The endoscope for introduction into a hollow organ of a living thing makes it possible for the hollow organ to be pulled against a more solid outer structure and to fix it thereto for the duration of the treatment. The endoscope is therefore provided with a retaining device, which can be used in the outer shaft of the endoscope and is guided therein, and has a plurality of hook elements, on the distal end of which hooks are formed by pushing out from the distal end of the outer shaft as a result of spreading, and with a stop disc which can be adjusted on the outer shaft. Spreading of the hook element ends can be controlled optically. After spreading the hook element ends, the endoscope is drawn back until it rests on the hollow organ in order to fix the hollow organ and secured in this position by means of the stop disc. A measuring scale, which enables direct reading of the spread position of the hook element ends at the moment of contact with the tissue wall of the hollow organ, is provided to measure the hollow organ.

a) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an endoscope for introduction into a hollow organ of a living thing, the endoscope comprising a hollow outer shaft and an optical system arranged therein.
b) Description of the Prior Art
Endoscopy of the interior of hollow organs of humans and animals is often made difficult due to the fact that the hollow organs easily evade the observation instrument because of their great flexibility. It is often not possible to achieve sufficient distance between endoscope optical systems and the region of the hollow organ to be investigated because of this great flexibility, so that it is not possible to achieve a sharp picture. This also means that there is hardly any space to operate instruments. Furthermore, it is often necessary, for example when there are pathological changes in the hollow organs, to measure the space which still remains, for example for tubular organs the free passage, in order to be able to carry out appropriate treatment measures.
A hysteroscope, which is designed to expand the uterus with gas and then to maintain this state with the aid of mechanically operating spreading elements and to be able to allow the gas to escape, is known from German Patentschrift 2 318 860. This hysteroscope essentially comprises an adapter serving to seal the uterus, an instrument shaft, through which an optical system can be introduced and which has a gas connection. Spreading elements, which can be brought to rest against wall regions of the uterus, are provided at the distal end of the endoscope to maintain the spread state. The arrangement and shape of the spreading elements thus determine the extent to which the uterus can be kept clear. A certain stabilisation of the tissue can thus be achieved, but no fixing of the hollow organ in the real sense.
Finally, a device for use in connection with catheters, for example for wound drainage, is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,151, by means of which the object of being able to arrange this device in the interior of the body of a living thing is to be fulfilled, such that the device once positioned cannot be released accidentally. The device therefore essentially comprises two coaxially arranged sleeves which can be displaced relative to one another and gripping fingers which can be driven out of the distal end of the outer sleeve, and a fixing collar which can be displaced on the outer sleeve. After introducing this device into a wound or into a body cavity, for example the stomach of a cow, the gripping fingers are driven out of the distal end. The gripping fingers are thus spread outwards in the radial direction and are placed, in this example, against the stomach wall. The fixing collar on the outer sleeve is then pushed towards the distal end until it contacts, for example the skin, and is fixed there. The whole of the device is thus secured against falling out of the body and/or falling into the body cavity accidentally. A reference to use for fixing hollow organs is not to be found in this specification.
As far as measuring hollow organs is concerned, reference may be made to German Patentschrift 3 330 921, which describes a probe without an optical system to determine the size of the interior of hollow organs, in particular the uterine cavity. In this instrument, two sensors which can be spread apart from one another and are provided on the distal end of the probe are spread open by axially displacing a rod-like transfer member until it contacts the inner wall of the hollow organ. An indicator, for example a dial gauge, from which the measured result can be read, is arranged on the proximal end of this probe. This device is also not able to avoid the evasive movement of the hollow organ to be treated during treatment.
It is therefore the object of the invention to improve an endoscope of the type mentioned in the introduction, so that it is possible to pull hollow organs against an outer, more solid structure and to be able to fix them thereto, for examining, measuring and treating such hollow organs of living things.

Endoscope for introduction into a hollow organ of a living thing


A method, system, and computer program product are provided for performing a multi-modal deformable imaging registration between two different modalities for which a functional dependency is missing or very difficult to identify. The method provides a nonlinear mapping between every pair of points in the two image modalities by calculating the nonlinear mapping for only a limited number of identifiable landmarks within the two modalities and a statistical deformation model of the structure of interest. The method comprises: calculating a mean deformation and a plurality of deformation mode Eigen vectors for a body structure from images from the same imaging mode with different deformation states for a plurality of subjects; performing a registration of a limited number of uniquely identifiable landmark points between images from two different imaging modalities for the same subject to calculate the deformation field for the landmarks from the images; determining weights for each deformation mode Eigen vector using deformation field values at the landmarks with the mean deformation and the deformation mode vectors; and summing the mean deformation field and the linear combination of the weighted deformation mode vectors to determine the deformation field between the different imaging modes for all the points within the images.

Image registration is an important challenge in medical image processing. The main goal in medical image registration is to calculate a geometrical transformation that aligns either the same image or different images of the same object or structure. The different images can have the same modality or different modalities. Common modalities for medical image registration include, but are not limited to: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerized Tomography (CT), and Ultrasound (US).
An important subset of image registration problems deals with matching images from different image modalities sometimes referred to as multi-modality image fusion. Multi-modal image registration is particularly challenging as the relationship between grey values of multi-modal images is not always easy to determine, and in some cases (e.g. MRI to US), a functional dependency is generally missing or very difficult to identify.
One example of multi-modal image registration is the fusion of MRI images with US images in image-guided procedures, such as prostate biopsies or brachytherapy. The MRI modality provides high resolution anatomical images; however, MRI is expensive for intra-operative procedures such as prostate biopsies. On the other hand, the US modality is ideal for real-time imaging required for image guided procedures, such as prostate biopsy, but has quite poor image resolution. Fusion of these two modalities combines the advantage of real-time imaging (US) with high resolution imaging (MRI). For example, during a targeted prostate biopsy procedure, fusion of pre-operative MRI images with real-time US imaging is crucial in locating cancerous areas in ultrasound images that can be easily identified in MRI images. It would be advantageous to develop automatic image registration techniques to fuse pre-operative MRI images of the prostate with real-time trans-rectal ultrasound (TRUS) imaging.
The lack of a functional dependency between the MRI and US image modalities has made it very difficult to take advantage of intensity-based metrics for image registration. Therefore, most proposed methods of MRI-to-US image fusion are focused on point matching techniques in one of two ways: (1) a set of common landmarks (such as the contour of the urethra) that are visible in the images from both modalities are either manually or automatically extracted and used for point-based registration; or (2) the surface of the prostate is segmented within each of the two modalities using automatic or manual techniques, and the extracted cloud of points are fed to a point-based registration framework that tries to minimize the distance between the two point sets.
In the Philips Uronav system, for example, a point-based rigid registration approach is implemented to register MRI with TRUS using segmented prostate surface point data. The prostate gland is automatically segmented as a set of surface contour points in both US and MRI images. The rigid registration tries to find the best set of translation and rotation parameters that minimize the distance between the two point sets. However, the prostate is not a rigid shape, and the shape of the prostate may deform differently during acquisition of images by each of these modalities. MRI images are typically acquired while an Endorectal coil (ERC) is inserted in the rectum for enhanced image quality. The TRUS imaging is performed freehand with a TRUS probe placed in direct contact with the rectum wall adjacent to the prostate gland, thereby deforming the shape of the prostate gland during image acquisition.


Forces and moments are detected in a distinguishing manner by a simple structure. A supporting member (20) is positioned below a force receiving member (10), which receives forces to be detected, and between these components, four columnar force transmitting members (11 to 14) are connected. Connecting members, having flexibility, are interposed at the upper and lower ends of each of the columnar force transmitting members (11 to 14) so that the columnar force transmitting members (11 to 14) can become inclined when the force receiving member (10) becomes displaced upon receiving a force. Sensors (21 to 24), each equipped with capacitance elements, are positioned at the connections parts of the respective columnar force transmitting members (11 to 14) and the supporting member (20) to detect forces that are transmitted from the respective columnar force transmitting members (11 to 14) to the supporting member (20). Based on the detection values of the sensors (21 to 24), a detection circuit (30) detects, in a distinguishing manner, forces and moments acting on the force receiving member (10). All of forces Fx, Fy, and Fz and moments Mx, My, and Mz can be detected.

Various types of force detection devices are used for controlling the motions of robots and industrial machines. Compact force detection devices are also incorporated as man-machine interfaces of input devices for electronic equipment. In order to achieve miniaturization and cost reduction, a force detection device that is used in such an application is required to be as simple in structure as possible and yet enable forces of the respective coordinate axes in three-dimensional space to be detected independent of each other.
Multi-axis force detection devices that are presently used can be classified into a type, with which specific directional components of a force that acts on a three-dimensional structure are detected as displacements that arise at a specific part, and a type, with which the directional components are detected as mechanical strains that arise at a specific part. A capacitance element type force detection device is a representative device of the former displacement detection type, and with this device, a capacitance element is comprised of a pair of electrodes and the displacement arising at one of the electrodes due to an acting force is detected based on the static capacitance value of the capacitance element. Such a static capacitance type force detection device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 215627/1993. Meanwhile, a strain gauge type force detection device is a representative device of the latter strain detection type, and with this device, the mechanical strain that arises as a result of an acting force is detected as a change of gauge resistance or other form of electrical resistance. Such a strain gauge type force detection device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 292029/1986.
In general, the objects of detection by a force detection device are force components in the direction of predetermined coordinate axes and moment components about the predetermined coordinate axes. In the case where an XYZ three-dimensional coordinate system is defined in three-dimensional space, the objects of detection will be the six components of the force components Fx, Fy, and Fz in the directions of the respective coordinate axes and the moment components Mx, My, and Mz about the respective coordinate axes. However priorly, regardless of the displacement detection type or the strain detection type, a force detection device of a considerably complex three-dimensional structure was required to detect the respective components independent of each other.
Thus an object of this invention is to provide a force detection device that can detect forces and moments in a distinguishing manner by means of a structure that is as simple as possible.


A system comprising a moisture containing cleansing article and a visual pH indicator changing color at a pH above 4.0. The system can comprise a buffer, having preferably a pKa above 5.5. The system can comprise a set of instructions for evaluating moisture containing cleansing articles. The pH buffer of the system can have a pKa value equal to or greater than the pH of the color change of the visual pH indicator. The pH of color change of the visual pH indicator can be equal to or greater than the pH of the lotion. The system can be used to evaluate the pH of moisture containing cleansing article lotions and to quantify the ability to neutralize alkalinity such as the alkalinity provided by residues of feces and urine over time on the skin of a baby.

Moisture containing cleansing articles have many uses in everyday life: In the personal hygiene area, moisture containing cleansing articles are used to help cleaning the skin of babies, children or adults after bowel movements. In cosmetics moisture containing cleansing articles can be used to clean facial skin or other body parts. For example moisture containing cleansing articles can be used to remove residues of make-up.
Moisture containing cleansing articles usually comprise a substrate and a lotion that helps removing residues from the skin and protects the skin from a too stringent abrasive or irritating effect. The lotion can be water based, oil-based and/or can be an emulsion of water and hydrophobic components.
When moisture containing cleansing articles are put in contact with human skin, the lotion plays a crucial role in the protection of the skin: Mechanical protection from abrasion, hydration of the skin, deposition of a protective layer, are among the most common desired effects.
In personal hygiene and cosmetic uses, skin condition, prior to the use of the moisture containing cleansing article, can be in a deteriorated state: Residues or feces, urine and perspiration, for example, have a pH that increases over time. They unbalance the natural, slightly acid pH of the skin and render it more susceptible to rash, redness and irritation.
Lotions for moisture containing cleansing articles can therefore be also designed to help restoring the natural pH balance of the skin, to a natural pH of about 5.5. To that effect, lotions can be characterized by their pH (usually neutral or slightly acidic) and by their buffering capacity. The buffering capacity is an indication of how effective the lotion is in counteracting the increase over time of the pH of the residues of feces or urine (leading to an alkalinity of the skin environment) and to restore a natural skin pH.
It is of interest to evaluate the pH of moisture containing cleansing article lotions. In that regard, pH indicators are of many types: Sensors connected to an electronic system can provide a precise reading of pH. Classical titration by an acid is well known in the art. pH papers or pH strips are simple indicators that provide a pH reading over a defined pH range. They usually comprise a dried indicator dye applied on a substrate (paper strip or polymeric stick), that changes its color when immersed into an aqueous solution depending on the pH of the solution and thus provide a pH reading by comparison to a colored reference scale. pH paper sticks and pH measurement of body fluids are, for example, described in WO9838905A1 by James C. Caillouette. The association of feminine pads with a pH indicator is, for example, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,953 by J. M. Richards and A. C. Roskin.
Moreover, it is also of interest to evaluate the buffering potential of various moisture containing cleansing article lotions. For instance some lotions can exhibit a neutral pH but have little effect on restoring the natural pH of the skin because they are ineffective in overcoming the pH increase over time of the residues of feces, urine or perspiration (leading to alkalinity of the skin environment). Some other lotions can exhibit both a neutral pH and a significant buffering potential and thus be much more efficient in restoring a natural skin pH balance. Net, measurement of pH is an indication of the effect of a lotion on skin but not sufficient to determine the efficiency of a lotion.
It is of interest to develop a simple test that would allow for the comparison of moisture containing cleansing article lotions as for their efficiency and ability to restore a natural pH of the skin. It is of interest to measure with this test, the pH of the lotion in a simple and visual way. It is of interest to measure the buffering potential of the moisture containing cleansing article lotions. It is finally of interest to develop a simple, fast, easy to use test to measure both the pH and the buffering potential of moisture containing cleansing article lotions. Such a test would be useful because it would allow users of wipe products to compare the effectiveness of the various products in helping to maintain a desirable skin pH.

System for evaluating the pH and buffering capacity of moisture containing cleansing articles


The present invention discloses methods and materials for delivering a cargo compound into a cancer cell. Delivery of the cargo compound is accomplished by the use of protein transduction domains derived from cupredoxins. The invention further discloses methods for treating cancer and diagnosing cancer.

The entry of a protein into a mammalian cell is often dictated by a small segment of the protein, which is commonly referred to as a "protein transduction domain" or PTD. This segment can be used as a signal attached to a foreign protein to facilitate transport of such a protein into a mammalian cell. For example, amphipathic peptides are used to facilitate uptake of DNA-cleaving metalloporphyrins as potential antitumor drugs in human fibroblasts HS68 or murine lymphocytic leukemia L1210 cells (Chaloin, L. et al. Bioconjugate Chem. 12:691-700, (2001)). Peptides, called cell-penetrating peptides, such as penetratin, transportan, Tat (amino acids 47-57 or 48-60) and the model amphipathic peptide MAP, have been used as delivery vehicles for transporting pharmacologically important substances, such as antisense oligonucleotides, proteins and peptides (Hallbrink, M. et al. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1515:101-109 (2001); Lindgren, M., et al. Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 21:99-103 (2000)).
Such peptides, particularly the DNA-binding homeodomain of Antennapedia, a Drosophila transcription factor, or the 21 residue peptide carrier Pep-1, are internalized by many types of cells in culture, such as human HS68 or murine NIH-3T3 fibroblasts, at either 37° C. or 4° C. The lack of effect of the temperature shift suggests a penetration mechanism different from that of classical endocytosis (Morris, M. C. et al. Nature Biotechnol. 19:1173-1176 (2001)), which requires chiral receptor proteins. One of the most widely used peptides to transport pharmacologically-active compounds in mammalian cells is the eleven amino acid arginine-rich protein transduction domain (PTD) of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transactivator protein Tat (Schwarze, S. R. et al. Science 285:1569-1572 (1999), Schwarze, S. R. et al. Trends Cell Biol. 10:290-295 (2000)). Intraperitoneal injection of the 120 kDa beta-galactosidase/Tat fusion protein results in the transcellular transduction of the fusion protein into virtually all tissues in mice, including the passage of the blood-brain barrier. This short peptide domain of HIV-1 Tat has been shown to mediate cell internalization of large molecules or particles, including magnetic nanoparticles, phage vectors, liposomes and plasmid DNA. Unlike the other cell-penetrating peptides discussed above, internalization of cargo proteins by full length Tat or its 11 amino acid transduction domain is significantly impaired at 4° C. (Liu, Y. et al. Nat. Med. 6:1380-1387 (2000), Suzuki, T. et al. J. Biol. Chem. 277:2437-2443 (2002)) and requires interactions with receptors such as the heparan sulfate chains of the cell membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycans.
Most of the PTDs identified to date have been derived from viral and mammalian sources. Other sources of PTDs would be desirable for the design of various experimental sequences, and for animal and human therapies and prophylactic procedures. One alternative source of PTDs is bacterial cells. Although bacterial proteins such as cholera toxin are known to enter mammalian cell cytosol (Sofer, A. and Futerman, A. H. J. Biol. Chem. 270:12117-12122 (1995)), the cytotoxicity of such proteins has limited the use of bacterial proteins, or PTDs derived from them, for transporting pharmacologically important cargos in mammalian cells.

Cupredoxin derived transport agents and methods of use thereof

The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois


A variation of the popular casino game of Blackjack makes provision for an optional bonus bet. If a bonus bet is made and the player making the bonus bet receives a matching pair in his initial two cards and elects to stand on the point count indicated by the sum of his two initial cards, he is awarded a bonus payment if the dealer breaks or fails to beat or tie the player's point count value. The bonus payment may be a multiple of the player's base bet, it may vary with the size of the pair, and it may be enhanced if the cards in the player's pair are in the same suit.

There have been several variations proposed for the popular casino card game known as Blackjack or Twenty One. Some of these variations have involved changes in the traditional rules of the game or changes in the content or type of cards that are used. Other proposals have allowed side bets and bonus bets of different kinds which essentially involve the availability of optional bets that can be made on the cards outside of the normal rules of the game. However, none of the proposals made to date has been particularly successfully, and the standard Blackjack game continues to dominate most casino card rooms.


A computer system includes a host computer; a storage system for obtaining a snapshot, at a specific point in time, of a data volume, storing data written to the data volume after the specific point in time as a journal, and applying the journal to the snapshot for data recovery; and a management computer. In the computer system, the management computer instructs the storage system to determine whether data at a recovery point after a recovery point of the latest snapshot can be recovered within a specific period of time and to apply, if it has been determined that the data cannot be recovered within the specific period of time, a journal to the latest snapshot to update the latest snapshot to a new snapshot in such a manner that the data can be recovered within the specific period of time.

The present invention relates to computer systems, and particularly to a specific configuration of a computer system and to a backup management method based on this configuration.
Information systems are generally configured to backup data so that data can be recovered if it is lost due to storage device failures, data corruption caused by virus attacks, user errors, or the like.
Data backup and recovery techniques using journaling have been proposed to solve the problem of data loss (see, e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0015416). This document discloses a technique in which a snapshot (i.e., a full backup image or a logical image including a differential backup image), at a specific point in time, of a logical group (hereinafter called "journal group") containing at least one data volume is obtained; data subsequently written to the data volume belonging to the journal group is maintained as a journal (called "After journal" or "post journal"); a series of After journals is applied to the obtained snapshot in the order in which data was written; and thus data at the specific point in time can be recovered. The technique disclosed in this document is an example of a technique generally called "continuous data protection (CDP)".
The time required for data recovery by the above-described journal application (hereinafter called "recovery time") depends on the amount of data of journals applied. Therefore, the above-described U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0015416 further discloses a technique in which, for the recovery of data at a specific point in time, multiple generations of snapshots are taken; A series of journals are applied to a snapshot taken in close proximity to this specific point in time. and thus the recovery time can be reduced. The worst value of the time required for data recovery is called "recovery time objective (RTO)".
Another technique proposed is one in which, if data recovered by the application of After journals has already been corrupted, this application of After journals is cancelled (see, e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0015416). In the technique disclosed in this document, a portion of data to be overwritten by the application of After journals is saved. Then, if the application of After journals needs to be cancelled, the saved data is written onto a snapshot to which the After journals were applied (i.e., the saved data is restored to its original location). Thus, the snapshot before the application of the After journals can be restored in a short period of time. The saved data described above is called "Before journal". The term "journal" is used to refer collectively to both Before and After journals.
Hereinafter, a point designated by an administrator for the purpose of recovering data at a specific point in time will be referred to as "recovery point". When data at a designated recovery point is to be recovered by the application of a series of journals to a snapshot, the relationship between the last applied journal and the designated recovery point will be expressed as "the journal has the recovery point." If data can be recovered without applying a journal to a snapshot, the relationship between this snapshot and a designated recovery point will be expressed as "the snapshot has the recovery point." Moreover, when a specific journal is applied to a snapshot, a journal created, for canceling the application of the specific journal, by saving a portion of data to be overwritten is called "corresponding journal" or "saved journal".
In case of data corruption, an increase in recovery time generally causes increases in operational downtime and damage. Therefore, it is important to reduce recovery time and recover data at any point in time within the time period requested by an administrator (hereinafter expressed as "to satisfy a requested RTO"). In general, a snapshot is periodically taken (e.g., every hour) and multiple generations of snapshots are maintained to reduce recovery time. However, recovery time depends on the amount of journal data to be applied to the snapshot, and the amount of journal data to be applied depends on the amount and frequency of writing in practice. A problem here is that if a snapshot is taken periodically, there will be a recovery point that cannot satisfy a requested RTO.

Computer system, management computer, storage system, and backup management method


A thin film transistor array panel is provided, which includes a substrate including a display region, a chip region, and a pad region; a plurality of signal lines formed on the substrate for electrically connecting the pad region to the chip region and the display region, wherein the signal lines have pads as an end portion and the pads are formed in the pad region; an insulating layer covering the signal lines and having a plurality of contact holes exposing the portions of the signal lines; a plurality of contact assistants formed on the insulating layer and connected to the pads through the contact holes; and a plurality of connection member respectively connected to the contact assistants and formed on the insulating layer for selectively electrically connecting the signal lines, wherein the insulating layer has a boundary line formed by etching, and the boundary line is crenellated.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor array panel.
(b) Description of Related Art
Generally, a liquid crystal display (LCD) includes a liquid crystal (LC) panel unit including two panels provided with pixel electrodes and a common electrode, and an LC layer with dielectric anisotropy interposed therebetween.
The pixel electrodes are arranged in a matrix and are connected to switching elements such as thin film transistors (TFTs) to be sequentially applied with a data voltage for each row. The common electrode covers the entire surface of the upper panel and is supplied with a common voltage. A pixel electrode, the common electrode, and the LC layer form an LC capacitor in a circuit, and the LC capacitor together with a switching element connected thereto is a basic unit of a pixel.
The LCD displays images by applying an electric field to the LC layer disposed between the two panels and regulating the strength of the electric field to adjust transmittance of light passing through the LC layer.
The LCD, which is used as a small and medium sized display device such as a portable telephone, includes a display panel assembly, a driving flexible printed circuit (FPC) provided with signal lines to transmit input signals from external devices, and an integration chip that controls the above-described elements.
The LCD includes a panel unit provided with pixels including switching elements and signal lines for displaying images, a gate driver providing a gate-on voltage and a gate-off voltage for gate lines of the display signal lines to turn on/off the switching elements, and a data driver providing a data signal for data lines of the display signal lines to apply a data voltage to the pixels via the turned-on switching elements. The integration chip generates control signals and driving signals for controlling the panel unit and is generally mounted as a COG (chip on glass).
Also, pad portions, in which a plurality of pads are formed in a predetermined number, are arranged on the edges of the integration chip. The pads are electrically connected to the signal lines of the panel for receiving the signal applied to the inner portion of the panel or the integration chip, and the FPC is connected to the pad portion as a FOG (film on glass). In the manufacturing process, the plurality of pads are commonly electrically connected with a common connecting member for preventing the elements such as the thin film transistors from being damaged by electrostatic energy generated in the manufacturing process, and the common connection member is separated from the plurality of pads for electrically insulating the plurality of pads from each other.
However, conductive particles may remain due to steps of the insulating layer formed in the panel in the portion where the common connection member and the pads are connected to each other in the manufacturing process, such that signal drive level defects may occur.


A power supply with optional types of plugs, composed by one universal body and replaceable plug, is disclosed. The universal body includes a plurality of blocks, a circular recess, an elastic switch key, and two conductive plates; whereas the plugs could be different specifications of plug with opposite blocks and two conductive plates, the block holes and blocks include a set of error-proof block hole and error-proof block which posses a block slot to hold the fan-shaped block.

The present invention is related to a power adapter with optional types of replaceable plugs.
There are various kind of power adapter plugs, such as the American specification, European specification, English specification, and Australian specification, etc. As shown by FIGS. 1–4 the conventional power supply adapter with replaceable plugs in the current market is designed to have two parts: a universal body and various specification plugs, which are combined into a whole power adapter to allow the use of several replaceable plugs. Furthermore, conventional power adapter usually apply a slide rail or slide slot with a conductive plate to assemble different plugs with a universal body which often results in the lose of the connection part. Therefore, the connection of the prior art offers less solidity and safety, and needs further improvement.

Power adapter with optional types of replaceable plug


Provided is a method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin molded article by cold press molding a fiber-reinforced resin material including reinforcing fibers and a thermoplastic resin using molds containing an upper mold and a lower mold. In the method, the respective parameters for: heating temperature; charge time; air-cooling rate; pressurization time; flow-stopping temperature; and a moldable time satisfies specified numerical ranges simultaneously.

In recent years, so-called fiber-reinforced resin materials including matrix resin and reinforcing fibers such as carbon fibers have drawn attention in the mechanical field. These fiber-reinforced resin materials have excellent tensile modulus, tensile strength, and impact resistance because fibers are dispersed in the matrix resin. As a result, the use thereof for structural members of automobiles or the like has been studied. Among them, the fiber-reinforced resin material in which the matrix resin is a thermoplastic resin, that is a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin material, has been studied in a number of fields because it is excellent in mass productivity in terms of a short molding cycle or the like as compared with the fiber-reinforced resin material in which the matrix resin is a thermosetting resin.
By molding the fiber-reinforced resin material by various molding methods such as an injection molding method and a compression molding method, various structural members can be produced with high productivity regardless of size. Among the molding methods for molding the fiber-reinforced resin material, the compression molding method is suitable for efficiently producing a fiber-reinforced resin molded article including reinforcing fibers having a long fiber length. In particular, a cold press molding method has a remarkable short molding cycle and is suitable for efficiently producing a molded article which, includes reinforcing fibers and a thermoplastic resin as a matrix, and has a complicated three-dimensional shape with excellent design.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a method for producing a molded article which is thin-walled, light in weight and high in strength, and excellent in design, and has a complicated three-dimensional shape with high productivity by compression molding a fiber-reinforced resin material in which reinforcing fibers are two-dimensionally oriented in an in-plane direction and have isotropy and the reinforcing fibers include reinforcing fiber bundles in a specific range. On the other hand, customers have strong demand for lighter, thinner, shorter, and smaller molded articles obtained from the fiber-reinforced resin material, and the molded article is required to be further thin-walled.
As means for obtaining the molded article having a good appearance in a cold press molding method performed by disposing a fiber-reinforced resin material in a mold cavity, the following proposal is presented. Specifically, Patent Literature 2 proposes a method for manufacturing a press molded article from a prepreg having a thickness of 2.5 mm by using a mold set to be equal to or higher than a glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic resin and decreasing a mold temperature to around the glass transition temperature in a cold press molding process. It can be said that the moldability is improved and the molded article can also be further thin-walled by applying this means and setting the mold temperature to be higher than the mold temperature at which the good appearance is obtained. However, since there is no disclosure of specific molding parameters, the temperature specification of equipment for performing mold cooling and mold heating required for increasing and decreasing the mold temperature in accordance with the molding cycle and the specification of a press molding machine are unclear. Further, since there is no disclosure of specific cooling parameters of the fiber-reinforced resin material in the cold press molding process, the specification of the fiber-reinforced resin material is also unclear. As a result of these matters, in terms of both equipment and material aspects, the specification of the equipment and the specification of the fiber-reinforced resin material had to be issued through trials and errors. Therefore, since the perspective of realizing further wall-thinning is unclear, attention was not drawn from the industrial viewpoint.


For winding up of a paper web to form a paper roll, a first reel spool is accelerated to the speed of the web and brought into a first, start-of-winding position in which it forms a nip with a driveable press drum. The beginning of the web of paper is guided around the press drum and is wound onto the first reel spool. When a first layer thickness has been wound, the first reel spool is transferred into a second, complete-winding position and the paper roll is wound up there to its desired layer thickness. During the entire winding process, the press drum or a special press roll are pressed against the winding surface of the developing paper roll, a torque is introduced into the axis of the first reel spool by means of a central drive and the press drum and/or press roll and the first reel spool with the developing paper roll thereon are displaced, preferably exclusively horizontally, without substantial changes in the direction or orientation of those elements. Then a second reel spool is accelerated and brought into the first position before transferring the web to the second reel spool.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for winding up a moving paper web to form a roll. The following references are relevant:
(1) DE 40 07 329 PA1 (2) DE 32 44 510 PA1 (3) FR 15 13 694 PA1 (4) GB 12 97 812 PA1 (5) US 19 23 670 PA1 (6) EP 0 483 092 A1 PA1 (7) U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,524 PA1 (8) DE 44 15 324
Winding machines for winding up paper webs can be arranged at the output end of a paper machine to roll the paper web arriving there into a roll (a so-called Pope-type reel). However, those machines are also used to rewind a finished paper roll so as to produce rolls of a very specific winding quality.
In all cases the paper roll should have very specific properties, in particular with regard to the winding hardness. The winding hardness should, in general, drop from a certain initial value to an end value. The drop should be as uniform as possible from the first inside layer to the last outside layer. It should have a certain gradient, i.e., it should not be too steep or too shallow. In no case should the profile of the winding hardness show abrupt changes, e.g. drop suddenly. No radial or tangential stresses, which could impair or destroy the paper web, should occur in the paper roll.
All of the foregoing have been objectives that were never accomplished. Winding machines of known construction instead produce, for instance, paper rolls in which the core is extremely soft or extremely hard and in which towards the end, at about 4/5 of the diameter of the roll, a strong drop in the winding hardness occurs. As a result, the first part, i.e., the extremely soft or hard core, is useless, since the web is compressed in this part and bursts so that this part must be thrown away as waste. In the end region in which the paper roll was not wound up with sufficient hardness, lateral displacement of the layers relative to each other occurs, so that the end sides of the finished roll appear frayed and the edges of the web can be easily damaged.
A poorly structured core with a hardness too great or too small does not permit a proper build-up of the rest of the paper roll. The problem is particularly serious in the case of pressure sensitive papers, for instance non-carbon papers, in which pressing of the reel spool with the developing paper roll present thereon against the shell of the carrier drum for the roll is subject to narrow limits.
In the method according to reference (1) DE 40 07 329 from page 1 herein, the developing paper roll is, as mentioned, displaced in a horizontal direction corresponding to the growth of the roll. The paper roll reaches an enormous weight which can exceed 100 tons. For this reason, the paper roll can, upon its growth, in any event not be pressed against the press drum in such a sensitive manner that variations in the line pressure can be avoided.
Reference (8) DE 44 15 324 from page 1 herein describes a winding machine for winding up of a paper web on a reel spool with a central drive. This machine comprises a winding station, a receiving station and a press roll without a drive. The press roll is continuously applied against the circumference of the secondary roll up to the winding station. The web is conducted in such a manner that it constantly enters the entrance nip without wrapping. The diameter of the press roll is as small as that of a standard web-guide roll. Due to insufficient flexural strength, it is therefore not suitable for the application of line pressures of any desired strength, in particular not for extremely large web widths, i.e., up to about 10 meters.
A special device in this case conveys a secondary reel spool and the press roll coupled with it up to the level of the winding station from which a previously wound paper roll was removed. The lift drive required for this produces an expensive construction.
This reference describes the following method: An empty reel spool is supported, together with a driveless press roll, on a vertical carriage. The reel spool and the press roll can be moved up and down on the carriage. Winding starts on the reel spool in a first upper position. The reel spool is then lowered onto horizontal rails together with the press roll and is moved into a fixed first position on the rails. During these steps, the winding process continues. In this first position, the paper web is wound up to form a complete roll, is brought into a delivery position and is then removed from the machine.
In the method according to reference (8) the reel spool is also initially wound in a first position, then lowered onto the rails where winding is then completed in a second position. Upon the lowering onto the rails, a jolt can occur which affects the circumferential force and again results in irregular winding hardness.
Another important disadvantage of this method is that the paper web is directly introduced into the press nip between the press roll and the reel spool, i.e., without, in this case, wrapping around the press roll. The inventors recognized that this leads to air inclusions between the individual layers of the developing paper roll.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,524 (reference 7) discloses a winding machine which operates in accordance with the Pope-type reel principle. A Pope-type reel in this case starts a first reel spool. As an alternative, a reel spool-starting device or "acceleration device" (column five, lines 61 to 67) is provided. The reel spool is swung around the circumference of the Pope-type reel and arrives on horizontal rails whereby it is pressed against the Pope-type reel. After cutting the moving web, the winding process on the reel spool commences. The Pope-type reel transmits a torque to the circumference of the reel spool and the developing paper roll. The winding up takes place, in this case, exclusively by application of force acting on the circumference. As soon as the paper reel is full, it is removed, driven by an "enveloper roll 31", from the Pope-type reel to create space for a following empty reel spool. The disadvantage of this machine is similar to that of the machine according to reference (1). In addition, there is no central drive for the reel spool. As a result, development of the winding hardness cannot be controlled as desired. Furthermore, the web tension between the Pope-type reel and the paper roll removed therefrom for cutting the web cannot be controlled as desired.
EP 0 483 092 A1 (reference 6) discloses the following method: An empty reel spool is accelerated to the speed of the web, is then placed on horizontal rails, is pressed against a "winding cylinder" and the leading end of the web is fed onto the empty reel spool. The paper web is then wound up until it forms a complete roll. The winding cylinder is in this case stationary, while the reel spool with the developing roll of paper is displaced on the rails to an extent corresponding to the growth of the paper roll. In this connection, a central drive and a circumferential drive act on the roll. Once the roll is completed, it is brought into a delivery position and is removed from the machine, while a new reel spool is accelerated and lowered onto the rails. Also in this case (as with references 1 and 7) it is not possible to set the line pressure between the winding cylinder and the developing paper roll to any desired values a sufficiently sensitive manner.

Method and apparatus for the winding up of a paper web to form a roll


The present invention discloses a method and device for voice control, which are used to solve the problem of low success rate of voice control in the prior art. The method includes: classifying stored recognition information used for voice recognizing to obtain a syntax packet corresponding to each type of recognition information (10); receiving an inputted voice signal, and performing a voice recognition processing respectively on the received voice signal by using each obtained syntax packet in turn (20), and performing a corresponding control processing based on a voice recognition result of the voice signal according to each syntax packet (30).

In order that people can use various services provided by the terminal equipment fast and conveniently without pressing the keys in a particular scene, the voice control technology arises accordingly. People only need to speak out various instructions near a microphone of the terminal equipment, and the terminal equipment can perform the corresponding processing according to the instructions. By taking voice dialing as an example, in order that people who cannot press keys with hands being occupied (for example when driving a vehicle) or who do not have sound upper limbs can also dial the phone, this technology can recognize the information required by dialing the phone from the user's voice, and perform dialing according to the recognized information. People only need to input a voice instruction, for example "dial Zhang San's mobile phone", to the microphone of the terminal equipment (including a fixed terminal or a mobile terminal), the terminal equipment can establish a call between the user and the called person, thereby significantly simplifying the users' operation. In addition to this application of voice dialing, the voice control technology is also widely used in various products such as robots and garage with a voice controlling switch.
The basic principle of the voice control technology will be introduced below by taking voice dialing as an example.
The terminal equipment firstly generates a syntax packet according to various contact information contained in the Contacts, for example name, address, contact way, etc, and this syntax packet contains voice data of the above contact information; then the terminal equipment receives, via an audio signal receiving interface such as a microphone, a voice signal input by the user, and recognizes the voice according to the received voice signal and the generated syntax packet, and judges whether the voice data of each word in the received voice signal is stored in the syntax packet; if yes, it is considered that this word is recognized from the received voice signal. When the proportion of the words recognized from the received voice signal in all words contained in the received voice signal exceeds a certain predetermined threshold, it is determined that the received voice signal is successfully recognized, and the corresponding subsequent processing is executed. For example, if the terminal equipment regulates that recognition success is determined when 60% of the words can be successfully recognized, and the voice input by the user is "dial Zhang San's mobile phone", then it is considered that recognition is successful if the terminal equipment can recognize the syllables of more than four words among them (7*60%=4.2), and the subsequent dialing flow is executed; otherwise it is considered that recognition fails, and processing is ended.
In order that the corresponding dialing processing can be performed efficiently according to the recognized information after the voice is successfully recognized, it is generally regulated in advance that when a voice is recognized, the threshold of the proportion of the recognized words in the total words contained in the received voice signal when judging whether voice recognition is successful or not is relatively high. However, in reality, many reasons will lead to the result that the proportion of the recognized words can hardly reach the predetermined threshold, thus causing failure of voice recognition, and hence causing the processing to end, for example the user unconsciously inputs a long paragraph, which only includes a few words that are associated with the dialing action, which will generally cause failure of recognition and ending of the processing since the proportion of the words that can be recognized can not reach the predetermined threshold; for another example, the terminal equipment can only recognize few words due to the accent of the user, which will also cause ending of the processing since the proportion of the words that can be recognized can not reach the predetermined threshold. Therefore, the success rate of the existing voice control technology is very low.


A method is presented comprising identifying a weak component in a wireless communication link, instructing a transmitter of the weak component to invoke repetition coding, and selectively combining signals received via multiple antennae on multiple channels to recover information contained in the transmitted signal.

Wireless communication systems are not new. Indeed, two-way radio technology dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, while its progeny, cellular telephony systems, were first introduced in the early 70's. As the technology developed and the cost associated with owning and using a cellular telephone decreased, the popularity of the wireless telephony systems exploded. To accommodate this growth in the subscriber base, digital cellular techniques were developed and standardized to increase user capacity of the cellular system without a commensurate increase in the radio frequency (RF) power generated within the system.
A number of different digital wireless communication technologies have been introduced and provide the basis for a number of wireless communication system architectures. Two primary examples of digital wireless technology are the time-division multiple access (TDMA) and code-division multiple access (CDMA) technologies. In a TDMA system, a carrier frequency is parsed into independent incremental units of time, referred to as a timeslot, wherein each timeslot at a carrier frequency supports an independent communication session between a subscriber unit (or, handset) and a communication station (or, base station). That is, while a communication channel in a conventional analog communication system is commonly defined by its carrier frequency (i.e., a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) system), a communication channel in a TDMA system is defined by a timeslot on a particular carrier frequency. Carving a given carrier frequency into N-independent timeslots results in an N-fold increase in system capacity over traditional FDMA system, with only a nominal increase in radiated power. In practice, an increase in capacity of two- to eight-fold has been achieved.
In a CDMA system, a communication channel is defined by a pseudo-noise (PN) code contained in the header of digital communication packets passed between the subscriber unit and the communication station. To further enhance system capacity, the CDMA system is a spread-spectrum system wherein the communication channel (defined by the PN code) hops through any of a number of carrier frequencies over an assigned band of radio frequency (or higher) spectrum.
While the introduction of such digital cellular techniques have certainly increased system capacity, developers of wireless communication system equipment continue to introduce enhancements designed to increase capacity and improve system performance. An example of such a development is the use of antenna arrays and, more particularly, the development and implementation of smart antenna technology. Antenna arrays introduce what is commonly referred to as spatial diversity, wherein each antenna in the array effectively provides a signal which is not correlated with the signals provided by other antenna in the array. These decorrelated (i.e., not fully correlated, as opposed to [completely] uncorrelated) signals provide the receiver with a number of alternative signals, each a decorrelated representation of the transmitted signal, from which the strongest is selected for downconversion and baseband recovery. On its own, diversity in the spatial domain provides multiple transmit and receive paths that serve to enhance both the uplink and downlink components of a wireless communication link. Smart antenna systems such as, for example, the IntelliCell® smart antenna technology offered by ArrayComm, Inc. of San Jose, Calif., provides further enhancements to the spatial diversity offered by an antenna array to further improve system performance characteristics. On the downlink side (from the communication station to the subscriber unit), spatial diversity facilitates improved directionality of the transmitted signal, which serves to extend the range of the downlink component without increasing power and reducing co-channel interference in the system. On the uplink side, the multiple antennas provide the receiver with a commensurate number of receive signals from which to choose.
Despite the introduction of spatial diversity, and the benefits to be gained from implementations of spatial diversity, many system operators still believe that their system coverage is constrained by the uplink component. While the improved directionality of the downlink component provided by smart antenna techniques may serve to increase the effective downlink range of the communication link, increasing the downlink component alone does not extend the effective range of the entire communication link. That is, it does not matter that the communication station is powerful enough to reach the subscriber unit if the uplink component cannot reach the communication station. Colloquially stated, the wireless communication channel is only as strong as its weakest link. If the communication channel is limited by its uplink component, increasing the strength of the downlink does not solve any problems.
Thus, a method and apparatus for extending the effective range of a communication link in a wireless communication system is required, unencumbered by the deficiencies and limitations commonly associated with the prior art. Just such a solution is presented, below.

Method and apparatus for increasing the effective range of a communication link in a wireless communication system


Embodiments are directed to the generation of a token associated with a status. The status of the token may affect how the token is treated and the types of restrictions placed on the token. The status of the token may indicate that the token is generated based on verification of secure user data. Alternatively, the status of the token may indicate that the token is generated based on insufficient user data and, as such, restrictions may be imposed on the token. The token requestor may be a mobile application, such as a merchant mobile application provisioned on a user device. In response to a token request from the merchant, the token provider issues tokens with varying status based on a confidence level. The status of the token may be indicated in terms of token assurance level.

In a traditional electronic payment transaction, a consumer's primary account number (PAN) information is exposed to various entities involved during the transaction lifecycle. The PAN is passed from a merchant terminal, to an acquirer system, a payment processing network, payment gateways, etc. Because the PAN can be exposed at various points in the transaction lifecycle, some have suggested that payment "tokens" be used to conduct payment transactions. A token serves as an additional security layer to the PAN and in effect becomes a proxy/surrogate to the PAN and may be used in place of PAN while submitting transactions.
While conventional efforts to use payment tokens have been useful, a number of additional problems need to be solved. For example, when a user device is used to conduct payment transactions, it is difficult to accurately identify the user and bind the user's identity to the user device via a token, particularly in environments where it is not possible to obtain a static or a unique device ID.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems, individually and collectively.

Identification and verification for provisioning mobile application


Methods and apparatus are provided that print a set of similar color patches using a color output device, determine colorimetric values for each color patch, calculate a standard deviation value for each of the colorimetric values, and calculate a numerical value that is a function of the standard deviation values and that represents the colorimetric deviation of the set.

Color imaging devices, such as color copiers, color printers, color printing presses and other similar color imaging devices often exhibit visible color variations in their printed output. These visible variations may occur within a single page (spatial page variations), and also from page to page (page-to-page variations), even though the input to the imaging device is identical for each page. This phenomenon is often referred to as "engine drift," or "engine instability," and may result from variations in manufacturing tolerances or aging of the imaging device, time-dependent variations in the colorants used to form the image (e.g., toner or ink), and variations in the ambient environment of the device.
Although engine drift and engine instability have been recognized for some time, there has not been an objective technique to characterize this phenomenon that correlates well with the visually perceived phenomenon. Indeed, previously known techniques for characterizing engine drift have often been based on density measurements. In one such previously known technique, a color imaging device is used to print a test pattern that includes test patches, which are then measured using a densitometer or other similar device that provides measurements of reflected density. After obtaining a large number of measurements (i.e., from multiple locations within a page and from multiple pages) the measured density values are averaged, and a standard deviation measurement is calculated from the measured data.
Although such previously known density-based techniques may be used to characterize engine drift, the techniques are not useful indicators of human perception of engine drift. In particular, density measurements do not correlate well with human perception of color, and density-based indicators of color variation do not correlate well with human perception of color differences. As a result, previously known density-based techniques for characterizing engine drift do not bear a close relationship to how a human observer would perceive such engine drift.
It therefore would be desirable to provide methods and apparatus for objectively characterizing color variations in a color output device.
It further would be desirable to provide methods and apparatus for characterizing color variations in a color output device in a manner that corresponds to human perception of such variations.

Methods and apparatus for colorimetrically characterizing color deviation in color imaging devices


In general, radiation shielding systems that shield radiation from multiple directions are described. In one embodiment, a method of shielding radiation is provided, including supporting a shielding device on an object proximate a radiation source, positioning a first shielding portion in a vertical position relative to the object, positioning a second shielding portion to extend away from the first portion, the second shielding portion attached to the first portion, and shielding radiation from the radiation source by the first shielding portion and the second shielding portion such that the first and second shielding portions provide a radiation shielding zone for a healthcare practitioner.

Healthcare practitioners often work near a radiation field, such as from a fluoroscope, X-ray machine, or other imaging system, when treating a patient. Procedures and therapies are often designed to reduce patient exposure while allowing healthcare practitioners to effectively treat the patient. However, cumulative radiation exposure of physicians and healthcare practitioners may be significant as they often perform multiple treatments in a typical day, and radiation exposure may be increased when a particular treatment requires the healthcare practitioner's body to be close to a field of radiation. For example, the healthcare practitioner's hands may be exposed to radiation from fluoroscopic imaging equipment when inserting a catheter in a patient's vessel, or when delivering other instruments, medicines, fluids, or other endovascular devices in a patient's vessel. Various techniques have been used to limit radiation exposure, such as physical barriers including radiation shielding and body wear.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Radiation shielding devices, systems, and methods


A semiconductor device includes a transmitting unit for receiving plural bits of data to modulate the data to a 1-bit pulse signal whose pulse width corresponds to a value of the data and transferring the pulse signal to a transfer line; and a receiving unit for receiving the pulse signal transferred through the transfer line to demodulate the pulse signal to the plural bits of data.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor design technology, and more particularly, to a device for transmitting/receiving data through a global line constituting a single line.
Generally, a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) transfers parallel data through a global line. This method is advantageous for transferring data at a high rate of speed. However, when parallel data are transferred not at high speed but at low speed, since each of the data uses the global line, this method is not efficient.
Therefore, for improving efficiency of the global line, it is possible to convert the parallel data to serial data for transferring data. However, in this case, a pipe latch circuit and a control circuit for controlling the pipe latch circuit should be included at both sides of the global line. Further, when the parallel data are converted to the serial data to be transferred, transfer speed is relatively increased in comparison with transferring the parallel data through a plurality of global lines.


A mounting device for removably mounting a tactical flashlight along side a firearm includes: a receiving member having a base and an offset flashlight receiver coupled thereto; and a clamping member removably coupled with the base. A method for removably mounting a tactical flashlight along side a firearm includes: removably coupling a mounting device to a front portion of a trigger guard; and removably coupling the flashlight to the mounting device along side the firearm so a tail cap of the flashlight is along side the front portion of the trigger guard. A tactical flashlight and firearm system includes: a firearm; a mini tactical flashlight; and a mounting device removably coupling the firearm and the flashlight together, the mounting device holding the flashlight along side the firearm so that a tail cap of the flashlight is along side a front portion of a trigger guard.

1. Technical Field
This document relates to a mounting device.
2. Background Art
When considering the need for a firearm for personal protection it is necessary to mention the need for a flashlight. Whether the gun is for police, for home defense, or for personal protection while operating a business or traveling, it is a fact that the majority of hostile encounters take place in low light conditions.
Conventional weapon-mounted lights for firearms are very expensive and, therefore, beyond the reach of many private citizens. Additionally, they require the firearm to have a special accessory rail for attachment of the light accessory to the gun. Furthermore, they do not allow a shooter to make use of any tactical flashlight he might already own.
Other conventional flashlight adapters make use of an existing flashlight. However, some require the firearm to have a separate special accessory rail for attachment of the light to the gun, or some require the shooter to purchase a separate special adapter and modify the firearm by drilling and tapping holes into it for the adapter to fit. Other conventional flashlight adapters place the flashlight under the barrel of the firearm which makes it very difficult to operate the controls of the flashlight without separate special equipment.
It is also important to note that when operating a weapon-mounted light that safe gun handling practices be employed. For example, when operating the light prior to identifying a threat, the shooter must be able to operate the light without placing a finger on the trigger or through the trigger guard. In the case that a friend or family member is encountered instead of a threat, one should not be illuminating them with a lighting device whose operation is dependent on a finger being placed on the trigger of the weapon.


A quickly-disconnecting coupling suitable for use in a fuel dispensing system reduces fluid pressure-generated axial separation forces on the coupling. A first body member has one or more fluid passages therethrough in fluid communication with corresponding fluid passages through a second body member. A detent is provided to couple the body members to each other in flow communication and to uncouple them when a force in excess of a predetermined level is exerted on the coupling. The detent may be frangible or infrangible. Means are provided to hold the first and second body members in axial juxtaposition with each other. Valving is provided for sealing fluid passages against loss of fluid when the detent releases the first and second body members from axial juxtaposition. A hydraulic seal is so located as to prevent the pressurized liquid contained in the fluid passages from entering between the first and second body members at the axial interface thereof, thus limiting fluid pressure-generated damage to coupling, including effects of line shock. A recouplable detent is also provided which has a spring with a contacting edge, a first annular recess in a first body member, a second annular recess in a second body member, the first annular recess being aligned with the second annular recess and the second body member having a camming surface. In the coupled position, the spring is located within the second annular recess with the contacting edge in contact with the camming surface.

This invention relates to a coupling or connector for disconnecting and shutting off the flow of liquid through the line in which the coupling is placed, and more particularly to a quickly disconnecting connector suitable for use as an emergency breakaway fitting in lines carrying flammable or combustible fluids such as fuel. It is desirable for a breakaway coupling in a fuel line to disconnect at a relatively low tensile force in order to limit damage to the fuel dispensing system, but the force at which a coupling disconnects must also be great enough to withstand axial separation forces on the coupling as a result of fluid pressure. This invention relates to a coupling system that reduces the axial separation forces due to fluid pressure, permitting the use of couplings that separate at a lower externally-generated tensile force.
Fuel, such as gasoline, is commonly dispensed from a fuel pump through a flexible hose and nozzle into the tank of a vehicle such as an automobile or boat. Safety requirements typically provide that controls on the dispenser must be manually activated but must cut off automatically. When the desired amount of fuel has been dispensed, the individual operating the pump removes the nozzle from the fuel tank, turns off the pumping equipment and replaces the nozzle on the dispenser. FIG. 1 illustrates such a system. Occasionally, a vehicle may be driven from the proximity of the dispensing station without first removing the nozzle from the fuel tank inlet. A large number of such occurrences, presently more than 300,000 each year, are reported annually. Instances of this kind are referred to in the trade as a "drive off". Safety regulations require a safety release mechanism with an automatic cut off to terminate flow on such equipment. Without such a mechanism that functions properly, when a drive off occurs, forces generated at the nozzle 34 and transmitted through the hose could dislodge and damage measuring equipment 12 and piping 22 in the pump assembly and could in some cases even dislodge the pump assembly, which is typically anchored to a concrete platform. When such damage occurs, the highly-combustible fuel may be spilled, posing fire and environmental hazards.
Various coupling devices have been developed which are suitable for releasing the nozzle 34 from the pump assembly when the coupling device is subjected to tensile forces above a specified threshold level. The devices, called breakaway couplings or breakaways, are intended to prevent the damage associated with a drive-off. When the nozzle is disconnected, fluid passages in these devices are closed to prevent loss of fuel. Safety regulations in the United States require such a releasing mechanism.
FIG. 2 shows a basic fuel line coupling device with separable body members 44 and 52 held together by a detent 62. These features are common to a number of different breakaway couplings that may vary in the form of detent, body members, valving, or the method of attachment or insertion into the system. For example, the breakaway may offer multiple fluid passages not shown here. The device of FIG. 2 is presented as a representative device to illustrate certain problems common to many different breakaway couplings.
In this class of couplings, tensile force directed along the longitudinal axis 64 of the coupling device (i.e., along the direction of fluid flow) will cause the detent to release the two members of the coupling device, and valves 66 and 72 will then cut off fluid flow through the coupling. The threshhold level at which the detent must release must be sufficiently low to prevent damage to the fuel dispensing system, which typically includes a pump and an underground storage system, not illustrated. Since cabinet anchors may fail at less than 250 pounds and hose connections separate at less than 300 pounds, the breakaway should ideally separate at a lower tensile force.
In the United States, safety rules permit the release mechanism to separate under tensile forces in excess of 200 pounds if the device is properly tested on the specific equipment with which it will be used, while in certain European nations the release mechanism must operate at less than 30 kilograms (approximately 67 pounds) of tensile force.
Some breakaway couplings, like the devices described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,667,883, 4,828,183 and 4,827,977, are suitable for mounting between hose segments 24 at some convenient location 40. Other breakaway couplings, such as the devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,792 and the device shown in FIG. 6 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,883 are suitable for use as swivel joint connectors 36. Still other breakaway couplings, such as the devices described in pending U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 07/597,886 and 07/597,890 are suitable for mounting directly between the hose and the anchored piping 22. These devices typically rely on some type of detent mechanism for separation.
Looking in more detail at FIG. 2, the first body member 44 is suitable for attachment to the anchored piping system 22 by some convenient means. The first body member 44 includes a fluid passage 46 therethrough from an inlet 48, suitable for being held in fluid communication by some means with the anchored piping 22, to an outlet 50. The first body member 44 is suitable for receiving a corresponding second body member 52, which includes a fluid passage 54 therethrough from an inlet 56, juxtapositioned in fluid communication with the outlet 50 of first body member 44f by some sealing means 58, to an outlet 60 suitable for being held in fluid communication by some means with the nozzle 34. The outlet 50 of first body member 44 is held in fluid communication with the inlet 56 of second body member 52 by a detent 62 which may be either a frangible member such as the shear pin device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,883 or a recouplable member such as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,977. When a force, either axially directed or axially redirected, in excess of a predetermined threshold, is exerted in direction 64, the detent 62 releases the second body member 52 from the first body member 44 thereby releasing the anchored piping 22 from the nozzle 34 and allowing the inlet 56 of second body member 52 to move from fluid communication with the outlet 50 of first body member 44. As this occurs, valve 66, urged by some means 68, moves into sealing contact with valve seat 70 in first body member 44 to seal the passage from the metering device 12 thereby preventing discharge of pressurized fluid, while valve 72, urged by some means 74, moves into sealing contact with valve seat 76 in second body member 52 to seal the passage from the nozzle 34 and preventing discharge of fluid contained therebetween in excess of the legally mandated maximum loss per separation, which in the United States may be as little as one (1) pint.
While the breakaway coupling is designed to separate under certain conditions, its attachment mechanism should not fail during normal operation when there is no externally-generated tensile force applied to the system. The coupling must therefore withstand axial separation forces that exist in normal operation.
Hydrostatic pressure within the coupled device generates a force between the first body member 44 and second body member 52 at the pressurized interface of the two body members. This force tends to move the second body member 52 axially in direction 78. These hydrostatically produced axial forces therefore act in the same direction as the externally-generated tensile forces, are cumulative, and are restrained solely by the detent 62.
The magnitude of such hydrostatically produced axial forces is relatively large for some breakaways. The hydrostatic forces are the product of the area under pressure and the hydrostatic pressure on that area. The area under pressure within the breakaway is defined and limited by the sealing means 58 which, typically varies from 0.75 inches in diameter to 1.25 inches in diameter. The area under pressure is thus typically in the range of approximately 0.44 square inches to more than 1.56 square inches. In the United States, the maximum normal pumping pressure for fuel dispensing equipment is limited to 50 pounds per square inch guage pressure (Psig.), producing an axial force of between approximately 22 pounds and 78 pounds. This force is small enough that it does not materially affect the ability of equipment to function as planned, but it increases the load on the detent both when it is and when it is not subject to externally-generated tensile force. Thus, one object of the present invention is to reduce the hydrostatically-produced axial separation force on the body members.
Another set of axial separation forces arise in normal operation of a system such as that illustrated in FIG. 1. When the trigger 38 of nozzle 34 is released suddenly, as commonly occurs in fuel dispensing, the column of liquid flowing from a remote location, which may be hundreds of feet distant, and moving at speeds of up to 160 feet per second, is suddenly stopped at the manually operated valve within the nozzle 34. This momentarily pressurizes the confined liquid, producing a pressure wave generally referred to as a Tine shock, which commences at the nozzle and moves through the piping to the remotely located pump. The line shock duration is only milliseconds, but it produces momentary pressures of up to 600 Psig. This momentary 600 Psig. line shock pressure applied to the sealing means produces momentary axial loading on the detent 62 in the range of approximately 220 pounds to 780 pounds of axial force. This is more than the ideal threshold limit of the devices. Since such loading is only momentary, complete failure of the detent does not normally occur after a single line shock but generally does occur after a succession of such shocks.
Accordingly, means are provided for diminishing or removing the axial effect of line shock at pressure-communicating interfaces of breakaway couplings. Several embodiments of the means are given and generally indicated at 100 in FIGS. 3 and 4, 100A in FIG. 5, 100B in FIG. 6, 100C in FIG. 8, 100D in FIG. 11, and 100E in FIG. 12.


According to some aspects disclosed herein, a system for remote assistance and control of user devices subject to one or more remote assistance policies may be provided. In some embodiments, an administrator may request remote control of a managed user device. A managed application launcher may be provided by the user device and may be modified by the user device to remove managed applications or otherwise prevent access to applications that have a policy indicating that remote assistance is not allowed. The administrator may open a managed application included in the launcher and remotely control that application. In other embodiments, a user of the managed user device may initiate a request for remote assistance from within a managed application and/or the managed application launcher. The administrator's control of the user device and access to other applications on the user device may be limited based on the remote assistance policies.

Various kinds of computing devices, from personal computers to mobile devices, are becoming increasingly popular. In addition, people are increasingly using these devices for both business purposes and personal uses. As these devices continue to grow in popularity and people continue to use them for an ever-growing number of reasons, the users of these devices have demanded and will continue to demand greater convenience, functionality, and ease-of-use from their computing devices and the computer software with which they interact.
Companies have increasingly turned to mobile devices as a way to provide employees with better access to enterprise services and resources. Users may be able to utilize personal devices to access enterprise resources through managed "bring your own device" (BYOD) programs. Through BYOD initiatives, managed applications and other services may be provided directly through a personal device of a user. These users may require troubleshooting or assistance from an administrator. In conventional work environments, for example, an administrator could remotely control a workstation of the user to provide assistance. However, personal devices used in a BYOD environment may contain personal data and applications, and users may not want to provide the administrator with access to the personal data and applications.

Remote assistance for managed mobile devices


A time-interleaved analog-to-digital (AD) converter includes: N AD converters; a frequency divider that receives a clock signal and applies 1/N frequency division N to the received clock signal to generate N frequency-divided clock signals to be supplied to the N AD converters; at least (N−1) variable delay circuit that adjusts delay time for at least (N−1) frequency-divided clock signal; a low pass filter circuit or an input buffer circuit that receives the clock signal and limits a frequency band of the received clock signal to generate a reference signal; and a control circuit that controls the delay time of the at least (N−1) variable delay circuit, and decreases one or more differences among digital output values output from the N AD converters when the reference signal is input to the N AD converters.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a time-interleaved analog-to-digital (AD) converter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Time-interleaved analog-to-digital (AD) converters have various architectures and are used in ways dependent on specifications thereof, which include the resolution, sampling frequency, and power consumption. Since, among such AD converters, an AD converter that operates at high-speed sampling frequencies higher than 1 GHz is difficult to be implemented with a single AD converter, a time-interleaved AD converter is often used.
The time-interleaved AD converter has an architecture in which N AD converters referred to as "channel AD converters" hereinafter, N representing an integer equal to or larger than two, are arranged and operational clock signals with phases that are evenly shifted are respectively input to the N AD converters and after the AD conversion, output data are coupled. Thus, the operational clock frequency of each channel AD converter can be caused to be 1/N times as high as the sampling frequency. As a result, even a high-speed AD converter whose sampling frequency is higher than 1 GHz can be implemented.
In the time-interleaved AD converter, however, various errors occur, which are caused by unevenness in or mismatch among elements that make up each channel AD converter. Particularly, a timing error, which is hereinafter referred to as a "timing skew", of a clock signal caused in sampling is a major issue because such an error deteriorates the precision of the AD conversion, that is, the signal-to-noise (SN) ratio.
The timing skew is caused by unevenness in or mismatch of switches or capacitors in the sampling circuits of the channel AD converters, or a difference in paths from a clock generation circuit to the channel AD converters. The AD conversion result obtained when a timing skew is caused includes a spurious signal that occurs on an output spectrum thereof. Particularly when a high-frequency signal is input, a large AD conversion error caused by the timing skew appears and thus, the SN ratio is largely decreased.
Many methods have been proposed so as to correct a timing skew that occurs in a time-interleaved AD converter. Such methods include a method in which a reference signal is supplied to an input signal and a phase of a clock signal of each channel AD converter is adjusted using a variable delay circuit or the like. This method can correct a timing skew with reliability and in a short time. The proposed methods include a method in which a timing skew is estimated by inputting a signal generated by a digital-to-analog converter, referred to as a DAC hereinafter, as a reference signal while shifting the phase of the signal, and by detecting an edge of the signal (see, for example, V. H.-C. Chen and L. Pileggi, "A 69.5 mW 20 GS/s 6b Time-Interleaved ADC With Embedded Time-to-Digital Calibration in 32 nm CMOS SOI", IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 49, no. 12, pp. 2891-2901, December 2014), The proposed methods also include a method in which a ramp wave is input as a reference signal and delay of a clock signal of each channel AD converter is adjusted so that the AD conversion results of the channel AD converters are the same as one another (see, for example, Z. Liu, K. Honda, and S. Kawahito, "A New Calibration Method for Sampling Clock Skew in Time-interleaved ADC", IEEE International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference, May 2008).

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


Embodiments of the invention related to a method for manufacturing a thin film solar cell backside contact. Prior to application of materials, a planar substrate is provided and an associated backside of the substrate is modified to form one or more pedestals. The modified substrate is layered with multiple layers of material, including a conducting layer, a reflective layer, and a passivation layer. The layered backside substrate is polished to expose portions of the conducting layer at discrete locations on the backside of the substrate. The exposed portions of the conducting layer maintain direct electrical communication between an absorber layer deposited on the layered backside substrate and the conducting layer.

The present invention relates to thin film solar cell manufacturing. More specifically, the invention relates to manufacturing a thin film solar cell backside contact.
A solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts light energy into electrical energy by a photovoltaic effect. In order to lower the cost of electricity below the costs of electricity from fossil sources, it is necessary to improve solar cell efficiency. There are different forms of solar cells, including, but not limited to, silicon solar cells and thin film solar cells. One form of thin film solar cell is referred to as CIGS, Cu(InGa)Se2, which has a high efficiency for a thin film solar cell. However, even with the current levels of efficiency provided by the CIGS, there is a need to further improve the efficiency and to reduce losses.

Thin film solar cell backside contact manufacturing process

International Business Machines Corporation


A buttstock structure is used in a toy gun, for collaborating with a gun body. The gun body includes an extension member connected to the gun body. The extension member is formed with a plurality of retaining troughs. The buttstock structure includes a buttstock body and an adjusting trigger. The buttstock body includes a chamber accommodating the extension portion, a latch selectively engaged with a respective one of the retaining troughs, and a latch recess accommodating the latch. A retaining pin is inserted in the latch and protrudingly disposed on a side wall of the latch recess. An adjusting trigger is movably connected with the buttstock body. The adjusting trigger includes a handle and a linking member connected to the handle. Two inclined slots for containing the retaining pin are formed at one end of the linking member.

When using airsoft guns, the size and shape of the face of each player is not the same, and consequently, the airsoft guns may not contact the face properly to well support the face. In addition, since each player has different gripping methods and habits, a buttstock has to be adjusted to a suitable length so that the buttstock may contact against the chest of the player when the airsoft gun is changed to a rifle. There are conventional length adjustable buttstock structures in the market. The conventional length adjustable buttstock structure is operated by two elements: a handle and a fastening structure. When to extend the buttstock, first the fastening structure is released to separate the buttstock structure from a barrel (which typically called "Buffer Tube"), then the handle is pressed to make the buttstock away from a gear portion in the barrel, and thereby extension or shorten of the buttstock is completed (the foregoing descriptions relate to the known length adjustable buttstock structures in the market). Although the length of the buttstock can be adjusted using the aforesaid structure, the structure is complicate and has too many components, thereby resulting in high assembling and production costs and other problems.
In view of the foregoing, the inventor made various studies to improve the above-mentioned problems by providing a simple structure to adjust the buttstock or a cheek piece, so as to enhance the practical utility in the industries.


An input device configured for multi-factor authentication. The input device includes a plurality of sensor electrodes, one or more light sources, and an authentication component. The plurality of sensor electrodes is configured for capacitive sensing in a sensing region of the input device. The one or more light sources are configured to illuminate at least a portion of the sensing region of the input device. The authentication component is configured to receive a first authentication input via a first authentication device, determine whether the first authentication input matches a first credential of an authorized user, and selectively activate the one or more light sources based at least in part on whether the first authentication input matches the first credential of an authorized user.

Authentication is a mechanism for verifying the identity of a user attempting to access a device and/or application. A basic form of authentication may require a user to input a username and password via an input device. However, usernames and passwords are easily stolen and can be used by unauthorized users to gain access to a corresponding device or application. Thus, modern authentication schemes increasingly rely on biometric sensors (e.g., sensors capable of identifying unique biological characteristics of the user) to provide greater levels of security. Example biometric sensors include fingerprint scanners, facial recognition systems, eye scanners, voice recognition systems, and the like. Biometric inputs typically require the user to physically interact with one or more sensors to perform authentication.
For enhanced security, some applications require multi-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication requires a user to satisfy two or more "factors" or criteria for authentication. Example authentication factors can include something the user knows (e.g., username and password), something the user has (e.g., security token or device identifier), and something the user is (e.g., personal identifier or biometric). Because multi-factor authentication schemes require multiple different forms of verification, the false acceptance rate of a multi-factor authentication scheme may be significantly lower than that of any authentication scheme using only a single form of authentication. However, because multi-factor authentication also may require various types of user inputs, it may be desirable to notify or guide the user through the steps of the multi-factor authentication process.

Indication for multi-factor authentication