A device for adjusting the light distribution of a vehicle headlight with a plurality of light sources, includes a first control unit for adjusting the light distribution. The first control unit is coupled to a second control unit, the second control unit being coupled to at least one input device for inputting user settings for adjusting the light distribution in a user -defined manner and/or includes at least one interface for coupling to at least one input device of this type, the second control unit generating control data from the user settings and transmitting the control data to the first control unit in order to adjust the light distribution.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a device for adjusting the light distribution of a headlight comprising a plurality of light sources. Exemplary embodiments of the invention also relate to a device for adjusting the light distribution of a headlight comprising a plurality of light sources, and to a vehicle headlight system.
DE 10 2009 041 554 A1 discloses an assembly for the basic adjustment of a vehicle headlight that performs at least one light function, using an operating unit that comprises at least one manual operating element. In addition, an analysis and control unit is provided which receives electrical signals from the operating unit, it being possible to generate the signals using the manual operating element. The analysis and control unit analyzes the received signals in order to generate control signals that can be transmitted to actuating units in the vehicle headlight in order to provide positional basic adjustment of the at least one light function.
Furthermore, DE 10 2014 011 118 A1 discloses a method for operating a light function of headlights of a motor vehicle using a display apparatus and an operating element that is separate from the display apparatus and is allocated solely to the light function, a plurality of different setting options being allocated to the light function. A user approaching the operating element and the user touching the operating element is detected and, when the user approaching or touching the operating element is detected, a display allocated to the light function is displayed on the display apparatus, with it being determined which adjustment options of the light function are currently allowed to be activated in accordance with the predetermined criterion. In the allocated display, the adjustment options of the light function that are currently allowed to be activated are displayed. The predetermined criterion represents a condition relating to an ambient brightness around the motor vehicle or a speed of the motor vehicle or an activation state of an engine of the motor vehicle or an activation state of an ignition of the motor vehicle or an open state of a door of the motor vehicle. In addition, a motor vehicle is described that comprises a display apparatus and an operating element that is separate from the display apparatus and is allocated solely to the light function, for operating the light function of headlights of the motor vehicle.
The problem addressed by the invention is to provide a device that is improved compared with the prior art, an improved method for adjusting the light distribution of a headlight, and an improved headlight system.
The device for adjusting the light distribution of a headlight, in particular a vehicle headlight, that comprises a plurality of light sources comprises a first control unit for adjusting the light distribution.
According to the invention, the device comprises a second control unit coupled to the first control unit, the second control unit being coupled to at least one input device for inputting user settings for adjusting the light distribution in a user-defined manner and/or comprising at least one interface for coupling to at least one input device of this type, the second control unit generating control data from the user settings and transmitting the control data to the first control unit in order to adjust the light distribution.
By means of the device, it is possible for a user of a vehicle, in a particularly advantageous manner, to adjust the light distribution generated by the headlight to their requirements. As a result, road safety and convenience for the user is significantly improved.
A development of the device provides that the input device is coupled to a display unit for displaying a simulation of the adjusted light distribution or comprises a display unit of this type. The display unit and the simulation of the light distribution allow the user to easily change and specify the light distribution and comprehend the light distribution in a simple manner even in bright ambient conditions in which the user cannot see the generated light distribution on the road surface, or cannot see this well enough.
In a possible embodiment of the device, the input device is only activated for inputting the user settings when the drive unit is deactivated and/or when the ignition of the vehicle is deactivated, and/or the display unit is designed to output the display of the simulation of the adjusted light distribution only when the drive unit is deactivated and/or when the ignition of the vehicle is deactivated. As a result, the user is prevented from being distracted from a driving task by inputting the user settings, and therefore road safety is increased.
In another possible embodiment of the device, the input device comprises a mobile terminal, for example a smartphone or tablet computer, a touch-sensitive screen that is arranged or can be arranged inside the vehicle, and/or a mobile memory unit, for example a memory stick or memory card. This allows the user to particularly easily input the user settings.
When using a mobile terminal or the touch-sensitive screen, user interfaces can be generated in a particularly simple manner, by means of which a desired light distribution can be specified by the user particularly easily and intuitively.
In a development of the device, it is provided that the second control unit comprises an authentication module for authenticating a user. This ensures that, for example by inputting a password or a personal identification number (PIN), only an authorized user can gain access to adjust the light distribution. The risk of tampering can therefore be reduced.
A possible embodiment of the device provides that limit values for a light range and/or a light width and/or brightness values for the light distribution are stored in the second control unit. This can ensure that the light distribution adjusted by the user corresponds to legal requirements and that the risk of any impairment, in particular dazzling, of other road users is reduced.
Another possible embodiment of the device provides that the user settings include activation conditions for a particular light distribution. For example, it can thus be specified that corresponding light distribution is generated by the headlight only when a specified condition exists, for example after opening a vehicle door, during or after unlocking and/or locking the vehicle, or within a certain environment.
The method for adjusting the light distribution of a headlight, in particular a vehicle headlight, that comprises a plurality of light sources, comprising a first control unit for adjusting the light distribution, involves, according to the invention, by means of a second control unit coupled to the first control unit and at least one input device coupled to the second control unit, transmitting user settings to the second control unit for adjusting the light distribution in a user-defined manner, and, by means of the second control unit, control data are generated from the user settings and the control data are transmitted to the first control unit in order to adjust the light distribution.
By means of the method, it is possible for a user of a vehicle, in a particularly advantageous manner, to adjust the light distribution generated by the headlight to their requirements. As a result, road safety and convenience for the user is significantly improved.
A development of the method provides that authentication of a user is carried out before the user settings are input. This ensures that, for example by inputting a password or a personal identification number (PIN), only an authorized user can gain access to adjust the light distribution. The risk of tampering can therefore be reduced.
A possible embodiment of the method provides that the parameters are specified and/or modified in the user settings during operation of the headlight. This "online setting" allows the user to see effects of modifications to the parameters immediately in the generated light distribution. This also allows the intuitive option of adjusting and modifying the parameters.
Alternatively or additionally, in a possible embodiment of the method, it is provided that the light distribution is simulated on a screen and the user specifies parameters for adjusting the illuminance distribution in the simulation. This embodiment allows the user to easily change and specify the parameters and comprehend the light distribution in a simple manner even in bright ambient conditions in which the user cannot see the generated light distribution on the road surface, or cannot see this well enough.
The vehicle headlight system according to the invention comprises at least one vehicle headlight comprising a plurality of light sources and at least one above-described device for adjusting the headlight.
The vehicle headlight system allows a user to adjust the light distribution generated by the headlight to their requirements in this case. As a result, road safety and convenience for the user is significantly improved.
A possible embodiment of the vehicle headlight system provides that the light sources comprise LEDs. Compared with conventional lighting means, such as bulbs or gas discharge lamps, LEDs can generate a light distribution that consumes less energy. Furthermore, LEDs can be actuated in a simple and reliable manner.
A possible embodiment of the vehicle headlight system provides that the light sources can be actuated individually or in groups. Therefore, different light distributions can be generated in a simple manner.
In a possible development of the vehicle headlight system, a plurality of light sources are arranged beside one another and/or above one another, in particular in what is known as an array. This makes it possible to produce different light distributions, in particular also complex light distributions, and light controls.
Corresponding parts are provided with identical reference signs in all the figures.

Device and method for adjusting the light distribution of a headlight


The present invention relates to a composition comprising a nano-emulsion that contains 5-aminolevulinic acid as well as a carrier in an aqueous phase. This invention also relates to a pharmaceutical preparation containing this composition. The nano-emulsions of this type can be used in photodynamic therapy as well as in the photodiagnostic detection of proliferatives cells.

The present invention relates to nanoemulsions which contain 5-aminolevulinic acid or its derivatives, precursors or metabolites.
Photodynamic therapy is a novel and promising method for treating various premalignant and malignant diseases which are connected to cell proliferation. The principle of photodynamic therapy is based on introducing what is termed the photosensitizer into the tumor tissue and using irradiation with light of a suitable wavelength to convert this photosensitizer into a cytotoxically active compound which in the end destroys the cells. The selectivity of this method is based on the sensitizer being concentrated to a greater extent in rapidly proliferating tumor cells than in normal tissue. Irradiation with light in a locally restricted manner can then be used to specifically activate the sensitizer which is present in the tumor cells, thereby destroying the cancer cells while to a large extent sparing the healthy tissue.
Until now, an intravenously administered mixture of hematoporphyrin derivatives has in the main been used as the photosensitizer. Despite the encouraging clinical successes which have been achieved in connection with a number of different types of cancer, these hematoporphyrin derivatives nevertheless suffer from a variety of disadvantages. In the first place, relatively high concentrations of the active compound appear in normal tissue due to the low degree of tumor selectivity and the fact that the active compound is only slowly eliminated from the body. Undesirable photochemical reactions therefore take place in healthy tissue in connection with the irradiation. In the second place, this treatment results in a general sensitivity to light such that the patient is not allowed to expose himself to daylight for a period of some four weeks.
In certain cases, it is possible, particularly in connection with dermatological and gynecological applications, to bring about a reduction in the high concentration of active compound in normal tissue, and therefore in the undesirable side-effects, by developing topically applicable active compound formulations in place of the known systemic formulations. Attempts are also being made to reduce the sensitivity to light by using photosensitizer precursors which are photochemically inactive and are only converted into a photosensitizer within the target cell.
5-Aminolevulinic acid is an endogenous substance which is synthesized from glycine and succinyl-CoA. In heme biosynthesis, the extremely photoactive protoporphyrin IX is formed from 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) in several rapidly proceeding reactions steps, and is then converted into heme in a slow reaction. If the heme concentration is too high, a natural control mechanism inhibits both the endogenous synthesis of 5-aminolevulinic acid and the breakdown of protoporphyrin IX.
This control mechanism is circumvented by exogenously administering synthetically prepared 5-aminolevulinic acid, thereby giving rise to an increased production of protoporphyrin IX. Since the breakdown of protoporphyrin IX is still inhibited by the natural control mechanism, this compound becomes concentrated in the cells. When irradiated with light, protoporphyrin IX is able to enter into a photochemical oxidation reaction and consequently acts as a photosensitizer. When the sensitizer molecule absorbs a quantum of light, it is first of all transferred into an electronically excited state (singlet state), which is relatively short-lived, and either releases its excess energy once again within a few nanoseconds by emitting a fluorescence photon or else passes over into a relatively long-lived triplet state. Energy from this triplet state can be transferred to oxygen molecules which are present in the cell. The singlet oxygen which is formed in this connection has a cytotoxic effect, in particular on proliferating cells, since it reacts with cell components, for example the cell membrane and the mitochondria, or triggers the formation of cell-damaging free radicals. Furthermore, irradiation of the photosensitizer gives rise to a characteristic fluorescence radiation which can be used for detection reactions, for example for detecting proliferating cells.
A number of investigations using topically applicable 5-aminolevulinic acid compositions are known from the prior art. While these investigations have the feature in common that the 5-aminolevulinic acid employed is in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion, differences exist with regard to other parameters, such as period of penetration, period of treatment, type of light employed and the dose of light applied.
B. Thiele et al. (H+G, Volume 69, No. 3, pages 161-164 (1994)) describe investigations which involve using 20% xcex4-aminolevulinic acid in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion, with a penetration period of from 5 to 6 h, and subsequently irradiating with an argon ion-pumped dye laser (emission maximum 630 nm) giving a cumulative total dose of from 50 to 100 J/cm2.
Wolf et al. (Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology Vol. 28, pages 17 to 21, 1993) describe investigations which involve using 20% 5-aminolevulinic acid in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion, with a penetration period of 4, 6 or 8 h, and irradiating with unfiltered light or red light, giving a light dose of from 30 J/cm2 to 100 J/cm2.
Although the investigations disclosed in the prior art clearly demonstrate the promising potential of photodynamic therapy using 5-aminolevulinic acid, oil-in-water emulsions which are so far known suffer from a number of disadvantages.
Thus, M. Novo Rodriguez et al. (SPIE, Vol. 2371, pages 204-209) showed that, in the high concentrations which are required for a clinical application, aminolevulinic acid is unstable in aqueous solutions in the neutral to basic pH range. In the time period of 25 h investigated, satisfactory results are only obtained at a pH of 5.01, and a concentration of 3% and a pH of 5 are specified as the optimal conditions for aqueous solutions of 5-aminolevulinic acid. However, for clinical use, it will in general also be necessary to provide compositions in a higher concentration range; furthermore, to be used commercially, the 5-ALA solutions have to be stable for a period which is of the order of weeks or months.
V. von Arx et al. (J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 49: 652-656, 1997) describe investigations relating to the topical application of 5-aminolevulinic acid in a variety of gels. This publication states that the best formulation for maintaining the stability of 5-aminolevulinic acid is a combination with Novion AA-1, a polyacrylic acid, at a pH  less than 6.
Another disadvantage of the known oil-in-water emulsions is that the depth to which the photosensitizer penetrates into the damaged tissue is not optimal. As a result, the diseased tissue is in many cases only accessible to the photodynamic therapy in its superficial layers even though the depth to which the light employed for activating the photosensitizer penetrates would also enable more deeply lying layers to be treated.
The object of the present invention was therefore to make available 5-aminolevulinic acid-comprising compositions in which the disadvantages known from the prior art are at least partially eliminated and which, in particular, possess adequate stability and exhibit an improved ability to penetrate into tissue.
This object is achieved by a composition which is characterized in that it contains a nanoemulsion which comprises a substance selected from 5-aminolevulinic acid, or a derivative, a precursor and/or a metabolite thereof, and a carrier in an aqueous phase.
It was observed, surprisingly, that the stability of 5-aminolevulinic acid can be substantially increased when the acid is formulated into a nanoemulsion. While the reasons for this are not known, it appears that a microenvironment created by nanosomes has a particularly favorable effect on the stability of the 5-aminolevulinic acid.
It has furthermore been shown, surprisingly, that very high tissue penetration depths can be achieved with the nanoemulsions according to the invention, resulting in more deeply lying diseases, or diseases with higher layer thicknesses, also becoming accessible to treatment. The greater penetration depths were particularly surprising because it had previously been assumed that, due to its small size, 5-aminolevulinic acid would in any case be readily able to penetrate through a damaged epidermis which is present, for example, over inflammations, precancerous stages and tumors.
A third surprising advantage is that, when packed into nanosomes in accordance with the invention, 5-aminolevulinic acid is evidently taken up very efficiently by the cells. This firstly improves targeting; secondly, it means that the penetration period, i.e. the time between applying the composition and irradiating the diseased tissue with light, can be reduced, with this representing a distinct relief for the patient.
According to the invention, the nanoemulsion comprises an active substance which is selected from 5-aminolevulinic acid or a derivative, a precursor and/or a metabolite thereof. xe2x80x9cDerivativexe2x80x9d is to be understood as being, in particular, salts, complexes and addition compounds. xe2x80x9cPrecursorxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cmetabolitexe2x80x9d are in this connection to be understood as being those substances which are converted in a cell into protoporphyrin IX. Particular preference is given to the active substance being 5-aminolevulinic acid or one of its derivatives. The carrier can be any carrier as long as it is able to form the nanoemulsion in an aqueous phase. The carrier preferably comprises an oil phase, i.e. a material which is immiscible with water, for example lipids, and an emulsifier. Physiologically harmless carrier substances are expediently used.
The size of the emulsified particles in the nanoemulsion (nanosomes) is on average xe2x89xa6200 nm, e.g. from 10 to 200 nm. The particle size which is in each case optimal depends on other parameters such as the viscosity of the composition. For example, good results were obtained with a gel having a viscosity of 5 mPas at an average particle diameter of about 110 nm, and also for a lotion having a viscosity of 1.6 mPas at an average particle diameter of about 20 nm.
Suitable carrier systems, which are stable over a long period of time, which do not contain any high concentrations of surfactants and cosurfactants, and which are free from toxic emulsifier complexes, are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,923. These nanoemulsions comprise a glycerophosphatide, such as a lecithin or a cephalin, as the emulsifier and physiologically tolerated lipids, e.g. triglycerides, such as vegetable or animal oils, for example groundnut oil, soybean oil, etc., as the oil phase. The emulsifier/oil weight ratio is from 0.05 to 0.4:1.
Examples of emulsifiers which have already been employed successfully in practice in 5-aminolevulinic acid nanoemulsions are egg lecithin, soybean lecithin and phosphatidyl choline. An example of an approved lipid is Miglyol 812.
The proportion of active substance, for example 5-aminolevulinic acid, in the composition essentially depends on the application which is envisaged. In general, from about 1 to 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition, are present. However, it is also possible to use higher or lower doses. A proportion of from 5 to 15% by weight, in particular of about 10% by weight, has proved to be suitable for applications in connection with photodynamic therapy.
The composition can additionally comprise adjuvants and/or additives, in particular those substances which are customary in cosmetics or pharmacy. Examples of such substances are buffers, stabilizers, additional emulsifiers, thickeners, etc.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the composition according to the invention is a gel which, based on the total weight of the composition, comprises from 1 to 25% by weight, preferably from 5 to 15% by weight, of active substance, from 40 to 60% by weight, preferably from 45 to 55% by weight, of carrier and from 0 to 10% by weight, preferably from 1 to 5% by weight, of adjuvants, with the remainder being water.
According to another particularly preferred embodiment, the composition according to the invention is a lotion which, based on the total weight of the composition, comprises from 1 to 25% by weight, preferably from 5 to 15% by weight, of active substance, from 10 to 30% by weight, preferably from 15 to 25% by weight, of carrier and from 10 to 30% by weight, preferably from 15 to 25% by weight, of adjuvants, with the remainder being water.
As mentioned at the outset, the 5-aminolevulinic acid composition according to the invention exhibits a surprisingly high degree of stability on storage, with the proportion of active substance in the composition having a pH of between 1.5 and 3 preferably being reduced, after one year of storage at room temperature, by not more than 5% and, particularly preferably, by not more than 4%. After one year of storage at 5xc2x0 C., the proportion of active substance is preferably reduced by not more than 3% and particularly preferably by not more than 2.5%.
The present invention also relates to the composition according to the invention which is in the form of a pharmaceutical preparation. In this case, the composition is free of constituents which are not pharmaceutically acceptable and preferably free of constituents which, for example, provoke irritation. In addition to the carrier substances which have already been mentioned, the pharmaceutical preparation can also comprise further adjuvants and/or additives which are acceptable and preferably well tolerated.
The pharmaceutical preparation can be present in a form which is suitable for systemic administration, such as an injectable liquid. However, for dermatological and gynecological applications, the the preparation is preferably in a form which is suitable for topical administration. The preparation possesses properties, e.g. viscosity and rheology, which are favorable for the administration form which is in each case required in order to ensure that, after the preparation has been administered, the nanosomes loaded with 5-aminolevulinic acid penetrate to an adequate extent into the target tissue. These viscosity and rheology properties can be adjusted by adding thickeners such as polyethylene glycol stearyl ethers, polyethylene glycol stearates and/or polysaccharides such as polysaccharide B-1459, for example.
The present invention also relates to a process for producing the composition or the pharmaceutical preparation according to the invention. In this process, the constituents of the carrier material are initially introduced in an aqueous phase and the mixture is converted into a nanoemulsion by homogenizing thoroughly. It is possible, for example, to use commercially available high pressure homogenizers for this purpose. The 5-aminolevulinic acid, and any additives which may be present, can be added before and/or after the homogenization. After the nanoemulsion has been prepared, it is then possible to add other adjuvants and additives whose presence was not desirable during the homogenization.
Preference is given to excluding air while carrying out the process, for example by means of applying a vacuum and/or a protective gas atmosphere. In addition, it is preferred to implement the process while excluding light. The process is carried out at a temperature at which the desired nanoemulsion can be formed and the constituents, in particular the active substance, is adequately stable. In general, it has been found that a temperature range of from about 5 to 45xc2x0 C. is suitable. However, adjuvants and/or additives which are, for example, first of all mixed, and homogenized where appropriate, in a separate mixture, and only after that added to the composition, can be processed at higher temperatures, for example up to about 80xc2x0 C. For a pharmaceutical application, care is taken to ensure that the resulting product is sterile, for example by employing sterile starting materials and maintaining sterile process conditions and/or by inserting a sterilization step after the preparation.
An important area of use for the compositions according to the invention is in the field of photodynamic therapy, with particular preference being given to applying the nanoemulsion topically. The nanoemulsion according to the invention can be used in association with all diseases whose control comprises inhibiting the proliferation of, or destroying, cells or tissues by photoactivating a sensitizer which is formed from 5-aminolevulinic acid. The diseases include, in particular, those which are associated with an increase in cell proliferation since, in this case, the photosensitizer is concentrated to a particularly high degree by the increased cell metabolism in diseased cells.
The compositions according to the invention are consequently suitable for treating tumor diseases such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, Bowen""s disease, solar keratosis, condylomata acuminata (CIN), epithelial neoplasia of the vulva (VIN), and nodose and subcutaneous cancer diseases. Psoriasis is an example of a nontumorous disease.
The treatment is effected, for example, by topically applying a nanoemulsion which contains the active substance, e.g. 5-aminolevulinic acid, and then incubating in order to allow an adequate quantity of the 5-aminolevulinic acid to penetrate into the tissue which is being treated. During the incubation, irradiation of the treated area with light is preferably avoided, for example by covering it, in order to prevent any undesirable premature activation. After the incubation period, which is generally from about 1 to 8 h and usually about 4 h, has expired, the tissue is irradiated with an adequate dose of radiation using a light source. Suitable light sources include lamps which emit white light and also monochromatic light sources, such as a laser, in particular an argon dye laser which emits at about 630 nm. The radiation doses are normally in a range of from about 20 J/cm2 to several hundred J/cm2 per application.
Another area for using the nanoemulsions according to the invention relates to detecting the presence of proliferating cells in a sample, for example a tissue sample. The detection is based on selectively concentrating a photosensitizer, which is produced by metabolism of the active substance, in proliferating cells as compared with normal cells. Preference is given to the active substance being 5-aminolevulinic acid and the photosensitizer being protoporphyrin IX. The extent to which the photosensitizes has been concentrated can be determined by means of photodiagnostic methods, for example by irradiating with light having a wavelength of 405 nm and measuring the fluorescence radiation generated by the photosensitizer. The nanoemulsions according to the invention are particularly suitable for being used in tumor diagnosis.
The invention furthermore relates to the use of the nanoemulsion according to the invention for producing a drug for photodynamic therapy.
Finally, the invention relates to a kit which comprises a nanoemulsion according to the invention, which is suitable for being applied topically, and one or more auxiliary substances. Examples of these auxiliary substances are a covering material, such as a plastic film which is applied to the site being treated, after the nanoemulsion has been applied, in order to prevent premature activation by light, and means for attaching the covering material or else means for applying the nanoemulsion to the site being treated.


Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing technology that allows two or more computer program applications on a client computer to learn about the availability and use of remote features through a shared component that uses information obtained from a remote server but maintained locally.

This invention relates to enabling or disabling remote features on a client computer.
Computer program applications running on a client computer may contain internal hooks enabling a user to access and download components, for example, through the Internet from a web site (i.e., a site on the World Wide Web). In some applications, certain conditions will trigger a hook, providing the user with the option of accessing and downloading information.
Consider as an example, a user of the application receives a document with a font (Font X) that is not available on the user's computer. When the user attempts to print the document, the user may receive a dialog display with the following message:                Font X is not available on your computer.                    <BUY NOW>If the user clicked on the "Buy Now" button, the user would be linked to a web site. If Font X was available on the web site, the user could purchase and download the font. If, however, Font X was not available on the web site, the user might receive a message indicating that the site was "under construction" or otherwise not operational. The "Buy Now" button is a hook added to the missing font dialog box and the programming associated with that button.
For this specification, a hook is a software feature included in an application in order to facilitate the implementation of a feature, which will be referred to as a remote feature, that requires the use or availability of data or programming, e.g., a web page, that is resident remote from the machine executing the application.
In current practice, such hooks (i.e., these calls to access the remote aspects of the remote features, for example by calling into a web site) are visible to the user, for example, in the form of a button or menu. The hooks are designed into the code when the software is written. A designer may choose to include only hooks for features available at the time of coding, or may also include hooks for features that will be available in the future. If the designer includes hooks for future remote features, the user, when attempting to access a remote feature, may receive a message indicating that the feature is not currently available. A similar message may be displayed if a remote feature has been disabled.
The use of hooks is advantageous because the hooks allow the remote features available to a user application to be updated dynamically. Hooks also allow an application to be implemented to provide goods, services or information (for a fee or at no cost) from one or more remote locations such as web sites. Hooks allow traditional software applications to contain a dynamic component. One disadvantage of visible hooks, however, is that the user interface provides the user with the option of accessing remote features that may not be available (either because the feature is not fully developed or because the remote feature is disabled). One known way of avoiding presenting a user with a remote feature that is not available is to design hooks only for remote features available at the time of programming. A disadvantage of this approach is that in order to add or delete remote features, the application software must be updated.

Enabling and disabling remote features dynamically in software applications


A method for characterizing a FM chirp signal generated by a device under test (DUT) is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a selection of a sample frequency and chirp duration for capturing the FM chirp signal. The method also comprises down converting the FM chirp signal and capturing the FM chirp signal using a digital pin electronics card. The method comprises obtaining a plurality of period measurements from the captured FM chirp signal using a timing measurement unit (TMU) of an automated test equipment (ATE) and converting each of the plurality of period measurements into corresponding frequency values.

Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) is commonly used within the field of electronic chip manufacturing for the purposes of testing electronic components. ATE systems both reduce the amount of time spent on testing devices to ensure that the device functions as designed and serve as a diagnostic tool to determine the presence of faulty components within a given device before it reaches the consumer.
In general, components, for example, electronic components or devices, micro-electronic chips, memory chips or other integrated circuits (IC), are usually tested before they are delivered to a customer. Testing may be performed in order to prove and ensure the correct functional capability of the devices. The tests are usually performed by means of an automated test equipment or test system. Examples for such ATE are the Advantest V93000 SOC for testing system on a chip and system on a package, the V93000 HSM high speed memory tester (HSM) for testing high speed memory devices and the Advantest V5000 series. The first is a platform for testing systems on a chip, systems on a package and high-speed memory devices. The latter is for testing memory devices including flash memory and multi-chip packages at wafer sort and final test.
During testing these devices under test (DUTs) are exposed to various types of stimulus signals from an ATE. The responses from such devices under test are measured, processed and compared to an expected response by the ATE. Testing may be carried out by automated test equipment, which usually performs testing according to a device specific test program or test flow. Such an automatic test system may comprise different drivers for driving certain stimuli to a DUT, in order to stimulate a certain expected response from the device under test. Receiver units of the ATE may analyze the response and generate a desired output regarding the performance of the measured device.
ATE systems can perform a number of test functions on a device under test (DUT) through the use of test signals transmitted to and coming from the DUT. The DUT Interface board is docked to the ATE system by a mechanical system that secures board and makes electrical contact using, for example, a interconnect system of pogo blocks and blind mate RF SMP connectors. An SMP connector offers a frequency range of DC to 40 GHz and is commonly used in miniaturized high frequency coaxial modules. The ATE can interface to and test semiconductor devices in package or wafer form.
Conventional ATE systems are very complex electronic systems and generally include resources such as digitizers, computers, and digital control hardware to analyze the signals from the DUT to the tester system during a session the nearly replicates the real environment envisioned for DUT operation. Test signals transmitted from the DUT at high frequencies are commonly analyzed for the modulation characteristics the DUT are capable of providing. Special features may be incorporated in the design of DUT transmitters that create swept-source or FM (frequency modulated) waveforms that are ramps (up or down) or saw tooth (both symmetrical and non-symmetrical). The FM chirp (a FM ramp waveform that occurs during a specific time-span) along with other FM waveforms is commonly used in radar (radio detection and ranging) applications to mitigate detector bandwidth limits and reduce the cost of the end application like automotive radars. The radar application is used to determine a distance or range from the transmitter to a target, and in automotive applications may also determine speed of the target.
To test the FM chirp signal, typically, high-speed oscilloscopes are used to capture the time domain signal sweeping over frequency. This measurement requires expensive wideband analog hardware, synchronized measurements, and various techniques for the processing (IQ, etc.) to characterize a chirp signal to high accuracy. Thus, this technique does not lend itself to practical ATE or economical methods for determining functionality and nominal performance.
Further, the analysis and characterization of a FM chirp, which is a high speed sweep of frequency over a very short time period (typically on the order of 100 micro-seconds) is a difficult and hardware intensive test because of the challenges involved in simultaneously capturing the swept frequency over the short time periods. Specialized bench equipment, e.g., spectrum analyzers, etc. that may be used are expensive and impractical for test floor applications in high volume testing environments. Further, high performance bench equipment does not lend itself to high volume ATE application work in general because the equipment can be time consuming to use, difficult to set up, require highly experienced and educated test floor technicians or may not integrate well with the ATE hardware. Further, specialized bench equipment such as frequency analyzers occupy a considerable amount of bench space in the testing environment and do not provide a straightforward method for characterizing the FM chirp signal, e.g., specialized bench equipment do not provide a visual indication of the FM chirp.

Frequency modulated (FM) chirp testing for automotive radars using standard automated test equipment (ATE) digital pin channels


The present invention provides a positioning parameter coordination apparatus, system, and method. A single positioning controller (SPC) receives a positioning request message sent by a positioning request device, obtains capability information of a user equipment (UE) according to an identifier of the UE, and determines at least one first access network device to complete positioning configuration. The SPC positions the UE according to a positioning parameter of the UE.

Continuous development of mobile communications technologies gradually brings more requirements of positioning services. Application scenarios of the positioning services tend to diversify, such as, emergency rescue positioning, criminal position tracking, navigation, and traffic control. However, regardless of the versatile application scenarios, a reliable, effective, and fast positioning method is always required in the industry. In other words, a high-precision positioning technology that is easy to be implemented remains popular in the industry.
In a mobile-station positioning algorithm in a Long Term Evolution (LTE for short) system, a characteristic parameter (such as signal field strength, a time difference of arrival of a transmitted signal, or a direction angle of arrival of a signal) of a radio signal transmitted between a mobile station and a base station may be usually detected, and a geometric position of a mobile terminal is estimated according to a related positioning algorithm. Regardless of the used positioning algorithm, an enhanced serving mobile location center (E-SMLC for short) disposed on a core network side is required to perform positioning measurement and exchange positioning information. For example, step 1: A gateway mobile location center (GMLC for short) receives a positioning request. Step 2: The GMLC finds a mobility management entity (MME for short) to which to-be-positioned user equipment (UE) currently belongs. Step 3: The GMLC sends a request of positioning the to-be-positioned UE to the MME. Step 4: The MME sends a positioning request to an E-SMLC. Step 5: The E-SMLC and the to-be-positioned UE perform capability interaction and perform measurement configuration. Step 6: The E-SMLC also interacts with a base station to which the to-be-positioned UE belongs, and obtains positioning signal configuration information on a base station side. Step 7: The E-SMLC obtains a positioning measurement result reported by the to-be-positioned UE (and the base station to which the to-be-positioned UE belongs), and performs positioning calculation, to obtain a position of the to-be-positioned UE. Step 8: The E-SMLC reports the position of the to-be-positioned UE back to the MME. Step 9: The MME feeds the position of the to-be-positioned UE back to the GMLC. Step 10: The GMLC feeds the position of the to-be-positioned UE back to a source end that requests positioning.
In conclusion, based on a current procedure of positioning measurement and positioning information exchange, the E-SMLC performs positioning-related configuration only for the to-be-positioned UE and the base station to which the terminal belongs, and expects to position the UE by performing positioning-related interaction with the to-be-positioned UE and the base station to which the to-be-positioned UE belongs. However, when another cell is deployed around the base station to which the to-be-positioned UE belongs, communications transmission in the another cell interferes with the positioning measurement of the to-be-positioned UE, and positioning accuracy of the UE is reduced.

Positioning parameter coordination apparatus, system, and method


An aqueous, stable, sterile pharmaceutical composition of the thrombin inhibitor argatroban in a solution containing an acid to solubilize the argatroban, substantially free from dehydrated alcohol is described, as well as a method for its preparation.

The present invention relates to a new pharmaceutical formulation of 1-[5-[(aminoiminomethyl)amino]-1-oxo-2-[[(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-3-methyl-8-quinolinyl)sulfonyl]amino]pentyl]-4-methyl-2-piperidinecarboxylic acid hydrate, commonly known by the generic name "argatroban." Argatroban is a synthetic direct thrombin inhibitor derived from L-arginine and is a useful anti-coagulant agent.
Argatroban is considered slightly to very slightly soluble in water according to the USP classification of solutes, with solubility on the order of 0.8 to 0.9 mg/mL. It is also both light and heat-sensitive and tends to degrade unless stabilized. Argatroban is commercially available in concentrated form in an aseptically-filled vial containing, per mL, 100 mg argatroban, 750 mg D-sorbitol and 1000 mg dehydrated alcohol. When administered to a patient, this formulation is diluted to a concentration of 1.0 mg/mL in an admixture diluent solution containing an osmotic agent such as sodium chloride or dextrose (c.f. U.S. Pat. No 5,214,052).
Other formulations of argatroban are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,679,690 and 6,087,375, European Patent Applications 0,565,897 A1 and 0,621,036 A1 and WO 2005/009361 A2.


A marking apparatus includes a wheel-equipped base and a handle for pushing the base. A can holder is adjustably mounted on the handle for holding a can of marking material. The can holder includes a stop plate which engages the actuator of the can and through which the marking material is sprayed. A trigger rod is movably mounted on the handle for pushing the can toward the stop plate for opening the valve of the can.

This invention relates to marking apparatus, and, more particularly, to marking apparatus which utilizes an aerosol can of marking material.
This invention is a variation of marking machines or paint stripers described in my previous patents--U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,485,206, 3,700,144, 3,796,353, 3,817,429, 3,871,557, and 4,126,273. In particular, the invention relates to a marking machine which is cheaper than the devices described in the foregoing patents but which is easy to assemble and operate and which makes well-defined stripes of variable width.


According to embodiments of the present invention, an over-input signal may be limited to be within a range between adjustable upper limit voltage and lower limit voltage while suppressing deterioration of a noise figure. An amplifier circuit includes an input transistor; an input transistor; a resistor element having a first terminal connected to a gate of the input transistor and a second terminal connected to a bias voltage; and a protective circuit connected to the gate of the input transistor and limiting an input to the gate of the input transistor to be within a range between an upper limit voltage and lower limit voltage adjustable based on the bias voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an amplifier circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In wireless communications systems such as mobile phones or wireless data communications devices, an amplifier circuit for amplifying a received signal is provided on a receiving side. An example of an amplifier circuit may include, for example, a low noise amplifier (LNA). An LNA is an amplifier circuit that amplifies a signal by reducing noise generated in the circuit by as much as possible and is an essential circuit disposed at a front end of a wireless receiving circuit.
As described above, as demand for inexpensive LNAs has increased, LNAs have been formed of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS).
In addition, since the case in which a transmitter is adjacent to a receiver may exist, an over-input signal, input to the LNA, may be generated. However, a gate oxide film of an input transistor in the LNA may be deteriorated or damaged by the over-input signal. Therefore, it is important to address the issue of the over-input signal. An example of an over-input signal counter-measure may include a method of using a MOS transistor with high pressure resistance in an input of the LNA. In addition, Patent Document 1 discloses a protective circuit for increasing resistance against a surge voltage with a complementary diode formed by reversely connecting diode-connected MOS transistors in parallel.
However, the method of using the MOS transistor with the high pressure resistance at the input of the LNA may increase a gate length and an oxide film thickness of the MOS transistor. For this reason, a cutoff frequency of the MOS transistor may be deteriorated and as a result, a noise figure (NF), an important characteristic of the LNA, may be deteriorated. In addition, in the protective circuit disclosed in Patent Document 1, one end of the complementary diode is connected to a ground (GND) and a function of adjusting an upper limit voltage or a lower limit voltage of the input is not furnished.


A scanning optical system has a scanning optical apparatus, which is provided with a laser diode, a collimating lens that collimates a laser beam emitted by the laser diode, a support member that holds and supports the laser diode and the collimating lens, a deflection member that dynamically deflects the laser beam collimated by the collimating lens in a main scanning direction, and a plastic scanning lens that converges the deflected laser beam onto a target surface. The scanning optical apparatus is configured to satisfy following conditions:             10      <              f        fc            <      20        ;                  and                                                            fc          ·          nc                    >      t      >              fc                          (                      nc                          nc              +              1                                )                      ,where, f denotes a focal length of the scanning lens in the main scanning direction, fc denotes a focal length of the collimating lens, nc denotes a refractive index of the collimating lens, and t denotes a thickness of the collimating lens along an optical axis.

The present invention relates to a scanning optical apparatus which is used, for example, as a laser scanning unit of a laser beam printer, and more particularly to a technique for preventing occurrence of displacement of a focusing point due to temperature change.
The scanning optical apparatus generally employs a laser diode and a collimating lens that collimates a laser beam emitted by the laser diode. When ambient temperature of members securing the laser diode and the collimating lens changes, the securing members may expands and/or contracts and positional relationship therebetween and/or with respect to the entire optical system may change, and a focusing point (a point on which the beam is focused by the optical system) may deviated in a direction of the optical axis.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. SHO 59–15206 discloses a structure which avoids such a problem. According to the teaching, the laser diode and the collimating lens are secured using a double-layer structure using two members with different thermal expansion coefficients, and displacement of the collimating lens due to thermal expansion of one member and displacement of the collimating lens due to thermal expansion of the other member are cancelled out by each other.
The scanning optical apparatus also employs a scanning lens (e.g., fθ lens). When a glass lens is used as the scanning lens, it is sufficient that a distance between a light emitting point and the collimating lens is controlled to be kept constant.
Recently, a plastic lens is often used as a scanning lens (e.g., fθ lens) in order to reduce a manufacturing cost. If the plastic lens is used as the scanning lens, thermal expansion of the scanning lens and a change in refractive index of the scanning lens due to the temperature change cannot be ignored. That is, when the plastic scanning lens is employed in the scanning optical system, the structure disclosed in the above publication may not compensate for the deviation of the focusing point sufficiently.
When the temperature increases, the focal length of the plastic scanning lens increases, and thus, the focusing point is shifted in a direction away from the scanning lens. On the other hand, when the temperature increases, the distance between the light emitting point and the collimating lens increases if they are secured on a single securing member. As the distance between the light emitting point and the collimating lens increases, the beam emitted by the laser diode cannot be collimated by the collimating lens, rather a converging beam is emerged from the collimating lens. In such a case, the focusing point is shifted in a direction toward the scanning lens. Furthermore, when the temperature increases, the wavelength of the laser beam emitted by the laser diode is shifted in a longer side.
Japanese Patent No. 2736984 discloses technology in which, in consideration of change in characteristics of the plastic scanning lens and wavelength variations of the laser beam due to the temperature change, deviation of the focusing point due to the temperature change is suppressed by utilizing thermal expansion of a securing member for securing both the laser diode and the collimating lens. By using aluminum or zinc as a material for the support member, the deviation of the focusing point due to temperature change is compensated for.
It should be noted that since the optical system of the scanning optical apparatus constitutes a magnifying optical system which is a combination of a collimating lens with a short focal length and a scanning lens with a long focal length, a change in distance between a light emitting point and the collimating lens due to temperature change is magnified on an image side, resulting in the deviation of the focusing point. Therefore, the position of the collimating lens to the securing member has to be managed at high accuracy. For this purpose, according to configuration described in the above patent publication, the double-layer structure is employed, in which the collimating lens is attached to a lens frame and the lens frame is attached to the securing member.
In the conventional scanning optical apparatuses described above, however, the double-layer structure having a relatively complex securing member is employed. Further, the securing member is formed of a metal such as aluminum or zinc. Therefore, the structure of an optical scanning unit also becomes complex and expensive.


The inventor discloses and claims a device for signaling the inflation condition of tires, as externally visible or as may be registered by remote audio or visual cues. The device generally is adapted to be attached to the stem valve of a tire without causing substantial loss of air pressure in the tire. The device may be loaded to register the inflation condition of the tire, following which loading the device may continue to register the inflation condition, without causing substantial loss of pressure in the tire.

The present invention relates to a device capable of signalling the inflating condition in the tires; the device comprises an external covering capable of rotating together with a threaded body used for screwing the device on the body of a standard inflating valve, a chamber defined inside the threaded body, an element sensible to the pressure existing in the chamber, a member which can be deformed by the pressure considering the temperature and a system capable of signalling the position of the deformable member.

Device capable of signalling the inflating condition in the tires


Methods and configurations for improved propane recovery plant employ an absorber column, and a deethanizer column with an overhead condenser that produces a reflux condensate. The reflux condensate is recycled to both the absorber column and the deethanizer column, and a third recycling loop feeds propane from the absorber column into the deethanizer column in a gaseous form. The overhead condenser employs cold reject gas from the absorber and/or propane as a refrigerant, and preferred deethanizer columns include an integral water removal contactor.

The field of the invention is separation of hydrocarbon gas.
Propane is a valuable component in industrial gases and various processes are known in the art, including processes based on cooling and refrigeration of gas, oil absorption and refrigerated oil absorption, and especially cryogenic expansion processes. However, all or almost all of them suffer from one or more disadvantages.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,904 to Campbell (Jun. 12, 1979), a process for propane recovery employs a cooled feed gas stream that is partially condensed, subsequently expanded to a lower pressure, and then separated in a distillation column. The separation is improved by combining the condensed liquid with a stream having a lower bubble point with cooling of one or both streams prior to expansion. Campbell""s recovery process advantageously increases the overall energy efficiency, however, requires at least in some configurations additional material translating to increased plant construction costs.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,955 to Campbell et al. (Aug. 8, 1989), a process for recovery of propane includes dividing a hydrocarbon stream into first and second streams and subsequent condensation and expansion of the first stream, which is then heat exchanged with a column reject from the distillation column. A portion of the partially condensed column reject is refluxed to the distillation column. Although Campbell""s configuration tends to increase the recovery of propane, the inlet feed gas is typically restricted to dried feed gas.
In a further example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,378 to Rambo et al. (Apr. 6, 1999), a configuration for improved propane recovery is described in which much of the equipment required for providing reflux for the absorption section is eliminated while maintaining relatively high propane yields. Although Rambo""s configuration generally reduces equipment related costs to at least some degree, the treatment of a vapor phase feed gas stream and a wet liquid from the feed gas typically require separate processes involving significant amounts of equipment.
Although there are various processes known in the art, all or almost all of them suffer from one or more disadvantages. Therefore, there is still a need to provide improved methods and apparatus for high propane recovery.
The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for improved propane recovery. In particular, a propane recovery plant has an absorber column.that receives a feed gas, and that produces a cold reject vapor and a product fluid. A second column receives at least part of the product fluid in a gas form, and the second column is further fluidly coupled to a condenser that forms a reflux condensate by using at least in part the cold reject vapor as a refrigerant. It is generally contemplated that a first portion of the reflux condensate is recycled into the second column, and that a second portion of the reflux condensate is fed into the absorber column.
In one aspect of the inventive subject matter, the second column comprises a deethanizer column, which may further include an integral water removal contactor, especially when the deethanizer further receives a wet liquid feed gas. Where an integral water removal contactor is utilized, preferred scrubbing agents include triethylene glycol.
In another aspect of the inventive subject matter, the condenser is preferably an integral overhead condenser that may employ propane as a refrigerant. While contemplated methods and configurations are generally contemplated to improve propane recovery, it is particularly contemplated that the recovery is up to 99 mol %, and where propane is employed as a refrigerant it is contemplated that the recovery is up to 99 mol %.
In a further aspect of the inventive subject matter, a feed gas separation element receives a wet process gas, and produces a wet gaseous feed gas and a wet fluid feed gas. A deethanizer column receives the wet fluid feed gas, wherein the deethanizer column comprises an integral water removal contactor, and wherein the deethanizer column further comprises an integral overhead condenser that forms a reflux condensate, of which a first portion is recycled into the deethanizer column and of which a second portion is fed into an absorber column.
In a still further aspect of the inventive subject matter, a method of improving the recovery of propane from a feed gas has a step of providing an absorber column, and a deethanizer column with an overhead condenser that utilizes at least in part a cold reject vapor from the absorber column as a refrigerant, wherein the overhead condenser produces a reflux fluid. In a further step, a first recycling loop is formed in which a first portion of the reflux fluid is recycled into the deethanizer column, and in another step a second recycling loop is formed in which a second portion of the reflux fluid is fed into the absorber column. In yet another step, a third recycling loop is formed in which a product fluid from the absorber is fed into the deethanizer column in a gaseous form.

Methods and apparatus for high propane recovery


An electronic grade synthetic quartz glass substrate having a recess, channel or step is manufactured by machining at least one surface of a synthetic quartz glass substrate having a maximum birefringence of up to 3 nm/cm in its entirety to form a recess, channel or step, and removing the residual stress due to machining.

The quality of synthetic quartz glass substrates is evaluated in terms of the size and population of defects on the substrate, flatness, surface roughness, photochemical stability of material, and surface chemical stability. The trend toward higher accuracy of the design rule poses ever-tightening requirements on these factors.
Photomask substrates used in the fabrication of microelectronic devices and liquid crystal displays must have a high accuracy of shape or topography. If a substrate has a poor accuracy of shape or a certain degree of distortion, exposure through the mask entails a focal shift on a silicon wafer to aggravate pattern uniformity, failing to form a fine feature pattern. In the lithography using ArF laser light source of 193 nm wavelength which is the current mainstream of microelectronic lithography and the EUV lithography using a light source of 13.5 nm wavelength in the soft x-ray wavelength range on which development efforts are made as the next generation lithography, glass substrates for photomasks and reflection masks are required to have a high level of topographical factors including flatness, parallelism, and contour tolerance (as to flatness, see JP-A 2008-103512). The same applies to photomask substrates on the array side of TFT liquid crystal panels and photomask substrates for color filters.
Research works have also been made on the nanoimprint lithography (NIL) which is a low cost, simple, high resolution process as compared with the conventional exposure processes. The NIL also needs a substrate having a high accuracy of shape as the imprint mold. The NIL is a technique of imprinting a nano-structured pattern to a resin for pattern transfer. The resolution of the pattern to be transferred depends on the resolution of nano-structures on the mold. Then the substrate on which a fine feature pattern is formed is required to have a high accuracy of shape (see JP-A H03-54569).
Besides, the synthetic quartz glass members to be assembled in exposure tools and various other equipment used in the processes of manufacturing microelectronic and display components are also required to have a high purity and accuracy.

Method for manufacturing electronic grade synthetic quartz glass substrate


Apparatus for on-board management of communications in a mobile node comprising a communications system configured to effect wireless data communication between the mobile node and another node by means of at least one supported wireless communications link, wherein the apparatus comprises a node manoeuvre planning module and a dynamic route planner; the node manoeuvre planning module being configured to:                identify that a wireless communications link associated with the mobile node (i) has been lost, degraded or is otherwise not optimal, and/or (ii) would violate an emissions control restriction;        define a desired wireless communications link between the mobile node and the other node to (i) support wireless communications therebetween, and/or (ii) comply with the emissions control restriction;        determine an attitude and/or position of the mobile node with respect to the other node required to support the desired wireless communications link;        derive a node manoeuvre plan including data representative of the determined attitude and/or position of the mobile node and generate a plan metric in respect of the node manoeuvre plan; and        transmit node manoeuvre plan data to the dynamic route planner, wherein the node manoeuvre plan data is configured to cause the dynamic route planner (11) to derive a route plan designed to manoeuvre the mobile node to the determined attitude and/or position; the dynamic route planner being configured to:        in response to receipt of the node manoeuvre plan data, generate a route plan designed to manoeuvre the mobile node to the determined attitude and/or position and generate corresponding route plan data; and        provide the route plan data and data representative of the plan metric to a node authority with a request for authorisation.

There are many applications in which it is required to apply a level of management in respect of wireless communications resources and the management of information, particularly between a moving platform and a remote recipient, and maintain adequate wireless communications therebetween for safe operation of the moving platform and mission success.
For example, in the case of aerial vehicles and, more particularly, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), there is an ongoing and stringent requirement to maintain an adequate communication link between the aerial vehicle and a ground station, for example, and unexpected loss or degradation of such a communication link, can be catastrophic.
A UAS is composed of three main parts, the unmanned air vehicle (UAV), unmanned control station (UCS) and support systems of the UAS (for pre-mission planning). A UAS Mission System may be composed of the following functional components/subsystems: Mission Management, Communications, Vehicle Health, Navigation System, Airspace Integration, Payload and Power Management. Multiple, different dynamic in-mission planners may reside in one or more of the above-mentioned functional components/subsystems. In a typical UAV, a dynamic route planner generates a new route, in real time, when there is a change in the operational environment, e.g. severe weather, pop-up threat, or a change of circumstances, e.g. an emergency, or a dynamic manoeuvre plan is generated to avoid an airborne obstacle. The aim is thus to maintain safety and the survivability of the aircraft by determining a feasible route and/or manoeuvre in real time, while avoiding pop-up, static and dynamic obstacles, for example.
However, the operational environment of moving platforms, at least in some applications, can be particularly challenging from a communications perspective, and it would be desirable to provide an intelligent communications management system that is able to adapt and respond dynamically to unplanned events, such as link degradation or failure, new operational constraints, or changes in mission priorities, in order to meet pre-planned mission objectives during mission execution.
For example, in the case of a moving platform system such as an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), it may be determined, during mission execution, that two nodes are not optimally oriented with respect to each other to achieve a required information exchange, or the quality of the communications link between them is constrained due to interference, for example. In other applications, such as mobile phone networks, it is not unusual for a user to find themselves at a location where they have no, or minimal, mobile network signal, due to interference for example. It would therefore be desirable to change the orientation of the platform with respect to another node, or the location of the user, in order to optimise communications.
US2014/0142787 describes a method and system onboard a UAV for enabling it to choose a flight path in the event of an in-flight contingency (e.g engine out or jamming) that forces a diversion or unplanned landing. The new flight path is selected to maintain communications during contingency operations. However, the new flight plan is based entirely on the in-flight contingency and a database of static constraints available to the UAV communications system. The UAV may have no choice but to perform a node manoeuvre, and the system is designed to try and plan the path of the manoeuvre to maintain communications, but this does not take into account situations in which a node manoeuvre may be just one possible way of solving a communications issue and its suitability may need to be assessed against the over-arching mission goals.

Apparatus and method for communications management


A weighing system and method having stable measurement resolution for measuring gems and other light masses. The system includes circuitry for correcting errors in the measured value of the masses due to off-center placement on the system's holding pan. The weighing system uses a plurality of transducers about the pan to measure the weight of the mass, and includes circuitry for converting the transducer signals to signals having unknown frequencies. Circuitry is also provided for determining the unknown frequencies with an approximate stable or fixed resolution, despite wide variations in the unknown frequency. In a preferred embodiment, the number of cycles on the unknown frequency is counted and counting begins and ends of the rising edges of the unknown frequency signal. The determination of which unknown frequency edge ends the counting operation is made by monitoring a known frequency counter. When a predetermined minimum number of known frequency cycles have been accumulated, the next rising edge of the unknown frequency signal terminates the counting operation. The unknown frequency is then calculated. Finally, the frequencies from each sensor are correlated for a given mass, at given locations, to arrive at an accurate weight value for the mass in spite of its potentially off-center location on the system's weighting pan.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of measuring apparatus for light masses. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic balance having a predetermined measurement resolution.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
There are many ways to measure weight. One problem that all weighing apparatus face is that of off center pan loading in which the mass to be weighed is not located at the exact center of the weighing pan, but is off to one side. U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,324, the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses an improved way of handling the problem of off-center pan loading. The technique of that system is a self-adjusting one in which the effects of off-center loading in the load cell are measured and corrected before the weight reading is outputted. The device constructed in accordance with that technique measures deflections at a plurality of locations on a spring-supported pan, and combines the separate measurements to yield the weight on the pan, corrected for load placement location, i.e., off-center loading.
The circuitry of the weighing system of the '324 patent makes use of a period counter circuit, for determining the frequency of each capacitor sensor, which counts a fixed clock frequency (also referred to as the known frequency) for a number of cycles of the chosen frequency (also referred to as the unknown frequency) generated by a respective capacitor sensor. The system counts known frequency (KF) cycles occurring in a predetermined number of unknown frequency (UF) cycles. This measures the period of the unknown frequency, which is the frequency generated by one of the capacitor sensors. The fixed or known frequency of the '324 system is a one megahertz signal. Therefore, counting the cycles occuring within a one megahertz KF signal between the two rising edges in the UF signal directly yields the UF in microseconds. However, if the UF signal frequency generated by one of the capacitor sensors is too high, the resolution of the frequency measurement using a period counter decreases. For example, if the unknown frequency was 10 Hertz, this would produce 100,000 counts of a 1 megahertz KF crystal within one unknown frequency cycle, resulting in a measurement resolution of one part in 100,000. But if the UF were instead 100 kilohertz, the period of the UF would only be 10 microseconds, thus producing 10 counts of a 1 megahertz KF crystal within one UF cycle. This results in a measurement resolution of only one part in ten. Thus, the uncontrollable resolution of the period measurement may introduce inaccuracies into the final weight determination.
On the other hand, if the '324 system used a frequency measurement circuit, the problem of uncontrollable resolution would still exist. In a direct frequency measurement circuit, the number of cycles in the UF signal is counted for a fixed time. The fixed time period is typically determined by counting a predetermined number of cycles of a known time base frequency, such as a crystal. This method works well for unknown frequencies which have a high frequency. However, as the frequency of the UF decreases, the resolution of the frequency measurement technique decreases as well. For example, if the UF is 10 Hertz it will exhibit 10+/-1 rising edges in any one second period, resulting in a measurement resolution of only one part in 10.
The following table summarizes these measurement resolutions:
______________________________________ Measurement Resolution (Known frequency (KF) = 1,000,000 Hz Frequency Period Unknown Measurement Measurement Frequency (UF) Technique Technique ______________________________________ 10 Hz 1/10 1/100,000 (poor) (good) 100,000 Hz 1/100,000 1/10 (good) (poor) ______________________________________
As can be seen, neither a period measurement technique nor a frequency measurement technique provides stable measurement resolution for all ranges of unknown frequencies.
Other aspects of prior art weighing systems may be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,828,057; 4,862,978; 4,869,331; 4,862,979; and 4,874,051, the specifications of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved version of the '324 weighing system which has stable measurement resolution.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a weighing system using a more accurate method of processing sensed signals to calculate the weight of an object than prior art systems.

Compact self-adjusting weighing system having stable measurement resolution


Since the radio wave absorbent of the present invention has the main component of a magnesium-zinc system ferrite material containing 45 to 50 mol % of iron oxide, 7 to 19.7 mol % of magnesium oxide, 24 to 28.5 mol % of zinc oxide, 4 to 16 mol % of copper oxide, and 0.1 to 6 mol % of manganese oxide, a matching thickness is less than 8 mm, and the total weight of the radio wave absorbent for use in the inner wall of a radio wave dark room or the outer wall of a building or the like is remarkably reduced as compared with the radio wave absorbent obtained by sintering the conventional magnesium-zinc system ferrite material. Moreover, since the radio wave absorbent can be obtained by sintering the material at a relatively low sintering temperature of about 950 to 1150.degree. C., the manufacture cost can be reduced relative to the radio wave absorbent obtained by sintering the conventional nickel-zinc system ferrite material.

Recently, with the progress of information communication technique or the prevalence of various electric apparatus, the influence of unnecessary electromagnetic noises exerted onto precision apparatus associated devices has raised problems. For the measurement of electromagnetic noises, a radio wave dark room (anechoic room) where there is no reflection of electromagnetic waves is used, and a radio wave absorbent is used in the inner wall of the radio wave dark room. Moreover, in order to prevent reception trouble from being caused by reflection of television waves by high-rise buildings or the like, the radio wave absorbent is used in the outer wall of the building or the like.
As a conventional radio wave absorbent, for example, used is a radio wave absorbent having a characteristic that a reflection attenuation in a frequency band of 90 MHz to 350 MHz is 20 dB or more. As the radio wave absorbent, for example, a radio wave absorbent obtained by sintering a nickel-zinc system ferrite material (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 200303/1991, 129123/1993, 243023/1993, 84622/1994, and the like) and a radio wave absorbent obtained by sintering a magnesium-zinc system ferrite material (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 72925/1989, 301524/1989, and the like) are exemplified.
However, the conventional radio wave absorbent which is obtained by sintering the nickel-zinc system ferrite material has a problem that a raw-material nickel is expensive.
On the other hand, the magnesium-zinc system ferrite material has a sintering temperature of around 1250 to 1300.degree. C., which is higher than the sintering temperature of about 1100.degree. C. of the nickel-zinc system ferrite material. Therefore, when the radio wave absorbent is industrially manufactured by sintering the magnesium-zinc system ferrite material, there is a problem that a high-temperature sintering furnace is necessary separately from a sintering furnace for the nickel-zinc system ferrite material.
Furthermore, the matching thickness in which all incoming radio waves are absorbed without causing reflection is important in the radio wave absorbent, but the radio wave absorbent obtained by sintering the conventional magnesium-zinc system ferrite material has a matching thickness of 8 mm or more, and is thicker than the radio wave absorbent obtained by sintering the nickel-zinc system ferrite material (matching thickness of 7 mm or less). The difference of about 1 mm in matching thickness exerts a remarkable influence on the total weight of the radio wave absorbent for use in the inner wall of the radio wave dark room or the outer wall of the building or the like, and the reduction of the matching thickness is constantly requested for in the radio wave absorbent.
The present invention has been developed in consideration of the circumstances described above, and an object thereof is to provide a radio wave absorbent which has a matching thickness of less than 8 mm and which can be obtained by sintering the material at a relatively low sintering temperature.


Embodiments of a system and method are disclosed that can include a memory unit, and a memory management unit coupled to the memory unit. The memory management unit can include address mapping circuitry and access control circuitry operable to: provide address mappings for at least a frame stack and a link stack in the memory unit for programs being executed by the processing unit, and provide an access permission indicator applicable to any segment of the memory unit. A processing unit can save context information for a program to the frame stack, and execute a savelink instruction subsequent to the execution of a branch and link instruction. If the access permission indicator is set, the savelink instruction saves to the link stack a return address provided by the branch and link instruction.

1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to data processing systems, and more specifically, to data processing systems having safe call and return operations.
2. Related Art
In typical data processing systems, a frame stack keeps tracks of procedures called within an executable program. For example, for a called procedure, a frame can be created and placed on a frame stack in memory. This frame may include the local variables of the procedure (which have, for example, overflowed from the registers) as well as the return address to return execution to the caller. However, it is possible that errant software can perform a write to the frame stack causing the return address to be overwritten, thus resulting in the program returning to malevolent code rather than the desired return point. This type of attack may be referred to as a "buffer overflow" attack or a "stack smashing attack". Therefore, a need exists for improved safety within a data processing system to prevent such attacks.

Data processing system with safe call and return


A golf club head which comprises a face portion defining a face for hitting a golf ball, and a side portion between a crown portion and a sole portion, extending from a toe-side edge of the face portion to a heel-side edge of the face portion through the back face of the head, wherein the face portion is composed of a face plate and a face side part on one of or each of the toe side and heel side of the face plate, and the face side part is formed integrally with the side portion, but the face plate is formed separately from the face side part and welded to the face side part. The ratio of the area of the face side part to the area of the face plate is preferably set in a range of from 0.05 to 0.2.

The present invention relates to a golf club head, more particularly to a structure for the face portion being capable of reducing variations in the visible outline and outside dimension of the golf club head.
In a golf club head in which, as shown in FIG. 13A, a face plate (b) is welded to the head main (c), the weld run (k) shown in FIG. 13B has to be removed by a grinder. The weld run (k) is, as shown in FIG. 14A, situated in the corner of the face (b). Thus, the grind work is difficult and requires skill. Further, the welding is also difficult.
In this structure, as the weld run (k) is in the corner, the welded part is liable to be ground too much over the target line (n) as shown in FIG. 14B. Thus, it is difficult to reduce the variations in the visible outline and outside dimension of the golf club head.
In general, in an address position, a golfer gives attention to the toe-side edge part (e) and heel-side edge part (f) of the hitting face. (see FIG. 2) Therefore, the accuracy of the shape and dimensions of such edge parts (e) and (f) in the top view of the head is very important.
It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a golf club head in which the above-mentioned variations in the shape and dimensions can be reduced.
According to the present invention, a golf club head comprises a face portion defining a face for hitting a golf ball, and a side portion between a crown portion and a sole portion, extending from a toe-side edge of the face portion to a heel-side edge of the face portion through the back face of the head, wherein the face portion is composed of a face plate and a side part on one of or each of the toe side and heel side of the face plate, and the side part is formed integrally with the side portion, but the face plate is formed separately from the side part and welded to the side part.


A process, apparatus and control methodology for transferring loads between drivers in adjacent refrigeration cycles in a cascaded refrigeration process has been developed thereby enabling more efficient driver operation. Load transfer is effected by cooling the higher boiling point refrigerant liquid prior to flashing via an indirect heat transfer with the lower boiling point refrigerant vapor in a adjacent cycle prior to compression of said stream.

Cryogenic liquefaction of normally gaseous materials is utilized for the purposes of component separation, purification, storage and for the transportation of said components in a more economic and convenient form. Most such liquefaction systems have many operations in common, regardless of the gases involved, and consequently, have many of the same problems. One common operation and its attendant problems is associated with the compression of refrigerating agents and the distribution of compression power requirements among multiple gas turbine drivers when multiple cycles, each with a unique refrigerant, are employed. Accordingly, the present invention will be described with specific reference to the processing of natural gas but is applicable to other gas systems.
It is common practice in the art of processing natural gas to subject the gas to cryogenic treatment to separate hydrocarbons having a molecular weight higher than methane (C.sub.2 +) from the natural gas thereby producing a pipeline gas predominating in methane and a C.sub.2 + stream useful for other purposes. Frequently, the C.sub.2 + stream will be separated into individual component streams, for example, C.sub.2, C.sub.3, C.sub.4 and C.sub.5 +.
It is also common practice to cryogenically treat natural gas to liquefy the same for transport and storage. The primary reason for the liquefaction of natural gas is that liquefaction results in a volume reduction of about 1/600, thereby making it possible to store and transport the liquefied gas in containers of more economical and practical design. For example, when gas is transported by pipeline from the source of supply to a distant market, it is desirable to operate the pipeline under a substantially constant and high load factor. Often the deliverability or capacity of the pipeline will exceed demand while at other times the demand may exceed the deliverability of the pipeline. In order to shave off the peaks where demand exceeds supply, it is desirable to store the excess gas in such a manner that it can be delivered when the supply exceeds demand, thereby enabling future peaks in demand to be met with material from storage. One practical means for doing this is to convert the gas to a liquefied state for storage and to then vaporize the liquid as demand requires.
Liquefaction of natural gas is of even greater importance in making possible the transport of gas from a supply source to market when the source and market are separated by great distances and a pipeline is not available or is not practical. This is particularly true where transport must be made by ocean-going vessels. Ship transportation in the gaseous state is generally not practical because appreciable pressurization is required to significant reduce the specific volume of the gas which in turn requires the use of more expensive storage containers.
In order to store and transport natural gas in the liquid state, the natural gas is preferably cooled to -240.degree. F. to -260.degree. F. where it possesses a near-atmospheric vapor pressure. Numerous systems exist in the prior art for the liquefaction of natural gas or the like in which the gas is liquefied by sequentially passing the gas at an elevated pressure through a plurality of cooling stages whereupon the gas is cooled to successively lower temperatures until the liquefaction temperature is reached. Cooling is generally accomplished by heat exchange with one or more refrigerants such as propane, propylene, ethane, ethylene, and methane. In the art, the refrigerants are frequently arranged in a cascaded manner and each refrigerant is employed in a closed refrigeration cycle. Further cooling of the liquid is possible by expanding the liquefied natural gas to atmospheric pressure in one or more expansion stages. In each stage, the liquefied gas is flashed to a lower pressure thereby producing a two-phase gas-liquid mixture at a significantly lower temperature. The liquid is recovered and may again be flashed. In this manner, the liquefied gas is further cooled to a storage or transport temperature suitable for liquefied gas storage at near-atmospheric pressure. In this expansion to near-atmospheric pressure, significant volumes of liquefied gas are flashed. The flashed vapors from the expansion stages are generally collected and recycled for liquefaction or utilized as fuel gas for power generation.
Obviously, the compressor or compressors employed for compressing the refrigerating agent for a given cycle have operating regimes which are preferred based on turbine/compressor efficiencies and equipment reliability/life expectancy. As an example, the overloading of a given compressor will result in undue wear or damage to that compressor. Unfortunately, a number of operating conditions exist which can fluctuate and affect the loading of individual compressors. Such fluctuations include but are not limited to changes in inlet gas composition, changes in the turbine and compressor efficiency associated with a given refrigerant, changes in climate which affect available turbine horsepower, changes in the return rate of boil-off vapor resulting from ship loading/nonloading conditions, changes attributed to turbine shut-down or start-up (either scheduled or unscheduled) when more than one turbine is used in parallel operation, and changes in the temperature, pressure, flowrate, or composition of the stream to be liquefied resulting from various process operations (fractionating unit, heat exchanger etc.) While individual turbines which drive compressors processing various refrigerants can be protected by such means as speed control mechanisms or the like, such protective means are not a complete answer because changes in the operation of one turbine will change the operation of the entire cryogenic system and can result in the overloading or unbalanced loading of other compressors.

Method of load distribution in a cascaded refrigeration process


A shielded receptacle connector includes a dielectric terminal mounting seat having a terminal aligning portion for mounting solder tail portions of a plurality of contact terminals and a mating portion for mounting contact portions of the contact terminals. The terminal aligning portion has a proximate end face and a distal end face relative to the mating portion, a pair of lateral walls extending between the proximate and distal end faces and opposite to each other in a transverse direction, and a pair of tongue engaging groove units formed in the lateral walls respectively and extending from the proximate end face towards the distal end face and crossing over at least one of the solder tail portions. A metal shield includes a first tubular portion enclosing and cooperating with the mating portion to define an annular receiving space therebetween, and a second tubular portion having two side walls, and two engaging tongues formed by punching and bending lowermost portions of the side walls such that the engaging tongues extend toward each other to engage the tongue engaging groove units of the lateral walls, respectively, so as to prevent the lowermost portions of the side walls of the second tubular portion from being thrust away relative to the terminal aligning portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connector, more particularly to a shielded surface-mount electrical receptacle connector of the universal serial bus (USB) connector-type for use in the computer field.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a conventional shielded surface-mount electrical receptacle connector of the universal serial bus (USB) connector-type adapted to be mounted on a circuit board and is adapted to mate with a shielded electrical plug connector, said connector includes a plurality of contact terminals 110, a dielectric terminal mounting seat 11, a metal shield 13, and a metal cap 14.
As illustrated, each of the contact terminals 110 has a contact portion 110C that extends in a longitudinal direction, and a solder tail portion 110S that extends from the contact portion in a first transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction.
The terminal mounting seat 11 includes a mating portion 113 for mounting the contact portions 110C thereon, and a terminal aligning portion 111 which has two opposite side walls 111W extending in the first transverse direction and spaced from each other a second direction transverse to the first transverse direction to form a pair of lowermost portions, and a pair of positioning parts 111C that extend toward each other in the second direction to define a terminal aligning slit therebetween. The solder tail portions 110S of the contact terminals 110 pass through the terminal aligning slit and are adapted to be in electrical contact with the circuit board (not shown).
The metal shield 13 is disposed to shield the contact portions 110C and the solder tail portion 110S from electromagnetic interference (EMI) in the second direction. The metal shield 13 includes a tubular shell 130 with first and second open ends 131,132 which are opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction. The tubular shell 130 has a rear portion 130R that encloses the terminal aligning portion 11, and a front portion 130F that encloses and co-operates with the mating portion 113 to define an annular receiving space 13A therebetween (see FIG. 2) which is adapted to accommodate a shielded electrical plug connector (not shown) when the latter is inserted thereinto via the first open end 131. The rear portion 130R extends integrally from and in alignment with the front portion 130F, and has at least one pair of side walls 135 that extend in the first transverse direction and that are spaced apart from each other in the second transverse direction to form a pair of lowermost portions with bendable portions 134 that are spaced apart from each other in the second transverse direction, and a pair of engaging groove units each being formed by punching and bending a respective one of the bendable portions 134 such that the engaging groove units permit extension of and confine front ends 112 of the positioning parts 111C to prevent them from being thrust away from the terminal mounting seat 2.
A disadvantage of the aforesaid electrical receptacle connector resides in that, the side walls 135 of the rear portion 130R in the tubular shell 130 are susceptible to thrust in the longitudinal direction during transportation. The side walls 135 are thus disposed in a state of being expandible outwardly and laterally relative to the terminal mounting seat 2, and may result in deformation of the shielded electrical receptacle connector.

Shielded electrical receptacle connector