UV-transparent forming tools or molds are prepared for molding resins comprising a urethane acrylate, e.g. urethane dimethacrylate oligomer, and an alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated monomer, e.g., styrene, cured in the presence of a peroxide initiator. The resins are tough, durable and have a wide range of other desirable properties.

This invention relates to molding resins. In one aspect, the invention relates to molding resins that upon cure are transparent to ultaviolet light or radiation while in another aspect, the invention relates to molds made from these resins. In yet another aspect, the invention relates to using the UV-transparent molds to shape fiber preforms in which a UV-curable composition is used as the preform binder.
The process of making fiber preforms is greatly enhanced by using UV-curable binders rather than heat-curable binders. The former generally operates at ambient temperature and generates only a small amount of heat. The latter, by its very nature, requires elevated temperatures, often in excess of 3001 C, and thus generates a significant amount of heat. As such, processes using heat-curable binders generally generate significantly greater quantities of volatile organic compound emissions,, consume significantly greater amounts of energy, and require significantly longer periods of time to rigidize the preform, than processes using Uv-curable binders.
However, processes using Uv-curable binders generally require a LTV-transparent mold or forming tool to hold the fiber reinforcement in place while the binder is curing. As here used, UV-transparent means that the mold or forming tool transmits or conducts sufficient UV radiation or light to rapidly cure the UV-curable binder. In addition to being UV-transparent, important properties of the material used in construction of the mold are formability and strength. The materials are desirably easily shaped into the geometry of the mold, and are sufficiently strong to withstand the pressures required to shape the fibers placed against their surface. Furthermore, the mold should withstand the heat generated by the source of the Uv light, e.g. a UV lamp (many UV lamps also generate infrared radiation, and thus heat), and should be resistant to photodegradation from exposure to the UV radiation used to cure the preform binder.
While many common glasses are clear, and thermoformable plastics have some of the desired properties, each of these materials is lacking in certain essential characteristics. For example, glass efficiently transmits uv radiation in the range of 330 nm to 400 nm, but fractures easily and is very difficult to form. Some thermoplastic materials, such as polycarbonate and polystyrene, can be easily formed but absorb quite strongly in the 330 to 400 nm range. Some acrylic thermoplastics have good UV transmission properties but are difficult to form, while other grades form quite well but absorb strongly any UV radiation below 370 nm. While many thermoplastic materials can be machined shaped, this process is time consuming and results in a large amount of material waste. Furthermore, many thermoplastic materials distort from the heat generated by UV lamps, or degrade upon exposure to Uv radiation.

Molding resins and UV-transparent molds made from the resins


There is disclosed an insulated wire, having, on a conductor, an insulating coating including at least three layers, made up of an underlayer formed by applying and baking a polyamine-imide-series resin coating material, containing 0.05 to 1.0 parts by weight of a trialkylamine, and/or 5 to 20 parts by weight of an alkoxylated melamine resin, per 100 parts by weight of a polyamide-imide-series resin, an intermediate layer formed by applying and baking a polyimide-series resin coating material, and an overlayer formed by applying and baking a self-lubricating-type polyamide-imide-series resin coating material. According to the insulated wire, an insulating coating can be prevented from being damaged at the time of the working of a coil under severe conditions, even when the insulating coating is thin.

Insulated wires which are covered with electrical insulators are used in large quantities for coils integrated in various electrical apparatuses. In recent years, the step of working and winding coils of insulated wires is increased in speed and become rationalized, and the coil winding operation is changing from a manual winding operation to one conducted by automatic coil winding machines. The insertion of coils into stator slots is also automated.
In winding a coil automatically, however, since a great tension is applied to the insulated wire, the stress on the coating film is great and hence the insulated wire is inevitably susceptible to damage. Further, since the insertion of a coil into a stator slot is carried out by machine instead of manual operation, the wire undergoes a greater pressure. Under these circumstances, rubbing between the electric wires, or between the electric wire and an object that comes in contact with the electric wire, easily occurs, and defective insulation of the coil is apt to result.
Further, by making the space factor of the insulated wire in the stator slot where the coil is placed as large as possible, the apparatus can be made small in size and can be lowered in cost. Therefore it is desired to reduce the outer diameter of the electric wire. In recent years, with the reduction in diameter, it is demanded that the diameter of the conductor be kept intact or be increased, in order to increase the power of apparatuses, and therefore it is needed to decrease the build of the insulating coating.
When winding of coils and insertion of coils into stator slots are automated, however, making the insulating coating thin increases the frequency of damage to the coating, resulting in an increase in the rate of the occurrence of defective insulation of the coils.
To solve the above problems, a decrease in the friction coefficient between electric wires, or between an electric wire and an object that comes in contact with an electric wire (e.g. between a metal rod and layer insulating paper), and improvement in the strength of the coating are considered. The lower the friction coefficient is, the easier the winding of a coil is, and the higher the strength of a coating is, the more decreased the damage to a coil is when the coil is wound and the coil is inserted into a stator slot (hereinafter, these operations are referred to as the working of a coil).
As conventionally practiced means of lowering the friction coefficient, there is a method in which a lubricant is applied to the surface of an electric wire, and a method in which a lubricant is added to an electrical insulating coating material and the coating material is applied and baked.
As means of improving the strength of a coating, an insulated wire having a polyamide-imide coating material applied and baked is generally used. Since, in comparison with insulated wires having other resin (e.g. polyester, polyurethane, polyesterimide, polyesteramide-imide, or polyimide) applied and baked, the insulated wire having a polyamide-imide resin coating material applied and baked is high in mechanical strength and excellent in abrasion resistance, it is frequently used when the conditions of the working of a coil are severe.
Recently, however, the conditions of the working of a coil have become increasingly severe, and, in many cases, even when the friction coefficient is decreased as described above or an electric wire having a polyamide-imide resin coating material applied and baked is used, damage to the coating cannot be prevented.
Thus, as a means of preventing the coating from being damaged at the time of the working of a coil, a method for improving the adhesion between an insulating layer and a conductor is suggested. As specific examples of an insulating coating material that achieves this desired adhesion, there are suggested: 1) a heat resistant coating material made from a polyamide-imide resin, an alkoxy-modified amino resin, and benzotriazole (JP-A-3-37283 ("JP-A" means unexamined published Japanese patent application), and 2) a coating material made from a polyamide-imide resin and a trialkylamine (JP-A-6-111632).
In the wires obtained by using these means, although an effect can be observed in the repeated scrape test (a test wherein a relatively small load is applied to the wire and the coating is abraded with a beads-needle), no effect is recognized in the unidirectional scrape test (a test stipulated in JIS C 3003, wherein, while a load is applied increasingly on the wire, the coating is scratched with a piano wire). Recently, the latter test is regarded as important as a coating damage test.
In the case of a wire intended to be improved only in adhesion, as the build of coating is made thin, the repeated abrasion (scraped) value is lowered, in many cases approximately to the same level as that of the conventional wire that is not intended to be improved in adhesion.
On the other hand, a method is suggested in which many rigid structures are introduced in the molecules of a resin, to improve the strength of a coating, to decrease scars made by coil working, and JP-A-6-196025 describes an insulated wire having an insulating coating with the tensile strength and the tensional modulus defined. In such a wire, a remarkable effect is observed in the unidirectional scrape test, and even when the coating is made thin, damage to the coating at the time of the working of a coil can be prevented. However, in comparison with conventional wires, in such a wire, the level of the flexibility after the stretching, and the level of the flexibility after the heat history, are low, and particularly when such a wire is subjected to severe bending, the flexibility is not satisfactory, and therefore there is a risk that the coating may cracked or broken.
As an example of a wire having multiple layers in which different coatings are layered one on the other, to improve the mechanical strength and the heat shock resistance of the final coating, there is a technique described in JP-B-62-21203 ("JP-B" means examined Japanese patent publication). This example discloses an insulated wire that is provided with a polyamide-imide resin as an undermost layer, an aromatic polyimide resin as an intermediate layer, and a polyamide-imide resin as an overlayer, to improve the mechanical properties of the coating and the heat shock resistance after the impregnation treatment with a varnish. In this wire, the repeated abrasion value is found to be improved, and when the wire is heat-treated after the impregnation treatment with a varnish, the varnish pulls the coating, and this force is mitigated in the intermediate layer, to prevent the coating from being broken or cracked. However, although the repeated abrasion value is improved, the wire has no effect on the unidirectional abrasion. Further, when the coating of the wire is made thin, the repeated abrasion value is lowered, and therefore further improvement is required to prevent the coating from being damaged at the time of the working of a coil.


Variable leg width trousers, offering the wearer the ability to change the diameter of the lower leg sections of the trousers near the foot end while keeping the diameter of the upper leg sections constant. Each lower leg section is formed to have a width adjustment slot. The trousers may include a width adjusting insert, releasably attached to the lower leg sections by at least one joining device for each width adjustment slot, with which to vary the size of the width adjusting inserts. This allows the user to select the contraction or expansion of each lower leg section for functionality or appearance. The inserts may be constructed of the same material as the trousers or may be constructed of contrasting materials and/or colors. The width adjusting inserts may incorporate decorative indicia or expressive indicia, or may bear certain functional features, such as reflectors or pockets.

While it is clear that the human leg generally tapers from thigh to calf, and therefore that most lower body trousers or leggings will follow the narrowing width towards the foot, nonetheless there are circumstances where such a width is inconvenient or even dangerous. Additionally, there is often a fashion desire to reverse the visual appearance of the traditional taper, as is seen, for example, in so-called bell bottom pants, in which the diameter of the lower leg portion of the trousers may be significantly larger than expected, sometimes even larger than the thigh portion of the same garment. Throughout this description, it is intended that the word "trousers," shall mean pants, leggings, or any other covering that covers one or both of the lower aspects of the leg.
For example, the traditional narrowing width makes it difficult, if not impossible, to put trousers or leggings on over boots or shoes. Early attempts to accommodate such are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,641,487 ('487) and 1,691,057 ('057). Each has distinct drawbacks. For example, the stretch panel of the '057 device has a necessarily limited range of accommodation, while the zippered closure of the '487 device is entirely fixed in the diameter of footwear that it might close around.
Other attempts have been made that avoid the traditional width relationship of pants. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,273 ('273), an entirely open lateral aspect of a trousers leg allows open expansion, but fails to prevent the trousers leg from flapping uncontrollably, or more dangerously, from becoming entangled on various objects. The firefighter's trousers of U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,007 ('007) utilize a zippered closure over an expansive area in which the zipper may be opened to allow expansion of the pant leg. This system causes additional bulk to the garment and is subject to the vagaries of any zippered closure.
The aforementioned articles of clothing, in their limited ways, have attempted to solve the structural limitations of traditionally tapered pants. However, there has been little or no effort to address the fashion aspects of such clothing. For example, the past art has generally provided for either an expanded or a contracted position, and not allowed for variability in the degree of displayed width. This is contrary to general fashion sense, in which the wearer is likely to want to vary the width from time to time. Additionally, past art has generally failed to use inserts to vary the width achieved, or has failed to appreciate the effects that may be gained by having inserts of different textures or materials, or inserts bearing certain decorative indicia, or even inserts bearing certain functional features, such as reflectors or pockets.
In short, the prior art has failed to provide a trousers or leggings design that allows for variable width, decoratively or functionally different materials compared to that of the main body of the trousers or leggings, or decorative or functional features that may be varied as part of the width varying mechanism. The present invention solves all these problems.


A semiconductor device for emitting frequency-adjusted infrared light includes a lateral emitter structure and a lateral filter structure. The lateral emitter structure is configured to emit infrared light with an emitter frequency distribution. Further, the lateral filter structure is configured to filter the infrared light emitted by the lateral emitter structure so that frequency-adjusted infrared light is provided with an adjusted frequency distribution. The frequency range of the adjusted frequency distribution is narrower than a frequency range of the emitter frequency distribution. Further, a lateral air gap is located between the lateral emitter structure and the lateral filter structure.

Infrared light may be generated in various ways. For example, infrared photodiodes or infrared laser diodes may be used. Alternatively, a thermal emitter may be used for generating infrared light. An infrared emitter may require temperatures at about 600° C. to 900° C., for example. Such structures for integrated sensors have to resist high currents and high chip temperatures, for example. This may lead to high power consumption and device degradation. It is desired to reduce the power consumption and the device degradation of infrared emitters.

Semiconductor device for emitting frequency-adjusted infrared light


A modulated clock MSK modulator that separately modulates a sinusoidal clock signal by square wave I and Q digital data signals prior to the I and Q data signals being modulated onto a carrier wave signal. Mixers or applicable biphase switches are utilized to impress the I and Q digital data signal information onto the clock signal by inverting or non-inverting the clock signal on separate I and Q data rails to create I and Q modulated clock signals separated in phase. The I channel data modulated clock signal and the Q channel data modulated clock signal are then separately applied to a conventional quadraphase modulator to be separately modulated onto a carrier wave signal, and the summed together to be transmitted.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a modulated clock minimum shift keying (MSK) modulation technique for transmitting digital data and, more particularly, to a modulated clock MSK modulation technique for transmitting digital data in which the digital data modulates or selectively switches a clock signal prior to the data being modulated onto a carrier wave signal for transmission.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Transmission of digital data at a high data transmission rate is necessary for many types of digital communications systems. Systems requiring high digital data transmission rates include video transmission systems, satellite communications systems, etc. In these systems, digital data is generally modulated for transmission by an applicable modulation technique, such as phase modulation. Phase modulation involves modulating a carrier wave signal where the phase of the modulation wave distinguishes the "0" and "1" bits.
Minimum shift keying (MSK) modulation is one type of phase modulation applicable for high digital data transmission rates. MSK modulation involves separating the digital data into an in-phase (I) data stream and a quadrature (Q) phase data stream. The I and Q digital data streams are passed through a sinusoidal pulse shaper and then separately mixed with a carrier wave signal at the particular phase of the I and Q data streams before being recombined to be transmitted. Separating the digital data into separate modulated data streams with carriers 90.degree. out of phase with each other allows more digital data to be transmitted within a given time interval. A background discussion of different types of MSK modulators can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,216,391 issued to Shiraishi et al.; 5,020,079 issued to Vancraeynest; and 4,500,856 issued to Childs.
One type of modulation related to MSK modulation is referred to as staggered quadrature phase shift keying (SQPSK) modulation. For SQPSK modulation, the I and Q modulated data streams are separated in phase by 90.degree., and one of the data streams is staggered by a one-half bit time. SQPSK modulation is distinct from MSK modulation mainly because square wave I and Q digital data signals are applied to the carrier wave signal modulator, whereas in MSK modulation only sinusoidal shaped waves are applied to the carrier wave signal modulator. For sinusoidal wave modulation, more signal energy in the modulation signal is closer to the carrier wave signal, resulting in an opportunity for greater bandwidth efficiency. Further, MSK modulation theoretically provides a constant envelope signal that results in less degrading amplitude modulation to phase modulation conversion at the output of typical nonlinear amplifiers. Other distinctions between MSK modulation and SQPSK modulation are known to those skilled in the art.
FIG. 1 depicts a known MSK modulator 10, sometimes referred to as a "Brady" type modulator. The modulator 10 includes a mixer 12 that mixes a sinusoidal one-half clock signal and a sinusoidal carrier wave signal so that the one-half clock signal modulates the carrier wave. The modulated carrier wave signal is then applied to a diplexer 14 that acts as a tuned filter to separate the two frequencies comprising the modulated carrier wave signal. The separated frequencies from the diplexer 14 are then applied to a magic-T circuit 16 that includes a specialized configuration of phase and amplitude equalizers (PAE) 18 that processes the I and Q data rail signals to get signals having highly controlled phase and amplitude. The I data rail modulated carrier wave is then applied to an I data rail mixer 20 that mixes the I data rail modulated carrier wave with a square wave I digital data signal. The Q data rail modulated carrier wave is then applied to a Q data rail mixer 22 that mixes the Q data rail modulated carrier wave with a square wave Q digital data signal. The modulated I and Q digital data signals from the mixers 20 and 22 are then applied to a summer 24 that sums the signals in phase. An output signal S(t) of data and clock signals modulated onto a carrier wave signal is emitted from the modular 10 to a transmitter.
FIG. 2 depicts another MSK modulator 30, sometimes referred to as a "Collins" modulator. An example of this type of MSK modulator can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,098 issued to Kerr. In this version, a one-half clock signal is applied to a first 90.degree. hybrid coupler 32 to separate the clock signal into two clock signals that are out of phase with each other by 90.degree.. A local oscillator signal acting as a carrier wave signal is applied to a second 90.degree. hybrid coupler 34 to separate the local oscillator signal into two signals that are 90.degree. apart in phase. The zero phase signals from the coupler 32 and the coupler 34 are mixed in a mixer 36 to create a modulated carrier wave signal for an I data rail. The 90.degree. phase signals from the coupler 32 and the coupler 34 are mixed in a mixer 38 to create a modulated carrier wave signal for a Q data rail. The zero phase I data rail signal is then applied to a series of PAEs 40, and the 90.degree. phase Q data rail signal is then applied to a series of PAEs 42 so that the I and Q data rail signals are substantially equal in amplitude and are separated by 90.degree.. The I data rail signal from the PAEs 40 is applied to a mixer 44 to be mixed with a square wave I digital data signal, and the Q rail signal from the PAEs 42 is applied to a mixer 46 to be mixed with a square wave Q digital data signal. The I data signal modulated onto the carrier wave and the Q data signal modulated onto the carrier wave are then summed in a summer 48 to be transmitted as a signal S(t).
As is apparent from the discussion of the prior art modulators 10 and 30 above, the clock signal modulates the carrier wave prior to the digital data signals being impressed upon the carrier wave. For this and other reasons, the prior art MSK modulators suffer from a number of disadvantages. Particularly, the modulator 10 requires extensive amplitude/phase balancing in the magic-T circuit 16 that is different for each different data rate. Further, the modulator 10 may require heaters to compensate for temperature variations in the temperature sensitive diplexer 14. Also, the modulator 10 requires significant data/clock signal alignment and a different diplexer for each different data rate, and is not readily configured into monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) technology. The modulator 30 requires difficult high frequency linear modulation development with high local oscillator/RF isolation to remove local oscillator leakage in the mixers 36 and 38. Also, the modulator 30 requires amplitude/fade balance tuning, significant data/clock signal alignment and different BPFs for different data rates. Other types of MSK modulators known in the art suffer from these and other disadvantages.
What is needed is an MSK modulator that provides high data rate transmission, but does not suffer from the above and other drawbacks of known MSK modulators. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a modulator.

Modulated clock MSK modulator for high data rate applications


A device in a vehicle brake arrangement for determining the applied brake force comprises an enclosed elastically deformable medium (20), on which the reaction force from the brake force is to act. An axially movable push rod (22) is in contact with the medium (20) for transmitting a force therefrom, and sensor means (26; 28) are provided for sensing the force in the push rod.

It is well known in the art that it is important in for example a brake applied by a rotating electric motor to obtain a signal corresponding to the applied brake force in order to be able to control the rotation of the motor and thus the brake application in a desirable fashion.
Examples of prior devices for this purpose are shown in EP-B-0 334 435, DE-A-196 52 230, and WO-A-9937939.
A recognized problem with devices of this nature is that the heat in the brake arrangement due to its operation may cause difficulties both with the physical properties of the used sensor means and the accuracy of their outputs.
The main object of the invention is thus to obviate this problem.


A surveillance camera assembly includes a mounting apparatus that is attachable to a mounting surface. A camera head assembly is secured to the mounting apparatus by moving the camera head assembly toward the mounting apparatus in a direction along an axis, and rotating the camera head assembly about the axis. The camera head assembly includes a camera head base for engaging the mounting apparatus. A camera head is coupled to the camera head base. The camera head is rotationally locked to the camera head base when the camera head base engages the mounting apparatus, and is rotatable relative to the camera head base after the camera head assembly has been rotated about the axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dome-style surveillance camera systems and, more particularly, to dome-style surveillance camera systems that include quick connect/disconnect mechanisms such that the camera system can be quickly installed onto, or removed from, a mounting surface such as a ceiling, wall or floor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Surveillance camera systems are commonly used by retail stores, banks, casinos and other organizations to monitor activities within a given area. The cameras are often provided with the capability to pan and tilt in order to acquire images over a wide range of areas. The tilt of the camera generally refers to the pivoting of the camera about a horizontal axis that is parallel to the floor, such that the lens of the camera may tilt between an upwardly pointing position and a downwardly pointing position. The pan of the camera refers to the rotation of the camera about a vertical axis that is perpendicular to the floor, such that the lens may scan from side to side. The cameras may also be able to zoom in order to reduce or enlarge the field of view. Oftentimes, each camera is linked to a dedicated video display unit in a security surveillance room with surveillance personnel monitoring the multiple video display units.
Surveillance cameras may be mounted within a hemispherical covert liner assembly designed to allow the camera within the dome window to view outward and yet inhibit individuals from seeing the exact orientation of the camera. The covert liner may shield the camera from damage, as well as provide the camera assembly with a more aesthetically pleasing appearance as it rotates along with the panning motion of the camera.
Existing pan-tilt surveillance camera head connect/disconnect mechanisms fall into two categories. The first category includes mechanisms inserted with a simple linear motion along the pan axis of the camera head. These mechanisms rely on spring-based latches, the operations of which are difficult to verify. Such spring-based latches are also unreliable.
The second category includes mechanisms employing a bayonet-style engagement between the camera head base and the mounting frame. In addition to a linear insertion motion along the pan axis, a limited rotation around the pan axis is used to effect engagement and installation. Such mechanisms provide superior mechanical security and reliability. A problem, however, is that the installer must be able to access the camera head base to effect the relative rotation, since the more accessible part of the rotating camera head, i.e., the covert liner, rotates freely about the pan axis, and thus cannot be used to transfer torque to the camera head base during installation or removal. In enclosures such as ceiling backboxes, such access to the camera head base may require a special tool.
What is needed in the art is a rotatable surveillance camera assembly that can be quickly installed and removed with the high level of security and reliability provided by bayonet-style engagements, and that does not require a special tool to rotate the camera head base during installation and removal.

Connect/disconnect mechanism for a surveillance camera head


An unwanted signal suppression device is disclosed for suppressing unwanted signals in input signals containing desired and unwanted signals. The input signals are divided into segments in the time domain. The device includes a unit for detecting the segment having maximum power, a unit for computing reflection coefficients on the basis of the segments except the detected power segment, and a lattice filter for suppressing the unwanted signals by using the computed reflection coefficients. A second device includes a reflection coefficient computing unit, a median filter and a lattice filter. A third device includes a unit for estimating unwanted signals frequency, a filter for computing filter weights on the basis of the estimated frequency and filter coefficients and for applying the computed weights to the input signals so as to suppress the unwanted signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an unwanted signal suppression device using a filter such as a clutter suppression device for eliminating reflection echoes caused by clutter or the like of signals, except for signals of interest, which have been received by a plurality of lattice type filters (hereafter called lattice filter) connected in cascade, for example, in a pulse radar, and a clutter suppression device to cause the notch of a notch filter for removing reflection echoes by clutter or the like to adaptively follow the reflection echoes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An example of the clutter suppression device for removing unwanted signals except for reflection echoes from the target signals such as clutter or the like which are received by a pulse radar is known, for example, from the article by Hideaki Watanabe et al. titled "Adaptive Clutter Suppression Device by Use of a Plurality of Segments MEM" published in the Proceedings of Electronic Information Communication Society, Vol. J70-B No. 4, pp. 515-523 (April 1987).
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a circuit illustrating a constitution of a clutter suppression device according to a prior art. In FIG. 1, reference numerals 1a and 1b designate reflection coefficient computing means, reference numerals 2a and 2b delay elements, reference numerals 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d complex multipliers and reference numerals 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d complex adders. Symbols X(n), f.sup.m (n), b.sup.m (n), P.sub.m (n=1-3, m=1, 2) represent respectively the vector of the signals which are respectively expressed in the following equations. P.sub.m (m=1, 2) is reflection coefficient. EQU X(n)=[X.sub.1 (n),X.sub.2 (n), . . . , X.sub.k (n)].sup.T ( 1a) EQU f.sup.m (n)=[f.sub.1.sup.m (n), f.sub.2.sup.m (n), . . . , f.sub.k.sup.m (n)].sup.T ( 1b) EQU b.sup.m (n)=[b.sub.1.sup.m (n),b.sub.2.sup.m (n), . . . ,b.sub.k.sup.m (n)].sup.T ( 1c) EQU P.sub.m =diag[.rho..sub.1.sup.m,.rho..sub.2.sup.m, . . . ,.rho..sub.k.sup.m ] (1d)
where T designates a transpose and diag [ ] designates the diagonal matrix.
Next are explained the definition of the suffix m, suffix k, suffix n and the respective signals which are used in the above notation of signals by referring to FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the timing relationship among the signals transmitted and received by the pulse radar, wherein reference numerals 5a, 5b and 5c designate the pulses of the transmission signals and reference numerals 6a, 6b and 6c designate the reception signals. The pulse radar generates therein a plurality of pulse electric waves having a pulse width of .tau. and emits these pulse electric waves to an external space in a constant pulse repetition period of T as transmission signals. The transmission signals are numbered in the sequential order of their emission to the outside. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 5a designates the first transmission signal, reference numeral 5b the second transmission signal and reference numeral 5c the n-th transmission signal.
The pulse radar receives a series of reception electric waves during the interval between transmissions of the pulse electric waves and converts them into electrical signals by means of the receiver installed therein and takes in these electrical signals as reception signals. These reception signals are also numbered in a similar manner to the case of said transmission signals and those numbers are referred to as pulse hit numbers. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 6a designates the first reception signal, reference numeral 6b the second reception signal and reference numeral 6c the n-th reception signal.
The pulse radar is adapted, after having executed phase detection of a series of reception electric waves and converting them into reception signals of base bands, to convert such reception signals into digital signals by sampling and quantitizing them. These digital signals retain the phase of the reception electric waves and are complex signals having the so-called I signal (in-phase) and Q signal (quadrature-phase) respectively at the real part and the imaginary part. Sampling of the signals is executed by use of the same timing for all of the reception signals as illustrated in FIG. 2. More specifically, after a delay of the time .tau..sub.d from the time of transmission of the transmission signals, sampling is executed in a constant cycle .tau..sub.s and the total number k of digital signals as expressed by X.sub.1 (n), X.sub.2 (n), . . . , X.sub.k (n) are generated from one reception signal as shown in FIG. 2. It is to be noted here that n designates the pulse hit number and k designates the sequential order of sampling. K is called a range bin number.
The digital signals X(n) which have been obtained by the pulse radar as above explained are subsequently transferred as the input signals for the clutter suppression device and are referred to as input signals hereinbelow.
The suffix m represents stage numbers of the lattice filter as shown in FIG. 1.
Operation of a conventional device will next be explained by referring to FIG. 1. The input signal vector X(n) (n=1-3) transferred from the pulse radar is input to the lattice filter at the stage 1. At this time, the input signal X(n) is used as a forward prediction error signal vector f.sup.o (n) and a backward prediction error signal vector b.sup.o (n) as expressed in the equations 2a and 2b. EQU f.sup.o (n)=X(n) (2a) EQU b.sup.o (n)=X(n) (2b)
The lattice filter at the stage 1 generates signal vectors f.sup.1 (n) and b.sup.1 (n) from the signal vectors f.sup.o (n) and b.sup.o (n) in accordance with the equations 3a and 3b. EQU f.sup.1 (n)=f.sup.o (n)+P.sub.1 b.sub.o (n-1) (3a) EQU b.sup.1 (n)=b.sup.o (n-1)+P.sub.1* f.sub.o (n) (3b)
where n=2, 3 and * stands for complex conjugate.
In operation of the equations 3a and 3b, multiplication is executed by the complex multipliers 3a and 3b, addition is executed by the complex adders 4a and 4b and unit delay with respect to backward prediction signal vector b.sup.o (n) is executed by the delay element 2a.
At the same time, the reflection coefficient computing means 1a receives the vector f.sup.o (n) and the vector b.sup.o (n) to compute reflection coefficient .rho..sub.1. Since the clutter suppression device according to a prior art will not suppress the target signals, when the i-th range bin is processed, a plurality of range bins equivalent to the number of NL and NR displaced respectively by .DELTA.R from the i-th range excluding the i-th range bin are selected and used as the data for computing the reflection coefficient as illustrated in FIG. 3. This operation is executed under the assumption that the target signal is present only for one range bin while the clutter is present in a very wide range and that the power spectrum of the clutter will not suddenly change in its range.
The reflection coefficient vector P.sub.1 is generated based on the following equations (4a) through (5b). ##EQU1## where k: total number of range bins
i: processing range bin number PA0 NL: size of the data for computing reflection coefficient at the left side of the processing range bin PA0 NR: size of the data for computing reflection coefficient at the right side of the processing range bin PA0 .DELTA.R: number of interval range bins between the processing range bin and the data for computing the reflection coefficient. PA0 where n=3.
The algorithm for computing the reflection coefficient as expressed in the equation 5a is an application of the known Burg method and is the algorithm for minimizing the sum of square power of the forward prediction error signal vector f.sup.1 (n) and the backward prediction error signal vector b.sup.1 (n).
Then, the lattice filter at the stage 2 receives the prediction error signal vector f.sup.1 (n) and b.sup.1 (n) to generate signal vectors f.sup.2 (n) and b.sup.2 (n) based on the following equations 6a and 6b. EQU f.sup.2 (n)=f.sup.1 (n)+P.sub.2 .multidot.b.sup.1 (n-1) (6a) EQU b.sup.2 (n)=b.sup.1 (n-1)+P.sub.2 *.multidot.f.sup.1 (n) (6b)
In operation of the equations 6a and 6b, multiplication is executed by the complex multipliers 3c and 3d, addition is executed by the complex adders 4c and 4d, and unit delay applied to the signal vector b.sup.1 (n) is executed by the delay element 2b.
Concurrently with this operation, the reflection coefficient computing means 1b receives the vectors f.sup.1 (n) and b.sup.1 (n) to generate the reflection coefficient vector P.sub.2 necessary for the equations 6a and 6b in accordance with the following equations 7a through 8b. ##EQU2##
The algorithm for computing the reflection coefficient P.sub.2 as expressed by the equation 8a and 8b is based on that of Burg method in the same manner as the equations 5a and 5b.
Lastly, the forward prediction error signal vector f.sup.2 (3) at the stage 2 is taken out to the outside as an output signal from the clutter suppression device.
As explained above, the conventional clutter suppression device was intended to eliminate the clutter contained in the input signals by sequentially generating the forward prediction error signals and the backward prediction error signals from the input signals X(n) (provided n=1-3) and minimizing the square mean power of the output signals. This is equivalent to elimination of the intense spectrum component out of the Doppler spectrum contained in the input signal vectors X(1), X(2) and X(3). Under a normal electric wave environment, the more intense spectrum component(s) in the input signal is (are) the clutter spectrum. Thus, the clutter may be suppressed. In a circumstance wherein a large target is present at a rather short distance, the target signal power may be far larger than the clutter power. However, since the processing range bin i and the range bins including the data for computing the reflection coefficient (i.e., the range bins in the sizes NL and NR) are separated with each other, the target signals will not be suppressed.
FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) illustrate the manner in which the clutter signals are suppressed. FIG. 4(a) illustrates a condition in which the clutter is present in a very wide range and the target signal exists in the processing range bin i, while FIG. 4(b) illustrates that the filter transfer function is generated in the above-mentioned condition so that the clutter spectrum 24 will be suppressed. In FIG. 4(b), reference numeral 23 designates a filter transfer function generated by the filter, reference numeral 23a a notch which is the suppressing part of the filter transfer function 23, reference numeral 24 the clutter spectrum, reference numeral 25 the target signal spectrum, reference numeral 27 null formed by the notch 23a, reference character W the width of the notch 23a, reference character D the depth of the notch 23a, reference character N the notch frequency of the notch 23a, and reference character X the range in which the clutter spectrum 24 has been suppressed by the null 27.
Thus, the null of the filter is caused by the range X to suppress the clutter. Namely, the reflection coefficient for the processing range bin i in which the target signal is present is computed by the data of the range bins inside NL and NR or the data of the clutter signal, such that the clutter may be suppressed.
Reference is next made to FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) which illustrate the condition in which the target signal is present along with the clutter signals outside the processing range bin. FIG. 5(a) illustrates the condition in which the clutter signals are present in wide range bins while the target signal is present in the range bin i-3 included in NL. In this condition, since the target signal is included in NL, when the reflection coefficient of the processing range bin i is computed, null of the filter is generated for the frequency of the target signal as shown in FIG. 5(b), such that the clutter spectrum 24 will not be suppressed.
As shown in FIG. 3, since the conventional clutter suppression device separates the processing range bin i from the range bins (i.e., the range bins within NL and NR) having the data for computing the reflection coefficient for said processing bin, when a target signal of a large power is received, and if the range bins in which the target signal is present are to be processed, the null of the filter is generated for the clutter as shown in FIG. 4(b). However, in case of such a range as a target signal is included within the range bins (i.e., the range within NL and NR) having the data for use of computing the reflection coefficient shown in FIG. 3, the null is generated for the Doppler frequency of the target signal as shown in FIG. 5(b), resulting in an inability to suppress the clutter.
Furthermore, according to the conventional clutter suppression device, since the notch frequency N and the depth D of the notch of the filter for suppressing the clutter had to be controlled simultaneously, a sufficient number of data samples are required for converging a filter weight to an optimum value. Accordingly in such a radar system as a search radar in which only a few pulse bits obtained, the filter weight cannot be adequately converged, so that the notch frequency or the notch depth may be subject to variation resulting in incomplete clutter suppression.


An electrosurgical apparatus having a counter/lockout mechanism that monitors the number of sterilization/use cycles the electrosurgical apparatus undergoes and indicates the number of sterilization/use cycles that have actually been performed. The counter/lockout mechanism includes a temperature actuated element actuated in response to each sterilization cycle and a mechanically actuated element in response to a use cycle to effectuate a change of one or a plurality of indicia. The counter/lockout mechanism causes a single increment or decrement for each sterilization/use cycle that has been completed while also impeding use of the electrosurgical apparatus when the electrosurgical apparatus has undergone a predetermined number of sterilization/use cycles. In one embodiment, the distance of movement of the mechanically actuated element when fully actuated is greater than the distance the indicator moves when illustrating a change in the number of remaining uses.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrosurgical apparatuses. In particular, the present invention relates to a counter and lockout device for use with an electrosurgical apparatus to indicate to the user the number of sterilization/use cycles the electrosurgical apparatus has undergone and impede use of the electrosurgical apparatus once a predetermined number of sterilization/use cycles have been conducted.
2. The Relevant Technology
Electrosurgical technology is an important tool in modern surgery due to the multi-functional abilities of electrosurgical instruments and apparatuses. Many electrosurgical instruments and apparatuses are reusable. Reusable electrosurgical instruments undergo sterilization following electrosurgery to ensure that the instruments are clean and sterile for subsequent surgeries. Sterilization procedures can be costly to perform and also result in wear on the reusable instruments and apparatuses. Heat is utilized in many sterilization procedures to kill the micro-organisms, bacteria, and other potential sources of infection that may be present on electrosurgical instruments subsequent to use. As with other forms of sterilization, the heat used in these procedures can be wearing on reusable electrosurgical instruments and apparatuses. As a result, reusable instruments and apparatuses must be designed to withstand the necessary sterilization procedures.
While disposable electrosurgical instruments and apparatuses may not be specifically designed to withstand numerous sterilization and use cycles, such instruments may nevertheless withstand a limited number of use and sterilization cycles before needing to be discarded. Due to this fact, some electrosurgical instruments have been accepted as reusable for a predetermined number of sterilization/use cycles. One difficulty related to these limited reuse instruments is that it can be difficult to monitor the number of sterilization/use cycles a particular tool or apparatus has undergone. As a result, an instrument or apparatus may be disposed of before the predetermined number of uses have been completed. It is also possible that, due to an oversight of a practitioner, an electrosurgical instrument or apparatus may be utilized for more than the recommended number of uses.
A variety of mechanisms and systems for monitoring the number of sterilization/use cycles an electrosurgical instrument or apparatus has undergone have been developed in an attempt to prevent under or over use of a limited reuse electrosurgical instrument or apparatus. One illustrative system for monitoring the number of sterilization/use cycles utilizes a temperature responsive member to increment or decrement a counter in response to a sterilization cycle. However, the manner in which sterilization cycles are conducted has rendered such temperature responsive mechanisms inaccurate or completely ineffective. This is due to the fact that sterilization procedures employ heating and cooling cycles in which multiple temperature peaks and valleys are experienced by the electrosurgical instrument during a single sterilization procedure. This can lead to multiple actuations of the temperature responsive element during a single sterilization procedure. As a result, the counter may increment/decrement multiple times in a single sterilization cycle resulting in an inaccurate representation of the number of sterilization/use cycles that the electrosurgical apparatus has actually undergone. An additional complicating factor is that a variety of types and configurations of sterilization procedures utilize widely variable cycle lengths making it difficult to design a sterilization responsive mechanism that is actuated a single time for each sterilization procedure.

Electrosurgical counter and lockout mechanism


In accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention, a method and system are provided of processing a search query entered by a user of a device having a text input interface with overloaded keys. The search query is directed at identifying an item from a set of items. Each of the items has one or more associated descriptors. The system receives from the user an ambiguous search query directed at identifying a desired item. The search query is a prefix substring of each of at least two words relating to the desired item. The system dynamically identifies a group of one or more items from the set of items having one or more descriptors matching the search query as the user enters each character of the search query. The system outputs identification of the one or more items of the identified group to be displayed on the device operated by the user.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to processing search queries and, more particularly, to methods and systems for processing ambiguous, reduced text, multi-term search queries.
2. Description of Related Art
There are many user-operated devices such as mobile phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), and television remote control devices that have small keypads, which a user can use for text entry. In many of these devices, largely because of device size restrictions, the keypad is small and has only a small number of keys, which are overloaded with alpha-numeric characters. Text input using these keypads is cumbersome.
FIG. 1 illustrates a common twelve-key keypad interface found in many cell phones and other mobile devices, and also increasingly in television remote control devices. The keypad 10 includes twelve keys 12, most of which are overloaded with multiple alpha-numeric characters or functions. The same key can be used to enter different characters. For instance, the "2" key can be used to enter the number "2" and the letters "A", "B" and "C". Text entry using such a keypad with overloaded keys can result in an ambiguous text entry, which requires some type of a disambiguation action. For instance, with a multi-press interface, a user can press a particular key multiple times in quick succession to select a desired character (e.g., to choose "B", the user would press the "2" key twice quickly, and to choose "C", the user would press the key three times). Alternatively, text entry can be performed using T9 and other text input mechanisms that provide vocabulary based completion choices for each word entered. Neither of these methods is however particularly useful for performing searches because of the number of steps needed to get to the result. One deficiency of the multi-press interface is that too many key strokes are needed. A drawback of applying a vocabulary based word completion interface is the need for the additional step of making a choice from a list of all possible word matches generated by the ambiguous text input. Furthermore vocabulary based word disambiguation systems are designed typically for composition applications (as opposed to search applications) where user explicitly disambiguates each word by performing a word completion action to resolve that word before proceeding to the next word in the composition.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for processing ambiguous, multi-term search queries


A top cover and safing blade assembly replaces the prior art top cover and safing sector in 7.62 miniguns. The top cover and aft camming portion of a longitudinal helical track are combined in a single unit, thus permitting the forward camming portion of the helical track, incorporated in the safing blade, to be removed separately. Safing the gun by opening the safing blade and rearming it by closing the safing blade can be accomplished in far less time than is required in prior art safing systems. Live cartridges can be quickly cleared from the minigun by electrically rotating the barrels after the safing blade has been locked in its open position.

This invention relates generally to automatic weapons of the Gatling machine gun type and, more specifically, to the class of such guns known as 7.62 miniguns and improvements therein that serve to make them easier to use by incorporating a safing blade mechanism in the top cover of such guns.
The 7.62 minigun is a six-barreled, electrically-driven machine gun originally designed and built by General Electric Company in the mid 1960's for the U.S. military. This gun has been in use since its inception by both U.S. and foreign military forces.
The 7.62 minigun, hereinafter referred to as either a minigun or machine gun, utilizes a main housing enclosing and supporting a main rotary body known as a rotor assembly. Cartridges, each of which represents a single round of ammunition, are handled within the main housing by bolt assemblies. The minigun includes six bolt assemblies, one associated with each of the six barrels. The six bolt assemblies are attached to and surround the rotor assembly. The rotor assembly comprises the core axis of the minigun. The six barrels are attached to the forward portion of the rotor assembly and are arranged for rotation as a cluster around the core axis of the minigun. As the rotor rotates, the bolt assemblies are driven forward and rearward by a helical track incorporated within the main housing which, in turn, causes cartridges to be delivered to the bolt assemblies, chambered, and fired. The empty cartridges are extracted from the chambers and ejected. The rotor is rotated by means of a series of gears driven by an electric motor.
FIGS. 1-4 depict a basic prior art top cover and safing sector assembly. The top cover and safing sector assembly is externally attached to the main housing of a minigun. The safing sector forms a portion of the helical track used to drive the minigun bolt assemblies forward and rearward. The top cover is attached to the safing sector by means of a semi-permanent retaining pin that allows the top cover to pivot independently of the safing sector. The pivot feature between the top cover and the safing sector allows the top cover to be opened and closed independently of the safing sector. The top cover opens like a hatch to allow the operator of the minigun quick access to the inner workings thereof. After the top cover has been opened, the safing sector can be either partially or completely removed from the minigun. The purpose of partially removing the safing sector is to dislocate the critical section of the helical track that causes the bolt assemblies to fire the cartridges. After the safing sector has been partially or completely removed, the minigun cannot be fired, hence the term "safing sector." Disabling the minigun so that it cannot fire is hereinafter referred to as safing the gun. Since their inception, all 7.62 miniguns have employed top covers and safing sectors of the same basic design.
There are essentially two situations in which it is desirable to safe the gun. The most common is when the minigun is loaded with live cartridges and is not in use. The second situation is when a jam occurs during use of the minigun, causing it to stop firing. In order to safe the gun in either of these situations, a conventional top cover and safing sector system requires the operator to first open the top cover to facilitate removal of the safing sector from its firing position. In a combat or training environment, safing the gun by removing both the top cover and safing sector is a time consuming and physical inconvenience.
Furthermore, when a jam occurs, the operator may be required to remove live cartridges from the rotor assembly without firing them. Doing so requires rotation of the barrels of the minigun. In order to cycle live cartridges through the minigun without firing them, the top cover and safing sector must be removed prior to rotating the barrels. Following removal of the top cover and safing sector, the barrels can be rotated manually, but not electrically. If the barrels are inadvertently rotated electrically with the safing sector in its partially or completely open position, the bolt assemblies will be damaged and the minigun will become inoperable. The barrels can only be rotated electrically when the safing sector is in its closed and firing position.
The prior art top cover and safing sector assembly described above and illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 is disadvantageous in that safing the gun requires opening of the top cover and removal of the safing sector. Simply opening the top cover does not provide improved safety or functionality. In addition, manual rotation of the hot barrels following recent use of the gun is difficult. Thus, safing a prior art minigun is at the very least inconvenient when attempting to do so in combat or training environments.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a replacement for top cover and safing sectors of the prior art that will enable an operator to safe a minigun without opening the top cover and to rotate the barrels electrically after the minigun has been safed.
In accordance with the illustrated preferred embodiment of the present invention, a one-piece top cover and safing blade assembly replaces the prior art two-piece top cover and safing sector. The top cover and safing blade assembly is arranged to be mounted using existing locating features within the main housing of the minigun, thereby facilitating its ready adaptation to existing miniguns.

Machine gun top cover and safing blade assembly


A driver vision enhancing system having a variable field of regard and a method of controlling the field of regard of a driver vision enhancing system. The system includes a housing, a movable sensor assembly located within the housing, a radiation detector connected to one end of the sensor assembly, and an actuator connected to the housing and able to contact the sensor assembly to move the sensor assembly in the housing and thereby move the radiation detector. The method includes moving a radiation detector as part of a driver vision enhancing system in a vertical direction within an image plane of the driver vision enhancing system.

It is known in the art to use night vision systems to allow the driving of vehicles at night and under adverse weather conditions. One such night vision system, known as a Driver's Vision Enhancer (DVE) is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,521,892 to Emanuel et al. The Emanuel DVE consists of a forward-looking thermal imager, also known as a Sensor Module (SM), for acquiring thermal radiation from a viewed scene and a Display and Control Module for displaying a visible image of the scene to the driver.
The portion of the scene called the Field of View can be acquired at any time and is expressed in elevation and azimuth angles. Such DVE systems are also equipped with mechanisms allowing the user to rotate the optical axis of the SM in elevation and azimuth to allow acquisition of the scene beyond the limits of the Field of View. The total scene area viewable by the DVE system is called the Field of Regard (FOR). The FOR includes the FOV and is frequently larger than the FOV, i.e., a non-movable DVE has a fixed FOR and FOV covering the same azimuth and elevation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,102 to Wrobel et al. describes a FOR mechanism useable with the Emanuel DVE system described above.
Existing techniques for rotating the optical axis of the SM include rotating the SM itself in both azimuth and elevation, e.g., as used in the Wrobel patent, and rotating the associated folding mirror for vertical FOR and rotating the SM itself for the horizontal FOR, e.g., as used in DVE systems having periscopic optics having a vertical optical axis.
Several techniques can be used to rotate the optical axis of the Sensor Module. The one described in the aforementioned patent uses the rotation of the Sensor Module itself in both azimuth and elevation. DVE systems using periscopic optics (vertical optical axis) use the rotation of an associated folding mirror to provide vertical FOR and use the rotation of the SM itself for the horizontal FOR.
In order to utilize a mirror in the periscopic DVE systems, an entrance window is positioned in front of the mirror to prevent dust and contaminants from reaching the mirror. A lens assembly positioned to receive light from the mirror directs an image to a radiation detector for processing and ultimately display to a user. In operation, light from a viewed scene passes through the entrance window, reflects off the mirror, and passes through the lens assembly to the radiation detector. A reduction in light received from a viewed scene occurs as the light passes through the multiple components of the folding mirror mechanism.
There is a need in the art for an alternate FOR mechanism and associated SM packaging, which is applicable to forward looking DVE systems. Further, there is a need in the art for such a system that is improved in terms of simplicity, cost, and performance.

Vertical field of regard mechanism for driver's vision enhancer


Scrap Scraper technology is an improved Scrap Separation means for separating Loose Scrap from Boxes within a Layboy with minimal, if any, increase in possible Flap bending. A Distinct Intersection Of Action avoids problems inherent in other prior art. A shallow Scraper Funnel while maintaining a steep Scraper Angle Of Action allows effective Scrap Scraping while avoiding Flap bending. The Flexible Scraper results in Active Scrap Ejection of the Loose Scrap from the upper side of the Box down below the Board Line. Means providing the Scrap Scraper Variable Board Line Penetration and Variable Scraper Stiffness allow effective Scrap removal over a wide range of Boxes. Positioning the Scrap Scraper over a Scrap Exit Opening allows the removed Scrap to exit the Board Line area. Scrap shingling provides for subsequent boxes to push down scrap from a current box.

Manufacturers of corrugated paper products, known as Box Makers, produce both foldable boxes which have been folded and glued at the factory and die cut flat sheets which may be used either in their flat state or folded into a desired shape. These will be referred to as Folded Boxes and Flat Boxes respectively. The term Boxes alone can refer to both Folded and Flat Boxes.
Both the Folded Boxes and the Flat Boxes are produced by Converting machinery which processes the Corrugated Sheet Stock produced by the machinery known as a Corrugator. The Corrugated Sheet Stock is corrugated material cut to a specific size with optional scoring. Scoring is the intentional crushing of the corrugated flutes in order to allow folding of the corrugated material. However, the Corrugated Sheet Stock has not been cut or notched to the detail typically required to produce the final Folded Boxes or the Flat Boxes.
For the purposes of this document, the term Press will refer to the machinery that feeds, prints and cuts the Corrugated Sheet Stock to produce the final Boxes.
Often customized printing is required on Boxes which may be done by 1) using a preprinted material integrated into the Corrugated Sheet Stock on the Corrugator, 2) using flexographic printing during the Converting process or 3) applying ink or labels post Converting through various techniques.
During the Converting process the Corrugated Sheet Stock is transformed into a Box by performing additional cutting and optionally adding scoring and printing. There are multiple possible purposes for the additional cutting of the Corrugated Sheet Stock. As the Corrugated Sheet Stock is transported through the machinery during the Converting process, the Corrugated Sheet Stock and Box travel along a path which is known as the Board Line. Since the corrugated material has thickness and can move vertically up and down a finite amount during transportation the Board Line is a side view of the nominal plane about which the Corrugated Sheet Stock and Box travel. Many of these cutting operations will result in pieces of the original Corrugated Sheet Stock being separated from the final Box. These pieces are in general referred to as Scrap.
In order to achieve the proper print registration, the Corrugated Sheet Stock may be oversized slightly so that some or the entire perimeter is trimmed during the Converting process. This results in what is being defined as Edge Trim Scrap. The Corrugated Sheet Stock is moving in a flow direction during the Converting process and thus Leading Edge Trim Scrap is the Scrap along the entire front edge of the Corrugated Sheet Stock, first to be processed by the Converting machinery. Trailing Edge Trim Scrap is the Scrap along the entire back edge of the Corrugated Sheet Stock, last to be processed. Side Edge Trim Scrap is produced on both sides of the Corrugated Sheet Stock. Slot Scrap is a common relatively long but narrow type of Scrap which when removed allows boxes to be folded properly. All other Scrap will be referred to as Internal Scrap and can come in many sizes and shapes.
If the Scrap is cut completely free from the box and the Ejecting Rubber completely dislodges the Scrap from the box, the Scrap is referred to as Loose Scrap. Ideally the Loose Scrap will be ejected below the Board Line, but in reality Loose Scrap often ends up above the Board Line and is much more difficult to separate from the Boxes. If Internal Scrap is cut completely free from the Box but the Ejecting Rubber fails to dislodge the Scrap from the Box, the Scrap is referred to as Trapped Scrap. If the Scrap is not cut completely free from the box and the Ejecting Rubber fails to tear the Scrap from the box, the Scrap is often attached by a minimal amount of paper hanging onto the box by a thread and is referred to as a Hanging Chad. The amount of residual paper connecting the Hanging Chad to the box determines the Hanging Chad Strength which is defined as the pulling force required to tear the Hanging Chad from the Box. There may also be other types of Scrap.
As the Boxes are produced there are a variety of methods to form Stacks of the Boxes which in turn are sold to other companies which will be referred to as the Box Customer. There are a multitude of applications for these Boxes and there are many reasons why it is undesirable for the Scrap to be included in shipment to the Box Customer. Erecting of the box is the process of taking the box and manipulating it by folding, bending, interlocking, stapling, taping, etc. in order for the Box to be ready for its final usage. For Box Customers that manually erect their Boxes, the inclusion of Scrap is undesirable because of the additional mess created. For Box Customers that use automatic machinery to erect their Boxes, the Scrap can lead to jams in their machinery causing undesirable downtime and lower production. For Box Customers that use the box for food, such as a pizza box, having Scrap included in the final erected box is clearly undesirable.
In the conversion of the Corrugated Sheet Stock into Boxes the material is fed through machinery. The Leading Edge for both Corrugated Sheet Stock and Boxes refers to the first edge of travel across the machine whereas the Trailing Edge refers to the last edge of travel across the machine. The Corrugated Sheet Stock may be cut completely in the cross-machine direction in one or more locations to create two or more Boxes in the through-machine direction. These are referred to as Ups. The Corrugated Sheet Stock may be cut completely in the through-machine direction in one or more locations to create two or more Boxes in the cross-machine direction. These are referred to as Outs.
There are multiple methods by which the cutting of the Corrugated Sheet Stock may be accomplished during the Converting process. One example method for cutting Corrugated Sheet Stock is known as Rotary Die Cutting. A typical configuration of a Rotary Die Cutter, known as Rule And Rubber, uses of a pair of cylinders where the lower cylinder, known as the Anvil, is covered in a firm but rubber like material and the top cylinder is mounted with a Die Board. The Die Board is normally a curved plywood base in which embedded are a customized set of steel Rules, which protrude from the plywood base and when rotated with the Anvil will cut and score the Corrugated Sheet Stock into the final desired Box. The actual cutting of the Box occurs where the tangent of the Die Board meets the tangent of the Anvil. Since there is a finite distance over which cutting occurs, the region of cutting and Die Board control is referred to as the Die Board Control Zone. Ejecting Rubber is located on the plywood base of the Die Board between the Rules in order to eject the Scrap as the Boxes emerge from the nip point of the Die Board and the Anvil. The path of the box between the Die Board and the Anvil is theoretically along the Board Line. However, in reality the box may vary from the Board Line as it exits the Rotary Die Cutter, due to warp of the Corrugated Sheet Stock and the potential sticking or over-ejecting by the Die Board. The transportation speed of the Box, as determined by the effective linear speed at the nip of the Die Board and Anvil, is known as Line Speed. Also relevant would be the similar process of steel-on-steel Rotary Die Cutting. The Rotary Die Cutting process is relevant since there is not an integral method in the process for positive separation of the Scrap from the Box.
A Layboy is defined as the machine with the purpose of transporting corrugated Boxes which may include Scrap from the Press to downstream material handling equipment. Within a Layboy are effective transporting surfaces driven at a linear speed which can be referred to as Layboy Speed. A Layboy typically includes one or more Scrap Separation Means for improved Scrap Separation. The Scrap Separation Means include any one or a combination of apparatus which are intended to improve the effectiveness of Scrap removal.
A concept known as Layboy Over Speed is where the Layboy Speed is greater than the Line Speed. Layboy Over Speed is the ratio of Layboy Speed minus Line Speed and then divided by Line Speed. This concept is primarily intended to accelerate each subsequent Up such that there is a gap, referred to as Up Gap Length, between each of the Ups as the Boxes exit the Layboy which helps facilitate the common technique known as Shingling of the Boxes. Shingling requires the lead Box to move down enough below the Board Line and then slow down such the subsequent Box overlaps the lead Box. The subsequent Box then also moves down and the process continues. The Up Gap Time can be a relative complicated function of the differential between Layboy Speed and Line Speed, length of each Up, point of Layboy control relative to Die Board Control Zone. A good approximation to calculate the Up Gap Length is achieved by multiplying the Layboy Over Speed times the length of the Up. The time it takes for the Up Gap Length to pass a fixed point in the Layboy, known as Up Gap Time is based on the standard velocity, time and length relationship where velocity is Layboy Speed and length is the Up Gap Length.
A Rotary Die Cutter has an effective Die Board Circumference which is essentially the circumference of the Die Board. Common Die Board Circumferences are 37 inches, 50 inches and 66 inches but other sizes exist. The difference in the length of the Die Board Circumference minus the length of the Corrugated Sheet Stock is referred to as Sheet Gap Length. This is the length from the Trailing Edge of a Corrugated Sheet Stock to the Leading Edge of the following Corrugated Sheet Stock. The time it takes for the Sheet Gap Length to pass a fixed point in the Layboy, known as Sheet Gap Time is based on the standard velocity, time and length relationship where velocity is Line Speed and length is the Sheet Gap Length. The Sheet Gap Time is how long Loose Scrap on the upper side of the Box has to move from the upper side of the Box to below the Board Line within the Sheet Gap Length.
A Box that has been Die Cut commonly has cutting and scoring such that when folded a corner is naturally formed. When in flat form, the corner is a peninsula of corrugated material at the corner of the Box, and referred to as a Flap. Since the Flaps are partially cut from the main body of the Box, they are less rigid, require better support during transportation and are more easily bent backwards. An improvement in Scrap Separation at the expense of causing Flaps to be more frequently bent backward would have limited if any value.
The foldable cube type box is typically produced by a system referred to in the industry as a Flexo Folder Gluer. This may include Rotary Die Cutting or Slotting-Scoring. The Flat Box is typically produced by either a Rotary Die Cutter (which includes Rotary Die Cutting) or by a Flat Bed Die Cutter.
The Box Makers typically have many customers and a wide variety of different style of Boxes which need to be produced. They need to set up and run many different orders during a given production period. The Box Maker is highly motivated to reduce the time used for setting up a new order. This is known as Order Setup Time.
The Box Maker often will setup and run an order initially and then need to repeat running of the order multiple times periodically in the future. There is value to the Box Maker in providing the ability to setup faster for a repeat order by returning to the configuration specified by the operator the last time the order ran. This is known is Repeat Order Setup.
The quality of the box surface and print quality is an important factor to the Box Maker and the Box Customer. Any process that damages the actual surface of the corrugated material or reduces the quality of the printing by smearing or marking can result in un-sellable Boxes or Boxes of lower value. Many Layboy applications involve sandwiching the box as it is being transported. Excessive pressure on the box can create permanent crushing of the Box flutes which is known as False Scoring. Exposing a printed surface of the Box to a transporting surface with a significant combination of relative velocity and pressure can damage the print which is known as Print Damage.
In prior art, the usage of a Brush extending laterally across the width of a Layboy has been used to improve Scrap Separation. A Brush is defined as a plurality of flexible Brush Bristles bound together by a Brush Backing. The Brush Bristles typically have a round cross section but other cross sections are possible. The Brush Bristle Center Line is defined as the path through the Brush Bristle's longitudinal center of mass. The Brush Bristle Center Line is typically straight when the Brush Bristles are new and not in contact with the Boxes, however, the Brush Bristle Center Line can be curved due to engaging the Boxes or from a permanent bending caused by usage, or from both. As a result, the Brush Bristle Angle is the tangent to the Brush Bristle Center Line relative to the Board Line at a given point along the Brush Bristle. The Base Brush Bristle Angle is at the point where the Brush Bristle exits the Brush Backing. The Contact Brush Bristle Angle is at the end of the Brush Bristle where the Brush Bristle makes contact with the Box. The Brush Bristles may be assembled to the Brush Backing such that all the Base Brush Bristle Angles are very similar or they may be assembled such that the Base Brush Bristle Angles vary within the Brush Backing, as found in the typical floor push broom. The Brush Bristles may be straight while some Brushes will have multiple small bends back and forth within each Brush Bristle about the Brush Bristle Center Line. The Brush Bristles with multiple bends are assembled such that the bends are randomly bound to the Brush Backing. The size and proportions of the Brush Bristles are such that the intent is for the plurality of Brush Bristles to act together in the through machine direction in order to create the Brushing Action. A Brush when mounted by its Brush Backing in a Layboy will have a plurality of Brush Bristles laterally across the machine as well as a plurality of Brush Bristles in the through-machine direction.
Additional Scrap Separation apparatus are Compliant Scrap Blocker, an Opposing Phase Shift Beater, a Chad Wall, a Compliant Scrap Blocker-Wedge Roller, and an Edge Trim Chad Stripper, which are described in United States Patent Application Publication 2012/0222937, "Scrubber Layboy."


A suspension system for a vehicle is provided that allows for the vehicle body to be tilted wherein the tilt is controlled by the operator's legs in a manner that greatly enhances the stability of the vehicle while producing a fun vehicle to operate. Further, the bottom member of the suspension system is structured in a manner that provides storage capacity for installation of heavy items such as battery banks in order to preserve a lowered center of gravity for the vehicle. The tilting suspension may be used in the context of three-wheeled vehicle having a single rear drive tire and two forward wheels, but apply equally to a four wheeled vehicle as well as to water craft operating on pontoons or snow vehicles operating on skis.

The present invention relates to generally to a suspension system for tilting vehicles. More specifically, the present invention relates to an active suspension for a tilting vehicle that expands upon the four-bar principal by extending the lower suspension linkage to create a large storage platform that allows heavy objects, such as battery banks, to be installed into the vehicle while preserving a lowered center of gravity.
Currently, most of the motor vehicles that are on the highways are four-wheeled vehicles that tend to be larger, heavier and, as a result less, fuel-efficient than three-wheeled motor vehicles. Despite the fact that four-wheeled vehicles can be seen to enjoy more widespread use and acceptance, there are several advantages that are provided by modern three-wheeled vehicles. For example, under most circumstances three-wheel vehicles are, by their nature, more stable than four-wheel vehicles due to the fact that three contact points will form a plane under all circumstances, whereas four contact points will not. Another advantage is that three-wheel vehicles afford a nearly ideal wheel loading distribution for maximum tire traction in both acceleration and braking situations. Despite the advantages that three-wheeled vehicles enjoy over four-wheel vehicles, the main drawback of a three-wheel vehicle is that during a turn, rather than having two outside wheels in contact with the road surface, the three-wheeled vehicle only has a single outside wheel that must bear the entire centrifugal load generated by the vehicle while negotiating the turn. In this regard, the centrifugal force tends to overload the outside tire causing the vehicle to slip out of the direction of the turn unless some additional means of force compensation is provided. Further, the three-wheeled vehicle geometry allows the force vector associated with the vehicle's center of gravity to quickly fall outside the wheelbase of the vehicle causing an unstable condition and increasing the possibility of overturning the vehicle. To make this condition worse, as the center of gravity of the vehicle (including an operator and any load being carried by the vehicle) raises higher, the potential for vehicle instability and overturning becomes much greater. In order to counteract these forces, generally three-wheeled vehicles often employ a tilting and banking mechanism that shifts the vehicle's center of gravity toward the inside as it negotiates a turn thereby keeping more of the centrifugal load over the inside tire.
One prior art approach used in solving this problem was to utilize a pair of small spaced-apart wheels with a tilting frame. In this arrangement, the wheels remained substantially vertically inclined while only the vehicle frame leaned into turns. The problem is that such a construction is somewhat self-defeating in that it lacks the ability to tilt and bank in a manner that directs the traction forces through the center of gravity of the vehicle and the point of contact of the vehicle wheels with the ground. Alternatively, hydraulic cylinder load-leveling systems have been devised, however, these systems quickly become complex and require a fair amount of electronics and computing power to generate sufficient control in order to obtain optimal response.
The ability to overcome the aforementioned handling problems in three-wheeled vehicles becomes even more important as more emphasis is placed upon alternative fuel and/or hybrid vehicles. While the improved efficiencies typically realized by three-wheeled frame geometries would be highly advantageous in connection with alternative fuel systems, often such systems require large battery banks to store sufficient battery capacity to produce a useful range. Further, the chemistry of these batteries requires that they employ some form of heavy metal therein. As the size of the batteries and the number of batteries in a given battery bank increases, the weight that is required to be carried within the vehicle also greatly increases. The problem is further aggravated by that fact that most prior art solutions provided for installing these batteries in a vertical location somewhere beneath the vehicle seat. Further, all of these solutions place the batteries in a vertical stacked arrangement that places their significant weight relatively high in the vehicle platform. As a result, such battery placement greatly raises the height of the vehicle's center of gravity thereby adding to the stability issues raised above.
Accordingly, there is a need for a suspension system for a tilting vehicle that allows the forces generated by the vehicle to be transferred using a center of effort that is directed perpendicular to the traction surfaces of the tires. Further, there is a need for a suspension system for a tilting vehicle that provides a storage position at the lowest possible position within the vehicle for storage of heavy items such as large battery banks. Finally, there is a need for a suspension system for a tilting vehicle that both facilitates a low center of gravity arrangement by placing heavy load storage in a lowered position while also still allowing active tilt control by the vehicle operator in a manner that greatly reduces the complexity of the system and the need for multiple sensors, hydraulic arrays and substantial computer power.

Suspension assembly having an integrated stable storage platform


By moving image analysis, acoustic/speech analysis, or text analysis for multimedia information in a database, feature data representing the type of information is acquired, and the feature data is stored into the database added to the multimedia information. A search engine extracts partial images of user's interest from the multimedia information on the basis of the feature data and a user profile data. A link section associates the representative images (still images) of the partial images with multimedia images and displays the list of representative images and feature data. Thus, only a portion of the user's concern is extracted from an enormous amount of multimedia information, and individual information is selectively provided in units of users.

The present invention relates to a multimedia information providing method and apparatus for providing video, music, and text data to many and unspecified users through the Internet, etc., and a multimedia information reception apparatus for receiving the video, music, and text data. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multimedia information providing method and apparatus and a multimedia information reception apparatus for selecting only information of user's interest from a number of multimedia information and providing individual information to the user.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 10-372746, filed Dec. 28, 1998, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In recent years, growth of information infrastructures is boosting opportunities for distributing home many multimedia information through CATV (cable television broadcasting), digital satellite broadcasting, or the Internet. A variety of programs are provided, and the number of service channels has reached an order of several hundred or several thousand. Therefore, it is becoming difficult for a user to appropriately select information from the several hundred or several thousand channels or tens of thousands or more programs in the channels.
To solve this problem, a receiver device for automatically recording programs of user's interest using the information of an electronic program list sent from a broadcasting station has been proposed (e.g., "video device" disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 7-135621).
This proposed device selects programs that may be of interest for a user from the information of an electronic program list on the basis of keywords registered in advance and automatically filters programs in units of users.
To prepare an attractive program providing program, a program provider wants to know the types of programs viewed by viewers. Conventionally, a provider raises monitors, lets them fill out a questionnaire, and gathers the results to know programs watched by the monitors. However, with the questionnaire of fill-out type, only rough information representing whether or not a viewer has watched a certain program can be obtained.
In a conventional system for automatically selecting a program from an enormous number of programs provided by a program provider in accordance with a personal taste, selection is just roughly done in units of programs. Consider a program such as a news show or a variety show. In such programs, one program is constructed by units of "topics" or "corners". Quite often, user's interest is only in some of images in one program. However, in automatic recording in units of programs, one program is entirely selected and recorded from the beginning to the last. The user cannot know the position of information of his/her actual interest unless he/she watches the entire program. Hence, even when a program is selected and recorded by filtering, the user must watch the recorded program from the beginning to the last, wasting the recording medium and user's time.
Filtering may omit CMs contained in a program. When a broadcasted program is not a pay TV program but a free program for which the ad rate is the source of revenue, whether the viewers actually watch CMs or not is an important factor for the program provider in soliciting advertisement. Hence, to exclude CMs from the program content poses a serious problem.
In addition, conventional audience rating survey is done in units of programs and is therefore insufficient to precisely grasp the users' tastes and the like.

Information providing method and apparatus, and information reception apparatus


A system may include a blade die, a first clamping caul positioned on a first side of the blade die, and a second clamping caul positioned on a second side of the blade die. A molding surface of the blade die and a molding surface of the first clamping caul may be configured to bend a first interchangeable blade positioned therebetween into a first shape in response to a first compression force. A second molding surface of the blade die and a molding surface of the second clamping caul may be configured to bend a second interchangeable blade positioned therebetween into a second shape in response to a second compression force.

Tensile tests characterize the mechanical properties of soft materials, such as biological tissue. Data from tensile tests may be used to quantify the material strength of connective and epithelial tissues and to determine the effect of microstructure, disease, and therapy on tissue function. To ensure the validity and reproducibility of tensile tests, the test specimens, called coupons, may be designed to have a proper geometry within specified tolerances. International test standards of many conventional materials specify the use of dumbbell shaped coupons that promote failure in a region of uniform tensile stress, called the gauge section. By distributing the compressive forces needed to securely grip the specimen, the dumbbell shape reduces the risk of premature failure at or near the grips, where the stress state is more complex than simple tension.
The two most common methods for cutting test coupons are by using a scalpel and a cutting guide or by using a custom fabricated steel punch. Although using scalpels and cutting guides may provide an inexpensive, low-maintenance method that can be quickly implemented, the resulting coupon geometry is operator dependent and may be prone to large inter- and intra-specimen variations in dimensions. Conversely, custom fabricated steel punches can provide repeatable and accurate coupon geometry, but they are expensive, require considerable time to fabricate, and need periodic maintenance to sharpen the cutting edge. Sharp cutting blades may eliminate defects along the coupon edge that potentially influence material behavior. For these reason, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International standards indicate that dumbbell-shaped dies shall at all times be sharp and free of nicks. A need therefore exists to develop a novel cutting device for soft materials that overcomes these stated limitations, including the enablement of simple blade maintenance and replacing, and thereby facilitates a broad adoption of standardized test methods for tensile testing.

Cutting system for soft materials using replaceable blades