthalocyanine formulation and uses thereof


A system for monitoring electricity consumption in a building, comprising a transmitter connected to the primary electricity input of the building for wirelessly transmitting consumption data to at least one display device. The display device is adapted to receive data from the Internet for analysis and comparison to the consumption data generated by the transmitter. The transmitter includes an electricity detection circuit that comprises a diode bridge and a difference amplifier connected to a microprocessor.

Over time the energy demand of the residential sector has increased significantly. Most modern homes contain a myriad of appliances that are powered by electricity, including dishwashers, toasters, air conditioners, and televisions. A modern home is almost constantly consuming electricity, but the magnitude of such consumption often varies depending on the time of year, week, and even varies drastically over the course of a day. Most consumers are only vaguely aware of the magnitude of their energy consumption at any given time.
Electric appliances that are promoted as being highly energy efficient have been brought to market in recent years. This is due, in part, to the rising consumer cost of electric energy, increasing concerns regarding the availability of resources necessary to generate electric energy, and the advance of technology. Unfortunately, most consumers are unaware of the difference in energy consumption and efficiency between a newer, more efficient electric appliance and an older electric appliance.
Moreover, as stated above, modern homes have a multitude of electric appliances of a multitude of types. With so many appliances, it is difficult to know which appliances have the largest impact on energy consumption. Most consumers are unaware of which of their appliances are most responsible for their energy cost.
To promote energy conservation in the home, federal and state governments have established minimum efficiency standards, weatherization subsidies, tax credits on programmable thermostats and urge consumers to allow higher in home temperatures in the summer and lower in home temperatures in the winter. One of the difficulties in promoting energy conservation is that few people are aware of the amount of energy they consume or the cost.
There are examples of devices and systems for monitoring energy consumption in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,956,500 to Ducharme et al. describes a device and method for measuring energy usage and electricity costs in real time. The device includes a camera assembly adapted to detect the velocity data of the rotating wheel disk on an electric power meter. The velocity data is sent by wireless transmission to an indoor display unit. The indoor display unit will display real-time electricity consumption.
The device described in Ducharme et al. suffers from significant drawbacks, however. First, the reliability and accuracy of the data generated by the camera assembly is doubtful and can be easily compromised by, for example, weather conditions. Ducharme et al. do disclose use of a weather shield, but this weather shield would not prevent, and indeed may exacerbate, the negative effects of heavy wind on the alignment of the device.
Other energy consumption monitoring systems utilize the existing electricity circuits of the building to transmit energy consumption data from measuring units to display units which are connected to standard wall sockets on the electricity circuit. One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,043,380 Rodenberg III et al. These systems also have significant disadvantages. First, the display unit is necessarily tied to at least one electric outlet. Second, many modern homes and businesses have more than one electricity circuit, and any data signal transmitted from the measurement units may not be available in portions of the building which are on different electricity circuits.
What is needed, therefore, is a system for monitoring electricity consumption that enables a home or business owner to readily and easily monitor and display energy consumption data in any part of the home or business. What is also needed is a system for monitoring electricity consumption that provides a display that alerts the homeowner when energy was being consumed and informed the homeowner of the significance of such consumption. What is further needed is a system for monitoring energy consumption that is capable of acquiring data from the Internet for analysis and comparison with the consumption data acquired by the system.


A code information reading section selects recording codes which are respectively recorded on a plurality of recording media one at a time, and sequentially optically reads the recording codes in order to make it possible to synthesize a plurality of audio information items which are previously coded and recorded in an optically readable form and to simultaneously output them. A code information decoding section sequentially decodes the recording codes read by the code information reading section. A decoded information synthesizing section sequentially synthesizes digital audio signals sequentially decoded by the code information decoding section. A D/A converter converts the digital audio signal synthesized by the decoded information synthesizing section into an analog audio signal. An audio output section outputs the analog audio signal converted by the D/A converter as an audio output.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an audio information reproducing device in an audio information recording/reproducing system for recording audio information such as a voice in an optically readable form and reproducing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as a medium for recording a voice and music, various types of recording media such as a magnetic tape and optical disk are known.
However, even if these media are mass-produced, the unit price thereof is high and a large space is necessary for storing them.
Further, in a case where it becomes necessary to give or lend a medium on which a sound is recorded to a person living at a remote location, it is troublesome and takes a long time to send it by post or directly hand it over to him.
Therefore, it is considered to record audio information on paper in the form of image information which can be transmitted by facsimile and copied on a large scale.
For example, as is disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 60-244145, it is proposed to convert audio information into image information by converting a slight amount of sound into optical codes and to transmit the thus obtained image information by facsimile.
Further, in International Application PCT/JP 93/01377 by the assignee of the applicant of this invention (now published as WO 94/08314), an information recording/reproducing system is proposed which can reproduce multi media information including audio information such as voice, video information obtained from a video camera or the like and digital code information or the like from a recording medium in any place by a desired number of times by disposing a portion for optically reading a code from a recording medium on which the multi media information is recorded in the optically readable code form and then decoding the code into the original multi media information into a portable case so that a recording medium which has long-time multi media information including audio information recorded thereon can be used, and also a recording medium which can be used for the information recording/reproducing system is proposed.
However, it is not considered to freely select different audio information items recorded in a plurality of recording codes, synthesize them and simultaneously output them as an audio output in the device disclosed in the above KOKAI Publication or International Application in which audio information is converted into optically readable code information and is printed on one recording medium or printed after being transferred when a facsimile is used, and then the code information is read from the printed medium by use of optical reading means, and audio information is decoded again and output.
That is, as shown in FIG. 4C, the conventional audio information reproducing device includes a code information reading section 3 for optically reading recording codes 2 recorded on a recording medium 1, a code information decoding section 4 for decoding code information read by the code information reading section 3, a D/A converter 5 for converting digital audio information decoded by the code information decoding section 4 into an analog audio signal, and an audio output section 6 for outputting the analog audio signal converted by the D/A converter 5 as an audio output. In this conventional system, the recording codes on the recording medium can be reproduced only one at a time.
Therefore, even if audio information items for respective musical instruments (for respective parts) are separately printed in the optically readable code form on a musical score, for example, musical sounds of the respective musical instruments can only be separately reproduced and it is impossible to simultaneously output musical sounds in the same passage by use of a combination of desired musical instruments.

Audio information recording/reproducing system


A digital computing system includes a first and second processor clocked for locked step operation. A shared memory stores a linear block codeword across a plurality of byte-wide memory devices. The codeword includes a first dataword and a second dataword. Each of the first and second datawords includes an equal plurality of databits and each includes an equal plurality of checkbits associated therewith. First error detection and correction logic connected to the first processor receives the first dataword and checkbits associated therewith of the codeword addressed by the first processor and a second dataword and checkbits associated therewith of the codeword addressed by the second processor. First error detection and correction logic detects and/or corrects errors in the codeword. Second error detection and correction logic connected to the second processor receives the second dataword and checkbits associated therewith of the codeword addressed by the second processor and the first dataword and checkbits associated therewith of the codeword addressed by the first processor. The second error detection and correction logic detects and/or corrects errors in the codeword.

Some digital computing system applications require a high degree of safety. For example, an aircraft flight control computer for safe operation depends upon continuous error-free computing operation for the entire period of flight. It should be recognized that error-free operation requires the elimination of, or containment of faults within the digital computing system. For many aircraft applications, the probability of an undetected failure must be less than 10.sup.-9 per flight hour. In addition to ever-increasing demands of reliability, a fast computing system with increased throughput is necessary for flight control.
A malfunction of any single component in a conventional computing system will result in an unsafe error. This is known as a series reliability model, wherein the probability of an unsafe error is the sum of the probability of the malfunction of each component. A system corresponding to this model is sometimes referred to as a "single thread system." In prior art computing systems, a single-thread memory system complimented with an off-the-shelf error detection and correction linear block code has been utilized to attempt to meet required failure probability levels. However, such a method does not satisfy required safety levels or processing throughput requirements.
An alternative to the single-thread memory complimented with an off-the-shelf error detection and correction linear block code is to use a fully redundant and independent memory array with an error detection and correction linear block code for each processing lane. Such replication of the computing elements of the computing system and the redundant arrangement thereof produces error free results even though one or more elements are malfunctioning. Although this system may be fail-passive, it is very costly, area inefficient and does not satisfactorily meet throughput requirements.
It is the goal of fault tolerant computing systems to provide the greatest possible reliability with the lowest possible degree of redundancy, since redundancy increases cost, power, and size. In some instances, redundancy actually undercuts the reliability improvements being sought by the added redundancy. Reliability improvement can be directed toward improving the availability of the system, i.e., the percentage of time the system is available to do useful work, or the safety of the system, i.e., the probability that the system will perform error-free for a specified mission time. U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,429 to Gray, et al., issued Feb. 4, 1992 and presently assigned to the assignee hereof, shows a computing system in which error correction capability is sacrificed, decreasing availability, in order to achieve a higher degree of safety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,429 describes a fail-operative, fail-passive, fault tolerant computing system, which includes a first and second pair of substantially identical processors connected to a system bus with one pair being arbitrarily designated as the "active" pair while the other is designated as a "hot stand-by" pair. Each processor is operated in locked step fashion. Rather than providing individual memory arrays for each processor in each pair, the two processors in each pair share a common memory. A bus module examines the binary data and address transmissions carried by data buses and address buses for the active pair to determine whether discrepancy exists in the information being simultaneously transferred over the address and data buses for that pair of processors. The standby pair is likewise configured.
Error detection logic, including a linear block code generator, operates during writes to memory by the processor so as to encode the datawords that are to be written to memory, creating a series of checkbits associated therewith. The datawords along with the checkbits are stored in the memory as a linear block codeword. During a read initiated by the processors, an appropriate codeword is addressed by the processors and read from the memory. The checkbits of the codeword are examined for correctness by a set of syndrome generators, one associated with each processor; the syndrome generators determining whether an error exists in the codeword read from memory. When such an error is detected, a signal is sent to bus monitor logic to cause a switchover such that the designated standby pair becomes the active pair. The faulted pair will record the fault and may either remain faulted, or in the case of a transient or soft fault become the stand-by pair.
It is well known in the prior art to employ a linear block code, also known as an n,k code, comprised of a set of n binary digits wherein any subset of k binary digits represent the data portion of the code and the remaining binary digits, n-k, represent binary digits of the code which may be used for error detection and/or error correction. A specific instance of a given code is commonly called a "codeword." For example, a 9,8 code (8 data bits and 1 error checkbit) can generate 512 unique 9-bit codewords. A 9,8 code provides a simple parity check of an 8-bit dataword which is capable of detecting a single bit error but would miss the detection of an even number of bits in error and provide no capability to correct errors. As the number of checkbits is increased, the capability of the code to detect and/or correct random errors improves because as the number of checkbits increases the fraction of all possible codewords which are valid codewords, decreases, thus increasing the probability that a given error will result in an invalid codeword being detectable.
Hamming weight of a given linear block code is the measure of its error detecting capability, i.e., the Hamming weight is the maximum number of binary digits a given dataword may be in error while still assuring error detection by utilization of the linear block code. When the number of binary digits in error exceeds the Hamming weight, there is the possibility that the error in excess will transfer the codeword into a valid and therefore undetectable codeword. The logical properties of the linear block code generator, usually expressed in the form of a code matrix, and commonly referred to in the art as the H matrix, determines the specific error detection/error correction capabilities of the code.
As indicated above, linear block codes have been used previously for memory error management. However, there exists a need for a computing system utilizing linear block codes which meets ever increasing speed and reliability requirements with reduced redundancy and improved throughput.

Error detection and correction for data stored across multiple byte-wide memory devices


In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of producing a sheet metal part utilizing stereolithography. A computer formblock model is first designed. Stereolithographic techniques are utilized to create a formblock using the computer formblock model. A part is formed from a sheet metal blank using the formblock, whereby force is applied to the sheet metal blank to bend it about the formblock.

Prototyping is typically used during product development to verify design concepts and to facilitate advance testing. A prototype must have structural characteristics sufficiently close to the desired product to permit a realistic prediction of actual product performance. Prototyping sheet metal formed parts can be expensive both in capital outlay and in development time. The manufacturing operations must first be defined for such parts and then the parts must be painstakingly produced by conventional cutting or forming processes, often requiring skilled labor, considerable time and expense.
Any number of sheet metal forming processes may be utilized to shape sheet metal blanks into desired parts. These sheet metal forming processes include, but are not limited to, simple hydraulic press forming, stretch forming, deep drawing, and rubber pad forming operations (e.g., Guerin, Verson-Wheelon, Marform, Hydroform, and Hydrodynamic processes) . The forming processes utilize formblocks or dies. Forces are exerted on the sheet metal blanks which are pressed against the formblocks whereby the sheet metal is forced to conform to the shape of the formblock.
Development of the formblocks or dies used in the forming process is costly both in terms of expense and time, especially when considering the number of design iterations and the relatively small prototype volumes. As such, increasing the efficiency of manufacturing prototypes or small batches of sheet metal parts is highly desirable.
It is well known that stereolithography may be utilized to create three-dimensional objects, such as prototype parts. Stereolithography conventionally calls for a laser beam to be directed by computer control into a bath of liquid photopolymer resin. The laser beam is traversed across the liquid resin to selectively cure the resin to form a three-dimensional object through the accumulation of incremental layers of cured resin. Thus, this technology melds computer modeling techniques with the actual creation of three-dimensional models.
A significant shortcoming of stereolithographically produced resin models, however, is that the resins employed have considerably less strength than the strength of materials designated for the final part (e.g., steel, aluminum or plastic). As such, parts produced using stereolithography have been limited to visualization models for verification of production intent, rather than for functional usage.
A technique used to strengthen stereolithographically produce resin part is disclosed U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,293 to Ashtiani-Zarandi et al. The patent discloses a stereolithography build technique using internal interconnected support members.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a method to increase the efficiency to manufacture sheet metal parts, especially prototypes or small batches of parts.

Making hydropress formblocks and dies utilizing stereolithography and liquid molding compounds


A method for monitoring and correcting playback performance for content player. The method includes detecting a content player request from a media player on a user device, the content player request corresponding to a content item request from a server, generating a playback identifier including data corresponding to the content item, detecting one or more playback events occurring during playback of the content by the content player, generating one or more playback packets including the playback identifier, a packet identifier, and the one or more playback events, and transmitting the one or more playback packets to a server.

Many consumers receive content and other media from sources other than conventional over the air radio waves and cable providers. In particular, much of the content available over the Internet is "streamed" to user devices from one or more content servers, such as a server in a content delivery network (CDN). With content streaming, the content file is divided into fragments or packets and then transmitted to the user device over a network. As bandwidth or network issues arise, either on the client side or server side, fragments can stall out, fail, or the like, causing omissions in the content and/or failure of the content to display completely. Additionally, different hardware devices utilize onboard media players that are used to stream or view content. For content providers, playback quality and consistency are important to the user experience and buffering, timeouts, crashes, and other issues during playback can result in poor user experience. However, many current media players do not track playback events or other related data, making it difficult for content providers to troubleshoot issues and manage server demand.


On-chip calibration signal generation circuitry is disclosed for filter tuning for radio-frequency communications and associated methods. On-chip circuitry generates a calibration signal that is used to help set a tuning control signal that is received by a tunable front-end filter. In one embodiment, local oscillator (LO) generation circuitry is used to generate the calibration signal. In operation of this embodiment, the LO generation circuitry is tuned to the desired receive channel, or to a frequency at some offset value from the desired receive channel, and the output of the LO generation circuitry is then used as a calibration input signal for a tunable front-end filter. This calibration signal is passed through the receive path circuitry, and the resulting signal is then analyzed to help set a tuning control signal for the tunable front-end filter.

Radio frequency (RF) receivers are used in a wide variety of applications such as television, cellular telephones, pagers, global positioning system (GPS) receivers, cable modems, cordless phones, radios and other devices that receive RF signals. RF receivers typically require frequency translation or mixing. For example, with respect to FM audio broadcasts, FM radio receivers may translate one broadcast channel in the FM frequency band to an intermediate frequency. Within the United States, FM radios will typically translate FM audio signals, which are broadcast in 200 KHz channels in the frequency band from 88 MHz to 108 MHz, to an intermediate frequency of 10.7 MHz. FM demodulators and stereo decoders can then convert this 10.7 MHz IF signal to demodulated left and right audio signal that can be sent to stereo speakers. Although other countries will have different frequency bands and channel spacing, the reception of audio broadcast signals, such as FM audio broadcasts, is similarly accomplished using RF receivers.
The majority of typical RF receivers perform frequency translation or mixing using an oscillator and an analog multiplier or mixer. An oscillator will typically output a local oscillator (LO) signal in the form of a sine wave or periodic wave having a tuned frequency (fLO. A mixer then mixes the RF input signal spectrum, which includes desired spectral content at a target channel having a particular center frequency (fCH), with the LO signal to form an output signal having spectral content at frequencies equal to the sum and difference of the two input frequencies, namely fCH+fLO and fCH−fLO. One of these components forms the channel center frequency translated to the desired IF frequency, and the other component can be filtered out. The oscillator can be implemented with a variety of circuits, including, for example, a tuned inductor-capacitor (LC) oscillator, a charge relaxation oscillator, or a ring oscillator.
With respect to prior systems that receive terrestrial audio broadcasts, external circuitry is often used to filter out unwanted parts of a signal spectrum that is received through an antenna. This external filter circuit, therefore, acts to tune, at least in part, the incoming signal to a desired channel or portion of the RF signal spectrum. For example, with respect to FM terrestrial audio broadcasts, this external filter will help tune the receiver to the desired FM channel. Typical solutions for this external filter circuitry include external LC filters including inductors that provide the inductance (L) and varactor diodes that provide a variable capacitance (C).

On-chip calibration signal generation for tunable filters for RF communications and associated methods


A method of writing data on a storage device using a probe technique. In the method of writing data on a memory device including a resistive probe used for reading and writing of data, a ferroelectric writing medium on which data is written by the resistive probe, and a lower electrode disposed on a bottom surface of the ferroelectric writing medium, heat and an electric field are applied simultaneously to a domain of the ferroelectric writing medium, on which the data will be written, by applying a voltage to the resistive probe and the lower electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of writing data, and more particularly, to a method of writing data on a ferroelectric layer using a resistive probe.
2. Description of the Related Art
Regarding developments in Internet-related technologies, a writing medium on which a large amount of data including motion pictures can be written (hereinafter, referred to as a "high-density writing medium") and a portable device for writing the data on the writing medium and reading the written data have lately attracted considerable attention as important products on the writing media market.
A portable nonvolatile data writing device can be categorized as either a solid-state memory device, such as a flash memory, or a disk-type memory device, such as a hard disk.
Since it is anticipated that the needs for primary storage in hand-held devices will reach a capacity of up to several tens of gigabytes in upcoming years, it is difficult for the solid-state memory device to function as a high-density data writing device, probably due to limitations in the lithography technology. Therefore, the solid-state memory device will be used for a device requiring high-speed operations, such as a current personal computer (PC), while the disk-type memory device still will be used as a main storage device.
It is expected that a hard disk of a general magnetic writing type will be developed to have a capacity of up to 10 gigabytes in the near future. However, it is currently impossible to obtain a hard disk that has a higher magnetic writing density than that of the 10-GB hard disk, due to the superparamagnetic effect.
For this reason, a scanning probe has been proposed as a device for writing and reading data, and a memory device formed of a ferroelectric layer has been proposed as a writing medium.
In a technique using a scanning probe, i.e., a scanning probe microscope (SPM), a domain ranging from several nanometers (nm) to several tens of nanometers can be manipulated and probed through a probe.
In recent years, a probe has been manufactured in an array shape through a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) such that parallel reading and writing are enabled to overcome the restrictions of reading and writing speeds.
In a memory device using SPM, written data can be identified by the polarity of electric charges, which are generated on a surface of a ferroelectric layer according to the remnant polarization of the ferroelectric layer, or on a direction of the remnant polarization. The electric charges, which are generated on the surface of the ferroelectric layer according to the remnant polarization, generate an electric field around them. This electric field creates a depletion region or an accumulation region at the end of the probe. The capacitance or resistance of the memory device varies depending on whether the depletion region is formed or the accumulation region is formed and according to the type of probe. The memory device using SPM measures a variation in the capacitance or the resistance to enable reading of data.
This memory device, which operates through SPM and employs a ferroelectric layer as a writing medium, allows higher-density writing of data than a memory device using a magnetic writing medium. However, the memory device using SPM has the following problems.
Specifically, writing data on a ferroelectric layer includes switching a polarization direction of a domain of the ferroelectric layer by applying the same voltage to both ends of a probe. Thus, when the coercive field is large, to ensure thermal stability as the domain size decreases for a high density storage device, the voltage applied to both ends of the probe may cause an electric field that exceeds the dielectric strength of the air gap between the probe and surface of the medium.
Therefore, when the voltage applied to both ends of the probe is too high, since an interval between the probe and the ferroelectric layer is extremely small, an electrical breakdown, such as a corona discharge, may occur therebetween.
Meanwhile, heat assisted magnetic writing (HAMR) has been in the spotlight recently as one of the next-generation magnetic writing technologies. HAMR is being applied to a method and device of writing data on a magnetic writing medium. In the memory device using HAMR, prior to writing data, a predetermined domain of a magnetic writing medium on which the data will be written is heated using a laser. Thereafter, a magnetic field is applied to the heated domain, thereby writing data on the magnetic writing medium.
The heating step and the magnetic field applying step are performed separately. Thus, it takes much time to write data. Accordingly, to shorten the time, the heating step and the magnetic field applying step should be performed at the same time. However, a coil for generating the magnetic field and a laser diode for generating heat cannot be located in the same space. Further, since an interval between a magnetic writing head and a writing medium is very narrow, applying the magnetic field and the heat at the same time is almost impossible.

Method of writing data on a storage device using a probe technique


A power module is provided which includes: a power-supply voltage terminal for inputting a power-supply voltage; a ground terminal; a first voltage terminal; a second voltage terminal; a first to a third switch; and a first to a third amplification circuit which amplify control signals for controlling the first to the third switch, respectively. The first switch is connected between the power-supply voltage terminal and the first voltage terminal. The second switch is connected between the first voltage terminal and the ground terminal. The third switch is connected between the second voltage terminal and the ground terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power module and a display device using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a well-known example for reducing the cost of circuits in plasma display devices, a method is described in the article by the title of "A New Driving Technology for PDPs with Cost Effective Sustain Circuit" in SID 01 DIGEST pages 1236 to 1239.
Further, there is a method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-89724 which is used for a power module in plasma display devices.
(Nonpatent Literature 1)
Kishi and four others "A New Driving Technology for PDPs with Cost Effective Sustain Circuit" SID 01 DIGEST, pages 1236 to 1239, 2001
(Patent Document 1)
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-89724
To realize the aforementioned circuit described in FIG. 2 in page 1237 of SID 01 DIGEST, it is only required to use switching elements such as power MOSFETs, IGBTs or the like as switches SWA, SWB, SWC, SWD and SWE, and drive the switching elements by pre-drive circuits each composed of an IC or the like. However, in this pre-drive circuit, propagation delay (hereafter, called an input-output delay time) occurs between an input signal and an output signal depending on characteristics of an inner circuit thereof. This input-output delay time may change depending on the temperature surrounding the circuit, and one example thereof is shown in FIG. 16.
If the surrounding temperature of the pre-drive circuits for driving the switching elements are different from each other when the aforementioned circuit described in FIG. 2 in page 1237 of SID 01 DIGEST is operated, operation timings of the switching elements may change from values which have initially been set, so that margins of the operation timings come to small.


An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit for the protection of an electronic circuit from an ESD event. The electronic circuit, in operation, is provided with a supply voltage and a reference voltage (typically electrical ground) via voltage terminals and/or power supply buses. The protection circuit includes two bipolar transistors in series, where the transistors are coupled between the supply voltage terminal/bus and the reference voltage terminal/bus. The bases of the transistors are coupled via a connection including two resistors in series, where the connection point between the two resistors is coupled with the connection point between the two transistors.

I. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to protection devices/circuits and, more particularly, to protection circuits for protecting an electronic circuit, such as an integrated circuit, from an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event.
II. Description of Related Art
ESD protection devices and/or circuits are important to preventing the failure of many electronic components. Integrated circuits (ICs) in particular need to be protected against ESD pulses that occur during manufacturing operations associated with such components. Various techniques and approaches have been employed to protect electronic circuits, particularly ICs from such ESD pulses.
One type of protection that is employed for ESD protection is the use of power supply protection circuits, which are typically included on-chip (e.g., on the IC itself) to keep ESD pulses from damaging the IC's during physical manipulation of the ICs. Many of such protection circuits operate based on a 'snap-back' behavior of the protection device/circuit. As is known, snap-back occurs in such devices/circuits once a given voltage level is exceeded. An additional aspect of power supply protection devices/circuits is that they are latch-up safe (e.g., so that they are not triggered and then remain on for an extended duration during normal operation of the circuit they are protecting). Latch-up is a known phenomenon that may occur in parasitic bipolar devices that are inherently created in the physical layout of ICs. Thus, when power supply protection devices/circuits with a snap-back behavior are used, the holding voltage of those protection devices/circuits must be higher than the supply voltage (VDD) in order for such protection devices/circuits to be "latch-up safe."
In harsh operating environments, such as automotive environments, ESD power supply protection devices/circuits (e.g., such as those using snap-back devices) may trigger during normal operation due to over voltage conditions that occur due to the harsh operating environment. In this situation, if the power supply protection device/circuit clamps the voltage to a value at, or below the operating voltage, the protection circuit would "latch-up" and destroy the IC due to a large DC supply current flowing directly from the power supply terminal to the reference voltage terminal (e.g., electrical ground) through the ESD protection circuit. Therefore, a holding voltage that is sufficiently higher than the nominal supply voltage to prevent such latch-up is desirable for ESD power supply protection devices/circuits operating in such harsh environments.
In the automotive industry, 42V battery supply voltages are becoming common. Thus, for ICs or electronic circuits employed in this environment, a holding voltage of at least 50V for ESD power supply protection circuits using snap-back devices is desirable. This high holding voltage, along with the requirement of many automotive manufacturers for high ESD current dissipation capability (e.g., the ability to sustain a human body model ESD pulse of >4 kV), power supply protection devices/circuits that have a power dissipation capability of 150 W or more in a 100 ns time period are necessary.
One type of protection circuit that has been implemented in such environments is 'active clamp' circuits. Such active clamps, which are essentially over-sized bipolar or double-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor (DMOS) transistors, are capable of safely operating under very high ESD currents. Also, because they do not operate based on snap-back behavior, they are not particularly susceptible to latch-up. However, such devices, when implemented in an integrated-circuit (IC) consume a relatively large silicon area and, therefore, are expensive to employ. Therefore, ESD protection circuits that satisfy harsh environment performance criteria (e.g., the automotive criteria discussed above) that may be implemented in a cost effective way (e.g., with relatively little silicon area) are desirable.

Electrostatic discharge protection circuit

Interuniversitair Microelektronica Centrum (IMEC)


There are described methods and systems for operating an aircraft having two or more engines. One method comprises operating the two or more engines of the aircraft in an asymmetric operating regime, wherein a first of the engines is in an active mode to provide motive power to the aircraft and a second of the engines is in a standby mode to provide substantially no motive power to the aircraft; governing the first engine in the active mode using a first governing logic; and governing the second engine in the standby mode using a second governing logic, the second governing logic based on a target compressor speed and variable geometry mechanism (VGM) settings that are adjusted using trim values dependent on at least one parameter of the second engine in the standby mode.

When operating aircraft with multiple engines, there may be certain portions of a mission that do not require both engines to be operating at full power. In cruising conditions, operating a single engine at a relatively high power, instead of multiple engines at lower power, may allow for better fuel efficiency. For example, one or more engine(s) are operated at high power, and one or more remaining engine(s) are operated in what is sometimes referred to as a "standby" mode. However, engine governing can be challenging at certain power/ratings.
Therefore, improvements are needed.

Method and system for governing an engine at low power


An installation for lubricating, cleaning and/or disinfecting conveyor belts for containers, more particularly for foods, such as bottles, glasses, cans, bags and the like, comprising a central metering station connectable to a water pipe used to dilute a concentrated lubricant, cleaner or disinfectant, and several distributing pipes connected to the metering station lead to the points of use. At each point of use there is a mixing valve (13-19) connectable to distribution line (52) and the water pipe (23) and individually adjustable for each point of use and a pressure reducer (50, 51) fitted upstream of each mixing valve. Varying concentration can be provided for each point of use (31-37) with little technical complexity. In another embodiment, the invention is the process carried out by the installation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an installation for lubricating, cleaning and/or disinfecting conveyor belts for containers, more particularly for foods, such as bottles, glasses, cans, bags and the like. The installation comprises at least one central metering station--designed for connection to a water pipe--for diluting a concentrated lubricant, cleaner or disinfectant and several distributing pipes connected to the metering stations and leading to the points of use.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the food industry, the food containers, for example beverage bottles, are transported on conveyor belts, more particularly slat belts, hinged chains and the like. Thus, beverage bottles have to be transported from the unpacking station to the washing machine, to the filler, to the labeling machine and to the packing station. In the beverage industry, for example in breweries, the washing, filling and labeling of bottles is mainly carried out automatically. Accordingly, the high-speed conveyor belts, which are made of stainless steel or plastic, have to be lubricated with a chain lubricant which is also known as a "belt lubricant". In addition, the conveyor belts have to be cleaned and/or disinfected at more or less regular intervals. The necessary concentration of the chain lubricant depends on a number of parameters, including for example the belt speed, the surface quality and the loading of the belts. For this reason, different concentrations have to be used depending on where the lubricant is applied.
The present state of the art in belt lubrication is described in detail in an article in the journal "Brauwelt", Vol 131 (1991), No. 44, pages 2026-2032. Reference is made to that article to complete the disclosure of the present invention.
The cleaners, disinfectants and belt lubricants are supplied as concentrates by the manufacturers and, in the food-processing plant, are applied to the conveyor belt, for example by spraying, after dilution with water to the particular in-use concentration required. The solution then runs off the belt into a wastewater channel via a collector.
The solution to be used with the particular concentration required may be prepared from the concentrate as supplied by the manufacturer in various ways. Thus, the concentrates may be taken to the points of use, diluted with water to the particular in-use concentration and directly used. Various metering systems, for example injectors, metering pumps or other volume- or time-controlled and quality-controlled systems, may be used for dilution. However, the concentrates have to be transported to the particular points of use within the plant and separate metering systems have to be provided for each point of use.
Although the concentrate could in principle be transported from the chemicals storeroom to the points of use through a pipe, this would not be appropriate because the corresponding concentrate--as a water-endangering and caustic liquid--should not be transported through production rooms and work rooms. In addition, the blending of two liquid streams in a ratio of 1:200 to 1:1000 through a blending valve is technically very complicated if it is to be carried out with the necessary accuracy.
In another variant, the concentrates are diluted to the required in-use concentration in a central metering station. The solution thus prepared is then transported to the points of use through distributing pipes. The present invention is concerned with the further development of such central conveyor belt lubrication systems. Various concentrations of the solutions intended for the individual points of use are possible, but do require several central metering stations which transport the solutions to the conveyor belts through separate distributing pipes. This requirement means additional expenditure on metering technology and pipes.
With a conventional metering system based on diaphragm metering, cleaning, disinfecting and belt lubricating solutions intended for direct throughputs of 5 m.sup.3 /hour or higher are extremely difficult to prepare with a uniform distribution of concentration for variable flow rates.
This is attributable above all to the limited metering frequency of the diaphragm metering pumps. When the maximum metering frequency is reached, a higher throughput of the in-use solution with the necessary concentration can only be achieved by increasing the amount added during each individual stroke of the diaphragm pump. As a result, the proportional amount added cannot be uniformly mixed in the pipe.

Installation and a process for lubricating, cleaning and/or disinfecting conveyor belts


A portable computer includes a base unit equipped with a display unit and a keyboard. The base unit has an optional component holding recess covered with an conductive layer for electro-magnetic shielding. An optional component unit is mounted in the holding recess and electrically connected to the base unit. The optional component unit is divided into a printed circuit board having a conductive circuit pattern and a board support for supporting the printed circuit board. The board support is made of an electrically insulating material, such as a synthetic resin material. The opening of the holding recess is closed by a conductive cover. In that closed state, the cover is placed in contact with the conductive layer and, together with the conductive layer, surrounds the optional component unit to achieve an electromagnetic shield.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable electronic apparatus, such as a computer or a word processor and, in particular, a structure for incorporating an optional component unit, such as a MODEM for use in a telephone line, into a base unit of the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, various book- and laptop-type portable computers have been proposed which incorporate a keyboard and a flat panel-type display unit into a flat box-like base unit.
These apparatuses enable an optional component unit, such as a MODEM connected to a telephone line, to be added, if required. In the conventional portable computer, a storage space for incorporating an optional component unit as an expanded unit therein is initially secured in the base unit. The storage space has an opening provided in the peripheral surface of the base unit and walls defining the opening and inside of the base unit. The optional component unit in the storage space has a case for closing the opening. The case constitutes a portion of the peripheral surface of the base unit in a continuous relation. A printed circuit board is supported in the case and has a circuit pattern printed as a printed pattern and various circuit parts electrically connected to the circuit pattern. When the opening of the storage space is closed by the case, the printed circuit board and circuit parts are held in a space defined by the case and defined walls of the storage space.
Some of the optional components produce high frequency noise during operation, sometimes causing radio interference and communication disturbance. In order to achieve an electromagnetic shield to reduce radio interference and communication disturbance in the conventional portable computer, the case and defined walls which surround the optional component unit are covered with a conductive layer, such as a plating layer.
Recently a printed circuit board constituting the optional component unit has been fabricated by other manufactures, such as the third party. However, the fabricated printed circuit board is not stable in its quality and sometimes the circuit pattern deviates out of standards. If the printed circuit board having an out-of-standard circuit pattern is supported in the case, the circuit pattern and conductive layer may be short-circuited at an area of contact of the printed circuit board with the case due to the conductive covering of the case. That is, since the conductive layer covers projections and hooks on the case so as to support the printed circuit board thereon, it is substantially impossible to completely cover the conductive sheet, and so on, with a nonconductive layer. Since the conductive layer may naturally be exposed at an area supporting the printed circuit board, the optional component unit may fail to operate, or may be damaged, due to short-circuiting between the conductive layer and the circuit pattern.

Portable electronic apparatus having optional components in a shielded recess for function expansion