Specific embodiments of the present invention provide a hydrocracking process for converting low value-added heavy hydrocarbon distillates into high value-added hydrocarbon distillates using a supercritical solvent as a medium.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydrocracking process of heavy hydrocarbon distillates using a supercritical solvent, and, more particularly, to a hydrocracking process for converting low value-added heavy hydrocarbon distillates into high value-added hydrocarbon distillates using a supercritical solvent as a medium.
Description of the Related Art
Recently, demands for transport oils, particularly, light oil products, have continuously increased, whereas demands for heavy oil products, such as bunker oil and the like, have decreased. However, the ratio of high-sulfur crude oil and heavy crude oil to produced crude oils has gradually increased compared to in the past. Moreover, according to concerns about petroleum resource exhaustion, it has been continuously required to develop technologies for upgrading low-priced heavy hydrocarbon distillates, such as heavy distillates obtained during a crude oil refining process, bitumen (an alternative to crude oil) and the like, to produce high value-added light oil products and petrochemical raw material distillates.
As a typical example of such low-grade heavy distillates, there is a vacuum residue which is an oil distillate recovered from the bottom of a reduced-pressure distillation tower during a crude oil refining process (e.g., the vacuum residue is obtained at a pressure of 25 to 100 mmHg, and has a boiling point of about 813.15 K or more at atmospheric pressure). Because such low-grade heavy distillates have low H/C ratios and high viscosity, they are difficult to upgrade. Further, typically, heavy distillates, particularly, a vacuum residue, have high contents of sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen and heavy metals (e.g., vanadium, nickel, iron and the like) as well as polyaromatic compounds, such as asphaltene and the like.
In relation to this, various methods of upgrading heavy hydrocarbon distillates have been proposed. One of these methods includes a process for converting low value-added heavy hydrocarbon distillates having a high boiling point into high value-added hydrocarbon distillates having a low boiling point.
Conventional examples of the above-mentioned converting process include, for example, cracking, hydrocracking, catalytic cracking, steam cracking and the like. However, this converting process generally requires extreme operation conditions of high temperature, high hydrogen pressure and the like, and uses a hydrogenation catalyst having a weak acidic support to prevent the formation of coke. In relation to this, a vacuum residue is known to have hydrocracking characteristics different from those of light oil.
Meanwhile, recently, processes of treating and upgrading crude oil or heavy distillates in a supercritical medium or solvent have been developed. For example, Korean Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-0107459 describes a process for recovering an oil distillate having a low content of asphaltene, sulfur, nitrogen or a metal as well as having a low heavy component content by bringing heavy distillates stream into contact with supercritical water to convert the heavy distillates into refined heavy distillates; Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-297468 describes a process for decomposing heavy distillates under the supercritical condition of a saturated hydrocarbon solvent (e.g., dodecane, normal hexane, cyclohexane and the like); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,127 describes a process for converting a high-boiling hydrocarbon distillate, such as a vacuum residue, into a low-boiling hydrocarbon distillate using halogen or hydrogen halide as a catalyst under the supercritical condition of an acidic aqueous solution medium.
Most commonly-known processes are processes of converting heavy hydrocarbon distillates into low-boiling hydrocarbon distillates using water or a saturated hydrocarbon solvent as a supercritical medium in the presence of a catalyst. In this case, as typical examples of high value-added oil distillates that can be obtained from an upgrading process, there are naphtha (IBP to 177° C.) and a middle distillate (177 to 343° C.). Particularly, a middle distillate has been attracting considerable attention recently, in accordance with the increase in demands for aviation oil and diesel oil (light oil), because it includes kerosene and diesel oil in an oil refining process. However, when a conventional supercritical solvent is used, the conversion of a low value-added oil distillate into a high value-added distillate (particularly, a middle distillate as a raw material of diesel oil) is insufficient, requiring improvement of the conventional supercritical solvent to prevent the formation of coke.
Moreover, the conventional technology is disadvantageous in that the composition of the converted oil distillate is greatly changed depending on hydrogen pressure. For this reason, there is a problem in that a reaction of converting heavy distillates into high value-added oil distillates, such as a middle distillate (and/or naphtha), must be conducted under relatively high partial pressure of hydrogen.
Therefore, it is required to develop a hydrocracking process for heavy hydrocarbon distillates using a supercritical solvent, which can reduce the formation of coke even under the condition of low hydrogen pressure compared to that of a conventional technology, which can maintain a high conversion ratio and which can improve the selectivity of a middle distillate, the demand for which has recently increased.

Hydrocracking process of heavy hydrocarbon distillates using supercritical solvent

INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION, YONSEI UNIVERSITY


Systems and methods for using plug-in modules to process transactions in a proxy, wherein portions of the transaction information such as client requests and corresponding server responses may be transformed before delivery to their destinations. One embodiment comprises an application programming interface (API) implemented in a proxy that enables the use of individual plug-in modules to perform transaction processing, including transformations on requests and/or responses handled by the proxy. In one embodiment, transactions are broken down into stages comprising initializing the transaction, sending an opening statement, getting a request, transforming the request, logging in and obtaining authorization, generating a response, transforming the response, sending the response, and terminating the transaction. Because the proxy uses plug-in modules for the stages, functionality and protocol support can be easily modified, and code re-use is increased.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to computer and software architectures, and more particularly to systems and methods for constructing network transaction processing platforms that comprise plug-in modules which perform transformations on client requests and server responses.
2. Related Art
A vast majority of the computer systems that are currently in use are not configured strictly as stand-alone devices. In other words, they are coupled to other computers, and possibly other types of devices, through one or more networks. For example, it is typical for a personal computer set up for use at a person's home or business to be connected to the Internet. The computer can therefore communicate with other computers through the Internet.
Many of the communications that occur over the Internet and other networks can be characterized as client—server communications. That is, one computer acts as a server and provides ("serves") data to those who request it. The computers that make the requests serviced by the servers are clients. Communications between clients and servers typically consist of a client generating a request for data and transmitting this request to a server, followed by a server generating responsive data and transmitting this data back to the requesting client.
Many client-server systems incorporate a proxy to improve the efficiency of the system. A proxy is located between the client and server. The proxy receives requests from the client and, if possible, responds to the request without forwarding it to the server. If the proxy cannot provide a response to the request, the request is simply forwarded to the server in the same manner as if the proxy were not present. The proxy thereby reduces the load on the server.

Plug-in API for protocol and payload transformation


An image pickup apparatus comprises an image pickup unit including a plurality of photoelectric conversion units for picking up an image of an object; and a filter, arranged on the image pickup unit, for reducing a light amount that causes a flicker.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus for picking up an image of an object.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, a fingerprint recognition apparatus is available that is used for fingerprint verification when a finger is positioned so as to directly contact a two-dimensional semiconductor sensor (an electrostatic type or an optical reading type). This fingerprint recognition apparatus has recently become very important in the company and individual security fields.
If the size, weight and price of the fingerprint recognition apparatus can be reduced, dramatic growth is expected in the market for business transactions for which portable telephones or other portable devices are employed.
The recognition accuracy of the electrostatic type sensor is low, however, when a finger is too dry, and attention has been drawn to the optical type because it provides excellent recognition accuracy for various finger types. An optical type fingerprint recognition apparatus is described in detail in Japanese Patent No. 310126.
Sensors used for the optical type apparatus are an area sensor shown in FIG. 1 and a line sensor shown in FIG. 2. In the above example, the optical sensor emits an LED light to irradiate a finger, and employs scattered LED light, which passes through the finger, to read as an image the surface roughness of the finger.
According to the fingerprint recognition apparatus that uses the area sensor, when a finger 1 is pressed against an area sensor 2, in the same manner as a seal, an LED is turned on and reads a fingerprint image.
According to the fingerprint recognition apparatus that uses the line sensor, a finger 1 is scanned by a line sensor 4 which includes several tens of pixel arrays, and an image of a fingerprint is read as a sensor signal.
For either type, the sensor output signal is processed by an image processing unit 5 to generate a fingerprint pattern that is compared by a pattern recognition unit 6 with a reference fingerprint pattern held in temporary storage. In this manner, fingerprint recognition can be performed.
In the image reading examples shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the LED light is emitted to radiate the finger. Generally, equipment in which the fingerprint recognition apparatus is mounted is used inside under fluorescent light that commonly has a brightness of several hundred lx or so, or is used outside under the sun which has a brightness of at least several tens of thousands of lx. In order for an image of a fingerprint to be accurately read under these conditions, appropriate optical and sensitivity designs are required for a sensor.
Further, since for a sensor that is to be mounted in a portable apparatus a low price and low power consumption are demanded, a reduction in the size of the sensor and an increase in its sensitivity are required. However, to accurately read the image of a fingerprint, an LED whose preferable emission wavelength is 800 to 950 nm is required, and such an LED is very expensive and consumes a large amount of power.
Thus, a highly sensitive sensor is needed to reduce the required number of expensive LEDs and the LED driving current. However, when the sensitivity of a sensor is high, the sensor tends to become saturated. And since a reduced exposure time is needed to prevent the sensor from becoming saturated, an electronic shutter is required to attain a reduced exposure time. In this case, the following new problem is encountered.
A flicker is generated when an electronic shutter is driven for a short period of time under fluorescent light. An explanation for the flicker will now be given while referring to FIGS. 3 and 4.
In FIG. 3, as is well known, flicker of a period of 10 ms is generated by fluorescent light. Thus, when the exposure period of a sensor is several tens of ms or longer, variances in the integral values light amount are reduced. For example, when the length of an exposure period is 100 ms, as shown in FIG. 3, exposure variance is not a problem for a fingerprint sensor. When, however, as is shown in FIG. 4, rolling shutter driving, at a flicker period of 10 ms, is performed to expose sequentially an individual pixel row, a large flicker is generated in the output signal of the sensor.
Further, even when whole pixels are simultaneous exposed, if an image is read while a flicker is generated for a small amount of light, the SN ratio of the fingerprint image is greatly degraded and fingerprint recognition is impossible.
An explanation will now be given for outside use. Since an area sensor at least can obtain a plurality of images when a finger is pressed against it, feedback of the exposure condition can be performed and the sensor can be prevented from being saturated. However, for a scan type sensor, while multiple scanning determines the exposure condition, it is difficult to determine the exposure condition when only one scanning is preformed. This, therefore, is a serious problem, since the sensor becomes saturated and recognition of the fingerprint is not possible.


Apparatus for automatic stimulation of a patient having a sensor adapted to be coupled to the patient for measuring the saturation level of a predetermined gas in the blood of the patient and supplying an electrical signal representative of the measured saturation level, a computer receives the electrical signal and automatically generates a control signal when the measured saturation level falls below a predetermined value. A patient stimulator adapted to be coupled to the patient is coupled to the computer so that when a control signal is supplied by the computer to the patient stimulator a stimulant is automatically supplied to the patient.

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for automatic stimulation of breathing mammals in response to blood gas analysis and more in particular to detection of apnea conditions.
At the present time, transcutaneous, membranous instruments are available for measuring a patient's oxygen and carbon dioxide status non-invasively and continuously by measuring the oxygen and the carbon dioxide concentration in the skin tissue of the patient. Also peripheral nerve stimulators are available. Also available are pulse oximeters to reliably measure hemoglobin saturation within oxygen by finger or earlobe sensors. In addition, external tidal capnographs are readily available to measure exhaled lung carbon dioxide as an indirect but accurate reflection of blood carbon dioxide. However, there is not available in the market an integrated apparatus which is capable of therapeutically stimulating a patient automatically in response to information supplied from an oxygen or CO.sub.2 measuring instruments so as to stimulate a patient to breathe more effectively when there is evidence that the patient's blood CO.sub.2 level is high or O.sub.2 is low compared to normal levels. There is therefore a need for an apparatus and method which can be used for reliably providing automatic stimulation of mammals in response to hypoxemic or hypercapnic conditions preceding true apnea by sensing the blood oxygen saturation level and/or CO.sub.2 level in the blood of the patient.

Apparatus and method for automatic stimulation of mammals in response to blood gas analysis


An impact tool which provides a consistent level of impact force is provided. The internal mechanism of the impact tool has a trip release member and a hammer which remains in constant contact over a constant surface area throughout cycling of the impact tool. Additionally, the trip release member may slide against a slug having a straight conical surface to minimize variation. Moreover, the hammer may be non-rotateable so that a non round or asymmetrical head may be used.

The various embodiments disclosed herein relate to an impact tool for providing a measured impact forced to a surface, and more particularly for providing a new use for a center punch.
Various center punches exist in the prior art. The center punches provide an impact force to a local area on a surface. However, these center punches suffer in that they do not provide a consistent level of impact force at the same setting and also are not durable over an extended period of use.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved center punch and also for extending the use of center punches.


One aspect of the invention is a method for data retrieval. The method includes the step of rendering geometry from a selected perspective (140) to produce a plurality of data values (130, T′AB). The method also includes the steps of storing at least a subset of the plurality of data values (130, T′AB) in a memory (40, 80) and computing a plurality of texture coordinates (a′–d′) of the geometry from a projective transformation corresponding to the selected perspective (140). The method also includes the step of retrieving at least one of the stored data values (TAB) that correspond to the texture coordinates (a′–d′) from the memory (40, 80).

Graphics rendering and other visualization applications typically utilize accelerated hardware, firmware, and sometimes even software modules to perform compute-intensive rendering operations. These applications also utilize a graphics system interface such as OPENGL® or DIRECT3D® to control low-level graphics drawing operations in these accelerated modules. For example, OPENGL® utilizes a variety of low-level models such as textures which may be defined for objects within scenes, and lighting models, which may define light sources and the manner in which surfaces in the scenes reflect light therefrom. Controlling the appearance of these objects typically requires the use of complex effects such as blending, shading and texturing, and may be performed using visualization applications such as programmable or procedural shading applications. Usually, each of these operations may require significant computing time and/or resources. In many applications, including interactive applications, it may be desirable to minimize one or both of these requirements.
Most processing within a graphics pipeline is performed on all of the image pixel data that is passed thereto. A graphics system interface such as OPENGL® may be used to select various pixels and to control processing of pixel-based appearances by using multiple passes through the graphics pipeline. Unfortunately, many conventional graphics systems typically require multiple fetch operations in the graphics pipeline to be performed to retrieve both geometry data and texture data to arrive at a final appearances. Moreover, many systems also typically require a masking operation to mask or cull relevant pixels to be blended with other images in a next pass through the graphics pipeline. For example, a bounding box of geometry encompassing the stored image pixels from a prior pass is typically used by these systems to retrieve and to register the image pixels with a result in a frame buffer that has been computed in the next pass so that they may be blended in a third pass. The unnecessary pixels between the bounding box and relevant stored pixels are then culled or masked out before the blending operation. Each of these fetch and/or mask operations undesirably increases the processing time with each of these passes. These conventional systems may also reduce the flexibility with which programmable per-pixel applications may be parameterized, in addition to reducing processing speeds.
Moreover, effects such as texture and lighting are typically computed using vertices provided by the geometry data, rather than per pixel. Because each value between the vertices must then be interpolated, the final appearance is usually undesirably uneven. Some systems have implemented methods in software, or software embedded in hardware, to perform per pixel computations to even out these lighting effects. However, these systems typically suffer from slow processing time.


A refrigerator oil composition includes: a synthetic base oil; and a partial hydrocarbyl ether of an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol condensate, in which the aliphatic polyhydric alcohol condensate includes a condensate of 4 to 20 molecules of a hindered glycol and/or an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol having 3 to 6 hydroxyl groups. The refrigerator oil composition is preferably used in a compression refrigerator that uses a hydrofluorocarbon, a natural refrigerant such as a hydrocarbon, carbon dioxide, or ammonia, a mixed refrigerant of fluoroiodomethane and propene, an unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbon, a fluorinated ether, a fluorinated alcohol, a fluorinated ketone, or a mixture thereof as a refrigerant, has a low coefficient of friction, and is excellent in energy-saving property.

In general, a compression refrigerator include at least a compressor, a condenser, an expansion mechanism (such as an expansion valve), and an evaporator, and further a drier, and is structured so that a mixed liquid of a refrigerant and lubricating oil (refrigerator oil) circulates in the closed system. In such compression refrigerator, the temperature in the compressor is generally high, and the temperature in the condenser is generally low, though such general theory is not applicable to a certain kind of such compression refrigerator. Accordingly, the refrigerant and the lubricating oil must circulate in the system without undergoing phase separation in a wide temperature range from low temperature to high temperature. In general, the refrigerant and the lubricating oil have regions where they undergo phase separation at low temperature and high temperature. Moreover, the highest temperature of the region where the refrigerant and the lubricating oil undergo phase separation at low temperature is preferably −10° C. or lower, or particularly preferably −20° C. or lower. On the other hand, the lowest temperature of the region where the refrigerant and the lubricating oil undergo phase separation at high temperature is preferably 30° C. or higher, or particularly preferably 40° C. or higher. The occurrence of the phase separation during the operation of the refrigerator adversely affects the lifetime or efficiency of the refrigerator to a remarkable extent. For example, when the phase separation of the refrigerant and the lubricating oil occurs in the compressor portion, a movable part is insufficiently lubricated, with the result that baking or the like occurs to shorten the lifetime of the refrigerator remarkably. On the other hand, when the phase separation occurs in the evaporator, the lubricating oil having a high viscosity is present, with the result that the efficiency of heat exchange reduces.
A chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), or the like has been heretofore mainly used as a refrigerant for a refrigerator. However, such compounds each contain chlorine that is responsible for environmental issues, so investigation has been conducted on a chlorine-free alternative refrigerant such as a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC). A hydrofluorocarbon typified by, for example, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, difluoromethane, pentafluoroethane, or 1,1,1-trifluoroethane (hereinafter referred to as "R134a", "R32", "R125", or "R143a", respectively) has been attracting attention, and, for example, R134a has been used in a car air conditioner system.
However, the HFC may also be involved in global warming, so the so-called natural refrigerant such as carbon dioxide, a mixed refrigerant of fluoroiodomethane and propene, ether, or the like has been attracting attention as an alternative refrigerant additionally suitable for environmental protection.
Further, in recent years, an unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbon compound (see, for example, Patent Document 1), a fluorinated ether compound (see, for example, Patent Document 2), a fluorinated alcohol compound, a fluorinated ketone compound, or the like has been found to be a refrigerant which: has a global warming potential lower than that of R134a described above; and can be used in a current car air conditioner system.
By the way, in the field of air conditioning, investigation has been recently conducted on a reduction in viscosity of refrigerator oil or an improvement in frictional characteristic of the oil in lubrication with a view to saving energy consumed by a refrigerator.
The energy-saving property of, for example, a refrigerator for a cold storage has been improved by reducing the viscosity of refrigerator oil to VG32, 22, 15, or 10. However, an additional reduction in viscosity has involved the emergence of problems such as reductions in sealing property and lubricity of the oil.
For example, (1) a refrigerator oil composition obtained by blending base oil composed of synthetic oil with at least one kind which: is selected from (A) an etherified product of a trivalent to hexavalent aliphatic polyhydric alcohol and (B) an etherified product of a bimolecular or termolecular condensate of a trivalent to hexavalent aliphatic polyhydric alcohol; and has a kinematic viscosity of 5 to 200 mm2/s at 40° C. (see, for example, Patent Document 3), and (2) a refrigerator oil composition obtained by blending base oil composed of mineral oil and/or synthetic oil with a glyceryl ether compound represented by the following general formula (I) at 0.01 to 10% by wt with reference to the total amount of the composition (see, for example, Patent Document 4) have been disclosed as refrigerator oil compositions each of which: is used in a compression refrigerator in which, for example, a hydrofluorocarbon-based, ether-based, hydrocarbon-based, carbon dioxide-based, or ammonia-based natural refrigerant is used as a refrigerant; and has improved lubricating performance:R1—OCH2CH(OH)CH2OH  (I)where R1 represents an alkyl group having 10 to 22 carbon atoms.
The refrigerator oil composition (1) has been investigated while emphasis is placed mainly on abrasion resistance and the property with which the clogging of a capillary is prevented, and the refrigerator oil composition (2) has been investigated while emphasis is placed mainly on abrasion resistance. However, no investigation has been conducted on the energy-saving property of each of the compositions.
Patent Document 1: JP 2006-503961 A
Patent Document 2: JP 7-507342 A
Patent Document 3: JP 10-265790 A
Patent Document 4: JP 11-315295 A


Methods and systems for operating an engine with split lambda modes are provided. At least one example method comprises, calculating a stoichiometric torque output of the plurality of cylinders; then applying one or more lean torque modifiers for every lean cylinder of the one or more non-stoichiometric cylinders to the stoichiometric torque output to calculate a lean torque output. In at least one example, one or more rich torque modifiers for every rich cylinder of the one or more non-stoichiometric cylinders may be applied to the stoichiometric torque output to calculate a rich torque output. Further, the lean torque output and the rich torque output may be summed to calculate a total engine torque output.

Modern engines are operated with a substantially stoichiometric air fuel ratio over a large portion of an engine speed-load map to maintain emission control device efficiency and meet emissions requirements. However at higher engine speeds and loads, typically the fuel will be scheduled rich of stoichiometry to cool a catalyst of the emission control device, as excess unburned fuel may help to cool the engine and exhaust components. For example, in gasoline turbocharged direct injection (GTDI) engines, the turbo inlet temperature is typically the hottest component and must be controlled to stay below a maximum allowable temperature to prevent operation problems. However, when the engine is operated rich to enable such cooling, hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions may increase, and there is an associated increase in fuel consumption. Other attempts to address such emissions and fuel consumption issues have included operating the engines at stoichiometry over all conditions to avoid the HC and CO emission increase associated with enrichment operation. Additionally or alternatively, load limit operations may be carried out, such as limiting an engine speed, airflow, and torque output so that these cooling operations are not necessary. Another proposed solution has been to carry out a split lambda fuel control scheme. In a split lambda fuel control scheme, fuel delivery to the cylinders is enrichened or enleaned from stoichiometry while maintaining substantially stoichiometric conditions at the emission control device, so that emissions are avoided and exhaust temperatures are reduced without sacrificing engine performance. In some of these proposed split lambda fuel control schemes, strategies such as providing exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to an intake passage of the engine from a subset of the cylinders has been proposed. In this way, engine power output may be increased by partially enriching the engine without increasing vehicle emissions.
However, the inventors have recognized that the above strategies have several shortcomings, especially concerning maintaining engine performance while avoiding noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH).
For example, previous approaches of operating the engine at stoichiometry over all conditions and load limiting strategies severely reduce engine performance. Further, previous default split lambda approaches may result in pronounced NVH issues if the engine is operated at a speed and load where the default split lambda pattern excites the resonance frequency and causes amplification of frequencies excited by the split lambda fueling pattern due to resonance. As to previous split lambda control schemes, the complex fueling strategy may create issues concerning accurately calculating a torque output. If the torque output is not being accurately determined, engine performance may be reduced and NVH may occur. Moreover, these previous split lambda schemes also fail to address issues of reducing NVH due to resonance amplification, and the above-discussed EGR strategy has little impact on increasing engine power.
In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by methods that may include carrying out a plurality of non-stoichiometric engine cycles while maintaining substantially stoichiometric conditions at an emission control device. By allowing non-stoichiometric engine cycles, additional fueling schedules with different frequencies (of repeating patterns of rich and lean cylinders) compared to those of stoichiometric engine cycles (with at least one rich or lean cylinders) are possible. In this way, NVH issues may be mitigated by choosing a fueling schedule that avoids exciting the engine or powertrain resonant frequencies while maintaining engine performance and reducing emissions. The optimal fueling schedule may vary based on engine speed and load conditions. Furthermore, the rolling split lambda may be used instead of default split lambda whenever split lambda operation is required to enable higher torques, and the rolling split lambda improves NVH compared to default split lambda, and/or the rolling split lambda enables higher engine torques.
Such an approach as developed by the inventors may be advantageous for several reasons. For example, consider a 6 cylinder engine. Alternating cylinders rich (R) and lean (L), each with equal rich and lean biases such as 20% each, results in a default split lambda as the cycle RLRLRL or LRLRLR is stoichiometric. The shortest repeating pattern (RL or LR) thus has a frequency three times the cycle frequency. Therefore, if, for example, a resonant frequency at 3000 RPM is close to three times the cycle frequency, the default split lambda may cause undesirable NVH. A rolling split lambda where cylinder duplets alternate rich and lean RRLLRR-LLRRLL has a shortest pattern of RRLL or RLLR or LLRR or LRRL, repeating at 1.5 times the cycle frequency which avoids the resonant frequency. However, if the engine speed changes to 6000 RPM, the resonant frequency now is at 1.5 times the cycle frequency. Therefore, a default split lambda may be better for NVH at this condition.
Having a rolling split lambda option may allow split lambda operation in regions where it was not possible with default split lambda (as the only split lambda mode) due to NVH. But this doesn't necessarily mean that rolling split lambda is better for NVH and avoiding amplification due to resonance everywhere. Further, having the rolling split lambda option may thus allow split lambda operation in speed-load regions where it was not possible with default split lambda as the only split lambda mode due to NVH. Thus, improvements over previous split lambda approaches may be achieved.
Further, as another example, consider a 3 cylinder engine. Due to the odd number of cylinders, a default split lambda mode is only possible with unequal rich and lean biases (for example, a 20% rich first cylinder, a 10% lean second cylinder, and a 10% lean third cylinder), or with running one cylinder stoichiometric (for example a 20% rich first cylinder, a stoichiometric second cylinder, a 20% lean third cylinder). A 10% bias or 0% bias from stoichiometric as in the default split lambda mode results in higher exhaust temperatures than a 20% bias from stoichiometric in the rolling split lambda mode. Thus, the rolling split lambda mode described herein with alternating 20% rich and 20% lean biases can further advantageously reduce exhaust temperatures and allow higher torques.
Further, the issues described above may additionally or alternatively be addressed by methods for calculating a torque output based on one or more torque modifiers, the one or more torque modifiers including an air fuel ratio and spark timing. In particular, during a split lambda fueling mode, the torque output calculations may include calculating the torque output for each cylinder separately and then summing the torque outputs. As another example, during a split lambda fueling mode, the torque output of all lean cylinders may be calculated as a first group, the torque output of all rich cylinders may be separately calculated as a second group, and then the torque output of the first group and the second group may be summed. Such an approach to calculating the torque output may help to ensure accuracy during split lambda fueling modes, such as the default split lambda mode and the rolling split lambda mode discussed below.
Further, in addition to or as an alternative, the issues described above may be addressed by a method for operating an engine with at least one rich cylinder and at least one lean cylinder, where the at least one rich cylinder is fueled via port fuel injection (PFI) and the at least one lean cylinder is fueled via direct injection. By fueling the at least one rich cylinder via PFI and the at least one lean cylinder via DI, components may be prevented from overheating while improving engine torque output performance.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Split lambda fueling operation systems and methods


A stone metering system for a railroad track maintenance vehicle providing improved accuracy in stone delivery. The system includes a surge hopper, a number of metering augers, and a corresponding number of splitters. The metering augers convey ballast stones from the surge hopper to the corresponding splitters, which divide the stones evenly between a number of blow tubes. The pitch of the auger screw flights is increased from the inlet end of the screw to "expand" the stone and reduce the production of fines. In addition, the diameter of the final screw flight is reduced at the outlet end of the auger to provide a consistent and even flow of stone into the splitters. The splitters are dynamically adjustable to provide even distribution between the blow tubes regardless of the cant to the rails. The desired amount of stone is delivered to the tubes by rotating the auger screw the number of full or partial revolutions associated with the amount. In an alternative embodiment, each of the metering augers is replaced by a conveyor having a belt divided into a series of uniformly sized compartments each conveying the same quantity of stone. The desired amount of stone is delivered to the tubes by driving the belt so that a desired number of compartments are emptied into the splitter.

The present invention relates to a stone or ballast metering system for a railroad track maintenance vehicle.
The tremendous forces exerted on railroad track as trains and other rail vehicles move over the track results in displacement of the rails and ties within the stones or "ballast." In particular, the vertical position of the ties within the track ballast changes, usually with the ties settling deeper into the ballast, changing the height of the track. Accordingly, periodic realignment of the railroad track within the bed is necessary to restore the track to its desired configuration. Realignment is performed by either a tamper or a stone blower.
A tamper includes a jacking mechanism which grasps and lifts the rails and ties attached thereto. The tamper also includes blades which penetrate the ballast and are vibrated to force the ballast back under the lifted ties to return the track to a desired vertical position.
A stone blower also includes a jacking mechanism which grasps and lifts the rails and ties. However, rather than blades, the stoneblower includes tubes which penetrate the ballast and force new or additional stones beneath the ties. More particularly, a stoneblower is a vehicle that travels upon the track rails and carries a track lifting device, a number of workheads, a source of compressed air, a supply of ballast stones, and a stone metering system. The workheads each include one or more blow tubes through which ballast stone is blown by compressed air. In operation, the track lifting device raises the track rails and the ties to which the rails are secured, which creates a void beneath the ties. The blow tubes are forced into the track bed adjacent the raised ties to direct a measured quantity of ballast stone under the ties. The amount of stone is determined by the desired amount of lift.
The amount of ballast stone blown beneath each tie is crucial to the proper level of the tracks. The ballast stone must be delivered to the workheads in the proper quantity. It is the function of the stone metering system to ensure that the proper quantity of stone is delivered from the supply of ballast stones to the workheads.
In the past, vibratory chute style stone metering systems have been employed. This type of system utilizes a feeder pan to receive the desired amount of stone by weight. The measured stone is passed in bulk to a vibratory chute type feeder. The vibratory chute feeds the measured stone to the blow tubes at a fairly constant rate. This type of stone metering system is difficult to incorporate into the configuration and profile of the stoneblower. In addition, the precision of this design is adversely affected by a variety of elements, such as track cant, stone moisture content, track grade, and cycle time.
Another known type of stone metering system includes a number of auger conveyors which convey and meter stone to the workheads. Each auger conveyor includes an auger screw housed within a casing. As the auger screw is rotated, stone is conveyed along the flights of the screw. The amount of stone supplied to the blow tubes is measured by calculating the flow rate of the auger conveyor and monitoring the revolutions of the auger screw. Auger systems include an auger conveyor for each blow tube. Auger type stone metering systems have a variety of shortcomings. First, degradation (i.e. pulverization) of the stone during the conveying process produces "fines" (i.e. powdered stone) which reduces the accuracy of the metering system. Second, pulsed output of stone from the metering auger can lead to uneven distribution of stone. Third, the required multiplicity of augers is relatively expensive, bulky, and difficult to incorporate into the profile of a stoneblower.

Stone metering system for railroad track maintenance vehicle


An input image capture device, capable of sampling the color density and gloss of the fused printed image (thus not requiring the printing of density patches on a separate calibration page), may compare the printed image's color density and gloss to a predicted value. Then, appearance control may be achieved by changing fuser parameters (such as fuser nip width, fuser roller temperature and the like) and other electrophotographic element control parameters (such as exposure, off-set development voltage, charger voltage and the like) to maintain a desirable constant appearance (density, gloss, etc.) of images consistently in print engine usage (within a print run and between print runs), even if different media substrates are used on the same print job. Therefore, no waste calibration sheet is needed, and a print job operator may receive more timely feedback relating to the current printing job stream.

In high-speed, high-quality electrophotographic printing applications, there are interactions between density (i.e., color gamut) and gloss of the fused images. Moreover, there is a strong influence on the final appearance of the print (i.e., overall gloss, differential gloss) based on the type of media substrate used. In some cases, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,783, issued to Ng, the image appearance can also be modified with the addition of a transparent toner overcoat in selected areas.
In a typical printing system, either the transmission density of the toner patches before fusing (if toner patches are laid down in the inter-frame area between paper) is measured from a process control viewpoint, or the reflection density of the fused toner patches on the paper is measured from a process control viewpoint. An in-line gloss measurement device may also be included, to monitor the gloss of fused toner patches on the paper in conjunction with the density measurement. With the gloss and density measurement information and basic document page information (e.g., media substrate type used, color distribution in color management, and digital image content of the printed page), fuser parameters (e.g., fuser nip width and fuser roller temperature) and other electrophotographic element control parameters (e.g., exposure, off-set development voltage, and charger voltage) can be changed to maintain a desirable constant appearance (density, gloss, etc.) of images consistently in print engine usage (within a print run and between print runs), even if different media substrates are used on the same print job.
When a typical process control method is used, one lays down density patches (perhaps including multiple color coverage combination toner patches, rather than only the Dmax (maximum density) color separation patches) on a test sheet. Then, color densities and gloss are measured when the test sheet is diverted to a proof tray, so that the test sheet is out of the mainstream of the printing job flow, which is going to a stacker in a different paper path. Based on measurements of color density and gloss, fuser parameters and electrophotographic element set points may be changed to maintain the desired image appearance.
This conventional practice resolves the issue of off-line linearization that customers once had to perform (although in a non-timely fashion, effecting customer satisfaction because of wasted time) to maintain system quality. However, test sheets (i.e., calibration sheets), that are required to be sent to a proof tray, are considered as waste sheets. Additionally, with conventional methods, further waste sheets are required to have more frequent sampling for more timely control (especially when mixed media and different paper sizes are in the print job stream).
As can be seen, there is a need for improved in-line appearance control that addresses the issue of waste sheets while maintaining the ability for timely appearance control via color density and gloss measurements.

Automated image appearance control method


Optical methods and systems for the detection of leakages in fluid transporting pipelines. An exemplary system comprises at least one pair of light transmitter and light sensor positioned at the pipe wall itself. The discontinuity of fluid flow by bubbles and entrained particles resulting from a crack on the pipe wall is reflected in the light rays received by the light sensor. The discontinuity is recorded and converted into an optical signal that is transmitted wirelessly to a processing unit at a receiving station.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to methods and systems for the detection of leakage in fluid pipelines. More specifically, the present invention relates to optical methods and systems to detect such leakages.
2. Description of the Related Art
The "background" description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.
Extensive pipeline networks are relied upon for the transportation and delivery of water. One major problem frequently encountered by engineers and municipal authorities is water leakage from these water pipelines. There are several reasons for water to leak from a pipeline, for example, loose pipe fittings, damage from excessive fluid pressure and corrosion caused by reactions with the moving fluid or a surrounding medium. Globally and especially in arid regions, water is a scarce resource and desalination of sea water is widely pursued in order to cope with the demand of growing populations and to support expanding economies. Hence, it is very important to detect pipeline leakages since they may present serious environmental and economic problems. Current pipeline monitoring systems lack responsiveness and often report the problem only after significant amounts of fluid have been spilled.
The pressure built within a pipeline of flowing water is mainly attributed to pumping. When a pipe leaks, it causes a sudden drop in pressure, and the pressure fluctuation sends an acoustical signal in both upstream and downstream directions. Acoustics-based methods have been conventionally used by engineers to detect pipeline leakages. Microphones and/or hydrophones are used to pick up sounds generated by leaking fluids. Cross-correlations of two signals from the two upstream and downstream measuring points provide distance measurements of the leak from the measuring points and thus, the location of the leak can be determined by calculations.
Another acoustic method of leak detection is the utilization of ultrasonic signals. In one scenario, an ultrasonic wave is sent in the pipe walls and the incidental wave is scattered when it encounters a discontinuity (leak domain). The transmitted or reflected ultrasonic wave is measured to indicate the type of discontinuity encountered. In another scenario, an ultrasonic signal is generated by a transmitter and sent across the pipe. The ultrasonic signal is then received by a transducer to examine the signal's distortion, which is an indicator of any entrainment due to leakage.
Other electromagnetic and optical fiber-based methods have also been employed to detect leakages in water pipeline systems. Each method comes with its respective pros and cons.
Optical methods have been utilized for the detection of natural gas leakage from pipes. Various optical systems based on monitoring light absorption or scattering of emitted radiation have been described, including light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems (Minato A, Joarder M, Ozawa S, Kadoya M, Sugimoto N, 1999. Development of a LIDAR system for measuring methane using a gas correlation method. Jpn J Appl Phys Part 1 38(10): 6130-6132—incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), diode laser absorption system (Iseki T, Tai H, Kimura K, 2000. A portable remote methane sensor using a tunable diode laser. Measurement Science and Technology 11: 594—incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), CO2 laser backscatter imaging systems (Kasai N, Tsuchiya C, Fukuda, T, Sekine K, Sano T, Takehana T, 2011. Propane gas leak detection by infrared adsorption using carbon infrared emitter and infrared camera. NDT and E International 44(1): 57-60; Kulp T, Kennedy R, Delong M, Garvis M, Stahovec J, 1993. The development and testing of a backscatter absorption gas imaging system capable of imaging at a range of 300 m. Applied Laser Radar Technology, Proc. Soc. Photo-Opt. Instrum. Eng 1936: 204-212—each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety) and broadband absorption systems (Spaeth L, O'Brien M, 2003. An additional tool for integrity monitoring. Pipeline and gas journal 230(3): 41—incorporated herein by reference in its entirety).
The use of multiple techniques for the detection of water leakage in pipelines can provide more reliable results leading to a more accurate engineering decision. It will be desirable to combine different leak systems based upon different principles of physics. Therefore, it becomes necessary to design methods and systems other than the aforementioned acoustic, ultrasonic, electromagnetic and optical fiber-based methods and systems that can accurately detect leakages in water pipeline systems and are efficient in terms of response time, sensitivity, robustness and cost.

System for leak detection in pipelines by optical means

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals


A hydraulic circuit for controlling a consumer of a mobile work tool, wherein the pressure in supply and outlet lines towards the consumer is limited by means of pilot-controlled pressure control valves. The pilot control stage of these pressure control valves may be adjusted in accordance with a pilot control pressure corresponding to the load of the work tool.

The invention relates to a hydraulic circuit for controlling a consumer and a method for controlling a hydraulic motor, wherein a like circuit is used.
Such circuits are employed in work tools wherein a positive or negative acceleration of an apparatus structure is to be accomplished in dependence on a pressure at the consumer. A typical application is, for example, the case of a rotating mechanism of a mobile excavator, the superstructure of which is moved through a rotating mechanism. The rotating mechanism is driven by means of a hydraulic motor supplied with pressure medium by a pump via a directional control valve.
In FIG. 1, which shall be referred to as early as now, a switching diagram for a like rotating mechanism drive is represented in a strongly simplified form. What is shown is a closed circuit, with the same principle being, of course, also applicable in the case of open circuits.
The closed circuit includes a hydrostatic pump 1 having the form of a variable displacement pump whereby a hydraulic motor 2 of the rotating mechanism is driven. Protection of the rotating mechanism drive is achieved with the aid of pressure control valves 4, 4xe2x80x2 which open towards the outlet side (low-pressure side ND) when a predetermined system pressure is exceeded in the meter-in side (high-pressure side HD). In this case, the pressure medium is conveyed past the hydraulic motor 2 from the supply directly into the outlet, so that pressure peaks in the high-pressure branch may be avoided. Upon reversing the conveying direction of the hydrostatic pump 1, the HD and ND branches are exchanged, so that for securing this condition the parallel pressure control valve 4, 4xe2x80x2 becomes effective.
Upon driving the hydraulic motor 1, the load pressure increases comparatively strongly because the stationary superstructure must initially be accelerated. Following the acceleration phase, i.e. after overcoming the start-up resistance, continued rotation of the superstructure may be achieved with comparatively lower forces, so that the load pressure drops to a lower level. When the super-structure is braked, a high pressure may correspondingly occur on the outlet side of the hydraulic motor. EP 0 603 421 A1 discloses an open circuit wherein fixedly set pressure control valves are used for limiting the various pressures to a maximum value. The pressure control valves may also be designed to be adjustable, so that a lower setting is predetermined through the force of a closing spring of the pressure control valve. This may be varied by a control pressure acting in the closing direction in addition to the force of the closing spring, so that an upper setting may be defined. Such a solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,000.
In EP 0 053 323 A1 a generic circuit is disclosed, wherein a control pressure acts in the opening direction of the pressure control valve, so that the adjustment of the outlet side pressure control valve may, for example, be diminished to a lower setting on a lower level.
In post-published patent application DE 19744337 to the same applicant, a pressure control valve is disclosed wherein the closing spring of a pilot control valve body is supported against a transformer piston which, in turn, may receive application of the pressure in the main stage of the pressure control valve for modification of the spring bias.
In practical use of the above described circuit variants it is found that upon decelerating a rotating mechanism, particularly where a low load or no load acts on the work equipment, abrupt stopping of the super-structure may occur. These abrupt loads may result in damage to the rotating mechanism or to the work equipment.
In contrast, the invention is based on the object of furnishing a hydraulic circuit for controlling a consumer and a method for controlling a hydraulic motor provided with a like circuit, wherein the operational safety of the work tool is improved while incurring minimum expense in terms of device technology.
This object is attained with respect to the hydraulic circuit and with respect to the method for controlling a hydraulic motor.
Owing to the measure of controlling the pilot controlled pressure control valve in the outlet or supply line, respectively, in dependence on a pilot load pressure reflecting the load, for example the mass moment of inertia of the work tool, the braking pressure controlled through the pressure control valve may be selected in accordance with this load.
I.e., in the case of a low load of the work tool, a correspondingly low braking pressure is adjusted, so that the work tool is decelerated with a comparatively low braking force. In cases of high loads, a correspondingly higher pressure is adjusted in the outlet line, so that the braking performance is always optimally adapted to the operating conditions.
In mobile work tools having a rotating mechanism drive it is an option to select control of the pressure control valves in dependence on the mass moment of inertia of the superstructure. The pilot load pressure corresponding to the mass moment of inertia may, for example, be tapped at the lifting cylinders located between the superstructure and the boom, so that a comparatively low expense in terms of circuit technology is required for realising the circuit according to the invention.
This load pressure e.g. corresponding to the moment of inertia of the superstructure is reported directly to a pilot control valve body of the pressure control valve or to a transformer piston, so that the closing force acting on the pilot control valve body is adjustable in accordance with the load of the work tool. Herein the minimum pilot load pressure is predetermined through the force of the closing spring, while the maximum pilot load pressure is determined by the force of the closing spring and by the detected load pressure.
In principle it is moreover conceivable to electrically perform control of the pressure control valve while electrically controlling the pressure control valve in accordance with the load pressure (moment of inertia).
The hydraulic circuit is preferably equipped with a shuttle valve having the pilot control line connected to its output, and at the inputs of which the load pressure of the first named consumer of the work tool and the load pressure corresponding to the load of the work tool of another consumer are reported.
In a preferred variant of the hydraulic circuit, the pilot load pressure acts on a transformer piston on which the closing spring for the pilot control valve body is supported.
As an alternative, the pilot control valve body may moreover receive direct application of the pilot load pressure.
It is particularly advantageous if the pressure control valves are designed as anti-cavitation valves.
The ratio of the diameters of the transformer piston and of the valve seat of the pilot control valve body preferably is 1.1:1.


A system providing methodology for the restoration of original media quality in messaging environments is described. In one embodiment, for example, deployed in a messaging system, a method of the present invention is described for restoring media items to original quality, the method comprises steps of: upon receipt of a message containing an original media item that is new, storing the original media item in a repository; generating an identifier for identifying the original media item stored in the repository; replacing the original media item in the message with a substitute copy that includes the identifier; and upon future encounter of a particular media item having the identifier, restoring the particular media item to original quality using the identifier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to preservation of media (e.g., images, audio, video, documents, and the like) quality, and relates more particularly to restoring media quality in messaging environments.
2. Description of the Background Art
MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) is a universally accepted standard that lets users of MMS supportive mobile phones send and receive messages with formatted text, graphics, photographs, audio, and video clips. Video sequences, audio clips, and high-quality images can be downloaded to the phone from WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) sites, transferred to the phone via an attached accessory (e.g., a digital camera), or received in an MMS message. MMS messages can be sent either to another MMS-enabled mobile phone or to an e-mail address. Photos, sound clips, and video clips can also be stored in the phone for later use. MMS supports standard image formats such as GIF and JPEG, video formats such as MPEG 4, and audio formats such as MP3 and MIDI. Multimedia messaging requires high transmission speeds, which can be provided by GPRS and 3G. To support the MMS technology, existing GSM or CMDA networks need an MMS-C (Multimedia Messaging Service Center).
These multimedia messaging environments provide a message generation service that allows a variety of message elements to be sent to a user. These message elements can contain text, animations, photographs, and sounds. In the future they may contain streaming audio and video. Users can compose their own messages, receive rich content messages from content providers, and forward them onto their own contacts. Examples include:                Taking a snapshot via a camera phone and sending to a friend        Composing your own animated picture messages and sending to friends        Sending audio files        Sending pictures & audio files with simultaneous playback        Receiving a picture postcard annotated with text and/or an audio clip
Further, the user can also send messages from a variety of devices, including mobile phones, PDAs, Palm Pilots, or PCs. MMS makes it possible for mobile users to send these multimedia messages from MMS-enabled handsets to other mobile users and to e-mail users. It also makes it possible for mobile users to receive multimedia messages from other mobile users, e-mail users, and from multimedia-enabled applications.
In messaging systems like MMS, there is no central repository for storing media items or objects that are shared among subscribers. This is in contrast to many picture mail services, where a central switching server also stores the media objects (e.g., components in user-composed messages) centrally and persistently. In MMS, messages are instead created, and objects are sourced, at individual devices or terminals connected to the system without any central storage mechanism. Although a central switch in the form of a server may be employed to facilitate message delivery, the central switch or server does not attempt to operate as a central repository for storing or retaining media objects (unlike, say, picture mail services). MMS messages are composed using a standards-compliant messaging format and sent through a switch (e.g., MMSC for a MMS system) to one or more destinations (i.e., target devices or terminals). This is a "stored forward" approach, such that a given a message and its associated objects are stored on a temporary basis. Although the media objects may pass through one or more servers, any storage is at most transient in MMS systems; instead, the message and its media objects are stored just long enough to achieve delivery of the message. Once a given message has reached its target destination, the message's media objects will typically have been transcoded or otherwise decimated (e.g., convert media format, size, or the like), in an effort to optimize the rendering of the media objects for the target destination. Upon successful delivery of the message, the message itself and all of its associated media objects are discarded from temporary storage (e.g., at the central switch), or moved to off-line archival storage.
Given the simplicity of the MMS model where the central switch is only a transient switch, any high-quality media (e.g., audio, video, still images, etc.) that is destined for target devices that have less than full capability for rendering (e.g., less-capable display) will undergo quality degradation. In particular, the MMS-C switch will take the original high-quality media and create new lower-quality versions. Consider, for example, an original high-quality image. Here, the switch will often need to create a lower resolution image, in order to provide an appropriately-formatted image for the destination device. Apart from capability constraints of a given target device, bandwidth constraints may also mandate that media objects be converted into lower-quality copies (to conserve bandwidth). The destination device may use received media objects for composing other messages (e.g., forward or reply messages), but because of the foregoing degradation process the reused media objects become progressively poorer in quality. The scenario is similar to faxing and re-faxing a document. By the time the document has been faxed three or four times, the quality has degraded to the point where the fax copy is no longer usable. In the particular context of MMS, since there is no central repository for storing media objects, once a given media object has been degraded, the high quality of the original is not preserved because the association with the original media object has itself not been preserved. Overall, this leads to loss of quality and loss of flexibility for media items that are used in multimedia messaging systems.
In messaging systems of this type, as soon as the original media object (that is part of a message) is transcoded or otherwise converted for delivery to another mobile or terrestrial terminals, the original media quality is lost to the system (i.e., for subsequent use). To the point, the quality of delivered original media objects is forever lost for subsequent users as the system does not retain the quality in any way, shape, or form. Subsequent users of these delivered media items or objects (for new messages) are forever constrained to work with subsequent lower-quality versions.

System providing methodology for the restoration of original media quality in messaging environments


An integrated circuit packaging device includes a laminate substrate. A first surface of the substrate can be mounted on an integrated circuit and the second surface can be mounted on a surface of a printed circuit board. The device can also include an array of lead contact pads on the first surface that can provide wire bond connections to circuit contact pads in the integrated circuit, and an array of solder ball contact pads on the second surface. Routing layers can provide electrical coupling between the lead contact pads on the first surface and the solder ball contact pads on the second surface. A dedicated contact pad on the first surface is electrically coupled to the laminate substrate.

Manufacturing methods for integrated circuits have kept apace of, and in many cases enable, developments in the integrated circuits themselves. The ever smaller feature architecture within IC's has been accompanied by the technology that allows ever smaller packaging of the IC chips. Size, time and cost of IC production have all continued to shrink at tremendous rates.
Testing techniques associated with the various stages of IC packaging has been pressed to keep up with developments in the other areas of production. As new methods of connecting IC's into the surrounding electronic world have emerged, some older testing regimens have been a restriction on some developments.
Among the many packaging techniques that has emerged in recent years is the ball grid array (BGA). An improvement on earlier surface mount technology, BGA has allowed orders of magnitude improvements in speed, miniaturization and reliability of packaged IC's.
In BGA packaging, the array of solder pads that lends the name to the technique are typically mounted on one surface of a tiny printed circuit board (PCB), not much larger than the IC die itself, and made of a very thin substrate. The IC die is bonded and wired to connections on the opposite side of the small PCB using microscopic connections.
Typically, the small BGA PCB's are constructed in relatively large, array molded, laminate substrate sheets. By obviating the need for the long lead fingers of the prior lead frame array associated with previous surface mount technology, BGA packaging allows relatively dense arrays of units in process. The IC's are each bonded to the appropriate positions on the laminate substrate while the small BGA PCB's are still attached to each other. After bonding the dies to the substrate traces and testing the connections, the sheets are generally separated into individual units for functional testing.
Commonly, in this process in which multiple BGA units occupy the same laminate substrate strip, the individual traces on each of the units are connected to a common bus line (109, FIG. 1A) in order to allow an electrolytic plating process for Gold/Nickel plating, in an electro-plated substrate. These bus lines are eventually connected to the mold gate. This is called a "standard bus design" type packaging substrate.
During wire-bonding of such substrates, wire non-stick-on-pad (NSOP) and non-stick-on-lead (NSOL) conditions can be detected to avoid wire bond failures in assembly. This is done by using the electrical circuit as shown in conventional art FIG. 1A. The bus enabled circuit is formed after bonding IC 102 to BGA substrate 101 and wire-bonding first wire connection 106. The circuit closure is made through the gold wire in the spool, 105, the wire on the bond pad 106, to the lead finger 107 using the first wirebond 108, to bus-line 109 from lead fingers and finally to the mold gate 110.
The mold gate is grounded to the wire bond clamp. Using this circuit, if there is a bad bond on either the bond pad or lead finger, the circuit is affected, and the bond's quality can be easily measured electrically. Similar technology is used in leadframe based assembly, where the die attach pad is grounded to the wire bond clamp, through the leadframe, and is used for Non stick detection (NSD).
Since all the individual IC dies in a standard bus design substrate are connected electrically to each other via the bus lines, they cannot be tested, or burnt-in, in strip form and must be separated before being handled and tested as individual units. Also, since the first circuit is not completed until the first bond is completed on both ball pad side and lead finger side, the first ball bond NSOP detection has to be skipped in the wire-bond test step. For all successive bonds, this first bond serves as the electrical connection between the silicon and the lead fingers for grounding to the mold gate. If a no-bus type substrate design is used, in order to allow for in-strip testing, there is no NSD capability since the electrical circuit is not completed back to the mold gate in the absence of the bus-line connection. Conventional Art FIG. 1B illustrates a no-bus design. Lead fingers 107 are isolated from each other and from mold gate grounding 110. The result is an open circuit 105 and an inability to check for proper sticking in connection wire 106.
The current art, then, is disadvantageous because the prevalent and method of NSD requires that lead fingers be grounded which prohibits in-strip functional testing and burn-in of the packaged ICs.

Non-stick detection method and mechanism for array molded laminate packages


A speaker device installed in an earpiece, for improving an antenna property in a wireless portable terminal is provided. The speaker device includes a housing, a magnet is installed on the housing, a diaphragm located a predetermined distance away over the magnet and includes a coil situated at a position corresponding to the magnet, and a cover covers the diaphragm and is in engagement with the housing, thereby forming a module. At least one inductor is provided at a feeding portion of the coil formed or installed on the diaphragm, thereby preventing the speaker device from resonating at a radio frequency (RF).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a speaker device for a wireless portable terminal, and more particularly, to a speaker device configured to prevent emitted resonant frequencies from degrading antenna radiation in a wireless portable terminal when the speaker is installed in the vicinity of an antenna device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The recent widespread use of wireless portable terminals, such as Personal Communication System (PCS) phones, Digital Communications Service (DCS) phones, Global Positioning System (GPS) terminals, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), cellular phones and wireless laptop computers, is a driving force behind the appearance of terminals with diverse functionalities and designs. Along with the trend towards smaller sized and reduced weight wireless communication terminals, there is also a trend towards including a variety of diverse functions in the terminals. These trends have attracted more consumer attention to wireless portable terminals and have resulted in a commensurate demand for wireless portable terminals. To meet these demands, developmental work has focused on the miniaturization of wireless portable terminals with existing functions maintained or enhanced.
For example, regarding an antenna device, a rod or whip antenna extended outward to a predetermined length and a helical antenna are vulnerable to damage when a terminal is dropped. Moreover, damaged antenna devices can cause problems that decrease portability of a wireless portable terminal. Accordingly, the use of a plate-type built-in antenna called an "internal antenna" or "intenna" has been increasing, and efforts have been made to improve assembly and productivity as well as to enhance the properties of the built-in antenna.
In the case of a folder-type terminal, a built-in antenna is installed typically in a folder. However, if a built-in antenna is disposed in a main body, degradation of an antenna property (such as an antenna transmission or reception quality) caused by a user's finger or hand touching the main body can frequently cause a mute phenomenon.
Moreover, since the built-in antenna is usually positioned in the vicinity of a speaker and/or superimposed with the speaker, a resonant frequency generated by the speaker during a call (i.e., during a speaker operation) can interfere with and adversely affect an antenna's radiation, thereby decreasing the call quality of the terminal.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a wireless portable terminal having a built-in antenna module. Referring to FIG. 1, a terminal 100 includes a main body 110, a folder 120 attached to the main body 110 and configured to be opened from or closed to the main body 110 within a predetermined angle range (typically up to about 130 to 140 degrees) and a hinge module (not shown) for opening or closing the folder 120 from or to the main body 110.
A keypad assembly 140 including navigation keys is provided as a data input means on the main body 110. A microphone 150 for transmitting voice to the other party is disposed under the keypad assembly 140 in a lower portion of the main body 110.
A display 130 is provided as a data output means on the folder 120. An earpiece 160 is installed above the display 130, for reproducing audible sounds (e.g., voice from a calling party). Since the illustrated terminal 100 is equipped with a built-in antenna module, an antenna device extended outward is not provided. The built-in antenna module is positioned in a part A indicated by an arrow in the vicinity of the earpiece 160.
Accordingly, there is a need for a wireless portable terminal having an improved speaker device which does not interfere with the wireless portable terminal's antenna.

Speaker device for improving antenna property in a wireless portable terminal


An endotracheal tube for mechanically ventilating patients is disclosed. The endotracheal tube comprises a distal end for insertion into the patient's airway, past the vocal chords, through the subglottal region, and into the patient's lung; and a proximal end for connection to a mechanical ventilator. The endotracheal tube further comprises a cuff at the distal end of the endotracheal tube to be located in the subglottal region of the patient below the vocal chords, an inflating lumen for inflating the cuff, and a suction lumen having a suction inlet port leading from the outer surface of the endotracheal tube, and to be located in the subglottal region, for evacuating secretions and/or rinsing fluid from the subglottal region during the mechanical ventilation of the patient. The distal end of the endotracheal tube is formed with an outer surface configuration effective to prevent blockage of the suction inlet port by the cuff or by tracheal mucosal tissue of the patient during a negative pressure condition in the suction lumen.

The present invention relates to endotracheal tubes for mechanically ventilating patients, and also to an intubation system including such tubes.
In the medical treatment of patients requiring breathing assistance, it is frequently necessary to insert an endotracheal tube into the trachea of the patient, by way of the mouth or nose and to connect the tube to a ventilator which periodically forces air into the lungs through the tube. The inner or distal end of the tube is typically provided with an inflatable cuff which is inflated into contact with the interior wall of the trachea.
In using such endotracheal tubes, however, problems arise with respect to bodily secretions which pass progressively between the inner surface of the trachea and the outer surface of the cuff. The evacuation of secretions accumulated in the subglottal region above the cuff is required to prevent a ventilator-associated lung infection, commonly called VAP or Ventilator Associated Pneumonia. Attempts have been made in the past to overcome these problems by regulating cuff pressure and/or by suctioning secretions from between the trachea's wall and the endotracheal tube. The removal of such secretions by suction generally requires the insertion into the subglottal region of an external lumen having a suction inlet port located above the sealing cuff. Another alternative is to use a suction lumen integrally formed in the wall of the endotracheal tube. In either case, the suction lumen is connected to a negative pressure source, thus drawing out secretions within the subglottal region.
However, there is a tendency for the suction lumen to become blocked, particularly during long-term intubation. Attempts have made to prevent or reduce such suction lumen blockage by irrigating the suction channel between successive suctions. Such attempts, however, have frequently been unsuccessful, thereby subjecting the patient to an increase in the risk of lung infection.

Endotracheal tube and intubation system including same


Floorboards for mechanical joining of floors in a herringbone pattern and in parallel rows with horizontal connectors which on the short sides have cooperating locking surfaces which are designed differently from the cooperating locking surfaces on the long sides.

Traditional laminate and parquet floors are usually installed floating, i.e., without gluing, on an existing subfloor which does not have to be perfectly smooth or flat. Floating floors of this kind are usually joined by means of glued tongue and groove joints (i.e., joints with a tongue on one floorboard and a tongue groove on an adjoining floorboard) on long side and short side. In laying, the boards are brought together horizontally, a projecting tongue along the joint edge of one board being inserted into a tongue groove along the joint edge of an adjoining board. The same method is used on long side as well as on short side, and the boards are usually laid in parallel rows long side against long side and short side against short side.
In addition to such traditional floors which are joined by means of glued tongue/tongue groove joints, floorboards have been developed in recent years, which do not require the use of glue but which are instead joined mechanically by means of so-called mechanical joint systems. These systems comprise locking means which lock the boards horizontally and vertically. The mechanical joint systems can be formed by machining the core of the board. Alternatively, parts of the locking system can be made of a separate material which is integrated with the floorboard, i.e., already joined with the floorboard in connection with the manufacture thereof at the factory. The floorboards are joined, i.e., interconnected or locked together, by various combinations of angling, snapping-in and insertion along the joint edge in the locked position.
The principal advantages of floating floors with mechanical joint systems are that they can be laid quickly and easily by different combinations of inward angling and snapping-in. They can also be easily taken up again and be reused in some other place.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Flooring systems and methods for installation


Systems and methods are described for source-aware shaping of network traffic in a communications system. Embodiments can manage resource congestion within a communications network by preferentially adjusting certain types of traffic on a per-subscriber and/or per-application basis. For example, a subscriber can receive various types of traffic in respective streams, and the streams can be identified according to whether they carry adaptive traffic. When a congestion condition is detected, one or more of the identified streams can be squeezed or expanded, which can cause an associated content source to automatically adapt communication of the adaptive traffic (e.g., its quality) to the reduced or expanded capacity. Selectively squeezing those streams identified as adaptive can appreciably mitigate congestion, while maintaining a desired level of network performance for the subscriber.

Communications infrastructures have limited bandwidth resources. As more people are consuming media over the Internet, these resources are in increasing demand. Accordingly, it is often desirable for communications providers to find ways to satisfy their subscribers' demands for media within the confines of limited bandwidth resources. In some cases, it is further desirable to maintain this subscriber satisfaction even as levels of congestion on the network change, which can manifest as changing amounts of available bandwidth resources.


A wheel hub, especially a wheel hub for commercial vehicles, for receiving a brake disk, in which a neck section which is formed on the wheel flange for receiving the brake disk, the neck section being provided with a surface structure, preferably ribs, which increases the amount of heat given off to the environment. There may also be provided ducts between the ribs to permit cooling air to pass between the wheel flange and the brake disk to further increase the amount of heat given off to the environment.

The invention relates to a wheel hub for receiving a brake disk, particularly a wheel hub for commercial vehicles, having a hub body which is molded to the wheel flange and has a neck section designed for receiving the brake disk.
Wheel hubs of this type are used on powered axles and dead axles of road vehicles, particularly of commercial vehicles, having disk brakes.
Such wheel hubs have the problem of thermal stress to the wheel bearings and the lubricant as a result of a heat development in the wheel bearing as well as, under certain circumstances, also because of the heat transmission from the brake disk to the hub body.
In the case of a high loading of the vehicle, considerable heat is necessarily developed in the wheel bearing because of the resulting friction in the bearing. The heat development may be increased by the heating-up of the brake disk during brakings. Since, for the purpose of the braking torque transmission, the brake disk is mechanically (in one part or in several parts) connected with the wheel hub, a portion of the heat generated in the brake disk is transmitted to the wheel hub. The heat development in the wheel bearing, like the heat development in the brake disk, is approximately proportional to the loading condition of the vehicle or the loading of the respective wheel. In the case of a high loading of the vehicle—connected with a braking-intensive driving method, for example, during drives in mountainous regions—the occurring thermal stressing of the wheel hub may be relatively high.
According to the type of construction of the brake disk and the type of hub linkage, different conditions exist for the thermal stressing and cooling of the wheel hub.
FIGS. 8 to 11 show different wheel hub/brake disk combinations.
FIG. 8 shows a wheel hub/brake disk combination in which, for the purpose of a fastening to the wheel hub, the brake disk is provided with a neck and a flange and, by way of this flange, is connected with the wheel hub by means of the wheel bolts which are also used for fastening the vehicle wheel to the wheel hub. In this type of construction, only a low heat transmission takes place by a direct heat conduction from the brake disk to the wheel hub bearing area because the fastening and the resulting heat-conducting contact of the brake disk onto wheel hub takes place at the outer circumference of the latter.
In contrast, the enveloping of the hub body by the brake disk neck is less optimal, which enveloping, on the one hand, results in a thermal radiation from the brake disk neck to the surface of the hub body and, on the other hand, hinders the dissipating of the frictional heat occurring in the wheel bearing to the environment.
FIG. 9 shows a similar hub/brake disk combination in which the brake disk is fastened on the wheel hub by means of a separate screw flange. The heat transmission and heat dissipation conditions correspond essentially to FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 shows another two-part wheel hub/brake disk combination, in which the wheel hub is divided into a hub part (neck section) accommodating the wheel bearing and into the wheel flange carrying the vehicle wheel, and the brake disk equipped with a neck and an inward-pulled ring flange is clamped in between the hub part and the wheel flange by a screwing-together of these two parts. In the case of this type of construction, in addition to the limited heat dissipation by way of the surface area of the hub because of the enveloping by the brake disk neck, there is the problem that the hub part is separated from the wheel flange by the brake disk clamped in-between, and the heat dissipation capacity of the wheel flange is therefore not utilized for the hub.
FIG. 11 shows a wheel hub/brake disk combination of the initially mentioned type in which an internally ventilated brake disk with two friction rings, by way of a non-circular profile, for example, a toothing, generated on the inside diameter, engages in an essentially oppositely designed contour on the circumference of the wheel hub. The heat-conducting contact of the brake disk with respect to the wheel hub is preferably interrupted by heat-insulating intermediate elements in order to thus reduce the thermal stressing of the wheel hub. In this case, the brake disk may be detachably connected with the hub body or may be joined onto the wheel hub in an undetachable manner, for example, by means of a composite casting method. Since, as a result of the heat-insulating intermediate elements, only a slight heat dissipation takes place from the brake disk by way of the wheel hub, such brake disks have slightly higher operating temperatures than the above-described neck-type and cup-type brake disks. On the other hand, the enveloping of the hub body by the (non-existing) brake disk neck does not take place, whereby the heat dissipation from the wheel hub is improved.
In contrast to this heat-dissipating construction, which is satisfactory per se, it is an object of the invention to further develop the wheel hub such that the releasing of heat to the environment is improved, particularly during braking.
According to the invention, the neck section is provided with a surface structure which increases the heat discharge to the environment—preferably relative to a uniform or tapering or widening cylinder surface—in the axial area adjoining the area for the placing of the brake disk. As a result of this simple and cost-effective measure, the heat discharge of the wheel hub to the ambient air can be effectively increased. The invention is particularly suitable for a two-part embodiment of the wheel hub and the brake disk, in which case the brake disk is placed upon the wheel hub. Summarizing, the invention implements a wheel hub for a wheel hub/brake disk combination with, in one embodiment, a flat, tooth-linked brake disk, in the case of which the exposed wheel hub surface is utilized in the sense of an improved heat dissipation from the wheel hub and the brake disk. In this manner, a thermal overloading of the wheel hub is effectively avoided.
In the axial area adjoining the area for the placing of the brake disk, the neck section is preferably provided with ribs. With respect to their manufacturing, these "cooling ribs" and be implemented in a simple manner in the case of a cast hub and provide a good heat dissipation. For a further improvement of the cooling of the wheel hub, ducts are preferably constructed between the axially extending ribs, in which ducts an air flow is formed during the rotating of the wheel hub on the axle. The ribs and the ducts preferably extend to a wheel flange molded to the neck section.
The ribs preferably extend on the outer circumference of the neck section essentially in the axial direction, so that the ventilating effect is optimized. It is also conceivable to mutually connect the axial ribs by additional ribs extending in the circumferential direction in order to increase the rigidity of the wheel hub in a simple manner and thereby further simplify the use of light metals. The ribs extending in the circumferential direction, if required, may in turn have openings penetrating them for improving the air supply.
As a result of the forced ventilation of the hub body with cool fresh air from the exterior side of the vehicle wheel, an intensive heat dissipation is achieved from the wheel hub as well as additionally a cooling of the brake disk. As a result, not only the effects of the heat transmission from the brake disk to the wheel hub can be compensated, but the frictional heat forming in the wheel bearing can also be efficiently dissipated from the wheel hub and thus heats up the wheel bearing less intensively. As a result of the cooling of the wheel hub, even the use of light-weight materials as the wheel hub material becomes conceivable. In particular, it is also permitted by means of the invention to use a light-weight material, such as a light metal, for producing the wheel hub because the wheel hub is heated up less intensively. As a result of the selected rib structure, the hub body is reinforced which, in a supplementary manner, simplifies the use of light-weight materials. However, it is also conceivable for the wheel hub to consist of cast iron or steel.
Particularly preferably, at least some of the ducts lead into openings in the wheel flange, which penetrate the wheel flange. In this fashion, the air passage openings increase the air flow at the wheel hub in a simple manner and "suction" the ambient air through the ducts during the rotation of the wheel hub.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Knorr-Bremse Systeme Fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH


A method for radio navigation may include predicting a frequency response for each of a multiplicity of possible device locations. The method may also include measuring a frequency response at an actual device location. The method may further include matching the measured frequency response to one of the predicted frequency responses to determine an estimated device location, wherein the estimated device location corresponds to the possible device location associated with the one predicted frequency response that most closely matches the measured frequency response.

The present invention relates to navigation and determining a location of a device, such as a communications device or the like and more particularly to radio frequency navigation or determining a location of a device using frequency response matching.
Determining a location of a device using radio navigation may be particularly challenging within a structure or other operating environment where the device is proximate to near field scattering objects that can cause time of arrival techniques and other techniques to be unreliable. When a radio navigation receiver or the like is in the near field of one or more scattering objects, insufficient time may elapse between a line of sight (LOS) signal and non-line of sight (NLOS) signals, scattered by the scattering objects, to distinguish between these types of signals. This may result in accuracy errors on the order of the distance between the receiver and the scattering objects. When much higher positioning accuracy is needed, time of arrival techniques may be unreliable, especially when the signal bandwidth is limited.

Radio frequency navigation using frequency response matching


A converter controls a system voltage, which is a DC link voltage of an inverter, in accordance with a voltage command value. The inverter outputs a rectangular wave voltage having the system voltage as amplitude to an AC motor during application of rectangular wave voltage control. During application of rectangular wave voltage control, a voltage command value for the system voltage is modified such that a current phase on a d-q plane of the AC motor is brought closer to a target current phase line. The target current phase line is set on an advance side relative to an optimal current phase line which is a set of current phases at which output torque is maximized for the same amplitude of a motor current in the AC motor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a control system for an AC motor and more particularly to a control system variably controlling a DC link voltage of an inverter driving the AC motor with the use of a converter.
2. Description of the Background Art
In order to control an AC motor with the use of a DC power supply, a control system including an inverter has generally been employed. For example, as described also in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-311768 (hereinafter referred to as "PTD 1"), a configuration variably controlling a DC link voltage of an inverter with the use of a boost converter has been known. Thus, as an output voltage from a boost converter (that is, a DC link voltage of an inverter) is boosted from an output voltage from a DC power supply (representatively, a battery), the AC motor can advantageously be driven at higher torque and higher rotation.
PTD 1 above describes variable control of a voltage on a DC link side of an inverter, that is, an output voltage from a boost converter, so as to maintain a modulation factor in a specific control scheme at a target value during control of an AC motor in which pulse width modulation (PWM) control and rectangular wave voltage control are selectively applied. By doing so, loss in the overall system can be lowered by maintaining the modulation factor (degree of modulation) at the target value.


Pulse generators are known for setting an operational parameter, for example volume. They allow a more precise adjustment thanks to a larger angle of rotation than that of potentiometers. Because of the increased angle of rotation, however, fast adjustments are possible only within limits. In general, several turns are required to set the volume to zero, for example. In order to avoid this inconvenience, the speed of rotation and the direction of rotation of the pulse generator are evaluated. If the pulse generator is quickly actuated, this is recognized by a control unit which sets the parameters to a stored value. Evaluating the direction of rotation allows various different stored values to be distinguished from each other.

The invention concerns a method for non-linear regulation of operational parameters with which the change in the operational parameter transpires proportional to the angle of rotation of a knob and the rotational speed of the knob is determined. The invention also concerns a circuitry for carrying out this method having an impulse generator operated by the user and a circuit for determination of the direction of rotation of the impulse generator, the output signals of which are introduced to a control unit.
Known in the art from DE 36 05 088 A1 is an operating device having a rotating knob for selection of differing operational states. In a recording device having this type of operational device, the speed of the recording medium is regulated in dependence on the rotational velocity of the rotating knob. Towards this end a proportional coupling obtains between the rotational velocity of the rotating knob and the speed of the recording medium.
This configuration has the disadvantage that it is not possible to rapidly change the velocity of the recording medium, since a plurality of rotations of the rotating knob are necessary for a very precise regulation or since the velocity cannot be adjusted to a sufficiently accurate degree in the event that the entire regulation region is set using only one turn.
Known in the art from EP 290 803 B1 is a single-knob operation for shunting in magnetic tape video recorders. The transport speed is determined in dependence on the setting of a rotating knob. The speed with which the rotating knob operates is, however, not evaluated.
This system has the disadvantage that it is either not possible to adjust the tape velocity in a sufficiently rapid manner or that the adjustment is too imprecise.
Known in the art from U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,063 is a method and an appropriate configuration for automatically setting a frequency adjustor when retrieving stored frequencies. Towards this end, a desired frequency value is introduced from the memory to a comparator which undertakes a comparison with the currently set value. In the event that the difference between the set value and the desired value is large, the comparator produces a signal for rapid change; if the difference is average, the comparator produces a signal for normal adjustment, and in the event that the difference is small, the comparator produces a signal for slow adjustment. The current signal is then introduced via a digital to analog converter to a motor which changes the frequency adjustor with the appropriate velocity. In this fashion, a method and a circuitry for differing adjustment speeds of a stored frequency is realized in the art using a frequency adjustor.
This system has the disadvantage that the change of frequency during a setting procedure is always dependent upon the motor speed with which the frequency adjuster is rotated. In this fashion, a linear interdependence between frequency and angle of rotation always obtains. In the event that the frequency should be changed substantially, it is necessary to turn for a sufficiently long amount of time until the entire intermediate region is passed-through.

Operational parameter non-linear regulation process and circuitry