A combination of a focusing element, and a filtering element which naturally adjusts the cross-sectional area of a beam of electromagnetic radiation passed through the focusing element as a function of wavelength over a specified range of wavelengths, wherein the filtering element is not uniform, but rather varies as a selection from the group consisting of:                optical density and/or thickness is greatest near the center thereof; and        optical density and/or thickness is smallest near the center thereof;and can demonstrate neutral density characteristics outside the specified range of wavelengths. The combination of a focusing element, and a filtering element can optionally be present in an ellipsometer or polarimeter system.

It is known that focusing element, such as refractive lenses and lens systems, cause both diffraction and aberration to occur in a beam of electromagnetic radiation with which is interacts. It is also known that when the effective diameter of a beam of electromagnetic radiation which impinges on a focusing element is adjusted, the effects of diffraction and of aberration are affected oppositely. That is, as the beam cross-sectional area is increased, the effects of diffraction decrease, but the effects of aberration increase. This leads to a realization that, for each wavelength in the beam, there should be a beam cross-sectional area such that the focusing lens performs "optimally". That is, there exists a cross-section area such that increase or decrease in cross-sectional area will cause combined diffraction or aberration to become worse, (ie. cause lens performance to be worse).
It is also well known that attenuation of the intensity of a beam of electromagnetic radiation which is caused to pass through a material is related to the extinction coefficient and thickness of the material via Beer's Law:Io=Ii(e−∝T).Therefore, either an increase in the value of extinction coefficient ∝, or a greater thickness (T) of a material, or a combination of both, can cause a greater attenuation of input intensity (Ii) of components of a beam of electromagnetic radiation which passes through a lens. This is to be contrasted with the situation where input Intensity (Ii) is attenuated by reflection or scattering from a surface of an aperture forming material. Further, it is noted that "reflection" implies a specular condition wherein an angle of incidence of an input beam of electromagnetic radiation component is equal to an angle of reflection; whereas "scattering", while still indicating a deflection of a component of an electromagnetic beam away from transmission through a lens, does not have such a limitation on the angle at which a beam component is deflected.
With the present invention in mind a computer search for Patents and Published Applications was conducted. A few references were identified which are interesting as they relate to aberration corrections. For instance, a Patent to Lee et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,994,808 describes a planar lens which is designed to compensate chromatic aberration. Another Patent to Kimura, U.S. Pat. No. 6,865,025 provides another optical element for application in compensating aberration. And, a Published Patent Application by Miller et al., No. 2004/0032664 describes a color corrected lens. Other Patents and Published Applications identified are:
Published Applications
                2009/0322928;        2009/0108190;        2006/0164734;        2005/0247866;Patents        U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,495,762; 7,281,921; 7,248,420;        U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,274,472; 7,190,525; 5,336,885;        U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,251,410; 7,070,405; 4,832,464;        U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,824,813; 7,027,156; 4,650,279.        U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,449,028; 6,916,584;        U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,889,593; 6,277,938;
The above cited Patents are not considered to be particularly relevant to a focusing element that optimizes its optical response regarding aberration v. diffraction on a per wavelength basis.
Further identified are U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,749,785 and 8,351,036 which while relevant do not focus on application of filter material which operates to control an effective lens diameter in a specified range of wavelengths, but acts as a neutral density outside thereof.
It is also well known that various materials and stacks of materials or the like have different Transmission v. wavelength characteristics. Patents known by the Inventor herein which are relevant are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,239,391; 7,295,313; 6,940,595; and 6,636,309. However, while said general knowledge that stacked materials present with specific response to different wavelengths exists, application of the effect as taught in the present Application is not found in the known prior art. This is particularly the case where application of aperturing and focusing of electromagnetic beams by a present invention system for improving the operation of a focusing element as a function of wavelength is applied in an ellipsometer, polarimeter or the like system.
Japanese Patent Application JP 2003-091862 by Kitabayashi, and a Published Application by Yamamoto et al. 2004/0085882 are also identified. The Kibabayashi 501 reference describes processing two laser beams of electromagnetic radiation in a CD-DVD system, said two beam being provided by solid state laser sources. Said two laser beams, however, are elliptical in cross-sectional shape as they exit the sources thereof, which is not optimum for us in CD-DVD systems. Kibabayashi 501 explains that beams of a circular cross-sectional shape are preferable in CD-DVD systems, and the Kibabayashi 501 reference provides a required Prism (3) in its system that is designed to make changes to one of the two beams which is of a specific wavelength, to make it be substantially circular in cross-section. Importantly, nothing in Kibabayashi 501 remotely suggests removing said Prism (3) as to do so would render the Kibabayashi 501 system inoperable, and nothing in the present invention remotely suggests the presence of such a beam shaping element. However, necessary as it is in Kibabayashi 501, said prism (3) does not operate so successfully at a second wavelength, and this is why the Kibabayashi 501 reference provides for its dichroic, (ie. wavelength absorbing), filter (63) to also be present. Said dichroic filter makes the second wavelength beam substantially circular by presenting an essentially elliptical shape filter region therein to the beam. Also importantly, said Kibabayashi 501 dichroic filter (63) is designed to, at said second wavelength, provide a substantially circular beam exiting therefrom which was not fully affected by that Prism therein (3). It's presence does NOT serve to act on a multiplicity of wavelengths without need of additional elements as does the filter in the present invention, as will be discussed in the Disclosure Section of the Specification.
It is also of interest to consider that Kibabayashi 501 inventor could beneficially add the present invention to its system to provide optimized beam diameters at the two wavelengths it uses for CD and DVD operation. However, Kibabayashi 501 does not remotely suggest this at all, as it does not even mention correcting for diffraction of a beam.
Finally, Patents disclosing other approaches, (eg. apodizing filters, spatial filters, graded lens etc.), to improving imaging performance in metrology systems by adjusting the index of lens material index are:                U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,424 to Norton;        U.S. Pat. No. 6,738,138 to Wei;        U.S. Pat. No. 7,145,654 to Norton; and        U.S. Pat. No. 7,050,162.
Need exists for a system which provides wavelength specific material response mediated aperturing and focusing of electromagnetic beams, on a wavelength by wavelength basis, to the end that an optimum beam diameter, in view of both diffraction and aberration effects is approached over a range of wavelengths so that the operation of the lens element is improved, and in which a filtering element is also present which is not necessarily of uniform optical density and/or thickness, said optical density and/or thickness varying as a selection from the group consisting of:                optical density and/or thickness is greatest near the center thereof; and        optical density and/or thickness is smallest near the center thereof;and can demonstrate neutral density characteristics outside the specified range of wavelengths. The combination of a focusing element, and a filtering element can optionally be present in an ellipsometer or polarimeter system.

Operation of an electromagnetic radiation focusing element


A system and method for generating, transmitting and distributing audio signals. The system and method may include an array having a plurality of microphones and a plurality of speakers as well as a first processor disposed proximate the array. The system and method can also have a second processor disposed remotely from the array and communicatively coupled with the array, at least one remotely located device having at least one microphone and at least one speaker and one or more remotely located speakers. Also, there may be an audio signal that is generated by one of a microphone on the array and a microphone on the at least one remotely located device, the location of the generation of the audio signal determined by one of the first processor and the second processor, generated audio signal transmitted to at least one of the speakers on the array, the at least one speaker on the remotely located device and the one or more remotely located speakers.

The background for this application relates generally to the field of electro-acoustics and more specifically to an invention that is made of both an apparatus for detecting and amplifying sound and processes for enhancing verbal communications among meeting attendees and between meeting attendees and presenters. The opportunity arises out of meetings in the hospitality industry. Most meetings are presentation style with a presenter at the front of the room and an audience in a meeting space.
Many of these meetings and presentations involve a meal with a presenter addressing the entire group. The audience can be seated at round tables for food service and the presenter may be on a platform at one end of the room. This is a common and profitable arrangement for hotels, as they are often able to sell both the meeting room and food for the audience members.
There is a desire during these presentations to provide sound reinforcement so that the audience can hear the presenter and any program audio from video or other presentation materials. This can be provided by having the presenter either hold or wear a microphone that is connected to speakers. Additionally, there is a desire to accommodate questions, comments and statements from the audience after a presenter has concluded their discussion, in a way that can be heard by both the presenter and the audience. This can be accommodated by providing one or more microphones on stands in the audience area and requiring audience members to approach the microphones to ask their questions. Alternatively, wired or wireless portable microphones can be brought into the audience for questions to be asked so everyone can hear the questions or comments.
These microphones are connected to amplifiers and speakers in order to provide sound for the audience. Two of the typical ways this may be provided are by using a built-in sound system or by using portable speakers.
Currently, the highest level of spoken word intelligibility and sound quality is garnered though sound reinforcement systems having an array of ceiling speakers distributed throughout the listening area and properly installed, located and adjusted. Using this approach, an array of ceiling speakers can be installed flush, embedded into, or mounted on the surface of the ceiling. These can be connected to amplifiers either located nearby or in a central location. Input jacks can then be built into the walls around the periphery of the meeting space.
Portable speakers can typically be mounted on tripod stands and located at the front corners of the object wall or front of the room. The microphones can be connected to portable amplifiers, or the amplifiers may be built into the speakers. Cables can run from the amplifiers or microphones to the speakers.
Typical built-in hotel sound systems, however, lack the desired high quality sound transmission and intelligibility. Systems that are built-in to hotels when the hotels are constructed or renovated tend to be either low in quality or outdated, due to the difficulty and cost in updating the systems. Thus, it is often desired by meeting and presentation planners to avoid using the built-in systems of hotels.
Further, many hotels and conference centers rely on outside audio/visual rental companies to provide audio/visual services. These audio/visual companies often try to convince clients to use portable sound systems and equipment that is not built-in to the hotel. These systems often use portable speakers that are placed in the front of the room where the presentation is staged. However, using portable speakers in this fashion can result in a variety of problems or undesirable effects. For example, the portable speakers may not provide a high-quality listening experience for the audience members of a presentation. In these situations, the audience members seated nearest the speakers may be subjected to an uncomfortably high level of noise, while those seated in the rear may struggle to hear or understand the speaker due to a potentially low level of sound.
Additionally, portable speakers that face horizontally often project most of their sound energy against the walls and ceiling of the presentation room, energizing the reverberant spaces and thus reducing the intelligibility and quality of the words of the speaker due to the reverberation of the sound energy. This effect may further be exacerbated due to the acoustics of the meeting space.
Other problems caused by the use of traditional portable speakers for presentations include both safety and aesthetic dangers. Cables running to the portable speakers can create a tripping hazard for both presenters and guests. Further, the presenters and planners may not like the appearance of temporary, portable speakers in an otherwise aesthetically pleasing presentation environment.
Additional problems exist when there is a panel of presenters for a presentation. In these situations a variety of microphones need to be placed on a table on a dais so that each member of the panel may be heard by the audience without having to share a microphone or microphones. This set up may cause additional problems, such as difficulty in connecting a series of microphones to a speaker system and the large amount of wiring needed to support a variety of microphones.
Another problem that exists in present systems is the manner in which the system is controlled. Current systems may rely on a centralized or remote control unit. However, this control unit may not be configured to accept different microphone and speaker setups or may not be configured to provide an ideal output for different setups.
Further, with traditional presentation setups, there are typically only a few microphones that may be used by audience members to ask questions or make comments after the presenters have finished their discussions. This can be inconvenient as audience members may have to walk through tightly arranged tables and chairs or rows of chairs in order to reach one of the microphones. Additionally, these setups are typically not convenient for people with disabilities, who may require a significant amount of time or effort to reach the microphone. Additionally, people who feel uncomfortable when standing and speaking in front of a large audience may be discouraged from asking their question or proffering their comment.
Other systems that have been used in conference or presentation situations include pre-wired tables that include both microphones and speakers. These tables are manufactured to include a series of speakers and one or more microphones, allowing for each group of people at a table to set the volume of the presentation and allowing for them to speak through the speaker system through the embedded microphones. These pre-wired tables are, however, expensive to manufacture and frequently inadequate for presentation use. The pre-wired tables are difficult to move and store due to their size and weight. Additionally, the tables are not convenient for hotels to purchase because the weight of the tables and incorporated electrical equipment do not make them ideal for simpler functions, such as dinner parties that do not need communication or presentation systems.
Other systems that have been used in conference or presentation situations include wireless units that include both microphones and speakers. These are designed to serve one or at most two attendees and include a speaker and a microphone, allowing for one or two attendees to hear and speak. These wireless systems are generally too expensive to use in a hotel setting.
Yet other presentation systems rely on individualized headsets in order to convey a presenter's speech to individuals in the audience. Individual headsets may be worn by each member of an audience who seeks to hear the presentation and the volume on the headsets may be adjusted to an appropriate level. These headsets, however, are subjected to easy breakage from users dropping them, for example. Further, each person in attendance must be given a headset if they desire to adequately hear a presenter, thus there may be gridlock at entrances to the presentation or staff must be used to place headsets at each seat. Additionally, it may be difficult for the hotel or audio/visual company who owns the headsets to successfully recover all of the headsets following a presentation or conference. Finally, some users may find the headsets uncomfortable, awkward to wear or difficult to use and adjust. In addition, these devices typically do not have a way to encrypt the data that is being transmitted, thus the presenters do not have adequate control over how to disseminate their presentation material.
Still other systems utilize individualized badges or lapel microphones. These devices are typically battery-powered and wireless. However, these devices require both distribution to the users as well as user interaction, such as connecting the microphone to their clothing, which limits the effectiveness of the devices. Further, some of these devices require a user to wear a battery pack which may be cumbersome for a user to wear.

Communication system, apparatus and method


An interconnection structure includes: first and second differential signal interconnections provided to transmit a differential signal; and first and second voltage interconnections applied with predetermined voltages. The first voltage interconnection, the first differential signal interconnection, the second differential signal interconnection and the second voltage interconnection are arranged in this order. An interval between the first and second differential signal interconnections is longer than an interval between the first voltage interconnection and the first differential signal interconnection and is longer than an interval between the second differential signal interconnection and the second voltage interconnection. When a first connection point and a second connection point nearest to the first connection point are provided on any of the first and second differential signal interconnections and the first and second voltage interconnections, a distance between the first connection point and the second connection point is in a range of 1/16 of a wavelength of the differential signal to ⅛ of the wavelength thereof.

In recent years, the operation speed of a semiconductor device increases remarkably. Especially, a semiconductor device which can transmit a signal in a high transmission rate of 5 Gbps or more in a low cost is demanded. Accordingly, a semiconductor package and interposer package with high performance in a low cost are required in order to protect the semiconductor chip and to connect with a system board.
The interposer package which is provided with a stripline or a micro stripline in many printed circuit boards has advantageous electric properties in transmission of a signal in a high transmission rate. However, such an interposer package is expensive as compared with a lead frame-type package such as QFP (Quad Flat Package) which is conventionally used.
Therefore, a trial has been made to transmit a signal in a high transmission rate by using a lead frame-type package of a low cost, as described in Non-Patent Literature 1, "Design of Low Cost QFP Packages for Multi-Gigabit Memory Interface" (Proceedings of 59th Electronic Components and Technology Conference, 1662 (2009)) by Joong-Ho Kim, Ralf Schmitt, Dan Oh, Wendemagegnehu T. Beyene, Ming Li, Arun Vaidyanath, Yi Lu, June Feng, Chuck Yuan, Dave Secker, and Don Mullen.
However, in the lead frame-type package which does not have a plane conductor as a reference (a return path), basically, impedance of a signal lead pin is high. Also, in such a signal lead pin, coupling with another lead pin is strong. For this reason, it is difficult to transmit the signal in the high transmission rate of 5 Gbps or more in high quality.
In order to solve this problem, in Patent Literature 1 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,576,983), a special structure of the semiconductor package having a signal reference plane is proposed. FIG. 1 is a section view showing the structure of the semiconductor package disclosed in Patent Literature 1.
However, the structure disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is expensive. Accordingly, it is desirable to achieve signal transmission in the high transmission rate by using as many existing manufacturing processes as possible.
Generally, the lead frame type package has basic problems. The first problem is in that the lead frame-type package does not have a conductor as the reference for the signal transmitted in the high transmission rate. The second problem is in that the coupling between two neighbor signal pins is very strong. Because of these two problems, the impedance of a signal pin is high so that a large signal reflection occurs and also a large inter-signal interference (crosstalk) occurs. As a result, a signal waveform degrades to cause a data detection error.
The property peculiar to the lead frame-type package causes a problem when differential signal interconnection generally used in a device having a transmission rate of Gbps or more is configured. This is because the coupling between two lead pins for a differential signal is too strong.
To perform transmission in a high transmission rate, it is required to appropriately control impedances in two modes in the differential signal, i.e. a differential mode and a common mode. Here, the impedance in the differential mode is smaller than twice of the impedance of a single signal pin due to the coupling between signal pins. For the same reason, the impedance in the common mode is larger than a half of the impedance of the single signal pin. Also, as the coupling between the signal pins becomes stronger, the deviation from twice or the half becomes larger. It should be noted that an ideal value of the differential mode impedance is 100Ω and an ideal value of the common mode impedance is 25Ω.
It could be easily understood that the lead frame-type package in which the coupling between the signal pins is strong has a very high common mode impedance, because even the impedance of the single pin is high.
Generally, when the common mode impedance in a signal route to an input/output circuit on a semiconductor device is very high, large common mode noise generates on the signal route. This causes the generation of EMI (ElectroMagnetic Interference). This mechanism could be understood as follows.
Ideally, a differential signal output circuit should output only an ideal differential signal. However, in an actual circuit, some amount of common mode signal is generated. This common mode signal is divided in voltage based on an impedance ratio of the output impedance of the output circuit and the impedance of the signal route. Generally, in a GHz band, the impedance of the output circuit is low because of its parasitic capacitance. Therefore, when the impedance of the signal route is high, the common mode signal is taken out to the signal route in efficiency near to 100%. That is, an unwanted common mode signal (to be sometimes referred to as a common mode noise because it is unnecessary) causing the EMI is efficiently appeared on the signal route.
Moreover, according to the definition of the impedance, the fact that the common mode impedance in the signal route is high means that the signal route efficiently converts a noise current introduced from the vicinity into the common mode noise. The noise current is mainly induced due to a magnetic field generated from the signal route. Though it has been described above that electromagnetic radiation is easily generated when the common mode impedance is high, it could be understood that the sensitivity to the electromagnetic radiation, too, is high. That is, though it is not only easy to generate the electromagnetic radiation, but also weak to the electromagnetic radiation. Therefore, it is easy to understand that there occurs positive feedback. It is important to control the common mode impedance in addition to the crosstalk.
When a signal transmission is performed in the transmission rate of 5 Gbps or more, the degradation of a signal waveform due to a parasitic capacitance of the I/O circuit regardless of a kind of a package or an interposer will be described in Non-Patent Literature 2, i.e. "Novel T-Coil Structure and Implementation in a6.4-Gb/s CMOS Receiver to Meet Return Loss Specification" (Proceeding of 57th Electronic Components and Technology Conference, 147 (2007)) by Edward Pillai, and Jonas Weiss and Non-Patent Literature 3, i.e. "Package Substrate Built-In Three-Dimensional Distributed Matching Circuit for high-Speed SerDes Applications" (Proceeding of 58th Electronic Components and Technology Conference, 676 (2008)) by Ryuichi Oikawa.
Non-Patent Literature 2 describes a measure on an LSI circuit. Non-Patent Literature 3 describes a measure on a package/interposer. These measures have merits and demerits. However, the measures on the package and interposer are desirable for the purpose that the measures are achieved by using conventional manufacturing technique as much as possible in a low cost.
As discussed above, it is necessary to solve the above problems of the signal degradation due to the absence of the signal reference, the large signal crosstalk, the high common mode impedance, and the parasitic capacitance of the I/O circuit, in order to achieve the high-speed signal transmission of 5 Gbps or more on the lead frame-type package or interposer in low cost.
FIG. 2A is a plan view showing the outward appearance of a semiconductor device disclosed in Patent Literature 2 (U.S. Pat. No. 7,009,282). FIG. 2B is a plan view showing the structure of a lead frame-type package disclosed in Patent Literature 2.
In the conventional techniques shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a "pitch extension pin" is provided between two pins. That is, the reduction of crosstalk between the pins is attempted by extending a pin interval partially. There are drawbacks that the number of usable pins is decreased and that footprint is out of a usual design process in mounting on a printed circuit board in this technique. However, because a distance between the pins can be extended several times by providing the pitch extension pin, a crosstalk is considerably reduced.
It is possible to reduce the common mode impedance to a differential signal by assigning the differential signal to two pins provided to have a long interval, although it is not specially described in Patent Literature 2. However, because the impedance per one pin remains high, a large effect is not obtained.
FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing a structure of a two-dimensional array-type connector disclosed in Patent Literature 3 (U.S. Pat. No. 7,467,955). FIG. 3B is a plan view showing interconnection of the two-dimensional array-type connector disclosed in Patent Literature 3.
In the conventional technique shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the ground voltage is properly allocated to a part of lead pins at the two-dimensional array-type connector so that the part of lead pins acts as a signal return path or an inter-signal shield. Further, FIG. 3B includes a contour plot of voltage in the neighborhood of an active column-based differential signal pair S− S—in contact arrangement of signal contacts S and ground contacts G. As shown, contour lines 42 are closest to zero volts, contour lines 44 are closest to -1 volt, and contour lines 46 are closest to +1 volt. Even if only one line of the two-dimensional array structures shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B is taken out, the same effect as in the two-dimensional array structure is not obtained, but it would be applicable to a lead frame-type package of a semiconductor device. Also, a method of adjusting a signal pin interval and a signal pin width to adjust impedances and a method of arranging a pair of pins for a differential signal and a pin for the ground voltage alternately to reduce a crosstalk are disclosed in Patent Literature 3. However, a method of controlling common mode impedance is not described in Patent Literature 3 especially.


A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is provided. The control apparatus is equipped with an electronic control unit. A CPU with which this electronic control unit is equipped performs dither control for setting a first cylinder as a rich-burn cylinder whose air-fuel ratio is richer than a theoretical air-fuel ratio and setting each of second to fourth cylinders as a lean-burn cylinder whose air-fuel ratio is leaner than the theoretical air-fuel ratio, when a request to raise the temperature of a three-way catalyst is made. Then, the CPU reduces the degree of richness of the rich-burn cylinder and the degree of leanness of each of the lean-burn cylinders while continuing dither control, on the condition that fluctuations at a level equal to or higher than a predetermined value are caused in time-series data on the rotational speed resulting from the combustion in each of the cylinders.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates to a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that is designed to control the internal combustion engine, which is equipped with a catalyst that is designed to purify exhaust gas discharged from a plurality of cylinders.
2. Description of Related Art
For example, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-57492 (JP 2012-57492 A), there is described a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that is equipped with a three-way catalyst into which exhaust gas of four cylinders flows. This control apparatus performs perturbation control (dither control) for making one of the cylinders of the internal combustion engine a rich-burn cylinder whose air-fuel ratio is richer than a theoretical air-fuel ratio and making each of the other three cylinders a lean-burn cylinder whose air-fuel ratio is leaner than the theoretical air-fuel ratio, as the control of warming up (raising the temperature of) the catalyst. This aims at oxidizing unburnt fuel components and incompletely burnt components in the exhaust gas discharged from the rich-burn cylinder by the oxygen in the exhaust gas discharged from the lean-burn cylinders, and raising the temperature of the three-way catalyst by the heat of oxidation.

Control apparatus for internal combustion engine


A fixing device for securing a sheet member to a substrate, having a stud projecting upwardly therefrom, comprises a cap member which is disposed over the stud and has inwardly projecting detents for engaging threaded portions of the stud. The sheet member has an aperture defined therethrough and within which the stud and cap member assembly project. A first clip member has a first flange portion for engaging one surface of the sheet member, and a body portion extending within the aperture of the sheet member so as to surround the cap member. A second clip member has a second flange portion for engaging a second surface of the sheet member, and a body portion which is also inserted within the aperture of the sheet member so as to be interposed between the cap member and the body portion of the first clip member. The cap member is provided with an annular groove, the second clip member is provided with an annular projection for engaging the annular groove of the cap member, and detents of the second clip member engage the body portion of the first clip member so as to permit engagement of the first and second clip members. The first and second clip members are also connected together by a flexible strap.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing device for mounting a sheet member such as a carpet, an insulator, or the like, on a base such as an automobile floor panel or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As shown in FIG. 3, the passenger compartment in an ordinary automobile has a sheet member 1 such as an insulator and/or a carpet laid on its floor panel for noiseproofing and ornamental purposes and the same is retained by clips 2 so that the sheet member 1 does not turn up.
As is clear from FIG. 4 which is a cross sectional view taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 3, the sheet member 1 comprises an insulator 4 laid on the floor panel 3 and a carpet 5 laid on the insulator 4. The insulator 4 has a laminated structure consisting of a rubber layer 4a and a felt layer 4b. The insulator 4 and carpet 5 have respective through holes 6 and 7. The floor panel 3 has a stud 8 formed upright thereon at each position corresponding to a pair of through holes 6 and 7 of the insulator 4 and carpet 5. After the sheet member 1 has been set in position by inserting the studs 8 into the through holes 6 and 7, the clips 2 are engaged with the studs 8 so as to fix the sheet member 1.
The clip 2 comprises a body portion 12a having a central engaging hole 11 and a head portion 12b integral with one end of the body portion 12a. The inner wall of the body portion 12a defining the central engaging hole 11 is provided with a pair of engaging claws 10 for engaging the thread grooves of the stud 8 so as to non-returnably retain the clip 2.
With this arrangement, the sheet member 1 is mounted on the floor panel 3 by laying the insulator 4 and carpet 5 on the floor panel 3, with their through holes 6 and 7 registered and receiving the studs 8 therein, and pushing the clips 2 against the studs 8 utilizing the through holes 6 and 7, thereby inserting the studs 8 into the central engaging holes 11 of the body portions 12a of the clips 2. At this time, while the head portion 12b of each clip 2 urges the sheet member 1 downward, the engaging claws 10 in the central engaging hole 11 engage with the thread grooves of the stud 8 so that the clip is non-removably retained. Therefore, the sheet member 1 is pinched between the head portion 12b of the clip 2 and the floor panel 3.
According to the prior art fixing device described above, however, there is a possibility of the thread grooves formed in the periphery of the stud 8 colliding against and catching the periphery walls of the through holes 6 and 7 of the insulator 4 and carpet 5, thereby failing to smoothly insert the stud 8 into the through holes 6 and 7 and turning up peripheral wall portions of the insulator 4 and carpet 5 defining the through holes 6 and 7. Thus, the prior art fixing device exhibits inferior operability. In addition, the clip 2 is separate from both the stud 8 and the sheet member 1. For this reason, the clip 2 is troublesome to handle and is easy to misplace or lose.


A portable protective enclosure and a method of using the enclosure is presented. The enclosure may include a plurality of walls extending around and at least partially defining an interior space for being occupied by a user, and a top panel overlying and at least partially defining the space. The plurality of walls may include an entry wall and side walls. The entry wall may include a door flap moveable between open and closed positions. The side wall may include a window having a see-through material, and a window flap in a facing relationship with the window and moveable between open and closed positions. The enclosure may include a floor panel detachably joined to at least one of the walls by a fastener that is accessible from within the interior space, so that the floor panel is detachable from the walls from within the interior space.

Known techniques and devices for providing protection against weather elements, such as rain, snow, hail and sleet, include shelter structures, such as, tents and other canopy structures. These structures are often used outdoors, for activities that may include camping. Because these tents are used in the outdoors and may be exposed to the weather elements, including wind, they often need to be secured to the ground, by stakes or other strong and substantial securing means.
In addition, use of these tent structures may vary from requiring portable shelters that can be moved from one place to another to larger tent structures that may include rigid supports that help keep the structure at a single location for an extended amount of time. While the portable shelters may offer a user with flexibility of where the shelter can be used, this flexibility may be limited when the user will be at locations experiencing, for example, heavy winds and/or rain. While larger and more rigid tent structures may be able to withstand heavy winds and/or rain, they are not portable by the user.
Tent structures are also often used in activities that may require privacy, such as sleeping and changing clothing. These structures usually include fabric sheets or other cloth-like material that are mounted on and/or secured to poles. Coupled with the desire to provide protection against the weather elements, these structures may be substantially waterproof and/or leak-proof in an effort to keep users dry. An issue with these structures is that while they may prevent water from entering the structure, they do not allow for the admittance of air therethrough, which may limit the user's ability to received required ventilation. In addition, should the user need to move the structure to, for example, a drier location, the user will have to exit the structure in order to do so, which may expose the user to undesirable weather elements and/or insects and/or bugs that are outside the structure. A user's exposure to insects, such as mosquitos, can cause potentially serious health risks. For instance, users may be exposed to an Aedes species mosquitos infected with the Zika virus—a virus for which no vaccine and/or medicinal treatment are presently available. If users are bitten by an infected Aedes species mosquito, the user may experience fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis, headache and/or muscle pain. A pregnant user may pass the Zika virus to her unborn fetus. Thus, limiting exposure to insects that may be infected with serious
In view of the disadvantages associated with currently available methods and devices for protection against weather elements, there is a need for a device and method that provides full body protection against weather elements, while also providing adequate ventilation for a user. There is also a need for a protective enclosure that inhibits the admittance of bugs and/or insects within the enclosure, while also providing all-around water resistance and ventilation for the user, and being versatile enough to be moved from one location to another without requiring the user to exit the device. In addition, there is a need for a protective enclosure that is easily transportable, without requiring assembly of multiple components and tools to secure the device to various outdoor groundcover surfaces, such as grass, dirt, sand, concrete, stone, synthetic (e.g. rubber) or natural mulch, wood chips, engineered wood fiber, pavers, poured rubber, rubber tiles, wood decking, pea gravel, synthetic turf, and the like.

Self-erecting portable protective enclosure


A safety valve for mounting on the opening of a feeding bottle. The safety valve has an outer cap with a raised flat top in the middle with perforations thereon, and a flanged inner cap with a raised flat top in the middle disposed inside an interior space defined by the side wall and the raised flat top of the outer cap. The inner cap is rotatable with respect to the outer cap from an open position to a closed position. The raised flat top of the inner cap has a plurality of through holes formed thereon which, when in the open position, are in alignment with the perforations formed on the raised flat top of the outer cap to form passages for the milk contained in the feeding bottle to flow therethrough. A plurality of temperature sensitive springs and a regular spring are connected between the outer and inner caps to rotate the inner cap to the closed position when the temperature of the milk is higher than a pre-specified range and to return the inner cap to the open position when the milk is cooled down.

The present invention relates generally to a baby feeding bottle and in particular to a safety valve for a feeding bottle which is closable when the temperature of the milk inside the feeding bottle is higher than a pre-specified temperature, preventing the baby from being hurt by high temperature milk.
A feeding bottle usually comprises a bottle body with an opening to receive therein a milk solution of milk powder in hot water, and a rubber teat which is tightly fit on the opening and has one or two through holes for feeding a baby therethrough. The temperature of the milk for feeding the baby should be kept within a given range, for high temperature may hurt the baby's mouth and throat, while low temperature may cause stomach problems and is less attractive to the baby.
There are many ways that a baby sitter or a parent can test the temperature of the milk. For example, a parent may taste the milk with his or her mouth to determine if the temperature is appropriate; it is quite possible for the parent to transmit a disease to the baby in this way. Another disadvantage of this method is that the baby may not have the same feeling regarding the milk temperature as the parent does. In other words, what is considered appropriate by the parent may not be the same for the baby.
Another way to test the milk temperature is to drop one or two droplets of the milk on a hand or an arm to check the temperature or to hold the bottle with a hand to indirectly check the temperature with the palm of the hand. A disadvantage of these methods is that the baby's feeling of the milk temperature may be different from that of the parent, since the parent is feeling the temperature with his or her skin while the baby is feeling the temperature with its mouth.
It is therefore desirable to have a feeding bottle with a temperature sensitive safety valve which controls the flowing out of the milk inside the bottle body in accordance with the temperature of the milk to regulate a suitable temperature to a baby.

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A broadcast system provides consumers with inducement to consume portions in which they may not have an active interest, such as commercials. To dissuade consumers from leaving the vicinity of the broadcast receiver or from switching to other broadcasts while a first broadcast airs such a portion, the first broadcast is augmented by a second content entity calculated to be of interest to the consumer. Interaction is required of the consumer in order for him to receive the second content entity, which necessitates his presence and attention.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to program transmission, and particularly to inducing a consumer of program transmission to continue to receive and consume program transmission during portions thereof in which he is not actively interested and which he is inclined to ignore.
2. Description of the Related Art
Broadcast industries, such as radio broadcasting and television broadcasting, derive a substantial portion of their income from charging advertisers for interspersing commercial messages ("commercials"), also known as advertisements ("ads"), into the substantive content of the broadcasts. Such advertising revenue not only provides profit for the broadcasters, but typically provides funds for operating expenses. Much broadcasting would have to be discontinued without advertising revenue.
The viewer of a television program or the listener to a radio program (hereinafter referred to as the user or consumer of programming) typically is not actively interested in the commercial, and may even perceive the commercial as an intrusion or annoyance. The user may leave the room, in which case he is still receiving, but is no longer consuming, the program. Or the user may switch to another program while the commercial is being broadcast. Modern consumer electronics devices are typically equipped with remote controls which make it a simple matter to switch to another program or "channel surf" through a plurality of other programs, and to switch back to the original program when it is adjudged that the commercials should be over. Some consumer electronics devices facilitate recording a program for delayed playback, often with the commercials "cut". Even if the commercials are not cut, the consumer may be inclined to "fast forward" over them. Such behavior reduces the size of the audience for commercials, which in turn eventually lowers the amount that the advertisers are willing to pay the broadcasters for airing them. In effect, such behavior threatens the economic basis of commercial broadcasting.
There is thus a need to provide an incentive or inducement to the consumer to continue to consume the programming even when the substantive content is interrupted for the presentation of commercial messages.

System and method for broadcasting advertisements


Methods and systems for determining states of environments and modifying the environments according to the states are disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes a robot device determining for an environment a state comprising a plurality of state attributes for the environment. The method further includes receiving a request for the state and, in response to receiving the request, modifying the environment to comprise at least some of state attributes. The robot device may determine the state by receiving indications of at least some of the state attributes from some or all of a user, a server, another robot device, and another device. The attributes may be user attributes for a particular user, or may be event attributes for a particular type of event. The request may take the form of a request from a user, a calendar event, or a user arrival.

For a particular event, it may be desirable to arrange an environment in a particular state. For example, for a meeting, it may be desirable to turn on the lights and provide chairs for the meeting attendees. As another example, for a dinner party it may be desirable to turn on music and set the table. Other examples are possible as well.
Further, particular people may have preferences for an environment. For example, a particular person may prefer a particular temperature. As another example, a particular person may prefer a particular type or amount of lighting.

Determining states and modifying environments according to states


A process and test kit for the quantitative determination of the individual and total unsaturated Vitamin B-12 binding capacities of the three transcobalamins TC-I, TC-II, and TC-III in serum. The process comprises incubating a serum sample with a solution of .sup.57 Co Vitamin B-12, contacting the resulting mixture with a TC-II adsorbent and with a DEAE-cellulose adsorbent for TC-I and TC-III, measuring the total radioactivity adsorbed to said adsorbents, selectively desorbing TC-III from the DEAE-cellulose adsorbent by washing with a monopotassium phosphate solution of about 0.05 M and at a pH of about 4.6, measuring the individual radioactivity adsorbed to each of said adsorbents, and calculating the radioactivity that had been washed from the DEAE-cellulose adsorbent by said phosphate solution. The resulting four radioactivity values are functions of the total, TC-II, TC-I, and TC-III unsaturated Vitamin B-12 binding capacities, respectively, of the serum tested. The test kit comprises the essential elements for performing the present process.

1. Field of the Invention
The human serum contains at least three known binders of Vitamin B-12, namely the three transcobalamins designated as TC-I, TC-II, and TC-III. TC-I and TC-III are derived from granulocytes and both are alpha-globulins with a similar molecular weight, of about 120,000. They have a different electrical charge and hence differ in their electrophoretic mobility. TC-II is a beta-globulin of molecular weight of about 38,000 and it is derived mainly from the liver. The physiological functions of the three transcobalamins are not fully understood, but it is known that endogenous Vitamin B-12 is bound mainly to TC-I (about 85%), and TC-II binds about 15% of endogenous B-12 while TC-III seems to bind Vitamin B-12 only in vitro. Since TC-II binds small quantities of endogenous B-12 while it takes up the main part of Vitamin B-12 added to the serum in vitro, most of the unsaturated B-12 binding sites are located on TC-II (unsaturated B-12 binding capacity, UBBC). Vitamin B-12 is bound in the serum to the transcobalamins in a 1:1 molar ratio.
It is well known that certain pathological conditions are associated with significant specific changes in the level of the three transcobalamins in serum and that the determination of the Vitamin B-12 binding capacity of each of the three transcobalamins is an important tool in medical diagnosis. Amongst others, the quantitative determination of the B-12 binding capacity of the three transcobalamins is of value in the effective screening of certain malignant diseases and also in the monitoring of the treatment of these diseases. Amongst others, the determination of the three transcobalamins is of value in:
A. Diagnosis, evaluation of treatment and monitoring of the course of myeloproliferative diseases [CML (chronic myelocytic leukemia), APL (acute promyeolocytic leukemia), polycythemia vera.] PA1 B. Differentiation of leukemoid reactions and conditions manifested by non-leukemic leukocytosis. PA1 C. Recognition of rapid malignant cell proliferation in lymphoma, sarcoma, Hodgkins Disease, actue leukemia, etc. PA1 D. Evaluation of therapy and monitoring the course of malignant diseases (remission and relapse) such as sarcomas, actue leukemias, Hodgkins Disease, lymphomas etc. PA1 E. Diagnosis and recognition of hepato-cellular damage.
The quantitative determination of B-12 binding capacity of the three transcobalamins may also be of value in the recognition, differentiation and monitoring of various other disorders.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The three transcobalamins present in human serum are difficult to separate and their quantitative determination is both complicated and time-consuming. The main problem is the similarity of electrophoretic properties of TC-II and TC-III and their similar behavior on DEAE-cellulose separation.
The prior art techniques for separating the transcobalamins are characterized by the methods described in the following references: Blood 33:899(1969), Br. J. Haematol. 22:33 and 53(1972), J. Lab. Clin. Med. 73:60(1969), Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 62:367(1974), Blood 31:518(1968), Blood 25:875(1965), Fed. Proc. 33:715(1974), blood 45:281 and 287(1975), J. Lab. Clin. Med. 75:673(1970), Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 147:377 (1974), and J. Biol. Chem. 250:7700(1975). These prior art techniques are cumbersome research techniques and some are even known to give inconsistent results. Some require days to complete and all have to be considered as confined to use in the research laboratory.
An object of the present invention is to provide a process and test kit for transcobalamin determination which is applicable to routine use in the clinical laboratory. The present inventors, in FEBS Letters 44:71(1974), described an advantageous technique for the separate determination of TC-I and TC-II, but made no suggestion as to the determination of TC-III as well, which substance has properties similar to TC-I.


A method of sorting a media content is provided. The method includes receiving at least one search word, extracting at least one media content based on the received search word, identifying a user's selection for the extracted media content, generating a group, and including the at least one media content in the group based on the identified user's selection.

With the generalization of digital cameras, a user can frequently photograph a picture and a video during his/her daily life. A digital camera can photograph a picture and a video and store the photographed picture and the photographed video in a storage device (e.g., a memory) in the form of a file. With the development of technology, the capacity of a storage device embedded in a digital camera may have been increased more and more. Further, since the digital camera stores the picture and the video, the digital camera can store a larger amount of pictures and videos as the capacity of the storage device is increased. A media content (e.g., a picture file and a video file) accumulated in the form of files can be generally classified in order of date on which the media content has been photographed. When a user randomly classifies media contents stored in the electrode device, the user generates a specific folder to separately store the media contents. Here, the user can directly and individually select the media contents and move the selected media contents to the specific folder. When the number of picture files stored in the storage device is several hundreds or more, the user can identify, select, and classify the picture files one by one.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.

Method for sorting media content and electronic device implementing same


In the light emitting element comprising an n-type semiconductor substrate, a lower electrode formed on the lower surface of the substrate, and a light emitting part having a pn junction, which is composed of an InGaAlP compound semiconductor material, a p-type current diffusing layer and an upper electrode which are laminated on the upper surface of the substrate in that order from the substrate side, the improvement wherein a carrier concentration of the current diffusing layer is lower on a light emitting part side thereof than that on an upper electrode side thereof, and at least the upper electrode side of the current diffusing layer is composed of GaP. By employing such structure, diffusion of the dopant to a light emitting part can be suppressed even when the carrier concentration of the upper part of the current diffusing layer is set to be higher, thereby affording a lower resistance of the current diffusing layer as a whole. The GaP being a compound semiconductor without Al, the amount of the dopant necessary for affording the superior effects of suppressing the diffusion of the dopant to the light emitting part can be less. Consequently, the luminous efficiency can be improved as compared with conventional ones, and a light emitting element having a long service life and superior reliability can be obtained.

Of the semiconductor light emitting elements (hereinafter simply referred to as light emitting element), those comprising an InGaAlP material as the light emitting part emit light of from red to green.
There have been known light emitting elements comprising an n-type GaAs substrate, a light emitting part composed of an InGaAlP material, which is formed thereon, and a current diffusing layer formed on said light emitting part. FIG. 3 schematically shows one embodiment of the structure of such conventional light emitting element. In the example shown in this Figure, a light emitting part 2 formed of an InGaAlP material and a current diffusing layer 3A are sequentially formed on an n-type GaAs substrate 1, and electrodes 4 and 5 are formed in such a way that they sandwich the substrate, the light emitting part and the current diffusing layer in the laminating direction. In this Figure, the current diffusing layer 3A is hatched for emphasis. The light emitting part has a double heterojunction structure wherein an active layer 22 is interposed between an n-type cladding layer 21 and a p-type cladding layer 23, both having a greater band gap. In the following description, an electrode 4 on the substrate side is referred to as a lower electrode and an electrode 5 on the current diffusing layer side as an upper electrode. The current diffusing layer 3A functions to spread the current from the upper electrode to obtain light emission from a wide area of the active layer, and is formed from a material capable of transmitting the light from the light sitting part.
The current diffusing layer aims at spreading the current from the upper electrode toward the wider area of the light emitting part. Accordingly, the resistance of the semiconductor material to be used preferably has a lower resistance. A lower resistance of the semiconductor material can be achieved by setting the carrier concentration higher.
When the carrier concentration of the current diffusing layer is increased by adding a dopant at high concentrations, the dopant spreads to the light emitting part to reach the active layer, and acts as non-radiative recombination centers, which ultimately causes lower luminous efficiency.
In addition, the light emitting element wherein the dopant has spread to the light emitting part has an extremely short service life, thus raising a reliability problem in connection with the current diffusing layer.

Semiconductor light emitting element with a current diffusing layer having a changing carrier concentration therein


A method for the measurement of serum bile acids by ELISA comprising: preparing a bile acid active ester, reacting the ester with a bovine serum albumin solution, dialyzing, and immunizing a mammal other than human being with the dialyzate thus obtained as an antigen to thereby give an anti-bile acid antibody; reacting said active ester with an enzyme to thereby prepare an enzyme-labeled bile acid as an enzyme-labeled antigen; to a secondary antibody-coated plate, adding a dilution of the serum to be assayed, an anti-bile acid antibody solution and an enzyme-labeled antigen solution and reacting these substances followed by the addition of a substrate and the reaction therewith; measuring the absorbance of the reaction mixture and determining the concentration of each bile acid on the basis of the standard curve measured simultaneously; and referring the sum of the concentrations of these bile acids to the total bile acid concentration; and a method for the diagnosis of a liver disease comprising: calculating the concentration ratio of each bile acid from the values measured by the former method; and comparing the concentration ratio thus obtained with the standard level scope of said concentration ratio obtained from healthy subjects are provided.

Bile acids are one of the major components of bile. In liver cells, cholesterol is formed from acetyl coA (coenzyme A) and further primary bile acids [cholic acid (CA) and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA)] are formed therefrom. The primary bile acid conjugated with glycine or taurine undergoes 7.alpha. dehydroxylation by enteric bacteria in the intestinal tract and thus secondary bile acids [deoxycholic acid (DCA) and lithocholic acid (LCA)] are formed. At the same time, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is also formed.
After facilitating the absorption of fat-soluble substances in the intestinal tract, the bile acids are mostly reabsorbed at the end of the ileum and returned to the liver through the portal vein, thus repeating the closed enterohepatic circulation. Bile acids pooled in the body (mainly in the gallbladder and the intestine) amount to about 3 to 5 g. A trace amount of bile acids deviate from the enterohepatic circulation and migrate into the greater blood circulation, which causes a trace bile acid level (about 2 .mu.g/ml) in the peripheral blood of a healthy person in the morning (fasting). The blood bile acid level shows a daily variation in association with meals. Namely, the morning (fasting) blood bile acid level is the lowest and an increase is observed after each meal. After showing a decrease at the bed time, the blood bile acid level returns to the morning (fasting) level.
Regarding bile acids and digestive diseases, there have been reported a number of studies on colon cancer and fecal bile acids [refer to references 1) and 2) in the attached literature list] and blood bile acids and liver diseases [refer to reference 3) in the above-mentioned list]. To study liver diseases accompanied by a trace serum bile acid level, in particular, there have been frequently employed instrumental analyses such as GLC (gas-liquid chromatography) [refer to reference 4) in the above-mentioned list] and HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) [refer to reference 5) in the above-mentioned list]. However these methods each involve a complicated analytical procedure and thus require a high degree of knowledge and technique.
On the other hand, there has been reported a method for assaying serum bile acids with the use of an enzyme, i.e., 3.alpha.-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3.alpha.-HSD) [refer to reference 6) in the list]. Although this method has been routinely carried out as a valuable liver function test, it aims at assaying the total bile acids.
As discussed above, instrumental analyses have been widely employed for measuring bile acids as an index to digestive diseases. However these methods each involves a complicated analytical procedure and thus requires a high degree of knowledge and technique. In addition, the method for assaying serum bile acids with the use of an enzyme aims at assaying the total bile acids.

Method for the measurement of serum bile acids by elisa and method for the diagnosis of liver disease


An apparatus for minimizing the total quantity of hydrocarbon emissions from a catalytic converter in the exhaust path of an internal combustion engine includes a temperature sensor coupled to the catalytic converter for continuously generating an output signal representative of the catalyst temperature, and a controller for receiving the output signal from the temperature sensor and for enhancing the output signal to have a response time of less than one second. The controller adjusts one or more operating parameters of the engine to cause the catalyst temperature to rapidly rise when the catalyst temperature is less than the catalytic converter light-off temperature and adjusts one or more operating parameters of the engine to minimize the rate of hydrocarbon emissions output from the catalytic converter when the catalyst temperature is greater than the catalytic converter light-off temperature.

There are many new technologies being developed and existing technologies being refined to meet ever more stringent automotive exhaust emission standards. The two general areas of development for reducing automotive exhaust emissions are: (1) reducing engine generated exhaust emissions and (2) optimizing after-treatment of engine generated exhaust emissions. Exhaust after-treatment generally involves one or more catalytic converters in the engine exhaust path.
One area where there is significant room for improvement is the reduction of emissions during the cold start period, i.e. the period of time from when the engine is started to when catalyst light-off occurs. During the cold start period, generated exhaust hydrocarbon (HC) emissions are high and the performance of the exhaust after-treatment system is low. The cold start period lasts approximately 30-60 seconds with current (OEM) emission control strategies and accounts for up to 80% of the total measured tail pipe HC exhaust emissions under the federal test procedure FTP75 used for evaluating the emission of automotive engine systems.
There are three primary engine operating parameters that are generally controlled for optimizing engine performance; air, fuel, i.e. air-fuel (A/F) ratio, and ignition timing. Similarly, there are three primary engine operating parameters that need to be controlled for optimizing the conversion efficiency of a three-way catalyst; air, fuel, i.e. A/F ratio, and catalyst energy (temperature). Any emission control strategy involving control of engine A/F ratio, and ignition must be performed within the limits of satisfactory driveablilty, thus limiting the range of control options.
Automotive tail pipe emissions are conventionally minimized by closed loop control of engine air and fuel by way of feedback from an oxygen sensor mounted in the engine exhaust path. The oxygen sensor measures the excess oxygen in the engine exhaust gas and the resulting sensor output signal is used to correct the engine fuel injection period for each cylinder event. Based on the engine A/F ratio (computed from the oxygen sensor output signal) the exhaust gas concentrations (directly oxygen and empirically HC, CO, NOx) that enter the catalyst from the engine exhaust are computed. There are additionally, limited computer models that predict catalyst energy (temperature) as a function of A/F ratio and exhaust gas temperature. Thus, when the oxygen sensor is active, overall optimization of the emission control process may be performed.
However, emission control based primarily upon sensing excess oxygen in the engine exhaust has limitations. First, there is no feedback from the oxygen sensor during the cold start period since the oxygen sensor is not yet active. Second, there are, currently, no robust exhaust gas temperature models for cold catalyst operation. Available catalyst energy models are limited to hot, stabilized, steady state conditions and an assumed catalyst aging condition. Thus, emission control is effectively open loop and based on many improper assumptions under cold start conditions. Further, lacking any direct measurement of catalyst energy, overall emission control is sub-optimum since catalyst energy models are accurate only under very limited conditions.
It is well understood that total hydrocarbon emissions are reduced with more rapid catalyst light-off. However, increasing catalyst heating by adjusting A/F ratio, ignition timing etc. generally results in higher exhaust emission rates. Stoichiometric A/F ratio control is more optimum for minimizing exhaust emission rate and is not optimum for maximum catalyst heating. Minimizing total emissions requires shifting control strategies from maximum catalyst heating to stoichiometric control when catalyst light-off occurs.
Directly measuring catalyst temperature and using the catalyst temperature as an additional engine control variable allows one to safely adjust the engine operating parameters to achieve a more aggressive catalyst heating function during the cold start period than is possible under a strictly open loop emission control strategy. Experimental data shows that the total tailpipe emissions can be reduced using a strategy of maximum heating of the catalyst during the cold start period compared to strictly minimizing the rate of generated engine exhaust gas HC emissions.
In addition to minimizing undesired exhaust emissions, more modem automotive emission control systems are required to monitor tailpipe HC emissions and to actuate a malfunction indicator in the vehicle if a threshold value of undesired emissions is exceeded. More modem emission control systems are also required to isolate the cause of excessive emissions to a malfunctioning component.
The dominant cause of increased tail pipe emissions at low emission vehicle (LEV) and ultra low emission vehicle (ULEV) levels is degraded catalyst light-off performance. A current approach for diagnosing catalytic converter performance is the use of pre-catalyst and post-catalyst oxygen sensors to determine the warmed up oxygen storage capacity of the catalytic converter. However, the measurement of oxygen storage capacity does not provide reliable information regarding the critical light-off performance of the catalyst. Other approaches have sought to measure the exothermic activity in the catalytic converter by monitoring the difference between the catalytic converter inlet and outlet temperatures. These approaches require multiple temperature sensors and require interpretation of small temperature differences under widely varying conditions to discriminate malfunctioning converters from properly functioning converters.
Satisfactorily functioning catalysts exhibit an increase in the rate of temperature rise following catalyst light-off due to a release of exotherm energy from the catalyst. FIG. 1 illustrates a typical catalyst temperature profile during a light-off period. Experiments have indicated that by adjusting engine operating parameters to heat the catalyst at a constant rate during the cold start period, it is possible to determine degraded catalyst HC conversion by measuring the time that it takes for the catalyst to achieve a predetermined target temperature. Constant rate heating of the catalyst is consistent with maximum heating of the catalyst prior to catalyst light-off. The present invention utilizes an Energy Control and Optimization (ECO) strategy of constant rate maximum catalyst heating during the cold start period combined with the use of catalyst temperature as an additional emission control variable to provide for the simultaneous reduction of cumulative tail pipe HC emissions and for the accurate determination of catalyst performance using only a single temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the catalyst in the catalytic converter.

Method and apparatus for catalyst temperature control


A hair fastening and hair volume enhancing device is described which includes a thin flat strip, of bendable, lightweight flexible material having bristles on top and bottom sides thereof. A wire is positioned between sheaths of material forming the thin flat strip. The flat strip has a surface finish of a color and shine similar to a wearer's hair color and shine so that the device is imperceptible when worn by the wearer. A hair fastening and hair volume enhancing method using the device involves placing the hair device in hair, moving and/or bending the hair device in any direction, and attaching the hair to the device by means of the bristles on the surfaces of the hair device such that the hair device holds hair in place while also providing hair enhancement by holding the hair in a suspended position away from the scalp, thereby enhancing hair volume appearance while also holding hair in place.

Men and women with sparse and thin hair have difficulty styling their hair because they have little hair to style. For purposes of description herein, sparse, thin hair will hereafter be referred to as "thin hair" and adults having such hair will be referred to as "thin haired adults".
Thin hair characteristically lies flat against the skull, hangs limply against the face, or floats distractingly around the head. Thin haired adults are vexed in grooming their hair and have two major problems: they have difficulty creating the appearance of hair volume (hereafter called the "Volume Problem") and they have difficulty holding their hair in place (hereafter called the "Holding Problem").
The Volume Problem and the Holding Problem have historically been insoluble problems for thin haired adults. Prior hair fastening devices have not solved these problems. Prior art devices accommodate three classes of persons, namely: babies, little girls and women fortunate enough to have hair sufficient to support a hair device.
Prior art hair fastening devices, such as bobby pins, barrettes, and hair combs, slide out of thin hair and for the brief period of time these devices stay in the hair, they tend to flatten the hair and expose the scalp. Other hair fastening devices, such as hair bands, pony tail holders, and hair clip devices, have other deficits in thin hair.
When worn by a thin haired adult, hair bands, pony tail holders, and hair clips are uncomfortable and unattractive. Pony tail holders pull and tear thin hair. Hair clips are sharp and uncomfortable against the scalp. On a thin haired adult, all of preceding devices advertise the wearer's scarcity of hair.
Although some prior art hair devices propose to hold thin hair in place, they succeed only in the hair of babies, little girls and women who desire to display ornaments in their hair. These prior art devices have lightweight structures, unattractive fastening mechanisms, and decorative components that both hide the fasteners and decorate the head. When worn by a thin haired adult, the devices are highly visible in the hair, displaying ribbons, bows, plastic flowers or beads in the hair, thus rendered a juvenile presentation.
Examples of these prior art devices for thin hair include—
U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,685 issued Jan. 30, 1990,
U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,585 issued Oct. 17, 2000, and
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0172948 A1 published Sep. 18, 2003.
In many societies, highly visible hair devices have a juvenile and feminine connotation that prohibits male use. Additionally, many women believe highly visible hair devices project appearances that are "little girlish" or unsophisticated. For these and other reasons discussed below, recent hair fasteners proposed for thin hair have been useless to thin haired adults.
The devices of U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,685 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0172948 A1 are made of flexible lightweight materials; and use hook and loop fabric sandwiches with the hair squeezed in the middle to hold the hair in place. Using hook and loop fabric sandwiches to hold hair in place causes both discomfort and hair loss when the devices are removed. Anyone who has ever had sweater fibers become entangled in a hook and loop sandwich neck tab on a winter jacket, may tell you what happens to the fibers so entangled. When the hook and loop neck tab is torn apart in jacket removal, the sweater fibers also tear. They remain in the hook and loop sandwich. The same happens to hair held in a hook and loop hair fastener.
The hair device of U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,585 does not hold hair in place but rather holds ornaments in the hair by means of little anchors. The anchors are made of little plastic discs having hook faced fabric glued to their surfaces. The anchors are unattractive and, therefore, must be buried under the hair. The anchors have ornaments attached either by glue or by string to their top or side surfaces. The anchors secure ornaments in the hair but do not hold hair in place at all. On a thin haired adult the anchors are visible and unattractive.
The inventor of the hair fastener that is the subject of this patent application is a thin haired adult who has tested and worn without success, all of the devices discussed above. No prior art hair fastening or hair ornament device has solved the Volume Problem or the Holding Problem experienced by thin haired adults.
When worn by thin haired adults, the prior art hair fastening devices either accentuate the wearer's scarcity of hair or are unattractive, uncomfortable, juvenile in appearance, feminine in connotation, or visible when worn.

Thin hair holder and enhancer and method therefor


Disclosed herein is a method for creating a 3D dental X-ray image of a jaw region of a patient from a plurality of projection exposures of an exposure volume having a cylindrical core volume with a flat base area, generated during a circulation of an X-ray emitter and an X-ray detector about the head of the patient. The patient may be positioned relative to the core volume so that the jaw region is located within the core volume, and where a bottom edge of the lower jaw of the patient and the base area of the core volume are aligned at least approximately parallel.

In known dental X-ray devices for creating images in the jaw or head region of a patient, the patient is positioned prone, standing, or seated. For positioning, for example, a bite piece or a forehead support is used.
For example, a method and a device for generating a 3D X-ray image are known from DE 10 2008 035 412 A1, wherein a patient is positioned by means of a bite piece between an X-ray emitter and an X-ray detector, and the X-ray image is generated by a circulation of the X-ray emitter and X-ray detector around the positioned patient.
The exposure volume of such a device is approximately cylindrical with a horizontally extending base area. The size, in particular the height, depends essentially on the size or height of the detector and the X-ray beam, and must be adjusted to the size of the object to be imaged, thus the size of a human jawbone.
The object consists in refining the method known from the prior art and in particular enabling a most optimal use of the exposure volume or a reduction of the necessary exposure volume for depicting the complete jaw area including the jaw joint.

Method for creating a 3D dental X-ray image


An indwelling urinary catheter is subject to slipping out of a patient's bladder unless provisions are made for retaining it. Retention apparatus for use with a male patient provides a clamp bearing on the catheter, an anchor member attached to the male patient's penis and a linking member connecting the anchor and clamp so as to hold the clamp against the penis. A single-use intermittent catheter, in conjunction with the retention apparatus provides an indwelling catheter that does not require an intra-bladder balloon to hold it in place within the bladder.

A variety of medical conditions require draining a patient's bladder by inserting a catheter through the urethra into the bladder. In a simple case the catheter is a flexible tube having a single lumen. Absent a reliable retention arrangement, this catheter will slide out of the urethra and is hence commonly removed after each drainage. This single-use protocol provides a substantial risk of injury to and infection of both the urinary tract and the bladder.
The well-known Foley indwelling catheter is retained by a balloon at the proximal end of the catheter. The balloon is inflated through a first of two lumens, to a diameter greater than the urethra's. This retains the indwelling catheter and allows for continuous drainage through the second lumen. Because the second lumen is necessarily narrower than a single lumen in a catheter having the same outer diameter, drainage may be impeded. The very narrow drainage lumen can also clog, resulting in acute pain, and removal of the catheter. Moreover, the Foley catheter can fail to deflate resulting in an acutely painful forcible withdrawal of the still inflated balloon.
Thus, there is an unfulfilled need for an arrangement for retaining the proximal end of a urethral catheter in a patient's bladder without requiring a balloon or multiple lumens.

Indwelling urinary catheter retention apparatus


Disclosed herein is a novel method for operating a hydropower reservoir which is an improvement over the existing single-parameter (the current month) USACE Rule Curve approach, the improvement comprising the consideration of a second parameter, namely the water level of the reservoir at the beginning of the month, in the decision-making process for operation of the reservoir.

Many studies on planning and operation of reservoirs for power production rely on the operational strategy from the United States Army Corps of Engineers ("USACE") described in reference EM-1110-2-1701 entitled "Engineering and Design, Hydropower" (the "USACE Reference"), which aims to preserve the firm energy of the reservoir and then to produce secondary energy. The operational strategy presented is based on two aspects: (a) the actual control strategy, and (b) a set of control values of the reservoir level, which acts as a threshold in the decision-making process, and is called the Rule Curve. This Rule Curve has one parameter, which is the current month of the year (it is a 1-parameter set), and gives a control value of the reservoir level at the end of each calendar month.
The operational strategy to use with this set of control parameters is simple, stated as follows: (i) at the beginning of the current month simulate the operation of the reservoir/powerhouse generating only the continuous power and firm energy; (ii) if the simulated end-of-month level in the reservoir falls below the control value, generate only the firm energy and continuous power; (iii) if the simulated end-of-month level is greater than the control value, generate as much energy as possible until the level reaches down to the control value, always limited by the power-plant capacity. The set of control values is fixed over the years and gives one control value of the end-of-month reservoir level for each calendar month.
The Rule Curve and the continuous power/firm energy yield are obtained by a recursive backward simulation algorithm until the maximum firm yield and continuous power are obtained. The calculation of the continuous power/firm energy yield is made by trial-and-error, generating only the trial continuous power under the assumed daily operation pattern, and calculating the required level at the beginning of each time period considering the reservoir at the minimum power pool level at the end of the time series; the reservoir fails if it requires a level greater than the maximum power pool level. This backward simulation is repeated until the maximum continuous power/firm energy yield is obtained.
The Rule Curve is the envelope of the maximum end-of-month levels obtained in the backward simulation which gives the firm energy yield and continuous power. As a by-product of this procedure, at least one value of the Rule Curve is the top of the power pool. The Rule Curve can be updated periodically as more hydrological information is collected during the actual operation of the reservoir, or bathymetric studies are undertaken to analyze sediment deposition and update the reservoir elevation-area-storage curve, or other significant event occurs.
FIG. 1 shows a typical Rule Curve (RC) for a reservoir, following the USACE guidelines. It shows also the minimum and maximum power pool levels, and the general recommendation for operation of the power-plant. Note that one level of the Rule Curve equals the maximum normal power pool level. As can be seen, under the USACE operational strategy, the control of the reservoir operation depends only on the current time of the year. There is no influence of the current state of the reservoir system in the selection of the value of the end-of-month control level, nor is there an explicit maximization of the mean energy generated by the reservoir.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for operation of hydropower reservoir with a 2-parameter elevation rule curve


Rack-mount chassis for mounting to an electronic equipment rack are disclosed. A rack-mount chassis may include a housing comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, a first side portion, a second side portion and a back portion. The rack-mount chassis may further include a front portion forming a front face of the housing. The rack-mount chassis may also include at least one electronic component within the housing. The rack-mount chassis may further include at least one electrical power coupler mounted to at least one recessed portion of the first side portion of the housing configured to mate with a corresponding connector plug of a power cord and supply electrical power therefrom to the at least one electronic component.

Electronic components are commonly manufactured in component form. These electronic components are commonly interconnected and housed in a chassis or housing to form an electronic instrument, device or system. Some electronic chassis are of standardized shapes and/or sizes, and include attachment mechanisms that enable the chassis to couple with pre-existing corresponding electronic equipment racks. Electronic equipment that is designed to be housed within an electronic equipment rack is typically described as a "rack-mount," a "rack mounted system/instrument," a "rack-mount chassis," a "subrack," "rack mountable" or, occasionally, simply a "shelf" These terms are used interchangeable herein. The height of some rack-mount chassis (such as the front portion or face thereof) is standardized as multiples of about 1.75 inches, commonly referred to as one rack unit or "U." Such rack-mount chassis may be 1 U, 2 U, 3 U or other rack unit heights. Similarly, the width of some rack-mount chassis is standardized based on the width of pre-existing electronic equipment racks. However, some rack-mount chassis are not standardized, but may be configured to mount to one or more pre-determined or corresponding electronic equipment racks.
Electronic equipment racks are also referred to as "electronic rack enclosures," "rack enclosures," "rack cabinets" or simply "racks." These terms are used interchangeable herein. Electronic equipment racks allow users of electronic equipment to readily store, organize and access the chassis/electronic components and interconnect the components with appropriate electronic connections. Thereby, electronic equipment racks serve as means of organizing, storing and protecting valuable electronic components and rack-mount chassis. Typical racks are rectangular in shape and made from relatively strong materials. Some racks are of standardized heights, depths and/or widths. For example, some standardized racks include about a 19 inch width, or about a 23 inch or 600 mm width. Similarly, some standardized racks include a 42 U or 46 U height (commonly referred to as a "full" or "full size" rack) or an 18 U-22 U height (commonly referred to as a "half" or "half size" rack). However, as noted above, non-standardized racks also exist.
Many electronic equipment racks are available with either two front posts or rails (typically vertically extending) or four posts (two front posts and two back posts). Some racks have mounting rails or slides to support mount-rack chassis at both their front and rear portions. Many mount-rack chassis, however, mount to at least the two front posts of the racks via mounting holes in at least the front posts of the racks via associated hardware. For example, some rack-mountable equipment may be mounted simply by bolting or otherwise attaching or fastening at least the front panel thereof to the front posts of a rack. The mounting-hole distance or spacing within the rack posts may differ from rack to rack, and may differ between different standard sized racks. For example, some racks include even mounting-hole spacing, while other racks utilize an uneven mounting-hole spacing.
Some rack mount enclosures lack side panels or walls, a back panel or wall and/or a front panel or access door. However, some typical racks have solid or mesh/porous side panels. Similarly, some typical racks have either open, openable or mesh/porous front and/or back panels. If a particular rack includes a back wall or panel, it is typically removable or openable to expose the back portion of the rack-mount chassis mounted therein.
Rack-mount chassis and corresponding rack enclosures are widely used for computing, server and network equipment, allowing for dense hardware configurations without occupying excessive floor space or requiring shelving. Rack-mount chassis and corresponding racks are also commonly used with industrial power, control, automation, telecommunication, audio, video, entertainment, testing and laboratory electronics, for example. Many other electronic equipment or configurations are (or can be) housed within a rack-mount chassis and mounted within a corresponding rack. Simply stated, a rack-mount chassis and a corresponding rack enclosure may be used to house, store and operate any electronic equipment configured for any purpose or function.
Regardless of the particular electronic component(s) that is/are installed within a rack-mount chassis (and its/their particular configuration), essentially all electronic components depend on the passage of electric current to perform their intended function. Currently, electrical power is supplied or provided to a rack-mount chassis to power the electronic component(s) thereof via at least one power cord that mechanical and electrically couples to a corresponding electrical power coupler provided in the back end or portion of the chassis. The electrical power coupler of current rack-mount chassis is thereby typically accessed via the back of the chassis. In this way, one or more power cords commonly extend into the rear or back portion of an electronic equipment rack to couple to the power coupler at the back portion of one or more rack-mount chassis mounted within the rack. However, some rack-mount chassis require, or would benefit from, a relatively large number of input and/or output connectors or connections (i.e., electrical connections or ports) at the back portion or panel of the chassis (or other mechanisms, such as visual displays, access panels, etc.). As discussed above, many rack-mount chassis are configured according to standardized sizes, shapes and configurations to cooperate with corresponding standardized and/or pre-existing racks. The size, shape and configuration of the back portion or end of standardized rack-mount chassis is thereby limited and pre-determined or pre-defined. As such, the back portion or end of many rack-mount chassis cannot be physically enlarged or redesigned to accommodate or include more input and/or output connectors or other non-power coupler mechanisms than its standardized size, shape and configuration allows for or dictates.
For these reasons, and for other reasons discussed below and/or which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present disclosure, there is a need in the art for a rack-mount chassis that include at least one electrical power coupler or input on a side portion of the chassis. Further, rack-mount chassis that include a back portion or end that is void of an electrical power coupler, which may instead be provided on a side portion of the chassis, are desirable.


A continuously variable transmission air intake assembly includes an air intake opening facing laterally outwardly through a one-piece body panel at a location behind an off-road utility vehicle operator station, below a cargo box underside, and in front of a rear wheel and tire. An upper intake plenum may be attached to the one-piece body panel on an inward facing side of the air intake opening. A lower intake tube has a first end extending through a floor opening in the upper intake plenum and a second end connected to a continuously variable transmission housing.

Continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) in recreational or off road utility vehicles use rubber belts to transmit torque between a drive clutch, or primary clutch, and a driven clutch, or secondary clutch. Higher horsepower and off-highway applications require a housing or enclosure to protect the CVT from damage caused by dirt or debris, water intrusion and excessive temperatures. A CVT air intake assembly may be provided with an air intake opening, along with tubing to direct air flow into the CVT housing or enclosure, protecting CVT components within the housing or enclosure.
In the past, some recreational or off road utility vehicles have CVT air intake assemblies with inboard-facing air intake openings. For example, inboard-facing air intake openings have been located under the seats, behind the seats, in the roll-over protective structure, or under the cargo box. CVT air intake assemblies with inboard-facing air intake openings may encroach on the seating area, fuel tank or under-seat storage. Other recreational or off road utility vehicles have CVT air intake assemblies with outboard-facing air intake openings. For example, outboard-facing air intake openings have been located in cargo box panels or vehicle fenders. CVT air intake assemblies with outboard-facing air intake openings may encroach on the sides, front or floor of the cargo box. Additionally, many CVT air intake assemblies may require replaceable air filters to clean the air, and lengthy tubing connecting the air intake opening to the CVT housing or enclosure.
A CVT air intake assembly for a recreational or off road utility vehicle is needed that does not encroach on the seating area, fuel tank or under-seat storage. A CVT air intake assembly is needed that does not encroach on the sides, front or floor of the cargo box. A CVT air intake assembly is needed that does not require a replaceable air filter or lengthy tubing between the air intake opening and CVT housing or enclosure. A low cost CVT air intake assembly is needed that provides clean air to the CVT and protects the CVT from damage due to dirt and debris, water intrusion and excessive temperature.

Continuously variable transmission air intake assembly