A method and apparatus for propagating a laser beam. The laser beam pulse is passed through a first lens which focuses the laser beam pulse at a focal point of the first lens. An electronegative gas at substantially atmospheric pressure is configured to surround the focal point in order to suppress an ionization effect by the laser beam pulse at the focal point.

The present disclosure relates generally to laser beam propagation and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for preventing air ionization at regions of high laser beam intensity.
Laser beam pulses may be used in various industrial and military applications. For example, laser beam pulses can be reflected off of a selected target in order to determine a distance to the target. Devices for generating and recording such laser beam pulses generally include a lens system that changes the width of the beam. The laser beam pulse generally passes through a focal point of the lens system. As the laser beam pulse passes through the focal point, the energy density of the laser beam pulse can become high enough to ionize air at the focal point, which can impair the laser beam for its intended use. Therefore, there is a need for preventing air ionization resulting from high energy densities in laser beam pulse propagation devices.

Use of sulfur hexafluoride gas to prevent laser induced air breakdown


An emergency lighting unit includes a lamp, a backup battery, and controller and a network interface. The controller connects the backup battery to the lamp upon detection of an emergency condition and loss of main power. The network interface interfaces with and receives commands via a fire alarm network. Each emergency lighting unit has a unique identifier with respect to the fire alarm network.

Emergency lighting systems are dependent on battery backup to provide egress lighting when AC power has failed. Presently, emergency lighting units are provided with manual test capability. Typically, these units provide a test switch, or other manual means for initiating a test, which is held in the "ON" position for 90 seconds each month. The battery is tested by applying a load for the duration in which the switch is pressed.
This method of battery test is inadequate to properly measure actual battery capacity. For example, a given unit loads the battery with 1 Ampere during the 90 second load test. This is the same as the emergency lighting load. This load represents only a 0.025 Ampere-hour (Ah) discharge, and is not really an adequate representation of battery condition, since the actual system will be required to provide 90 minutes standby. Additionally, an annual test is intended to be done in order to measure actual battery capacity by fully discharging the batteries. This test requires significant labor, since a building can have many emergency lighting components.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,538,568, to Conley III, entitled "EMERGENCY LIGHTING REMOTE MONITORING AND CONTROL SYSTEM" teaches an emergency lighting unit identified by unique ID numbers. The unit communcates via wireless means with a central controller. Various commands from the central controller may include turning the lamp on and off, requesting a status, or initiating a battery voltage and lamp current tests.

Emergency lighting system with improved monitoring


A method and apparatus for driving a spindle motor using adaptive feedforward control. The method includes: detecting a temperature of a drive; calculating a feedforward value corresponding to the detected temperature; and generating a first control signal that is a drive current according to a calculated feedforward value and applying the generated first control signal to the spindle motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk drive, and more particularly, to a method for driving a spindle motor using adaptive feedforward control.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, digital data storage devices use disk drives having rotary rigid disks. The technologies related to a disk drive has been developed to increase storage capacity and accuracy of a disk drive while reducing the weight and power consumption of the disk drive. According to this development of technologies, precision control of a rotary disk has become more important.
According to a conventional technology, the speed of a spindle motor of a disk drive is maintained constant through standard control type feedback correction, that is, by supplying steady-state current to the spindle motor using a servo loop. The conventional spindle motor driving method using the feedback control is described below in detail.
A proportional integral digital controller that is typically of a firmware type transmits a control signal to a digital/analog converter. The digital/analog converter converts the control signal to an analog signal and transmits the converted analog signal to a motor pre-driver. The motor pre-driver controls the rotation speed of the spindle motor using the received control signal. Then, the actual speed of the spindle motor is measured by a digital counter and reflected in a speed signal. Next, the speed signal is deducted from a reference signal to generate a speed error signal. The speed error signal is fed back to the proportional integral digital controller so that the rotation speed of the spindle motor can be maintained at a target speed.
FIG. 1 is a graph showing the trace of the speed of a spindle motor at room temperature and extremely low temperature according to a conventional spindle motor driving method. In the graph of FIG. 1, the horizontal axis and the vertical axis denote the lapse of time and the rotation speed of the spindle motor, respectively.
As the temperature of the disk drive goes down below zero, the frictional force of a fluid bearing is gradually increased. In FIG. 1, it can be seen that, when the spindle motor is driven at a temperature lower than the room temperature, the rise of the rotation speed is delayed due to the increase of the frictional force of the spindle motor at around the target rotation speed. Also, when the temperature is extremely lower than the room temperature, a spin error SUM is sharply increased and saturated. A spin DAC indicated in the lower portion of the graph denotes the magnitude of a control signal that is proportional to the size of current applied to the spindle motor. It is noted that the spin DAC value decreases at the time point when the rotation speed of the spindle motor reaches a target RPM. This is because, when the rotation speed of the spindle motor reaches the target RPM, since the spindle motor is no longer accelerated and maintains a constant speed, large current is not needed.
FIG. 2 is a graph showing the case of the extremely low temperature of FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, it can be seen that the time for the spindle motor to reach the target rotation speed is remarkably increased in the low temperature environment than in the room temperature environment. This is because more current is required since the frictional force of the fluid bearing increases in the low temperature environment, and the time to reach the target rotation speed increases. Also, the spin speed error SUM of the controller is radically increased so that a phenomenon that the spin speed error SUM of the motor is saturated. Accordingly, the efficiency in driving of the motor is lowered.
Therefore, the conventional spindle motor driving method cannot prevent the increase of the time for the spindle motor to reach the target rotation speed when the frictional force of the fluid bearing changes according to the change of temperature in the driving environment when the spindle motor is driven. Accordingly, initial disk access time increases.

Method and apparatus for driving spindle motor using adaptive feedforward control


An optical interface comprising a first portion having at least one optical conduit interface with a first axis for optically coupling with at least one optical conduit, a second portion having at least one transmitter interface with a second axis for optically coupling with a transmitting optical device, and at least one receiver interface with a third axis for optical coupling with a receiving optical device, the first, second and third axes being essentially parallel; and a wavelength filter element (WFE) disposed between the first and second portions, the WFE defining a first optical path between the transmitter interface and the optical conduit interface, and a second optical path between the optical conduit interface and the receiver interface.

Fiber optic components are used in a wide variety of applications. The use of optical fibers as a medium for transmission of digital data (including voice, internet and IP video data) is becoming increasingly more common due to the high reliability and large bandwidth available with optical transmission systems. Fundamental to these systems are optical subassemblies for transmitting, receiving, and/or manipulating optical signals.
Optical subassemblies typically comprise an optical interface. As used herein, the optical interface functions as an optical link between one or more optical conduits (such as optical fibers) and one or more optical components (such as opto-electric devices (OEDs)). There is a general need to simplify both the design and manufacture of optical interfaces. Specifically, there is a need for a simple and robust configuration that reduces the number of optical alignments required in bidirectional communications. The present invention fulfills this need among others

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Optical interface for bidirectional communications


Systems and methods for providing time reference synchronization for an aircraft are provided. In one embodiment, a method can include receiving, by one or more computing devices associated with a data acquisition system of an aircraft, a signal comprising time synchronization information, wherein the signal comprises a first signal portion and a second signal portion. The method can include filtering, by the one or more computing devices, the signal comprising the time synchronization information to distinguish the first signal portion and the second signal portion from noise associated with the signal. The method can include determining, by the one or more computing devices, the time synchronization information based at least in part on the first signal portion and the second signal portion. The method can include synchronizing, by the one or more computing devices, a set of data acquired by the data acquisition system with the time synchronization information.

In an aircraft, measurement systems typically include multiple devices distributed throughout the aircraft to observe various aircraft operations. These measurement systems often need to be accurately synchronized in time such that events measured by one device can be communicated to another device. In this way, measurement systems can correlate events measured by spatially separated devices.
Current synchronization solutions can include network time protocol (NTP) and precision time protocol (PTP). However, such protocols can include accuracy limitations and induce high processor loads. While a global position system (GPS) receiver can be used at each device of the measurement system, outfitting such hardware can be costly, as well as, less reliable due to GPS signal unavailability.


A jet generating device includes a housing having an opening and containing gas therein, a vibrating member which is supported by the housing so that the vibrating member is capable of vibrating and which vibrates the gas to discharge the gas as pulsating gas through the opening, a driving mechanism for driving the vibrating member in accordance with an electrical signal, and a drive controller which generates the electrical signal at a fundamental frequency at which an input impedance of the driving mechanism is substantially a maximum and which outputs the generated electrical signal to the driving mechanism.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vibrator for vibrating gas for generating a jet of the gas, a jet generating device including the vibrator, and an electronic apparatus including the jet generating device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An increase in the scale and speed of large scale integrated circuits (LSI circuits) in recent years have caused electrical power consumption of the LSI circuits to increase year after year. Since most of the electrical power consumed by the LSI circuits is converted into heat energy, the increase in electrical power consumption has led to an increase in the heat value of the LSI circuits. With regard to a system using such an LSI circuit having high electrical power consumption, effort is being made to increase performance of a heat-dissipating system so that the temperature of the LSI circuit does not exceed its maximum operating temperature.
The most general index indicating the performance of a heat-dissipating system is heat resistance. When the temperature of a heat source whose heat value is P[W] is T (° C. or K) as a result of being cooled by a certain heat-dissipating system, a heat resistance Rth[K/W] of the heat-dissipating system is expressed by the following formula:Rth=(T−Ta)/P Here, Ta is ambient temperature (outside air temperature) when is an air-cooling system is used. In order not to increase the temperature of the heat source even if the heat value is high, the heat resistance of the heat-dissipating system is made small. In other words, a heat-dissipating system providing good performance is one having a small heat resistance. For example, in order for a maximum heat value to maintain the temperature of a 20[W] LSI circuit equal to or less than 70° C., under an environment in which the outside air temperature has a maximum value of 40° C., a heat-dissipating system having a heat resistance of less than 1.5 [K/W] is used. When the heat value of the LSI circuit is increased to 100 [W], a typical heat resistance is less than 0.3 [K/W].
A heat-dissipating system which makes use of forceful air cooling basically includes a heat exchanger exchanging heat between a heat source and outside air and an air blower which sends the outside air to the heat exchanger. The heat resistance of this heat-dissipating system may be reduced by increasing efficiency of the heat exchanger or by increasing an air discharge amount of the air blower. For example, by putting thought in the material and structure of a radiating fin or by increasing the surface area of the radiating fin, the efficiency of the heat exchange can be increased. In a system using an axial fan which rotates as the air blower, the air discharge amount can be increased by, for example, increasing the rotational speed or diameter of the fan.
However, in forceful convection of air with such a fan, a temperature boundary layer at a surface of the fin is produced at a downstream side of the fin, thereby giving rise to the problem that heat from the radiating fin is not efficiently removed. This problem may be solved by, for example, reducing the thickness of the temperature boundary layer as a result of increasing fan air velocity. However, increasing the rotational speed of the fan for the purpose of increasing the fan air velocity causes noise to be generated, such as noise from a fan bearing or noise of the wind produced by the fan.
Methods using a vibrating plate that reciprocates periodically (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2000-223871 (FIG. 2), 2000-114760 (FIG. 1), 2-213200 (FIG. 1), and 3-116961 (FIGS. 3 and 11)) are available as methods which efficiently allow heat from a radiating fin to escape to outside air by destroying the temperature boundary layer without using a fan as an air blower. Of devices in these four documents, in particular, the devices in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2-213200 and 3-116961 include a vibrating plate which roughly divides space in a chamber in two, a resilient member disposed in the chamber and supporting the vibrating plate, and a unit which vibrates the vibrating plate. In these devices, for example, when the vibrating plate is displaced upwards, the volume of an upper space of the chamber is reduced. Therefore, the pressure in the upper space is increased. Since the upper space is connected to the outside air through a suction-exhaust opening, a portion of the air in the upper space is discharged to the outside air by the pressure increase in the upper space. At this time, the volume of a lower space that is opposite to the upper space (the vibrating plate is disposed between the lower space and the upper space) is increased, causing the pressure in the lower space to decrease. Since the lower space is connected to the outside air through a suction-exhaust opening, the pressure reduction in the lower space causes a portion of the outside air existing near the suction-exhaust opening to be sucked into the lower space. In contrast, when the vibrating plate is displaced downwards, the volume of the upper space of the chamber is increased. Therefore, the pressure in the upper space is decreased. Since the upper space is connected to the outside air through the suction-exhaust opening, the pressure reduction in the upper space causes a portion of the outside air existing near the suction-exhaust opening to be sucked into the upper space. At this time, the volume of the lower space that is opposite to the upper space (the vibrating plate is disposed between the lower space and the upper space as mentioned above) is decreased, causing the pressure in the lower space to increase. The pressure increase in the lower space causes a portion of the air in the lower space to be discharged to the outside air. The vibrating plate is driven by, for example, an electromagnetic driving method. Accordingly, by reciprocating the vibrating plate, the discharging of the air in the chamber to the outside air and the sucking of the outside air into the chamber are periodically repeated. Pulsating air induced by a periodic reciprocating movement of the vibrating plate is blown against a heating element such as the radiating fin, so that the temperature boundary layer at the surface of the radiating fin is efficiently broken, as a result of which the radiating fin is cooled with high efficiency.

Jet generating device and electronic apparatus


The subject application is directed to a system and method for the content retrieval and routing via a document processing device. The document processing device first receives output routing data from an associated user corresponding to a desired destination for retrieved content. The device then receives a content query from the user corresponding to desired content data available from an external source. The query is then routed to the external source and content data in response to the query is retrieved by the document processing device. The content data is then routed from the document processing device to the designated output destination. The document processing device then periodically monitors for changes to the content data at the external source and when any changes are detected, updated content data is retrieved and forwarded to the output destination.

The subject application is directed to a system and method for accessing content from selected sources via a document processing device. More particularly, the subject application is directed to a system and method for providing selected content from a source or storage repository, such as the Internet or a network storage repository, to a user via a document processing device.
Users of document processing devices, such as multifunctional peripheral devices, are requesting that more services, in addition to the traditional document processing services typically performed by such devices, be provided via such devices. For example, a user may desire to retrieve information from the Internet or from a selected storage repository. The user may also desire to set up workflow routines or schedules for distribution of documents. In current systems, the user would have to access a computer or other similar device with the ability to provide such information or services. Once the user has received the requested information or performed the selected service, the user may desire a hard copy of the information retrieved or a log of the service performed. The user will then have to transmit the received information or log from the computing device to a document processing device for output. If the user is using a handheld device or is not in an office environment, transmitting the information to a document processing device may be difficult. For a handheld device, the device must either have the capability to connect to a document processing device, either via a wired or wireless communication channel, or the user will have to store the information on a portable storage medium, wherein the information is transmitted via such medium to the document processing device. If the user is not in an office environment, the user will need to access the information via a computing device in communication with a document processing devices. Document processing devices located in a public facility are generally not in data communication with a computing device which may be accessed via a mobile user. Typically, the mobile user will have to pay a fee to use a computing device to access the information or perform the service, and save the information or service log to a portable storage medium. The user will then have to pay a fee to use the document processing device in order to output a hard copy of the information or service log. As such, there is a need for a system and method for providing content or services from external sources via a document processing device itself.
The subject application overcomes the above noted problems and provides a system and method for providing content and services from external sources directly from a document processing device.

System and method for accessing content from selected sources via a document processing device


A hand truck or trolley comprises a frame having an upper side and an underside, a rear axle connected to the frame proximately to a rear edge thereof, a pair of rear wheels attached to the rear axle for rotation about an axis defined by the axle, and a handle pivotably coupled to the axle and thus to the frame for rotation about the axis. A cross-brace is pivotably connected to the handle for rotation about an axis spaced from the axle, while coupling elements are provided on the cross-brace and the frame for releasably connecting the cross-brace to the frame at a point spaced from the axle and from the coupling between the handle and the cross-brace. The cross-brace establishes a triangulated truss connecting the handle to the frame in a use position of the handle.

This invention relates to a foldable hand truck trolley. Such a device is useful for transporting items such as boxes and luggage. This invention also relates to an associated method of using the hand trolley.
Despite a continuing development of ever different hand trucks and trolleys, there remains a need for a hand trolley which is easily collapsed into a folded configuration and easily opening from the folded configuration to an extended, use configuration. Most hand trolleys, particularly those which are heavy duty, require at least two hands for converting the trolleys between folded and unfolded configurations. Frequently, a screw mechanism or other lock must be manipulated before a truck or trolley is ready for use. Such hand trolleys are particularly inconvenient for frequent travelers, such as salesmen and other people who carry several pieces of luggage from one destination to another.
A need exists for a hand truck or trolley which is not only convenient to fold and unfold but also heavy duty and capable of collapsing to a folded configuration which meets airline carry-on specifications. Such a carrier does not require special storage and is always ready for collecting luggage at a baggage check out.

Foldable hand trolley and associated method of use


External guide sequence (EGS) molecules for eukaryotic RNAse P are engineered to target efficient and specific cleavage of target RNA. Engineered RNA molecules are designed and synthesized which contain specific nucleotide sequences which enable an external guide sequence for RNAse P to preferentially bind to and promote RNAse P-mediated cleavage of target RNA molecules. Short External Guide Sequence (SEGS) molecules have been constructed that, when hybridized to a target molecule, provide a minimal structure recognized as a substrate by RNAse P. The SEGS/target structure is comprised of a structures similar to the A stem and the T stem of a tRNA, the natural substrate of RNAse P. The SEGS makes up only half of these stem structures. The other half of the stem structures is provided by the target molecule. By allowing the target molecule to form more of the RNAse P substrate structure, the disclosed SEGS molecules can be significantly smaller than previous EGS molecules. This makes SEGS molecules especially useful as therapeutic agents since they are easier to manufacture and administer in quantity.

This application is directed to methods and external guide sequence compositions designed to target cleavage of RNA by RNAse P.
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules can serve not only as carriers of genetic information, for example, genomic retroviral RNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules and as structures essential for protein synthesis, for example, transfer RNA (tRNA) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) molecules, but also as enzymes which specifically cleave nucleic acid molecules. Such catalytic RNA molecules are called ribozymes.
The discovery of catalytic RNA, by Drs. Altman and Cech, who were awarded the Nobel prize in 1989, has generated much interest in commercial applications, particularly in therapeutics (Altman, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:10898-10900 (1993); Symons, Annu. Rev. Biochem. 61:641-671 (1992); Rossi et al., Antisense Res. Dev., 1:285-288 (1991); Cech, Annu. Rev. Biochem. 59:543-568, (1990)). Several classes of catalytic RNAs (ribozymes) have been described, including intron-derived ribozymes (WO 88/04300; see also, Cech, T., Annu. Rev. Biochem., 59:543-568, (1990)), hammerhead ribozymes (WO 89/05852 and EP 321021 by GeneShears), axehead ribozymes (WO 91/04319 and WO 91/04324 by Innovir).
RNAse P
Another class of ribozymes include the RNA portion of an enzyme, RNAse P, which is involved in the processing of transfer RNA (tRNA), a common cellular component of the protein synthesis machinery. Bacterial RNAse P includes two components, a protein (C5) and an RNA (M1). Sidney Altman and his coworkers demonstrated that the M1 RNA is capable of functioning just like the complete enzyme, showing that in Escherichia coli the RNA is essentially the catalytic component, (Guerrier-Takada et al., Cell 35:849-857 (1983)). In subsequent work, Dr. Altman and colleagues developed a method for converting virtually any RNA sequence into a substrate for bacterial RNAse P by using an external guide sequence (EGS), having at its 5' terminus at least seven nucleotides complementary to the nucleotides 3' to the cleavage site in the RNA to be cleaved and at its 5' terminus the nucleotides NCCA (N is any nucleotide)(WO 92/03566 by Yale, and Forster and Altman, Science 238:407-409 (1990)).
Using similar principles, EGS/RNAse P-directed cleavage of RNA has been developed for use in eukaryotic systems, where the external guide sequence forms structures similar to the stem and loop structures of tRNA and where the substrate RNA hybridizes to ends of the EGS to form structures similar to the acceptor and D stems of tRNA (Yuan et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:8006-8010 (1992); WO 93/22434 by Yale). It has subsequently been shown that EGS molecules for use with eukaryotic RNAse P need form only a structure similar to the T stem and loop of tRNA, where, again, the substrate RNA hybridizes to ends of the EGS to form structures similar to the acceptor and D stems of tRNA (WO 95/24489 to Yale). These EGS molecules are useful for promoting RNAse P-mediated cleavage of target RNA molecules. They are especially useful for in vivo use since only the relatively small EGS molecule need be administered. The catalytic RNAse P is already present and active in the cells of the animal or patient. Yuan and Altman, EMBO J 14:159-168 (1995), and Carrara et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 92:2627-2631 (1995), later determined a minimal structure necessary for cleavage of a substrate by RNase P.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a therapeutic targeted for treatment of viral diseases and diseases involving abnormal transcription products, and method of use thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide short external guide sequences for RNase P, vectors encoding such short external guide sequences, and methods of use thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide chemically modified short external guide sequences for RNAse P with enhanced resistance to nuclease degradation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide methods of cleaving target RNA molecules promoted by short external guide sequences for RNAse P.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide short external guide sequences for RNAse P specifically targeted against viruses such as hepatitis, vectors encoding such short external guide sequences, and methods of use thereof.


Disclosed is a dispersion managed optical waveguide fiber. The power loss due to four wave mixing is kept low by making the waveguide from sub-lengths of fiber which have non-zero dispersion. The sign of the total dispersion of the sub-lengths is made to alternate along the length of the waveguide, thereby allowing the total dispersion of the waveguide to be managed to a pre-selected target value. It has been discovered that the best performance is obtained when the zero dispersion wavelengths of the sub-lengths are widely and asymmetrically separated. Advantages are realized when the core refractive index profile is changed for sub-lengths having total dispersion of different sign.

The invention relates to a dispersion managed optical waveguide fiber in which the total dispersion of the fiber is managed by varying the zero dispersion wavelength, .lambda..sub.o, along the length of the waveguide. In particular, optimum performance of the dispersion managed waveguide is found for the case where the high and low ranges of .lambda..sub.o are widely spaced and are asymmetrical relative to the operating wavelength.
The introduction into the telecommunications network of high powered lasers, optical amplifiers, multiple channel communications, and higher bit rates has resulted in the exploration of waveguide fiber designs which can minimize signal degradation due to non-linear waveguide effects.
Of particular interest is a waveguide design which can substantially eliminate four wave mixing. A dilemma arises in the design of a waveguide fiber to minimize four wave mixing while maintaining characteristics required for systems which have long spacing between regenerators. That is, in order to substantially eliminate four wave mixing, the waveguide fiber should not be operated near its zero of total dispersion, because four wave mixing occurs when waveguide dispersion is low, i.e., less than about 0.5 ps/nm-km. On the other hand, signals, having a wavelength away from the zero of total dispersion of the waveguide, are degraded because of the non-zero total dispersion. One strategy proposed to overcome this dilemma, is to construct a system using cabled waveguide fiber lengths some of which have a positive total dispersion and some of which have a negative total dispersion. If the length weighted average of dispersion for all the cable segments is close to zero, the regenerator spacing can be large. However, the signal essentially never passes through a waveguide length where the dispersion is close to zero, so that four wave mixing is substantially reduced.
The problem with this strategy is that each link between regenerators must be tailored to give the required length weighted average of dispersion. Maintaining cable dispersion identity from cabling plant through to installation is an undesirable added task and source of error. Further, the need to provide not only the proper dispersion, but also the proper length of cable having that dispersion, increases the difficulty of manufacture and leads to increased system cost. Another problem arises when one considers the random lengths and dispersions which might be needed for replacement cables.
The present invention overcomes these problems by making each individual fiber a self contained dispersion managed system. A specified, i.e., pre-selected, length weighted average of total dispersion, i.e., total dispersion product, is designed into each waveguide fiber. Thus, the cabled waveguide fibers all have essentially identical dispersion product characteristics and there is no need to assign a particular set of cables to a particular part of the system.
Power penalty due to four wave mixing is essentially eliminated, or reduced to a pre-selected level, while total link dispersion is held to a pre-selected value, which may be a value substantially equal to zero.
The waveguide having such a length weighted dispersion characteristic and a method for making the waveguide are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/423,656.
However, even for the dispersion managed waveguide fiber of the cited application, a power penalty for four wave mixing is sufficiently large to limit communication systems which operate at state of the art rates and distances or which feature closely spaced wavelength division multiplexed channels.


One or more identifiers that facilitate efficient native image validation can be generated and stored in an auxiliary file upon pre-compiling of an assembly. The native image can be validated against an assembly from which the native image is generated, among other files that influence the generated contents of the native image, based upon the auxiliary file and included identifiers. Additionally, native image validation can be performed in an increasing cost sequence associated with each identifier included within the auxiliary file.

Computer systems are driven by machine-readable instructions encoded in binary format, wherein the encoding depends on the hardware platform executing the instructions, and ultimately, according to an instruction set of a platform processor. Programs are created with computer instructions in the form of source code, wherein compilers, or other tools, convert the source code into machine-readable instructions. These tools have steadily increased in performance and sophistication as technology has advanced. As one example, a standard compiler generally operates over source code in a particular computer programming language and generates an executable image of instructions for a particular hardware platform. As program sizes and the amount of source code increases, however, the time to compile large code sources can become excessive. Thus, costs associated with developing large programs can increase as the size of the program increases for no other reason than time is expended waiting for the compiler to complete or build executable code images.
Separate compilers and subsequent compilation processes may be required for each hardware platform that a particular source program is to be executed on. For instance, a program written in C++ can employ different compilers to target specific computer architectures. In order to address compile time and re-compilation issues, other types of compilers and execution models have been developed. As an example, intermediate language compilers have been developed that convert source code written in many different languages (e.g., C++, BASIC, Pascal, and the like) to an intermediate language that operates in a virtual environment sometimes referred to as a virtual machine. Thus, the virtual machine converts the intermediate language into the particular instructions required of the platform.

Light-weight validation of native images


A prefabricated panel for forming walls and roofs of buildings includes a concrete planar portion having a first face and a second face, at least one concrete rib projecting from the first face, at least one block of insulating material fitted adjacent to the first face and the at least one rib, a metal stud channel secured over at least one of the at least one rib, anchors for securing the panel to a foundation. A polystyrene strip is preferably contained within each metal stud channel. The anchors preferably include a first angle-iron plate having first and second planar portions, the first planar portion being contained within one of the concrete ribs and the second planar portion being exposed and parallel with the exterior of the rib, a second angle-iron plate having first and second planar portions, the first planar portion being fastened to the second planar portion of first angle iron plate and the second planar portion being secured to the foundation. A structure formed of such panels includes a foundation having a ledge around its edges and several of the panels positioned vertically on the ledge and secured to the foundation to form walls. Additional panels may be placed across the tops of the vertically positioned panels to form a roof. These additional panels have at least one slot for receiving the tops of the vertically positioned panels.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of panels for forming walls of buildings, and more specifically to a prefabricated panel having a concrete planar portion with at least one concrete rib extending from a face thereof and at least one block of polystyrene fitted adjacent thereto, and a metal stud channel containing a polystyrene strip secured over each at least one rib for receiving dry wall screws. The present invention also relates to a structure formed of such panels.
2. Background Information
Concrete block and other prior art wall designs formed upright and incrementally generally have irregular faces and weak cohesion. The placing of concrete blocks is only as accurate as the skill of the blocklayer permits. The resulting exposed, exterior face of the wall is always uneven to some extent, requiring a substantial stucco covering. More important is that the mortar used to join the concrete blocks is below the strength of properly hardened concrete and forms a relatively weak bond with the blocks. Hurricanes and other natural disasters can sometimes shatter such walls. Finally, the insulating properties of such walls are at most adequate.
Attempts have been made to solve these problems with a preformed wall panel. The panel of Walston, U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,126, issued on Apr. 23, 1985, for example, is formed of two layers of polystyrene fitted into a ribbed concrete shell in a multiple step, multiple pour process. Anchor hooks must be embedded in the floor slab when it is poured. Problems with Walston include time-consuming and expensive forming methods and awkwardness and complexity in anchoring procedures.
3. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been prefabricated wall panels for rapid construction of buildings. None teach panels combining high strength, maximum insulating properties, single pour formation, and solid, easy to use anchoring means.
Additional examples of prior panels include Lewis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,353, issued on Jan. 22, 1985. Lewis teaches a rigid, rectangular insulating member which fits within the U of opposing vertical hat channels and a bottom channel. The bottom channel is welded to a bottom plate which is secured by anchor bolts to a concrete foundation. Panel connector strips are welded to the hat channels and reinforcing rods extend through holes in the connector strips. Gunite is then sprayed over this structure to form the finished panel. Numerous and complicated metal parts make Lewis expensive. Also, two separate layers of concrete are required, adding pouring and curing time and expense.
Kinard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,745, issued on Aug. 6, 1985, discloses a wall formed of foam blocks and channels. The blocks, which have periodic vertical bores, are placed edge to edge. Then a channel with periodic holes is placed along the common top edge of the blocks so that the holes align with the vertical bores. Concrete is poured through the holes into the vertical bores, filling the bores and the channel, and hardens to form a solid skeletal structure. A wall can be formed of several block and channel levels. Kinard does not provide a strong external surface suitable for an outside wall.
Dunker, U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,089, issued on Nov. 25, 1986, is an anchor in the form of a plate having holes through which reinforcing rods extend, for holding reinforced sandwich panels together. An end of the anchor also wraps around a perpendicular mesh rod. Concrete is poured to form a carrier panel such that ends of several such anchors protrude therefrom. Then a layer of insulating material is fitted against the panel so that the protruding ends of the anchors punch through the insulating layer. Then rods for the mesh are fit through holes in the anchor protruding ends and another concrete layer is poured around the mesh and the anchor ends. This anchor holds two concrete layers around an insulating layer. Only the outside wall of most buildings needs to be this strong, so Dunker is wasteful of materials and needlessly expensive.
Marks, U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,381, issued on Dec. 4, 1990, describes another anchor member for joining the outer slabs of a sandwich panel. A metal slat has a hole in each end for receiving a reinforcing rod of each slab, and the slat extends through a middle insulating layer. This anchor is not intended to anchor the panel to a foundation, but is instead part of the internal panel structure. Marks, like Dunker, is another wasteful sandwich arrangement.
Porter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,600, issued on Aug. 14, 1990, teaches an interface for mounting a brick wall covering on an existing concrete wall or slab. One side of an angled member is attached to slab to form a shelf, additionally secured by a bracket. Studs extend through and join a foam layer to the slab. Mesh is placed over the foam layer and brick is laid on the shelf in front of the foam. Porter does not teach an effective, economical approach to constructing a new, insulated wall.
Huettemann, U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,702, issued on Jun. 27, 1989, discloses a three-layer panel. The middle panel is an insulating slab such as foam polystyrene. A sheet of particle board is joined to one side and grooves are cut into the other side of the foam slab. Concrete is poured over the grooved side so that the concrete fills the grooves and creates structural ribs. Pouring continues until a layer of concrete is formed on top of the foam slab. Reinforcing rods may be placed in the grooves to strengthen the ribs. No efficient anchoring or lateral connection means are provided.
Zimmerman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,803, issued on Jun. 21, 1988, describes a multi-layer insulating panel having preformed concrete ribs. The ribs, referred to as studs, have metal connecting members protruding from one edge. The ribs are placed in parallel relationship in a jig with the connecting members protruding upward. Additional ribs are formed to create a border around the inside of the jig. A layer of insulating material is placed on top of the ribs and the protruding members pierce through the insulation material. Wire mesh is laid over the insulating material and concrete poured on top of the mesh. The concrete hardens around the connecting members but does not form a true unitary structure.
Other references include Brostrom, U.S. Pat. No. 1,773,168 issued on Aug. 19, 1930; Branson, U.S. Pat. No. 1,840,304 issued on Jan. 12, 1932; Henzel, U.S. Pat. No. 2,321,813 issued on Jun. 15, 1943; Carroll, U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,336 issued on May 23, 1978; Lee, U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,887 issued on Apr. 26, 1983; Walston, U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,126 issued on Apr. 23, 1985; Pardo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,243, issued on Mar. 28, 1989; and Linetskii, Russian Patent Number 514,941 issued on Jun. 3, 1976.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a prefabricated panel having a simple design which is inexpensive to construct.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a panel which has an exterior face of high strength and has superior insulating properties.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a panel which is simple to pour and permits rapid fabrication.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such a panel which has easy anchoring and interlock means for rapid, strong assembly.

Construction wall panel and panel structure


A gas turbine rotor for a gas turbine is provided. The gas turbine rotor includes a compressor rotor shaft, a turbine rotor shaft and a coupling device frictionally connecting the two rotor shafts, wherein the coupling device is designed in such a way that the friction connection also exists when the two rotor shafts are displaced relative to one another. In this case, the turbine rotor shaft is lengthened at the end facing the compressor rotor shaft in such a way that the turbine rotor shaft overlaps with the compressor rotor shaft in the axial direction and the coupling device connects this lengthened end of the turbine shaft to the compressor rotor shaft in the radial direction.

In addition to one or more combustion chambers, gas turbines comprise substantially a compressor and a downstream turbine, which are connected by way of a common rotor shaft in the axial direction. As with any machine for generating energy, the highest possible efficiency, i.e. the ratio of generated to used energy, is a significant factor.
The method known as hydraulic gap optimization, as described in EP 1 131 537 B1, is therefore used in gas turbines in order to optimize the overall efficiency of the gas turbine. In this case, the gas turbine rotor is displaced counter to the direction of flow of the hot gas in order to minimize, in the case of a conically configured hot gas passage, the radial gap between the rotor blade tips and the wall of the hot gas passage. In this case, the tie bolt, which connects the turbine rotor to the compressor rotor, is mounted in such a way that it can be displaced in the axial direction. As a result, the turbine gaps can be displaced for optimization to the benefit of the efficiency of the turbine. At the same time, however, the radial compressor gaps are also misaligned to the detriment of the efficiency of the compressor by the associated displacement of the compressor rotor. In order to avoid this contrary effect and thus to further optimize the overall efficiency, it has already been envisaged to separate the common rotor at the interface between the compressor and the turbine and to couple the two rotor parts in a force-fitting manner by way of an axial coupling. The coupling in this respect has to be designed in such a way, however, that the force fit is also present upon axial displacement of the turbine rotor shaft, in relation to the compressor rotor shaft. It is thus possible to displace the turbine rotor and thus optimize the efficiency thereof without it being necessary to displace the compressor rotor at the same time. An increase in the efficiency of the turbine by hydraulic gap optimization thus no longer simultaneously brings about an impairment of the efficiency of the compressor, which would counteract the actual aim.
Furthermore, it is known from GB 658 778 A to configure the compressor rotor portion so as to be axially displaceable in relation to a turbine rotor portion in a gas turbine rotor. To this end, the two rotor portions are connected to one another in the manner of a plug and socket coupling. This has the disadvantage that three radial bearings are required for supporting the two rotor portions.

Gas turbine rotor comprising an axially displaceable turbine rotor shaft


An optical semiconductor device includes a laminated layer structure, an intermediate film formed on an end surface of the laminated layer structure, and a passivation film formed on the intermediate film. The passivation film has a quantity of ion projection than that of the intermediate film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an optical semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same, and more particularly, to the technique of forming a passivation film on an end surface of a semiconductor laser diode.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, many types of high-power semiconductor laser diodes have been proposed. Powerful laser diodes have the problem of catastrophic optical damage (hereinafter simply referred to COD). Power up of the semiconductor laser diodes will not be realized unless a high COD level can be achieved. COD relates to the state of the end surface (facet) of the laser diode. If there is an impurity (for example, natural oxide film) or lattice defect exists on the end surface, light will be absorbed at such defective portions, this absorption resulting in many electrons and holes. Then, the electrons and holes are recombined, which generates heat. Heat thus generated will damage the end surface of the laser diode.
As means for improving the COD level, a proposal of forming a passivation film on the end surface has been known (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 7-176819 and 9-64453). As another practical proposal, it is known to grow a passivation film of alumina (Al2O3) or silicon oxide (SiO2) by electron beam deposition.
However, there is a limit on improvements of the COD level by alumina and silicon oxide. In order to further improve the COD level, an aluminum nitride (AlN) film may be essential. In order to grow AlN, aluminum and nitrogen are separately supplied in the chamber, then reacting and growing on a laminated layer structure. In growth, nitrogen gas and ions enter into the laminated layer structure containing aluminum via its end surface (facet). The components thus entering into the laminated layer structure roughens the end surface thereof that is originally flat. The rough end surface serves as a light absorption layer and degrades the COD level.

Optical semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same


A combination of a bellows structure (12), volume restrictor, and pressure restrictor for use on a hand-operated resuscitator is provided to enable delivery of ventilation within specific volume and pressure limitations specified by the operator. The bellows structure (12) consistently provides predictable and uniform generation of gas flow for ventilation without regard to one or two-handed technique, hand placement, or hand size. The volume restrictor, primarily comprising of an inflow obturator (20), outflow obturator (22), and placement cam (34), enables the physician to specify a specific tidal volume to be delivered, which constitutes a volume-controlled cycling capability of the invention. The pressure restrictor, primarily comprising of an outer housing (40), stopper housings (41), and a stopper (50), enables the physician to specify a specific maximum airway pressure to be exposed to the patient, which constitutes a pressure-controlled cycling capability of the invention. Combined use of the volume and pressure restricting mechanisms can provide for various additional abilities, including limiting airway pressure during volume-controlled ventilation or providing a means to detect decreasing pulmonary compliance.

The following invention pertains to the art of manually providing positive-pressure artificial ventilation to the non-breathing patient, and particularly to patients suffering acute respiratory and/or cardiopulmonary arrest.
The critical role of the lungs in maintaining life is well known—most individuals are aware of the body's need for oxygen to maintain cellular metabolism and recognize the critical role of the lungs in providing the necessary amounts of oxygen to support life. When breathing stops, as it does during cardiac arrest, a vicious circle of events take place as the cells of the body attempt to survive without oxygen necessary for metabolism. These events constitute the initial phase of biological death, which rapidly progresses without prompt emergency treatment.
Accordingly, one of the first priorities in resuscitation is to establish a means to provide artificial ventilation to a patient. This begins with what is known in the art as establishing an airway, which is the process of providing an open passage for air to travel through the patient's mouth, throat, and trachea (or windpipe) to the lungs. This can initially be achieved by properly positioning the patient's head and neck.
Once an airway is established, one next provides artificial ventilation by forcing air into the patient's mouth, through the trachea, and into the lungs. When utilizing the mouth-to-mouth method of ventilation, no ventilatory device is used. This is the form of artificial breathing taught by the American Heart Association and the European Resuscitation Council as part of Basic Life Support (BLS) courses on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, healthcare professionals, both in-hospital (physicians, respiratory therapists, nurses, etc.) and pre-hospital (emergency medical technicians, paramedics) most often use various medical devices to provide artificial ventilation. These can include pocket masks (through which the rescuer manually blows to inflate the patient's lungs), demand valves (a mechanical device which inflates the patient's lungs with compressed oxygen when a button is manually pressed on the face mask), and automatic transport ventilators (fully automatic mechanical ventilators which deliver sequential breaths to the patient), however the device which is most frequently employed is the manual resuscitator.
Also known as an "Ambu bag" or "bag-vale-mask" (BVM), the manual resuscitator is a balloon-type device frequently portrayed on fictional or documentary medical television programs. Essentially a hand-powered air pump, the device consists of a squeezable, randomly pliable self-inflating bag (or fluid chamber) which, when squeezed by the operator, displaces air from the bag and out a port to which a face mask can be connected. More specifically, the technique to use a manual resuscitator comprises utilizing one hand to perform the combined task of maintaining proper positioning of the head (to maintain the airway), while applying pressure on the mask to form a seal between the patient's face and the mask. At the same time, the operator uses the free hand to squeeze the fluid chamber and thus displace air into the patient's lungs under positive pressure. When the fluid chamber is released the patient passively exhales, while the fluid chamber returns to its natural, inflated state in preparation for the next breath.
The manual resuscitator was originally designed in the 1930 's, and over the years has fortified its position as the first-line device employed in artificial ventilation. The balloon-type design is inherently intuitive—little training is required to learn how to operate the device, and its simplicity makes it ideal for use in frantic environments commonly associated with resuscitation efforts. Its simple design also makes it inherently reliable—another highly desirable attribute for a medical device essential for resuscitation. Finally, the cost of manual resuscitators is very low, making it possible for them to be stored in readiness in highly accessible places throughout the hospital.
With these strong attributes intrinsic to the basic design of the manual resuscitator, little has been done over the years to modify it. Improvements have included utilization of new materials in the construction of the squeezable fluid chamber to facilitate a better, more comfortable grip. Other design refinements have decreased weight and decreased manufacturing cost, further contributing to the economy of disposable versions of the device.
Particularly during the past two decades, however, a number of advancements in medicine have greatly contributed to the understanding of pulmonary physiology and the pathophysiology of cardiorespiratory arrest. These advancements inspired additional clinical studies to specifically assess the performance of manual resuscitators, which have since been proven to have grave inadequacies.
One of the first problems identified was a general inability for single rescuers to simultaneously use one hand to maintain the face mask seal, use the other hand to squeeze the chamber, and generate a breath of sufficient volume (called the tidal volume). One reason for these low volumes is it is difficult to maintain an airtight seal between the face mask and the patient's face with one hand, resulting in frequent loss of a significant portion of the tidal volume to leakage. Another problem contributing to small tidal volumes is the randomly pliable nature of the skin of the fluid chamber of the device. When squeezed, areas not in direct contact with the rescuer's hand bulge out, reducing the efficiency of the manual compressing action which constitutes operation of the device. Other studies proved these deficiencies were not related to the level of training of the rescuer—paramedics, nurses, and physicians operating the device were all found to be unable to consistently provide ventilation at recommended levels. While it may seem obvious this problem can be overcome simply by providing more frequent breaths, this strategy can actually result in further decreased ventilation to the patient.
This apparent paradox, where increasing ventilatory rate may actually lead to decreased overall ventilation of the lungs, is related to a physiologic principle known as anatomic deadspace. The actual exchange of gases in the lungs, called respiration, occurs in tiny air sacks which are surrounded by a web of blood capillaries. These sacks, called alveoli, is where the blood receives oxygen from the air inhaled in exchange for carbon dioxide waste, which is exhaled. In every individual, a significant portion of a given breath remains in the mouth, throat, trachea, and the various distal airways in the lungs, which are collectively referred to as deadspace. Residual air occupying deadspace at the end of inhalation never actually reach the alveoli and therefore do not contribute to gas exchange. Accordingly, since deadspace is an anatomic constant unaffected by the size of the breath administered, when small breaths are given deadspace negates 25-35% the of total tidal volume delivered, whereas if large breaths are given deadspace consumes only 10-20% of each tidal volume. Consequently, one ventilating rapidly but with small tidal volumes is likely to deliver less effective ventilation than one would by utilizing a larger tidal volume at a slower rate.
This paradox has significant clinical implications. Frequently during resuscitation, certain blood tests are performed which measures the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. When such examinations reveal decreased oxygen levels or, more importantly, elevated amounts of carbon dioxide in the blood, the individual ventilating is usually prompted to provide increase their efforts. The natural response would be to increase the ventilatory rate, however, higher ventilatory rates have been associated with increased operator hand fatigue and inattentiveness. Consequently, tidal volumes have been observed to decrease as ventilatory rates increase. Therefore, despite increased ventilatory rate (and operator impression they are providing improved ventilation), overall ventilatory effectiveness may actually decrease, because as tidal volume decreases anatomic deadspace represents increasing proportions of each breath, which can provide a greater negative affect on alveolar ventilation than the positive effect of a higher rate.
This concept is not universally recognized among health care providers. As a result, many continue to inappropriately regard the effectiveness of the manual resuscitator as rate-dependent rather than volume-dependent.
Pursuant to findings demonstrating inability of single rescuers to generate adequate volumes, authoritative agencies recommended implementation of a two-person technique to utilize manual resuscitators—one-person to maintain a face mask seal with two hands, while the other rescuer squeezes the fluid chamber using two hands. Clinical studies performed thereafter sought to document delivery of higher tidal volumes consistent with resuscitation standards.
While increased volumes are produced by the two-person technique, clinical studies also identified significant hazards associated with the two-person technique. To compensate for the aforementioned bulging-out phenomenon during the one-handed technique, resuscitator manufacturers make fluid chambers disproportionally large. Thus when two hands are used to provide a breath, improved surface-area contact between the hands and the fluid chamber decrease the extent of outward bulging, resulting in the generation of excessive volumes, air flow rates, and airway pressures.
Generation of excessive volumes, pressures, and flow rates has been shown to cause significant hazards to the patient. One study in particular assessed the distribution of gas between the lungs and stomach in patients ventilated with manual resuscitators. Even with the one-person technique, air flow rates and airway pressures were excessive enough to cause air to preferentially enter the stomach, and at times, flow to the stomach actually was greater than the amount received by the lungs. Inflation of the stomach with air (called gastric insufflation) markedly increases the risk of patient vomiting, potentially resulting in stomach contents entering the lungs (a grave complication). In fact, the danger and incidence of gastric distention associated with the use of prior art manual resuscitators has recently been determined to be great enough to recommend utilization of child-size versions of the prior art on adult patients, since the smaller size of the child device provides a safeguard against generation of excessive volumes, pressures, and flow rates which leads to a decreased incidence of this complication. Accordingly, some resuscitation authorities now recommended that, in lieu of a truly safe and effective ventilatory adjunct, when ventilating an adult with the prior art it is preferable to compromise ventilatory effectiveness in order to achieve greater security from complications associated with adult-versions of the device.
Other measures can be employed to palliate these deficiencies of the prior art. A more definitive form of airway control involves placement of a tube (called an endotracheal tube) directly into the patient's trachea, thus isolating the airway from the gastrointestional tract. After intubation, the face mask can be detached and the manual resuscitator directly connected to a port on the endotracheal tube. This obviates the need for active airway maintenance, provides definitive airway protection, and allows a single rescuer to use two hands to ventilate the patient.
However, endotracheal intubation is a medical procedure requiring considerable skill and experience and is usually performed by a physician, respiratory therapist, or nurse anesthetist. When performed successfully on the first attempt intubation can be completed in less than 10 seconds; however, the procedure is often successful only after multiple attempts, spanned over several minutes. Indeed, at times intubation attempts are all unsuccessful on a particular patient, perhaps due to trauma, anatomic aberrancies, and/or inexperience of the individual attempting to perform the procedure. Until the patient is successfully intubated, the aforementioned deficiencies of the prior art continue to jeopardize patient survival.
Even after successful intubation, additional studies have shown use of prior art manual resuscitators are still associated with significant risks. As previously indicated, one-handed operation results in inadequate ventilation to the patient, while two-handed operation is associated with excessive volumes, flow rates, and pressures.
One-handed operation in the intubated patient continues to result in ventilatory volumes which decrease the ability of the lungs to provide oxygen to the blood. More importantly, this also affects the amount of carbon dioxide waste the lungs can remove from the blood, which is also an absolute requirement for the sustainment of life. Carbon dioxide is created as a by-product of metabolism, and the accumulation of excessive amounts in the blood, called hypercarbia, causes an acidic pH of the blood which has various negative affects on the body. Research has definitively shown hypercarbia has several potent effects on the heart which directly contributes to decreased patient survival from cardiac arrest. Hypercarbia has been shown to increase the tendency of the heart to degenerate into a chaotic arrhythmia called ventricular fibrillation, where the heart muscle essentially quivers and produces no pumping action. Additionally hypercarbia has been demonstrated to support sustainment of ventricular fibrillation, and cause it to recur after a normal rhythm has been successfully restored. Finally, significant decreases in the effectiveness of electrical defibrillation (the treatment for ventricular fibrillation) has proven to be directly related to the presence of hypercarbia. Even in normal, beating tissue, hypercarbia has been demonstrated to immediately decrease the pumping strength of heart muscle. The only way to control hypercarbia, and thus oppose these potent effects on the heart, is to provide effective ventilation to the patient. Accordingly, since one-handed operation has been shown to generate inadequate volumes to both intubated and unintubated patients, it would appear its employment during resuscitation may contribute to patient mortality.
However, employing a two-handed technique in the intubated patient, while preventing the harmful effects of hypoventilation and hypercarbia, are associated with the aforementioned risks due to generation of excessive tidal volumes, airway pressures, and flow rates other significant risks. The potential for lung injury is more pronounced when the patient is intubated since, under these circumstances, the endotracheal tube provides a sealed, direct connection between the manual resuscitator and the patient's lungs. Accordingly, excessive or over-aggressive ventilatory techniques, encouraged in-part by the intense environment of frantic resuscitation efforts, have been documented to cause traumatic injury to the lungs, particularly in pediatric and elderly patients.
In patients who are successfully resuscitated, high inflation pressures have been shown to be a contributing factor to the development of the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), the treatment of which requires sustained mechanical ventilation and intensive-care hospitalization over several weeks or months. Treatment of ARDS is extensive, extremely costly, and frequently unsuccessful. Excessive ventilatory volumes and pressures can also cause acute life-threatening lung injury through actual disruption of lung tissue. In addition to pneumothorax (collapsed lung), there have been several reports of cases where high inflation pressures generated by manual resuscitators have caused air to directly enter the bloodstream (called an air embolism), a complication which is almost invariably fatal. Even in patients with a perfusing rhythm, high airway pressures are known to decrease blood pressure, cardiac output, and oxygen delivery significantly by causing the lungs, inflated with high pressures, to compress the heart and the large blood vessels in the chest.
Another deficiency of the prior art is related to high variability of tidal volumes generated by the device. Small changes in hand position on the fluid chamber are exaggerated by the bulging-out effect, causing disproportionate changes in tidal volumes. This attribute contributes to the inability of the prior art device to provide consistent and predictable ventilation to the patient, regardless of operator technique. This has been postulated to interfere with the ability to interpret certain blood tests which assess the effectiveness of ventilation and which are fundamental measures of ventilation effectiveness.
Another disadvantage associated with breath-to-breath inconsistency is an inability to detect certain life-threatening conditions which are associated with increasing lung resistance. The presence of a life-threatening lung injury (e.g., tension pneumothorax) may be detected early by noticing a requirement for progressively increasing ventilatory pressures to achieve delivery of a specific tidal volume. With marked breath-to-breath variation associated with the prior art, this condition is likely to be apparent only after advanced progression of the injury begins to contribute to circulatory collapse and appearance of other ominous physical findings. Late identification of such underlying injuries further jeopardizes the patient and complicates treatment.
Another challenge in resuscitation is monitoring placement of the endotracheal tube. The trachea, after it descends from the throat, bifurcates into two main branches each of which go to one of the two lungs. The first concern with the placement of the endotracheal tube is to be sure it has been positioned in the trachea instead of the esophagus (which leads to the stomach). While several techniques to detect carbon dioxide (which is not present in quantity in the stomach) provides assurance the tube has been placed in the trachea, aside from interrupting resuscitation to obtain a chest X-ray there is no way to readily assess exact placement of the endotracheal tube within the trachea. This is a significant concern; if the tube is advanced or displaced too far, the end of the tube may progress beyond the bifurcation and thus only one lung will be ventilated (probably resulting in patient death if not recognized). Due to the aforementioned breath-to-breath variability of the prior art, this condition, also marked by increased pressures associated with the delivery of a specific volume, is not likely to be obvious via the operation of the prior art.
Accordingly, one can see the prior art manual resuscitator, while simple and inexpensive in design and operation, has multiple barriers to the consistent delivery of safe and effective artificial ventilation. Its use in unintubated patients either results in inadequate ventilation and hypercarbia with the one-person technique (or if a child-size device is employed), or the unacceptable risk of gastric insufflation and aspiration of vomitus associated with the two-person technique with the full-sized adult device. When used on intubated patients employment of a one-handed technique contributes to hypoventilation and hypercarbia, the latter of which has been proven to have several potent affects on the heart which directly contribute to increased mortality from cardiac arrest. When two-handed operation is used on intubated patients, the lack of an ability to guard against the generation of excessive airway pressures and volumes has been demonstrated to result in circulatory depression and a significant incidence of lung injury, the latter of which results in further complications, increased hospitalization, and/or death. Furthermore, breath-to-breath variability associated with the prior art results in unpredictable and inconsistent ventilation (affecting the ability to interpret certain blood tests), and decreases or inhibits the sensitivity for one to detect progressively increasing pulmonary resistance to ventilation, which can be indicative of endotracheal tube displacement or the presence of underlying life-threatening intrathoracic injury.
Thus, it can be seen there is a need for a device which shares beneficial attributes of the prior art (simplicity, reliability, affordability, and disposability) while offering new capabilities which address the several performance inadequacies which have been proven through clinical studies. There is a need for a device which can guard against the hazards associated with hypoventilation and hypercarbia by consistently providing predictable volumes of air without regard for hand placement, the size of a rescuer's hands, or the number of hands employed for operation. There is a need for a device which can provide safeguards against the generation of excessive volumes and airway pressures which have been demonstrated to contribute to gastric insufflation, circulatory depression, complications, extended hospitalization, and fatal lung injury. Finally, there is a need for a device which can decrease breath-to-breath variability in volume to facilitate a predictable level of artificial ventilatory support, enable more accurate interpretation of blood test results, and contribute to early identification of decreased lung compliance secondary to life-threatening intrathoracic injury or clinically significant displacement of an endotracheal tube.

Method and apparatus for manual delivery of volume and pressure-control artificial ventilation


A method for initializing a rotational angle detector detecting rotational angles of two driven gears mated with a drive gear, rotated integrally with a detection subject, and obtaining rotational angle of the detection subject from the detected rotational angles. The method includes obtaining a first error and second error in each rotational angle of the driven gears when the drive gear is rotated in forward and rearward directions, obtaining an average value of the first and second errors, obtaining a difference between the average value and a theoretical rotational angle for the two driven gears when the rotational angle of the drive gear is 0°, and storing the difference as correction data added to each actual rotational angle of the two driven gears when obtaining the rotational angle of the detection subject.

The present invention relates to a rotational angle detector for detecting the angle of a rotational body, and a method for initializing a rotational angle detector.
Various systems for improving traveling stability such as a vehicle stability control system and an electronic control suspension system are being installed in recent vehicles, which have become highly sophisticated. These systems acquire the steering angle of a steering wheel as attitude information of the vehicle and control the vehicle so that the attitude of the vehicle is maintained in a stable state based on the attitude information. Accordingly, a rotational angle detector for detecting the steering angle of the steering wheel is incorporated in, for example, a steering column of the vehicle. Such type of a rotational angle detector employs an absolute angle detection technique, which detects the steering angle with an absolute value, or a relative angle detection technique, which detects the steering angle with a relative value. The detection technique that is employed is determined in accordance with the product specification and the like.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-309222 describes an example of a rotational angle detector adopting the absolute angle detection technique. The rotational angle detector includes a drive gear that integrally rotates with the steering shaft, and two driven gears mated with the drive gear. A magnet is arranged on each driven gear to rotate integrally with the driven gear. The two driven gears have a different number of teeth. Thus, the two driven gears are rotated at different rotational angles by the rotation of the drive gear. The rotational angle detector has a controller that determines the rotational angles of the two driven gears with the corresponding magnetic sensors to obtain the rotational angle of the steering shaft.
However, this conventional rotational angle detector has the following problems. The drive gear is mated with the two driven gears. Thus, the detected rotational angles of the two driven gears contain errors resulting from backlash between the drive gear and the two driven gears. Accordingly, the rotational angle of the steering shaft obtained from the rotational angles of the two driven gears potentially contains an error (initial steering error). The vehicle system thus corrects the error in the rotational angle of the steering shaft and computes the true rotational angle of the steering shaft. In this case, however, a great amount of correction data for the rotational angle of the steering shaft is necessary. Further, the computation amount for the correction with the correction data is large. Such a correction process may be performed with the vehicle system. However, this would increase the computation load on the vehicle system.
The amount of the backlash between the drive gear and the driven gear differs when the drive gear rotates in the left direction and the right direction depending on the positional relationship between the drive gear and the two driven gears. In this case, the error (steering angle error) of the rotational angle of the steering shaft caused by a bias in the backlash also differs between left and right rotations. When taking into consideration that the error in the rotational angle may differ between left and right rotations of the steering shaft, the computation load on the rotational angle detector or on the vehicle system side of the vehicle further increases.

Rotational angle detector and method for initializing rotational angle detector

Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho


According to an aspect of an embodiment, operations may include obtaining a first matrix associated with an optimization problem associated with a system and obtaining a second matrix associated with the optimization problem. The operations may include obtaining a local field matrix that indicates interactions between the variables of the system as influenced by their respective weights. The operations may include updating the local field matrix. Updating the local field matrix may include performing arithmetic operations with respect to a first portion of the first matrix and a second portion of the second matrix that correspond to a third portion of the local field matrix that corresponds to the one or more variables. The operations may include updating an energy value of the system based on the updated local field matrix and determining a solution to the optimization problem based on the energy value.

Combinatorial optimization problems are often categorized as NP-Problems (Nondeterministic Polynomial time Problems) such as NP-hard or NP-complete problems, in which there often are no known algorithms to solve such problems in polynomial time. Such combinatorial optimization problems may appear in numerous applications such as minimization of the number of vias in layout design, maximization of the return from a stock portfolio, airline routing and scheduling, and wireless sensor networks.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.

THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO


A wash basket has a plurality of fins mounted to the wash basket. The plurality of fins is configured to deliver a flow of wash fluid to the top of the wash basket using e.g., a conduit between the bottom and the top of the wash basket where the wash fluid may be directed to articles disposed within the wash basket.

Preferably, washing machine appliances are designed with features that can help conserve water. Conventionally, certain washing machines filled a wash chamber with wash fluid (e.g., water and detergent) until articles within the chamber were submerged by the wash fluid. Because cleaning of articles often may not require the articles to be submerged in wash fluid, such washing machines often consumed more water than necessary during the wash process.
Accordingly, to conserve water, washing machines can be designed to operate without filling the wash chamber with wash fluid such that articles in the chamber are submerged in the wash fluid. Rather, to soak the articles with wash fluid, such washing machines can pump wash fluid from a bottom of the wash chamber to a top of the wash chamber. The wash basket is rotated, and wash fluid that is pumped to the top of the wash chamber is then directed (e.g., sprayed or drizzled) onto the articles in the wash chamber below. Because the articles are rotating with the wash basket and the wash fluid is spraying onto them, the articles in the wash chamber are soaked with wash fluid and washed clean.
However, in these conventional designs, wash fluid is pumped to the top of the wash chamber using an electrical pump. Such electrical pumps are often configured exclusively for pumping wash fluid from the bottom of the chamber to the top of the chamber. Such pumps can add significantly to the overall cost of a washing machine appliance while only performing a single function. In addition, the electrical pump described above consumes electrical energy and thus decreases the efficiency of such washing machine appliances.
Accordingly, a washing machine that can recirculate fluid to the top of the wash basket would be useful. Such a washing machine that can recirculate fluid without the use of a dedicated pump would be particularly useful.

Wash basket for use with a washing machine appliance


A spill prevention plug is provided. A plug body has an interior side and an exterior side with a threaded aperture that extends from the interior side to the exterior side of the plug body. The interior side of the plug body is removably attachable to a hose. A bushing threadingly engages the threaded aperture. A one way valve with a first end and a second end is provided with the first end of the one way valve engaging the bushing from the exterior side of the plug body. The one way valve being movable between an open position in which fluid flows through the one way valve from the interior side of the plug body to the exterior side of the plug body and a closed position in which fluid is prevented from flowing through the one way valve. An adapter for connection to a pump engages the second end of the one way valve.

This section provides background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the invention. It should be understood that the statements in this section of this document are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Spills and leaks during the transfer of fluids out of fluid hauling tanker trucks is common. These spills and leaks cause a loss of valuable resources and generally time must be spent to clean up the spill. Even if cleaned up promptly, some fluids may have a negative impact on the environment. While a simple plug can be used to plug the hoses that transfer the fluid, these plugs must be removed prior to the transfer of fluid. During that time, fluid may leak from the hose.


A hearing protection device is provided including a stem, a protrusion formed on the stem, an articulation point formed on the stem, and a sound attenuating element including a cavity, where the protrusion is disposed in locking engagement within the cavity to releasably attach the stem to the sound attenuating element, and where the stem is configured to at least partially articulate about the articulation point.

The use of hearing protective and noise attenuating devices is well known, and various types of devices are available including, but not limited to, ear muffs, semi-aural devices, and earplugs. Earplugs are often preferred for their effectiveness in attenuating sound and for comfort properties provided thereby.
An earplug generally comprises a sound attenuating element which is placed in the ear canal of a wearer to occlude the canal and thus provide a desired sound attenuation. The sound attenuating element is commonly made of a compressible, resilient material such as a foam or a rubber.
The earplug may further include a stem extending from the sound attenuating element. The stem serves as a handle to facilitate general tactile manipulation of the earplug. Furthermore, the stem assists during insertion of the earplug into the earcanal by serving as a means for pushing the sound attenuating element to a sufficient depth within the earcanal. Correspondingly, the stem aids in removal of the earplug by providing a grip by which the earplug may be pulled from the earcanal.
The sound attenuating element and the stem of such earplugs may be formed separately and then fixed together or may be integrally formed together. In the case of the former, a rigid or semi-rigid stem is typically embedded partly or entirely within the resilient sound attenuating element. An adhesive is used to fix the stem to the attenuating element or the attenuating element may be formed directly on the stem so as to bond intimately therewith. In either case, manufacture and assembly can be a complicated, multi-step process, perhaps requiring numerous toolings, etc., and resulting in an overall increased cost of the earplug. Moreover, the stems for these types of earplugs are typically quite rigid so as to sustain being inserted within the sound attenuating element and bonded therein. While this relatively increased rigidity facilitates assembly of this traditional earplug, it detracts from the comfort provided thereby to the user by preventing or limiting the ability of the stem and earplug to conform to the natural curvature of the inner ear.
A conventional earplug having an integrally formed (i.e., one-piece) attenuating element and stem is typically pre-molded of a soft rubber-like material. This material is advantageous due to the comfort properties provided thereby. However, the soft rubber material lacks in rigidity and thus can be less effective for inserting the sounding attenuating element to a desired depth within the ear canal. Attempts at increasing the rigidity of the stem of this type of integrally formed earplug may be unsuccessful due to the corresponding stiffening of the sound attenuating element and hence the loss of comfort properties thereof. Some have attempted to add stiffening elements to the stem of integrally formed, pre-molded earplugs. However, this can be a complex assembly process and can result in an overall more expensive earplug. Moreover, the stiffening element is often too long relative to the axis of the earplug and thus cannot easily traverse the bend in the earcanal when inserted or is too short and thus does not properly serve the intended stiffening function.
Thus, an earplug is desired which includes a soft, comfortable sound attenuating element and a stem attached thereto for handling and inserting the earplug, where the stem is sufficiently rigid to enable insertion of the attenuating element to a desired earcanal depth and yet sufficiently pliable to remain comfortable within the ear and to allow the earplug to conform to the natural contours of the earcanal, and where the earplug is capable of being readily manufactured and assembled at a reasonable cost.

Earplug with articulating stem and locking features


A combustion air intake apparatus for a truck, tractor, or bus vehicle for highway use includes an air deflecting element that is selectively deployable to cause dynamic air pressure created by vehicle motion to increase static air, pressure within the intake apparatus under appropriate conditions. Deployment or retraction of the air deflecting element is responsive to at least one of forward speed of the vehicle, air pressure downstream of an air inlet opening, or throttle position, and may further be responsive to detection of precipitation and/or particulate material. An air deflecting element may include a moveable plate or flap, moveable louvers, or a moveable duct.

The cost of fuel is typically the largest cost associated with operating a tractor trailer. A tractor trailer in regular full-time may use 20,000 gallons or more of diesel fuel per year. Fuel costs are similarly high for bus vehicles. Even small improvements in fuel efficiency can have a significant impact on aggregate fuel costs for operators of truck, tractor, or bus vehicles. Decreases in fuel consumption would also lead to concomitant reductions in emissions such as NOx, SOx, particulates, and unburned hydrocarbons.
Combustion air is supplied to an engine of a truck, tractor, or bus vehicle via an air intake system. Components of a conventional air intake apparatus 10 for a truck or tractor vehicle are shown in FIG. 1. An air inlet opening 12 defined by a peripheral frame 14 is arranged upstream of a neck 16 and a filter housing 18 that is arranged to contain an air filter 22 having an upstream (dirty) surface 24 and a downstream (clean) surface 26. A removable filter housing cap (not shown) may be positioned to cover one end of the filter housing 18. A receiver 28 arranged proximate to the downstream surface 26 of the air filter 22 receives filtered air from the air filter 22 and conveys filtered air to downstream pipes 30. An outlet 32 of the pipes 30 may supply filtered air to downstream components (not shown) such as an air compressor stage of a turbocharger. FIG. 2 is an assembled view of the components of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows a portion of a truck or tractor vehicle 34 including the combustion air intake system components of FIGS. 1 and 2, with the air inlet opening 12 being arranged behind a front wheel, and generally behind and below a passenger cabin 36, of the vehicle 34. A hollow arrow proximate to the filter housing 18 shows the general direction of air flowing past the truck or tractor vehicle 34 when the vehicle 34 is traveling in a forward direction.
A flow of air through a combustion air intake system inherently experiences a pressure drop caused by frictional forces, thereby reducing static pressure of air supplied to a turbocharger compressor and downstream combustion chambers. Pressure drop is proportional to the square of flow rate through the intake system. Pressure drop is exacerbated (and static pressure within an air intake system is reduced) when the filter element of an air intake system is dirty. A reduction in static pressure of air supplied to an internal combustion engine limits the engine's volumetric efficiency, thereby reducing power output and reducing fuel economy. In extreme cases, insufficient static pressure of air transiting through an air intake system may cause damage to a turbocharger.
Combustion air intake systems of conventional truck and tractor vehicles frequently include air inlet openings that are approximately parallel to a direction of forward vehicle travel. Such configuration beneficially reduces ingestion of particulate matter and precipitation (e.g., rain and snow) into an air intake system when the vehicle is in forward motion, relative to a forward-facing ram-air configuration (with an inlet opening perpendicular to the direction of forward travel) provided by hood scoops employed by certain high performance automobiles. Due to the economic need to maintain truck and tractor vehicles in nearly constant operation, a risk of ingesting undue amounts of particulate matter and/or precipitation is typically considered unacceptable by operators of truck or tractor vehicles. Similar considerations exist for bus vehicles.
A need exists in the art for improvements in combustion air intake apparatuses for highway truck, tractor, or bus vehicles to overcome, imitations of conventional devices.

Active combustion air intake system for truck, tractor, or bus vehicle