Provision is made for a single person to easily install a bottom panel for the cover of a transport refrigeration unit. A plurality of forwardly extending tabs are spaced on a rear frame member and corresponding pockets with horizontal slots are similarly spaced near the rear edge of the bottom panel. The bottom panel is then advanced such that the tabs fit into the slots, and then the front portion of the bottom panel is attached to the framework by a plurality of fasteners passing through front pockets of the bottom cover and into L-shaped brackets mounted on a front portion of the frame. The bottom panel is preferably formed of a thermoplastic olefin material that provides flexibility for ease of assembly but is sufficiently rigid and strong and exhibits good sound absorbing characteristics.

A typical transport refrigeration unit of the type designed for mounting on the front face of a tractor trailer unit comprises a one piece, self-contained fully refrigerant charged, prewired, refrigerant/heating unit powered by a diesel engine. In such a design the evaporator fits into a rectangular opening in the upper portion of the trailer front wall. When installed, the evaporator section is located inside the trailer; and the condensing section is outside and on the front of the trailer. The condensing section consists of an engine-compressor drive package, condenser fan, condenser coil, radiator coil, control panel, relay module, refrigerant controls, piping, wiring and associated components.
Structural frame means support all of the components and facilitate attaching of the unit to the trailer front face. Also supported by the structural framework is an outer cover which includes the necessary air inlet and outlet openings for cooling, and which may be opened to provide access to the interior of the unit for maintenance and service.
Such refrigeration units preferably have a bottom panel to hide components, wiring, and the like and to improve aesthetics of the underside of the unit. Traditionally this has been provided in the form of a two piece bottom panel that was secured to the underside by way of fasteners. For the assembly of such a panel, it was necessary to have one person holding the panels in place while another person secured them to the bottom by way of fasteners.
A bottom cover should not only be simple in construction with as few parts as possible but should also be easy to assemble, be of lost cost and weight, while at the same time providing superior appearance and reliability.

Bottom panel for transport refrigeration unit


A system and method for holding and warming food held in pans or trays having a low relative magnetic permeability, such as 300-series stainless steel, using induction heating.

The present invention generally relates to typical food service, food-holding/warming systems employing a hot water steam bath with food tray/dish inserts. This system replaces the water/steam approach with an induction heating system.
Typical food service, food-holding/warming systems use food tray/dish inserts heated from below by a hot water steam bath, termed a "steam table." Steam tables have proven effective, but have several disadvantages. Given the thermal inertia of the water, the steam is relatively slow to heat the food, and the temperature can be difficult to predict and control. Replenishment of the water, and particularly availability of gas if the steam tables are gas-driven, can also be an issue given the locale (e.g., an airport, remote location, etc.). Other disadvantages of steam table systems are the requirement for a water supply and associated drainage. Additionally, the induction system is substantially more energy efficient than the hot water/steam approach.
Food holding/warming systems typically use a variety of stainless steel pans, trays, bowls, etc. Existing steel pans are typically made of Austenitic 300-series stainless steel (particularly 303 stainless) because of its corrosion resistance, a NSF requirement. These are, commonly known in the cooking industry, as well as from a physics/materials point of view, as being non-magnetic. Induction heating/cooking inherently assumes and relies upon the use of magnetic material in pots, pans, etc. For example, if stainless steel is used, then induction heating/cooking would presume the use of cookware thought of as "magnetic," such as 400-series stainless steel.
For these reasons, food service pans, typically made of 300-series stainless steel (specifically, 303), has not been heated using induction heating methods. This appears to have led the induction-cooking product industry to assume that an inherent incompatibility exists between service pans and the use of induction heating.
Additionally, in food holding/warming applications, it is often desired to use equipment that is as quiet as possible, given the presence of customers in this environment. Virtually all induction cooking equipment employs fans for cooling of the electronics, given the heat generated by the inverters and induction coils. The elimination of the need for fans is another advantage of the present invention.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide apparatus, systems and a method for holding and warming food which is quiet and which provides efficient, fast and predictable heating control.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Induction-based food holding/warming system and method


A cap for capping an upper surface of a shoe a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer. The first layer has an outer surface that has a coefficient of friction that is greater than that of the upper surface of the shoe that that the cap caps. The second layer is an adhesive layer. Third layer is a release layer that can be peeled off the adhesive layer to expose it, thereby enabling said adhesive layer to stick to said shoe.

It is known to enhance the ability of footwear to grip a surface. Doing so promotes safety and also enhances one's ability to change direction rapidly.
For example, many athletic shoes have surfaces that grip the floor. Examples include rubber surfaces on sneakers for gripping hard surfaces and cleats, such as those on soccer shoes, for gripping turf.
In some cases, the ability to grip relies on a removable accessory. For example, in mountaineering, it is customary to wear removable crampons that assist in gripping ice.
Known gripping structures on footwear have in common the idea that there exists a two-dimensional generally planar surface upon which the shoe is intended to maintain a good grip and that the sole of the shoe should be modified in order to promote the ability to grip on this surface.


The technology disclosed relates to helping sales engineers prepare for sales meetings. In particular, it relates to intelligently and automatically creating packages of information related to sales meetings. The information packages are stored in on-demand systems that are accessible by a plurality of devices used by the sales engineer.

The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also correspond to implementations of the claimed inventions.
The technology disclosed relates to helping sales engineers prepare for sales meetings. In particular, it relates to intelligently and automatically creating packages of information related to sales meetings. The information packages are stored in on-demand systems that are accessible by a plurality of devices used by the sales engineer.
The technology disclosed also relates to providing sales engineers offline access to the information packages related to the sales meetings. The information packages can be assembled from and deployed to a plurality of electronic sources and devices based on the sales engineer's needs, criteria, assignments and preferences.
With increasing trend of individual users owning multiple devices, managing data consistently and intelligently across all the devices owned by a single user has become a big challenge. Moreover, with each device serving a different purpose, it has become imperative to provide artificial intelligence to data so that it can automatically be made available in the most appropriate device. Finally, providing offline access to data based on a user's preferences such as location, signal strength, and professional context is a problem that yet remains to be resolved.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide systems and methods that offer a flexible approach to automatic allocation and deployment of appropriate data to the most suitable user device, thus allowing users to focus on more important tasks rather than data management.
An opportunity arises to automatically manage data across a plurality of heterogeneous devices based on user preferences. Improved user experience and higher customer satisfaction and retention may result.

System and method for managing sales meetings


A power supply device for inverting power to be supplied to a motor and a method of controlling the power supply device. The power supply device includes an inrush protection (IP) circuit, a power factor correction (PFC) circuit and an overvoltage protection (OP) circuit. A controller and a pair of relays selectively connect predetermined components so that at least one component is selectively changed from operation in one of the IP, PFC and OP circuits to operation in another of the IP, PFC and OP circuits in response to a detected value of an inverter input voltage. The inrush protection circuit operates in a start up mode; the PFC circuit operates while normally driving the motor; and the overvoltage protection circuit operates where the inverter input voltage increases due to regeneration by the motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply device and a method of controlling the power supply device, and more particularly, to a power supply device having an inrush current protection circuit, a power factor correction (PFC) circuit and an overvoltage protection circuit and a method of controlling the inrush current protection circuit, the PFC circuit and the overvoltage protection circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A three-phase motor is a motor having a plurality of windings which are arranged around a rotor and which receive energy from a three phase voltage to rotate the motor. As shown in FIG. 1, a power supply device which obtains a three-phase voltage necessary for driving a motor 200 via input terminals U, V and W of the motor 200, comprises an AC power supply 100 which supplies a commercial AC power, such as for example, (AC 110/220V), a rectifier 300 which rectifies the AC power output from the AC power supply 100, a capacitor CDC which smoothes a voltage rectified by the rectifier 300, an inverter 120 which inverts a DC power output from the capacitor CDC to an AC power having various frequencies and outputs a three-phase voltage. The power supply device may further comprise an inrush current protection circuit 140 which prevents an inrush current into the capacitor CDC during an initial supply of power, a power factor correction (PFC) circuit 150 which maintains an output voltage from the capacitor CDC at a constant value, and an overvoltage protection circuit 130 which protects the capacitor CDC from an overvoltage.
In the inverter 120, a pulse width modulation (PWM) part (not shown) generates a PWM control signal and a plurality of transistors are turned on/off according to a square wave signal of the PWM part. The power supply device comprises a controller (not shown) which controls the output frequency thereof so as to control a rotation speed of the motor 200 and turns on/off an output of the inverter 120 by turning on/off the transistors according to the PWM control signal.
The inrush current protection circuit 140 comprises an inrush current protection resistor Rs provided between the rectifier 300 and the capacitor CDC and connected to the capacitor CDC. A relay part 142 comprises first, second and third contacting points 142a, 142b and 142c. When the relay part 142 connects the first contacting point 142a with the third contacting point 142b, the inrush current protection resistor Rs connects the capacitor CDC with the rectifier 300, which allows power rectified by the rectifier 300 and charged to the capacitor CDC to be limited by the resistor Rs, to prevent the capacitor CDC from being broken down by excessive inrush current in an initial supply of power.
The PFC circuit 150 comprises a PFC switching unit SPFC such as a field effect transistor, a PFC diode DPFC provided with a cathode connected to the capacitor CDC and an anode connected to a node 151 of the PFC switching unit SPFC, and a PFC inductor LPFC provided between the node 151 and the rectifier 300. Herein, the PFC inductor LPFC is disconnected from the rectifier 300 when the relay part 142 connects the first contacting point 142a with the third contacting point 142c, and connected to the rectifier 300 when the relay part 142 connects the second contacting point 142b with the third contacting point 142c. The PFC circuit 150 maintains a voltage applied across the capacitor CDC at a constant value by turning on/off the PFC switching unit SPFC in driving the motor 200, and improves a power factor by making an input current input to the PFC circuit 150 have a same phase as a phase of an input voltage.
The overvoltage protection circuit 130 is connected in parallel with the capacitor CDC, and provided with an overvoltage protection switching unit SOV connected in series with a parallel combination of an overvoltage protection diode DOV and an overvoltage protection resistor ROV. As to the overvoltage protection circuit 130, if the voltage applied across the capacitor CDC is increased and reaches a predetermined overvoltage region due to a voltage regenerated through the inverter 120 from the motor 200 in driving the motor 200, the overvoltage protection switching unit Sov is turned On, to thereby prevent the capacitor CDC from being broken down by an overvoltage.
In the conventional power supply device shown in FIG. 1, the inrush current protection circuit 140 functions until a voltage charged in the capacitor CDC reaches a reference charging voltage after power is initially applied from the AC power supply 100. The inrush current protection circuit 140 becomes unnecessary after a voltage charged in the capacitor CDC reaches the reference charging voltage.
Since the PFC circuit 150 operates after the voltage applied across the capacitor CDC is stabilized (i.e. sufficiently charged), operation of the PFC circuit 150 is not necessary while the inrush current protection circuit 140 operates.
Since the overvoltage protection circuit 130 operates only while the voltage applied across the capacitor CDC is increased by the voltage regenerated from the motor 200, operation of the overvoltage protection circuit 130 is not necessary while the inrush current protection circuit 140 operates (i.e., in an initial charging period), or while the PFC circuit 150 operates after the voltage applied across the capacitor CDC is stabilized.
Since large capacity components are used in the inrush current protection circuit 140, the overvoltage protection circuit 120 and the PFC circuit 150, a size of a product including the conventional power supply device shown in FIG. 1 is increased. Eliminating one or more of the large capacity components would result in a reduction in the product size and a decrease in manufacturing cost.

Power supply device and control method thereof


A smartcard device which includes power harvesting. Power is stored. That stored power is used to obtain biometric information on the card. In an embodiment, a smartcard is used in a card reading device, e.g, an ATM machine or other payment device. In one embodiment, the ATM swallows the card completely. In another embodiment, the card can be partly inserted into the machine or read and powered wirelessly. The fingerprint reader is put on the smart card. The client inserts the smart card into a standard ATM. The ATM recognizes a smart card with fingerprint authentication, harvests power and returns the smart card to the user. The Client authenticates their fingerprint using a fingerprint reader powered by harvested power then re-inserts the smart card. If authenticated, the client is prompted to choose one of the menu options.

Smart cards are used for various transactions. Smart cards can include some information about the user as well as the codes to carry out the transaction.
Smart cards often include powered chips, and hence may need power to carry out their operations. These chips are powered by a machine that read the smart cards.

Biometric smart card with power harvesting


Melt strengths and melt viscosities of aromatic polyesters are increased substantially by the addition of small amounts of certain high molecular weight vinyl aromatic modifiers which disperse very readily in aromatic polyesters.

Aromatic polyesters generally have low melt viscosities or melt strength because of the limits to which their molecular weights can be raised and because many of them are crystalline and have high melting points. Melts processing must be carried out at temperatures at least close to or above these high melting points and viscosities are thereby reduced.
High melt strength is very important for extrusion processing and particularly for extrusion blow molding. This process requires the extrusion of a parison which must be suspended in melt form prior to enclosure in a mold. Most aromatic polyesters lack sufficient melt strength at the processing temperatures which must be used for extrusion blow molding. Commercially available, high molecular weight PET (i.e. poly (ethylene terephthalate)) resins and copolyesters which are either non-crystalline or have lower melting points than PET can be extrusion blow molded, but usually can be used only for making small containers which require less melt strength. The copolymer modifier compositions of this invention increase polyester melt strength and permit even large containers to be extrusion blow molded using only modest modifier concentrations (i.e. from about 1 to about 30%).
In most cases clear blow molded containers are desired, and therefore the copolymer modifier must not reduce the clarity found with amorphous aromatic polyesters. Another object of this invention is to provide a modifier which will not reduce amorphous polyester clarity.
PET generally has an intrinsic viscosity of about 0.5 to 1.1 dl. per gm. and insufficient melt strength for extrusion blow molding applications. Furthermore, PET exhibits a fast rate of crystallization at temperatures above 140.degree. C. which makes the achievement of clear amorphous articles by such thermoplastic fabrication techniques difficult.
Articles produced from PET are usually made by injection-stretch blow-molding techniques in which a parison or preform is injection molded, cooled rapidly and then reheated to a temperature above the T.sub.g (glass transition temperature) but below the crystalline melting point and then blown with stretch orientation to the desired shape. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,733,309; 3,745,150; and 3,803,275.
Polyesters that are semicrystalline (e.g. particularly poly(ethylene terephthalate)), are used extensively in many applications that require good solvent resistance and good properties at elevated temperatures. They are frequently processed by injection-stretch blow molding, but there are many components of automobiles and other systems wherein such parts are hollow, and to manufacture these by injection-stretch blow molding is very difficult and expensive. Many such hollow parts can conceivably be made by extrusion-blow molding provided the polymer system has adequate melt strength and viscosity. Unfortunately, polyesters commonly used for injection-stretch blow molding have melt viscosities which are too low to make them suitable for extrusion blow molding. High molecular weight polyesters can be made by solid phase polymerization to make them suitable for extrusion blow molding, but this operation raises the cost of the polyester substantially. Therefore it would be desirable to have extrusion blow moldable polyester compositions made from commercial injection-stretch blow moldable grades of polyesters.
A number of patents deal with polyester melt strength and the extrusion blow molding of polyesters. Some of these teach very high molecular weight polyesters or branched polyesters, others teach copolyesters that are non-crystalline or have reduced melting points, still others describe coextrusion of polyesters with higher viscosity polymers or modification of polyesters with fibers.
These are several patents covering melt strength improvers for polyesters. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,157 (Dijkstra et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,466 (Leslie et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,101 (Leslie et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,167 (Deyrup et al.). Several other patents cover impact modifiers for polyesters which coincidently improve melt strength . See U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,013 (Lane), U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,378 (Kowetaini et al.), and JP Kokai 90-145011/19. These include core-shell type impact modifiers.
Some of the modifiers described in these references are polymeric. Others are small molecule compounds. Several of these modifiers contain functional groups (e.g. anhydride, isocyanate, epoxy) which are potentially capable of coreacting with the hydroxyl or carboxyl end groups of the polyester. Presumably, these modifiers increase the molecular weight of the polyester by coupling end groups or by forming branches and thereby raise the melt viscosity or melt strength. The low molecular weight modifiers are said to produce clear polyester blends in cases where the polyester is maintained in its amorphous form. Other modifiers appear to contribute varying degrees of haze depending on degree of coreaction and molecular weight.
Since all these modifiers appear to react with polyesters to some degree during melt processing, close control of processing conditions is required to obtain a desired melt strength improvement. Deviation from these conditions can produce insufficient melt strength or in some cases, excessive melt strength. Since the melt strength is dependent on an increase in the effective molecular weight of the polyester, modified resins of this type will be particularly sensitive to hydrolytic degradation which can rapidly reduce molecular weight and melt strength. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,157 (Dijkstra et al.), thick-walled shaped articles which had improved impact strength were prepared from PET and a compound capable of reacting with hydroxyl or carboxyl end groups, for example polyanhydrides. "Thick-walled" is defined by Dijkstra et al. as "shape and/or dimensions are such that they are not readily conductive to orientation of the polymer by drawing." Dijkstra et al. prefer crystalline articles reinforced by glass fibers, and teach nothing with regard to methods of producing extrusion blow-molded articles, blown film or foam from PET, nor anything regarding enhancement of melt characteristics of PET. Dijkstra et al. shows polyfunctional compounds as chain extending agents for poly(alkylene terephthalates).
Further, the addition of an organic sulfonate or an organic sulfonate salt to a mixture of polyester and di- and polyepoxides, and also the addition of ethylene copolymers containing glycidyl groups have been suggested for increasing the melt strength and viscosity of polyesters (see Kometani et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,378). These solutions to the problem have improved polyesters for certain blow molding applications but have proved to be inadequate in providing materials suitable for extrusion blow molding large objects having complex cross-sections such as automobile parts, large bottles and containers.
The object of the present invention is to provide a composition for improving thermoplastic processing and molding of aromatic polyester, such as PET or PET copolyesters, for forming amorphous articles. It is a further object to provide a blend of a melt strength improver and an aromatic polyester for improving thermoplastic processing and molding of aromatic polyesters. A still further object is to provide a clear amorphous extrusion/melt shaped PET or PET copolyester articles. Another object is to provide clear polyester bottles by extrusion blow-molding.

Aromatic polyester melt strength improver


Provided is a method and apparatus for managing the power of a portable computer system, in which a convenient user interface is provided. The method includes calculating a range of a desired time-of-use based on power consumption of the portable computer system and a remaining battery capacity at a minimum power level of the portable computer system, providing the calculated range of the desired time-of-use and a desired time input box that allows a user to input the desired time-of-use, inputting the desired time-of-use through the desired time input box, and resetting the power level of the portable computer system according to the input desired time-of-use.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the power management for a portable computer system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for managing the power of a portable computer system, in which a convenient user interface is provided.
2. Description of the Related Art
Users often need to use portable computers in mobile environments. In mobile environments, users do not have access to a typical alternating current (AC) power source for their computers. In this situation, a rechargeable battery is generally used as a power supply instead of an AC power source. The amount of energy stored in a battery is proportional to the weight of the battery. In other words, to store more energy in a battery, the battery's weight inevitably must increase. Thus, a great amount of research has been conducted to improve the energy density and stability of batteries. As a result of such research, nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries, nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, lithium (Li+) batteries, and lithium polymer batteries have been produced in great numbers. Also, a fuel cell technology is being studied for use in mobile environments as a computer power supply. Although the amount of computing time users are getting in mobile environments can be increased by using a superior battery or many batteries, a battery with a high energy density is expensive and the use of many batteries results in an increase in the weight of a portable computer system. In particular, an increase in the weight of a portable computer system is an obstacle to the main advantage of the portable computer system, its mobility.
Thus, methods for reducing unnecessary power consumption through the power management of a portable computer system are being studied or have been developed. Korean Patent Publication No. 2002-0080615 discloses a method for managing the battery power in a portable computer, in which the length of time a specific function designated by a user can be used with the remaining battery capacity is estimated and displayed through multi-level modes. Additionally, the length of time a specific function can be used is selected or variably controlled by selecting one of the multi-level modes, thereby effectively reducing unnecessary battery power consumption of components that are unimportant when using the specific function and increasing the length of time the specific function can be used.
In Japanese Patent Publication No. 1999-143595, the power capacity of a device capable of setting a power saving mode and the power capacity of a device incapable of setting a power consumption mode are measured. The amount of power consumption by each device is recorded on a recording medium based on results of the measurement, and the recorded values are occasionally updated. Thereafter the power consumption of each device and the power consumption of the device without setting the power saving mode are measured based on the remaining battery power and a power saving setting level obtained from a recording medium. The operation time according to remaining battery power is estimated based on the power consumption of each device and the power consumption of the device without setting the power saving mode and is output.
Such techniques can increase the length of time a portable computer system can use a battery to a degree by preventing the unnecessary use of the battery. However, in most cases, users desire to secure the time required for a specific intended operation through a computer system, for example, one hour of word processing, instead of simply increasing the length of time, for instance, an extra hour and fifteen minutes, the computer system can be used through complicated battery power management. In other words, when users can sufficiently perform a desired operation with the remaining battery capacity, they may not feel the need to manage the power of the portable computer system. Even when power management is required, users may desire to secure the time they can work on computers by simply setting a desired amount of time, for instance, one hour, instead of through complicated selection.
In Korean Patent Publication No. 2001-0096576, upon a user's input of the amount of time required for operating a data processing system, the amount of available power is identified, the amount of power consumed by the data processing system when operating for the input amount of time using the available power is identified, and the amount of power consumption of the data processing system is set to the identified amount of power consumption. Thus, users can use the data processing system for a desired amount of time. However, Korean Patent Publication No. 2001-0096576 does not provide a limit on the amount of time input by users, for example, information indicating that the maximum amount of time input by users is 2 hours. As a result, if users input 3 hours as the amount of time required for operating the data processing system, they only receive a warning message without achieving their goals.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide a method and apparatus for managing the power of a portable computer, in which a limit on the amount of time users can use the portable computer and a convenient user interface, are provided.

Method and apparatus for managing power of portable computer system


A gas circuit breaker includes contact rings formed of an elastically deformable material, a movable contact that moves reciprocally along an axis line direction between a current supply position where the movable contact bridges the contact rings and a current cutoff position where the movable contact is separated from both the contact rings, holding tools formed in an annular shape and respectively attached to the contact rings, a covering member having electrically insulating property, slidably attached to a distal end portion of the holding tool in the axis line direction, and configured to be brought into contact with the contact ring, and a covering member having electrically insulating property, slidably attached to a distal end portion of the holding tool in the axis line direction, and configured to be brought into contact with the contact ring.

A conventional gas circuit breaker is disclosed in, for example, Patent Literature 1 (see FIG. 3). This gas circuit breaker is incorporated in a housing filled with insulation gas, and configured rotationally symmetrically around a central axis line. A pair of holding members is arranged around the central axis line, which holds a pair of contact rings (fixed contacts) formed of a wear-resistant metal material. The pair of contact rings is formed in a funnel shape with respect to the central axis line, arranged at a predetermined interval in the central axis line direction in a manner that a diameter is decreased toward a direction in which the contact rings approach to each other. The pair of contact rings is formed of, for example, an elastically deformable member in which a plurality of slits is formed in a radial fashion with respect to the central axis line. A pair of holding tools is attached to side surfaces of the pair of contact rings facing each other. A pair of first covering members is attached and fixed to distal ends of the pair of holding tools by a pair of second covering members. A movable contact moves reciprocally in the center axis direction between a state where the pair of contact rings is brought into contact with an outer diameter surface of the movable contact (a current supply position) and a state where the pair of contact rings is separated from the movable contact (a current cutoff position).
In this conventional gas circuit breaker, at the time of cutting off a current, arc is generated between the pair of contact rings, and gas heated by the arc flows from the inside of an arc discharge space in a contact area into an annular heating chamber outside the contact area toward an outer side in the radial direction. When the arc is extinguished, pressurized gas accumulated in the heating chamber flows into the arc discharge space toward an inner side in the radial direction that is a direction opposite to the outer side in the radial direction, and further flows out to an exhaust chamber from the arc discharge space.


An exemplary image capture unit includes a light guide plate, a camera module, and a driving unit. The light guide plate includes a first wedge-shaped portion, a second wedge-shaped portion, and an intermediate portion connecting to the first wedge-shaped portion and the second wedge-shaped portion. The intermediate portion has a uniform thickness. The camera module faces the light guide plate. The camera module has an optical axis associated therewith. The driving unit is configured for driving the light guide plate to move relative to the camera module to selectively align the camera module with the first wedge-shaped portion, the second wedge-shaped portion, or the intermediate portion.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to image capture units and image capture devices having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Panoramic image technology for portable image capture devices is used to archive continuous images into a panoramic image. In general, a user intends to capture such a view, but the image capture device doesn't have a wide enough angle lens and cannot capture all of the view in one image. Hence, the user must take several images, sequentially moving the portable image capturing device to several fields of vision manually, and then use software to stitch all the images into a panoramic image. The manual method of the user moving appropriate distances, estimated by sight, to adjust the position of the image capture device for additional images may not always be accurate and the user may not have the software or knowledge to stitch the separate images into a desired panoramic image. Hence, having a portable image capture device with a wide-angle lens to acquire the panoramic image is an expensive option for acquiring panoramic images.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an image capture unit and an image capture device which can overcome the described limitations.

Image capture unit and image capture device having same


A sensor assembly comprises a base plate and a sensor member displaceable relative to the base plate. A spring arrangement operates in first and second stages in response to displacement of the sensor member relative to the base plate. Different resolutions of force and torque measurements are associated with the first and second stages. A light sensitive transducer senses displacement of the sensor member relative to the base plate and generates corresponding output signals. A collimator directs a plurality of light beams onto the light sensitive transducer so that the light beams strike different pixels of the light sensitive transducer to sense displacement of the sensor member relative to the base plate.

Medical practitioners have found it useful to use robotic systems to assist in the performance of surgical procedures. Such robotic systems typically include a manipulator having a moveable arm comprising one or more links. A surgical instrument is attached to a free end of the arm. The instrument is designed to be applied to a surgical site. A controller regulates movement of the arm to position the instrument with a high degree of accuracy at the surgical site.
A component of many robotic systems is a force/torque sensor assembly. The force/torque sensor assembly is attached between the free end of the arm and the instrument. The force/torque sensor assembly monitors forces and torques that are applied to the instrument. These may be forces and torques that are applied to the instrument as a consequence of the instrument pressing against tissue. These also may be forces and torques a practitioner applies in order to set a position and/or orientation of the instrument. Signals output by the force/torque sensor assembly are received by the controller. The controller uses these signals to determine a target position for the instrument. Based on the determined target position, the controller actuates the arm in order to advance the arm so that the instrument is moved to the target position.
In order to ensure all forces and torques applied to the instrument are measured, it is common practice to provide a six component force/torque sensor assembly. This type of force/torque sensor assembly measures forces applied to the instrument along three axes and torques applied to the instrument around the three axes.
One type of six component force/torque sensor assembly comprises a set of strain gauges. These gauges include a static member to which a plurality of beams are flexibly mounted. Typically one or more strain gauges are associated with each beam. Each strain gauge acts as a transducer that is used to convert a force or torque into an electrical signal. Each strain gauge generates an electrical signal proportional to the flexure of the beam with which the strain gauge is associated. The output signals from the strain gauges are input variables into an algorithm that yields the measured forces and torques.
In force/torque sensor assemblies employing strain gauges, thermal drift is a common problem. Thermal drift occurs when a change in temperature causes a contraction or expansion of parts. Thermal drift can result in inaccurate placement of the instrument at the surgical site. It is also common for these types of force/torque sensor assemblies to take force and torque measurements at a single resolution. In some cases it may be desirable for the force/torque sensor assembly to be capable of measuring forces and torques at multiple resolutions.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a force/torque sensor assembly and method of measuring forces and torques that overcomes one or more of these deficiencies.

Sensor assembly and method for measuring forces and torques


Methods for predicting cancer recurrence following a BCG immunotherapy are provided. In some aspects, cytokine levels from a patient are measured before and after a BCG therapy and the changes in cytokine levels are used to determine the risk of cancer lapse. Methods for selecting a patient for a further anti-cancer therapy are also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology, immunology and oncology. More particularly, it concerns diagnostic methods for predicting a response to an immunotherapy.
2. Description of Related Art
More than 70,000 new cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed yearly, with the majority presenting as superficial, i.e. non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) (Jemal et al., 2010). Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) accounts for about 75% of newly diagnosed cases, and comprise a heterogeneous group whose individual prognoses are difficult to predict. Sixty percent to 70% of non-muscle invasive tumors recur and 10% to 40% progress to muscle-invasive disease (Heney et al., 1983). The standard treatment for NMIBC is transurethral resection followed by adjuvant intravesical therapy with BCG (Bacillus Calmette Guerin), the most effective intravesical treatment, for high-risk patients (Kamat and Lamm, 2001); however, a significant number of patients fail treatment (70% tumor recurrence) and require more aggressive intervention, such as radical cystectomy and/or chemotherapy. Currently, post-transurethral resection (TUR) surveillance is performed by cystoscopy and urine cytology at regular intervals. As such, clinicopathological variables remain the only prognostic predictors and these include tumor grade, tumor stage, tumor size, number of tumors, and location of the tumors. These variables rely on detection of actual tumor recurrence and are poor predictors of therapy failure making it hard to predict the effectiveness of therapy prior to recurrence of the tumor (Dalbagni et al., 1999; Highshaw et al., 2003). If patients do not respond to intravesical BCG, performing radical cystectomy within the first 24 months after diagnosis is believed to improve survival by at least 20% (Herr and Sogani, 2001). The ability to preemptively identify patients who are destined to recur will have tremendous impact since it would allow clinicians to provide patients with a tailored approach to their disease and provide individualized knowledge of whether their treatment is efficacious. Thus, early identification of patients in whom BCG will fail would allow those patients to receive earlier curative radical cystectomy and improve their chances of survival. New minimally invasive tests are clearly needed to increase the accuracy of prediction of recurrence, especially in patients treated with BCG.

Use of a panel of urinary cytokines to predict response to BCG therapy for bladder cancer

Board of Regents, The University of Texas System


A pet bowl includes a unitary housing having a front portion and a rear portion. The housing defines an internal chamber having a bottom wall upon which the housing sits in a first/dispensing orientation and a rear wall upon which the housing sits in a second/storage orientation. The housing also includes a first receptacle formed at the rear portion and a second receptacle formed at the front portion. A fluid flow port defined in the housing provides fluid communication between the internal chamber and the second receptacle. A handle is formed by a sidewall of the second receptacle defining a first lip, and a groove in the bottom wall defining a second lip. The housing may further include a transition wall angled from the bottom wall and rear wall, the housing configured to sit on the transition wall in a third/draining orientation.

Many people who travel on long trips desire to take their pets along with them rather than make accommodations for the pets while they are away. In another application, hunters of certain kinds of animals will bring dogs along to assist in the hunt. In both cases, provisions must be made to provide food and water for the pet. As will be appreciated, carrying multiple bowls with a water supply and a food supply is inconvenient and may be difficult to use in a vehicle setting. Consequently, pet bowl manufacturers have designed portable pet bowls to address these situations.
In one example, a portable pet bowl is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,256, entitled "Combined Feeding and Watering Device for Pets, Having Integral Means for Carrying Water." This patent shows a unitary pet dish made of a lightweight synthetic resin material. The pet dish includes a food receiving cavity at the top of the dish, and a water holding compartment and a corresponding water receiving recess for holding water that flows outwardly from the water holding compartment. The specification of this patent describes that a person may carry the pet dish when the pet dish is in a generally vertical orientation with the water receiving recess at the top of the pet dish. However, it seems evident that the cuplike shape of the wall defining the water receiving recess would require a cautious pet owner to also use another hand in carrying the pet dish. Otherwise, the pet dish would likely slide off a pet owner's fingers and fall from the pet owner's hand, due to the shape of the cuplike wall, particularly if a significant amount of water is held in the water holding compartment. In short, the cuplike wall is not a useful handle for carrying the pet dish.
Another pet dish currently available commercially is called "The Drinking Spot," available from Kansas Outdoor Group LLC of Winfield, Kans. (see http://thedrinkingspot.com). The Drinking Spot is an outdoor gravity feed pet system. The system includes a housing defining an internal chamber and an open recess at the front of the internal chamber configured to receive water from the internal chamber. The system may be tipped onto a back wall and carried in a vertical orientation by a handle connected to the housing. This handle is separate from the housing and therefore may be broken away from the housing in a failure anode of the system. This failure mode is especially present in the Drinking Spot system because all versions disclosed hold over 2.5 to 5 gallons of water, which is a significant weight that may be hard to carry. Furthermore, the handle extends over the open recess and thus at least partially obstructs access to the open recess for large dogs who try to drink the water in the open recess.
Thus, while conventional pet bowls are generally successful for their intended purpose, there remains a need for an improved pet bowl that addresses these and other shortcomings in conventional pet bowl designs.


An assembly and method are provided for preventing exposure of personnel to an opening defined by a surface of a wind turbine. Accordingly, a hatch assembly is arranged adjacent to the opening. The hatch assembly includes a frame structure and a support structure. The frame structure includes a plurality of frame members arranged together to at least partially surrounded opening the plurality of frame members further define a passageway for receiving the support surface. The support surface is slidable between a first position and a second position. The support surface occludes the opening defined by the surface of the wind turbine when the support surface is in the first position and occludes the passageway defined by the plurality frame members when in the second position so as to prevent exposure of personnel to the opening.

Wind power is considered one of the cleanest, most environmentally friendly energy sources presently available, and wind turbines have gained increased attention in this regard. A modern wind turbine typically includes a tower, a generator, a gearbox, a nacelle, and one or more rotor blades. The nacelle includes a rotor assembly coupled to the gearbox and to the generator. The rotor assembly and the gearbox are mounted on a bedplate support frame located within the nacelle. The one or more rotor blades capture kinetic energy of wind using known airfoil principles. The rotor blades transmit the kinetic energy in the form of rotational energy so as to turn a shaft coupling the rotor blades to a gearbox, or if a gearbox is not used, directly to the generator. The generator then converts the mechanical energy to electrical energy the electrical energy may be transmitted to a converter and/or a transformer housed within the tower and subsequently deployed to a utility grid.
In order to access various portions of the wind turbine, openings may be defined within surfaces of the wind turbine. Typically, these openings may be positioned to permit the passage of personnel and/or cargo therethrough. The openings are often covered when not in use with a hatch, doorway, or other similar covering. Access to the opening is typically obtained by pivoting the cover about a hinge element or, if space permits, sliding the cover parallel to the surface defining the opening. When uncovered, the opening may present a fall hazard to personnel within, or on, the wind turbine.
Due to space constraints, it is often not possible to hoist cargo clear of the railings or the swing arc of a hinged cover. Thus, the cover must be opened prior to the suspension of the cargo, or the cargo must be removed prior to closing the cover. In either case, personnel must have both the swing-arm gate open and the opening uncovered while accessing the cargo. This, in turn, exposes the personnel to the fall hazard of the uncovered opening.
Thus, the art is continuously seeking new and improved systems and methods that address the aforementioned issues. Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to an improved hatch assembly for a wind turbine and methods for operating the same.

Assembly and method for preventing exposure of personnel to an opening defined by a surface of a wind turbine


In a motor-driven power steering apparatus, the main coil winding and auxiliary coil winding are wound around the same slot of a stator core in a parallel manner, a motor drive means has a main driver feeding at least to the main coil windings, and an auxiliary driver feeding only to the auxiliary coil windings, the main driver being actuated so as to be capable of assisting the steering during normal conditions of a control system of an electric motor, and the auxiliary driver is actuated so as to execute an auxiliary assist corresponding to a motor friction torque under abnormal conditions of the control system of the electric motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor-driven power steering apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a motor-driven power steering apparatus, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-318627 (patent document 1), there is a structure in which rotation of an electric motor is converted into a linear stroke of a rack shaft by a power transmission mechanism. A brushless motor is used as the electric motor during steering assist of a tire wheel connected to the rack shaft. Coil winding is wound around a core slot of a stator core, driving current is supplied to the coil winding by a motor drive means, and the electric motor controls the apparatus to generate a predetermined steering assist force.
A control system of the electric motor has a steering torque sensor detecting a steering torque which the driver inputs to the steering wheel, a vehicle speed sensor detecting a speed of the vehicle, a current sensor detecting a motor current actually flowing through the electric motor, and a rotational position sensor detecting a rotational position of a rotor of the electric motor.
When the steering torque sensor detects the steering torque, a target current is supplied to the electric motor such that the steering torque matches to a target steering torque, and steering operation is assisted on the basis of an output torque of the electric motor. The target steering torque is compensated in correspondence to the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor. When supplying the target current to the electric motor, the motor current actually flowing through the electric motor is detected by the current sensor, and a feedback control acts such that a deviation between the actual current and the target current is not generated.
The electric motor has a brushless motor, a stator having plural phases of coil windings, and a rotor having a permanent magnet. It is necessary to sequentially switch the supply of the driving current to exciting phases of the respective coil windings in correspondence to angle of rotation of the rotor (position of magnetic poles of the permanent magnet). Accordingly, the rotational position of the rotor with respect to the stator is detected by the rotation angle sensor.
In the conventional motor-driven power steering apparatus, if abnormality of the sensor is detected in the control system of the electric motor, an assist stop control stopping all feeding to the electric motor is executed. In an assist stop control state, the assist of the electric motor is not applied to the steering system which the driver executes the steering from the input shaft via the rack shaft. Motor friction is applied as a load at the same time when the assist of the electric motor is not generated, and the steering torque of the driver becomes too large.


A support structure of a head restraint system for an automotive vehicle seat includes an actuator configured to be actuated by an occupant. A locking arrangement is disposable within a back of the vehicle seat and is configured to selectively secure the support structure relative to the back of the vehicle seat. At least a portion of the locking arrangement is operatively associated with the actuator.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to adjustable head restraint systems for automotive vehicle seats.
2. Discussion
Automotive vehicle seats may include adjustable head restraint systems. U.S. Patent Publication 2007/0158990 to Hermansson et al. discloses one such adjustable head restraint system. Hermansson et al. provides a head restraint that includes a support for supporting the head restraint and fixing the head restraint to a backrest of a vehicle seat. The support includes a carrier and at least one support leg coupled to the carrier, together with an adjusting arrangement for adjusting the position of the head restraint in relation to an occupant of the motor vehicle. The carrier is enclosed by a casing, which is rotatably connected to the support along an axis of rotation running at right angles to the support leg. The adjusting arrangement includes a locking plate and an operating element acting upon the locking plate. The operating element is designed to carry the locking plate in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation. The locking plate has one locking tongue designed to interact with an adjusting arm firmly connected to the casing. The locking plate also has locking elements defining at least two separate locking positions on the adjusting arm, and one locking tongue designed to interact with locking elements arranged on the support leg, defining at least two separate locking positions on the support leg.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,395 to Yetukuri et al. discloses another adjustable head restraint system. Yetukuri et al. provides a head restraint assembly that permits four-way adjustment and has dual positive stops as well as a single control. The head restraint assembly includes a frame and a housing that engages a portion of the frame. The assembly further includes a cam assembly disposed within the housing to provide fore/aft adjustment of the housing relative to the frame. The cam assembly includes a camshaft and at least two drum assemblies supported by the camshaft. The cam assembly further includes a contact plate extending parallel to the camshaft to releasably engage the drum assemblies. The camshaft is connected to the contact plate to provide releasable engagement between the contact plate and the drum assemblies. The assembly further includes a control member to engage the cam assembly and provide for fore/aft and vertical adjustment in response to user input.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,415 to Tanino et al. discloses yet another adjustable head restraint system. Tanino et al. provides a device for adjusting the elevational position of a head rest of a seat for a vehicle. The device has a stay formed with a plurality of grooves along an elevational direction and is stood on a seat back of the seat. A locking mechanism is mounted in the shell of the head rest for engaging or disengaging the grooves of the stay by means of the lateral movements of the head rest. The stay has right and left vertical rods integrally coupled at the upper portions thereof with the stay, a bracket member provided in the shell and coupled with the two vertical rods of the stay through two cylindrical supporting members inserted therethrough with the two vertical rods of the stay, and a rod penetrated laterally through the shell and the bracket member to be secured to the shell but movably engaged with the bracket member in such a manner that the shell is urged to either leftward or rightward with respect to the bracket member with a gap formed at one side thereof. The grooves are formed on at least one vertical rod of the stay. A locking plate is formed in the vicinity of the bracket member and coupled with the rod. The locking plate engages any of the grooves of the vertical rod of the stay by means of urging. The engaging distance of the locking plate with the groove is equal to or substantially smaller than the gap formed at one side thereof.

Adjustable head restraint system for an automotive vehicle seat


Imidoperoxycarboxylic acids, processes for their preparation and their use. Imidopercarboxylic acids or salts thereof of the formula ##STR1## in which A denotes a group of the formula ##STR2## n denotes the number 0, 1 or 2, R.sup.1 denotes hydrogen, chlorine, bromine, C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 -alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 -alkenyl, aryl, or alkylaryl,. R.sup.2 denotes hydrogen, chlorine, bromine or a group of the formula --SO.sub.3 M, --CO.sub.2 M, CO.sub.3 M or OSO.sub.3 M, PA0 M denotes hydrogen, an alkali metal or ammonium ion or the equivalent of an alkaline earth metal ion and PA0 X denotes C.sub.3 -C.sub.19 -alkylene or arylene, preferably phenylene.. These compounds are suitable as stable peroxide compounds in bleaching, oxidizing and cleaning agents.

Inorganic per-salts have been known for a long time as bleaching additives in detergents. However, since they only display their optimum bleaching power at temperatures above 60.degree. C., a number of organic compounds which react with hydrogen peroxide during the washing process to release a peroxycarboxylic acid, which already has a bleaching action at 40-60.degree. C., have been described for activation of these per-salts. A review of numerous known perborate activators, such as N-acyl compounds (tetraacetylethylenediamine, tetraacetylmethylenediamine or tetraacetylglycoluril) or activated esters (pentaacetylglucose, sodium acetoxybenzenesulfonate or sodium benzoyloxybenzenesulfonate) is given, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,928.
In addition, a number of organic peroxycarboxylic acids have recently been described as bleaching systems for detergents. As well as peroxycarboxylic acids which are already commercially available, such as dodecanedipercarboxylic acid (EP 127,782) and monoperoxyphthalic acid (EP 27,693), persuccinic acid (DE 3,438,529), perglutaric acid (DE 3,539,036) and sulfoperbenzoic acid (EP 124,969) are described. The problem with these peroxycarboxylic acids is, however, their low storage stability, which in some cases is only guaranteed by particular physical or chemical stabilization. The preparation of magnesium salts (EP 105,689) or an addition of phosphane oxide/sodium sulfate (DE 3,320,497) has proved to be particularly appropriate here. According to EP 170,386, organic peroxycarboxylic acids are also stabilized by an additional amide group in the molecule. Examples of these are N-decanoyl-6-aminoperoxycaproic acid or 3-(N-nonyl-carbamoyl)-perpropionic acid. The storage stability of these compounds can be additionally increased by conversion into the magnesium salt and by addition of borates (U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,063). However, the free peroxycarboxylic acids described to date already exhibit a clear decrease in active oxygen under relatively mild storage conditions. As our own experiments show, this is also the case with the imidopercarboxylic acids already described in J. Chem. Soc. 1962, 3821 and Chem. Ind. 1961, 469. There thus continues to be a great interest in storage-stable organic peroxycarboxylic acids having a high bleaching efficiency which are conveniently accessible in a simple and reliable manner.

Imidoperoxycarboxylic acids, their use in detergents and cleaning agents


The present invention relates to a chimeric target molecule having an activity which can be regulated or modulated by a binding molecule. The invention also relates to methods of using the chimeric target molecule to detect the presence and/or amount of a desired analyte in a sample. The analyte is a binding molecule, or a competitor of a binding molecule, which binding molecule, upon binding to the target molecule, alters the activity of the target molecule in a detectable way. In one aspect of the invention, a binding molecule binds to the chimeric molecule, inactivating it. An analyte in a test sample competes and/or displaces the binding molecule from the chimera, reactivating it. The reappearance of activity in the presence of the analyte indicates its existence in the test sample existence and amount. Another aspect of the invention relates to a binding molecule which regulates a chimeric target molecule and methods of producing it.

The development of assays for measuring the presence and amount of desired substances is highly desirable for a variety of purposes, including for medical, veterinary, research, and environmental uses. It is further desirable to design and isolate molecules having an activity which is regulatable by a desired substance. These regulatable molecules are useful to detect the amount and presence of a desired analyte, utilizing the ability of the analyte to directly or indirectly (e.g., by competition) regulate the molecule's activity.

Chimeric target molecules having a regulatable activity


An array panel is provided. The array panel comprises a substrate, a common electrode, and pixel structures. Each pixel structure comprises a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode, and a shield. The first pixel electrode has a central portion, first branches that connect to the central portion, and a connecting portion. The shield overlaps with at least the central portion of the first pixel electrode. The connecting portion connects the ends of at least two of the first branches. The central portion connects perpendicularly with one of the first branches; this branch overlaps with at least part of the common electrode so that the width of this branch is greater than or equal to that of the common electrode. The second pixel electrode, adjacent to the first pixel electrode, comprises a central portion and second branches that connect to the central portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an array panel, specifically, to an array panel of a liquid crystal display that a color washout problem is reduced or avoided when under a wide viewing angle.
2. Descriptions of the Related Art
With fast developing technologies, people have become accustomed to using various electronic products. One key component of multimedia electronic products is the display. Because of its desirable characteristics, such as power-saving, radiation-free, small size, low power consumption, space-saving, flat square, high resolution, and stable display quality, thin film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT LCDs) have gradually started to replace the traditional cathode ray tube (CRT) display. Consequently, TFT LCDs are widely used as the display panel of electronic products, such as cellular phones, display screens, digital TVs, and notebooks.
Since it has started to replace CRT displays, TFT LCDS have also improved quite rapidly, especially in improving display quality. For wide viewing angles, a multi-domain vertical alignment (MVA) technique, researched by Fujitsu, extends both the upper and lower viewing angle to about 120°. This technique improves the viewing angle for the LCD substantially so that the CRT display is not the only display that has the wide viewing angle characteristic.
However, the display that employs the multi-domain alignment technique has problems involving color washout under wide viewing angles and light leakage. These complications have led to alterations in the manufacturing process, resulting in higher costs. Consequently, a polymer stabilized alignment (PSA) technique has been developed to improve the drawbacks of the multi-domain vertical alignment technique. The pixel design of the PSA technique consists of a fixed pretilt angle in each liquid crystal cell. While the pixel structure is operating, the liquid crystal cell deflects to a required angle with a shorter response time according to an electric field formed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode. Thus, multiple sub-domains are formed according to the various shapes of the pixel electrodes.
Still, due to the irregular distribution of the electric field, the neighboring liquid crystal cells of the two pixel structures are not well arranged. The neighboring liquid crystal cells of the central area of the common electrode (common line) are also not well arranged as shown in the circled area of the pixel 1 in FIG. 1. These improperly arranged liquid crystal cells leads to color washout, such that a brightness area distribution is irregular, especially for representing left and right viewing angles. Consequently, although the PSA technique has enhanced the contrast ratio and brightness, while shortening the response time for TFT LCDs, the color washout problem under a wide viewing angle still has not been resolved.
In summary, current TFT LCDs problems with color washout under wide viewing angles. In addition, the brightness area distribution is not uniform due to the irregular arrangement of the liquid crystal cells which causes light leakage and affects display quality. Consequently, there is a need to find a method to prevent color washout under wide viewing angles from occurring, as well as a need to improve the arrangement of liquid crystal cells to prevent light leakage.


A concentrically leaded power semiconductor package includes two or more generally concentric conductors. An inner conductor may provide an attachment point for one or more semiconductor devices at an end of the inner conductor and an electrical connection at an opposite end. An outer conductor may be pressed onto the inner conductor and may be separated by an electrical insulator. A semiconductor device, such as a light emitting diode (LED), may be attached to the inner conductor by epoxy gluing or by soldering, and may be attached to the outer conductor by a bonding wire. The package may be cylindrical or a rectangular solid. The package may incorporate additional semiconductor mounting surfaces and more than two conductors.

The technical field is packaged designs for mounting semiconductor devices.
Current packages for semiconductor devices, such as light emitting diodes (LED) may be xe2x80x9cthrough the holexe2x80x9d or surface mount types. These packages are used with printed circuit boards (PCBs) and may require a specialized assembly process to securely mount a semiconductor device into the PCB. A soldering process is then applied to electrically and thermally connect the semiconductor leads to the PCB. In the case of a LED, this PCB connection method allows an LED inside the package to be powered and lighted up.
Current LED packages have either flimsy leads (lead frame platform) or no leads (PCB platformxe2x80x94that utilizes plated gold or tin traces as conducting paths) for connecting to the PCB or hard wires. These current LED packages inherently offer very poor thermal spreading and conducting characteristics for removing heat generated by the LED chip inside the LED package. Hence, current LED packages seldom operate at power more than 0.3 watts.
Current LED packages also suffer from other defects including a large package footprint. Where flux per package per footprint area is a factor, for example illumination inside an instrument panel, current LED packages are difficult to apply. Also, existing LED packages may be too large to form close clusters of different color LEDs inside a reflective (mixing) chamber, to obtain specific spectral effects and luminous efficiency.
A concentrically leaded power semiconductor device package eliminates problems inherent in current semiconductor package designs. The package offers the possibility to avoid or minimize the use of soldering processes in the application assembly. The package also provides for superior heat dissipation. The package comprises a pair of coaxial round or square wire leads, which are electrically separated by a thin dielectric film. The package does not need to be mounted on a PCB to be powered up. Leads from the package may be securely mounted on a low cost connector, which may be designed to also function as a heat sink, by simply plugging the package into the connector. As the connector supplies power to the LED, the connector also removes heat generated by the LED. The package delivers excellent thermal spreading and conducting properties to LEDs packaged inside. This may be achieved by attaching the LED chips on the end face of a straight wire (inner) at one end and allowing an opposite end of the same wire to be inserted into the heat sink in an application assembly. Alternatively, an outer wire, or conductor, may be inserted into the heat sink. The wire diameter and material selection may be based on a thermal performance of the LED chip package. A thermal compound or grease may be used to reduce the thermal resistence at the interface between the cylindrical surfaces of the inner wire and the heat sink of the connector. This design scheme allows a high-power LED to be packaged and operated at high wattage without overheating.
In addition to a coaxial cylindrical or square design, the package may incorporate multiple layers of coaxial conductors. For example, the package may include three concentric cylindrical conductors. Such a design allows for the use of multiple LEDs. Other variations of the package configuration may incorporate LEDs and other devices, including semiconductor devices, resistors and capacitors, attached on a cutaway section of one of the semiconductors. This variation of the package design may be useful for a semiconductor laser, for example.

Concentrically leaded power semiconductor device package


A measurement method for an aviation-specific inductive proximity sensor (IPS for short) includes steps of: 1) building a measurement circuit, wherein an IPS comprises an internal resistance r and an inductance L; 2) building a look-up table, wherein the step 2) specifically comprises steps of: sampling a first voltage measured value U1 corresponding to a first constant delay time T1 with the ADC; sampling a second voltage measured value U2 corresponding to a second constant delay time T2 with the ADC; then obtaining voltage discharge formulas U1(T1, R, r, L) and U2(T2, R, r, L) of an r-L circuit; and 3) compressing the look-up table, utilizing the compressed look-up table for calculation during measurement. The present invention ensures that the system works within a standard temperature range, and improves measurement stability, reliability, and real-time performance. Furthermore, there is no floating point calculation, which saves CPU or MCU hardware resources.

Field of Invention
The present invention belongs to a field of sensors, relates to driving and detection methods for a passive sensor, and more particularly to driving and detection methods for an aerospace inductive proximity sensor (IPS for short), and an optimization method for calculating inductance values by table look-up, which are in particular applicable to table compression of sampling and calculating a charge-discharge curve of an r-L circuit by table look-up.
Description of Related Arts
Because a non-contact IPS has higher reliability and mean time between failures (MTBF for short) than a mechanical displacement switch, the non-contact IPS is increasingly frequently used in aviation electromechanical systems such as various types of aircraft landing gears, passenger and cargo doors, flaps, thrust reversers, etc. Aircraft types involved are large civil aircrafts, transport aircrafts and so on.
Industrial non-contact IPS is usually active, bulky, with thick winding wires, driven by high current for detecting, used for outputting digital switching signals, and relatively easy to use. However, high current driving and controlling methods of the sensor cannot meet the general electromagnetic compatibility standards in aviation field. Therefore, the industrial sensor is not suitable for the field of aviation.
Conventionally, main parts of the aviation non-contact IPS are mainly provided by two companies, namely Crane (USA) and Crouzet (France). Internal structures and principles thereof are the same, and main parameters thereof are similar. The sensor is passive, and an internal circuit structure thereof is simple, which comprises a group of winding coils. Shown in FIG. 1, an equivalent circuit model of the IPS comprises a real part of resistor r and an inductor L in series. An inductance value and current capability of the coil are much smaller than the industrial sensor. Typically, a maximum inductance value is no more than 10 mH; and the current capability of the coil is no more than 20 mA.
Conventionally, there are two main driving and detection methods for the passive non-contact IPS: analog measurement method and digital measurement method.
The analog measurement method comprises steps of: applying pulse excitation to the sensor coil, comparing thresholds of the R-L discharge curve by a comparator for detecting the inductance value, then judging whether a nearby target is moving towards the sensor by comparing the inductance value. The analog measurement method is the most common one, and a circuit thereof is simple and reliable. However, due to a large temperature drift of the resistance inside the sensor, an operating temperature range of the measuring system is small. The contradiction of operating temperature and the measurement accuracy remains to be eliminated.
The digital measurement method typically comprises steps of: applying a sine wave excitation to the sensor circuit, sampling waveforms of voltage and current and applying fast Fourier transform (FFT for short) algorithm for obtaining a phase difference between the voltage and the current, and calculating the sensor inductance L. The temperature drift of the resistance inside the sensor is eliminated by calculating, so as to eliminate measurement errors caused by ambient temperature, and expand the operating temperature range. However, the digital measurement method is poor in stability, liable to be affected by external electromagnetic annoyance, and insufficient in real-time performance

Measurement method for aviation-specific proximity sensor


A lifting harness for assisting a worker to transfer a load is provided, the lifting harness comprising: a belt; a pair of lifting pads slidably mounted on the belt; a back including a pair of arms attached to the belt, the pair of arms converging towards a distal end; a loop proximate to the distal end; and a mobile lifting strap, the mobile lifting strap including a strap first distal end, a strap second distal end and a length therebetween, the length slidably extending through the loop; a first lifting loop proximate to the strap first distal end; and a second lifting loop proximate to the strap second distal end.

Health care workers and other workers who must lift heavy weights are prone to back, arm and shoulder strains and injury. For this reason, many lift systems have been developed. In the health care industry, many involve the use of a gantry or rail system and a sling for the patient. Two person harnesses are more common in industries where heavy loads are lifted.
An example of a patient lift system is disclosed in United States Patent Application Publication No. 20200138658. It discloses a patient lift system that includes a lift unit operable to raise and lower a lifting strap, the lift unit having a working load rating. A sling bar is attached with the lifting strap and a lifting accessory is coupled to the sling bar. The lifting accessory may comprise: a lifting sling; a lifting harness; a lifting vest; a lifting strap; or a repositioning sheet. The sling bar includes an opening sized to receive one or more attachment handles of the lifting accessory if the working load rating of the lift unit is larger than the working load rating of the lifting accessory. The opening of the sling bar is not capable of receiving one or more attachment handles of the lifting accessory if the working load rating of the lift unit is smaller than the working load rating of the lifting accessory. This requires a gantry or rail and a power lift unit. Further, the patient has to be positioned in the lifting accessory, which may limit the utility of the system.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 20180214329 and 20160262967 disclose a caregiver's helper lift that utilizes a unique hoisting apparatus, a lifting harness worn by a patient, and a control apparatus to allow a caregiver to raise and lower a patient into/out-of a wheelchair and into/out-of a vehicle, down to or up off a floor, or to any other position/location that a patient needs to be moved. The lifting harness can clip to a lift attachment which is affixed to a helper lift suspension cable/rope/etc. The caregiver's helper lift utilizes a crane arm to suspend the patient and allow him or her to be repositioned by simply rolling/turning the lift. By actuating the hoisting apparatus control system, the patient can be controllably raised and lowered as desired. The crane arm can be adjustably attached to a power T upright which is itself attached to a brace base. At least two beam extensions extend laterally from the brace and provide stability. This requires a gantry or rail and a power lift unit. Further, the patient has to be positioned in the lifting accessory, which may limit the utility of the lift.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 20170027796 discloses patient lift systems and lift accessories. In one example, a system may include a rail having a carriage support channel formed in the rail, the channel having a width, the rail has a working load rating; a carriage slidably disposed in the rail for relative movement to the rail, the carriage comprising a shaft having a length; and a lift unit coupled to the carriage and operable to raise and lower a lifting strap, wherein the lift unit has a working load rating; wherein the length of the shaft of the carriage is less than the width of the channel when the working load rating of the lift unit is equal to or less than the working load rating of the rail. In this manner, lift units that are incompatible with the working load rating of the rail cannot be connected with the rail. This requires a gantry or rail and a power lift unit. Further, the patient has to be positioned in the lifting accessory, which may limit the utility of the lift.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 20150136145 discloses a lifting system for lifting a person who is incapacitated, where the lifting system includes a torso enclosure that may encase a substantial portion of the person's torso without requiring the person to slip one or both of their arms through the enclosure, and orthogonally-aligned structural straps positioned on the enclosure to stabilize and strengthen the enclosure during use, where portions of the straps are detached between two respective junction points to permit grasping of such straps by others when attempting to lift the incapacitated person. This requires a gantry or rail and a power lift unit. Further, the patient has to be positioned in the lifting accessory, which may limit the utility of the lift.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 20130146629 discloses a lifting harness to allow a user to lift heavy objects without using excessive force from the hands, but to allow the load to be lifted by the user's legs and back. Two straps go across the users back and extend to near the fingertips of each arm. The user wraps the free ends of the straps around a load, such as handlebar handles, and grasps the strap ends, which applies friction, and then the load may be easily lifted. This harness would be very uncomfortable to use as it applies pressure to the shoulders, back and potentially, the neck of the user.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 20110023231 and 20100299830 disclose a device for assisting a caregiver in lifting and moving a patient. The device comprises a waist belt that includes a separate "glute" strap, which wraps around the patient's buttocks. Both the waist belt and the glute strap are fully adjustable to ensure a snug, comfortable fit. The device may further include a unitary garment member having a plurality of integral, reinforced support straps that enhance the structural strength of the garment member. The unitary garment member includes two flap portions extending laterally on opposing sides of a rear panel section that can be pulled forward and attached to a front panel section transforming the device into a vest-type garment that completely surrounds the patient's torso. The device includes a plurality of strategically positioned hand holds, which provide enhanced leverage enabling a caregiver to more easily assist a patient wearing the device to move from one position to another. The patient has to be positioned in the device, which may limit the utility of the device. Further, the device provides little mechanical advantage to the lifter, hence the weight lifted is still restricted by the strength of the lifter.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 20060162069 discloses a portable lifting apparatus for lifting and transferring of heavy objects. The lifting apparatus having a load-supporting platform which can be moved both vertically and rotated about the vertical axis of an upwardly extending lifting column. The lifting apparatus further includes an outrigger linkage coupled to the lifting column and is provided with a load support coupled to a retractable pulley. The lifting column is attached to a base and is normally prevented from rotating relative thereto. This is not a device that assists a lifter in moving a patient, but rather is in itself a lift, which would have to be located proximate to the patient's bed.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 20060137097 discloses a rescue device that comprises a floating head support slidably attached to a back support. The rescue device can be incorporated into other rescue apparatus, such as a rescue harness. In one embodiment, the harness comprises a mantle for wrapping around a patient's arms and torso. The mantle is secured with chest straps connected across the patient's chest with a fastener. The mantle includes a pocket for holding back supports of various lengths. Leg straps form leg loops for the patient's legs. One or more lifting rings are attached to the harness for lifting the harness. The harness can also include a harness protector. This requires a gantry or rail and a power lift unit. Further, the patient has to be positioned in the lifting accessory, which may limit the utility of the lift.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 20050132495 discloses a transfer stretcher, harness and method designed to lift, transfer or support a person, more specifically a heavy weight, large size (oversize) person. Stretchers are generally used by hospitals or by rescue/emergency units to lift or carry a person from one location to another. The transfer stretcher covered by the present invention is made of a supporting canvas equipped with lifting straps and rings, a removable washable comfort cloth, and maybe used with a removable safety harness that can be used with a stretcher basket and a sling frame. The transfer stretcher can be used to move a body manually with the help of several persons, or in combination with various lifting equipment. This requires a gantry or rail and a power lift unit. Further, the patient has to be positioned in the lifting accessory, which may limit the utility of the lift.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,511 discloses a shoulder harness made of straps forming a figure eight having a criss-cross strap configuration across a worker's back. Two adjustable sized loops are formed which hang under the worker's arms. A hook is threaded into each loop. A wide tension buckle is mounted from the hooks via carabiners, thereby centering the tension buckle in front of the worker. A web lift strap about six inches wide is threaded into the tension buckle. A second worker threads the opposite end of the lift strap into his tension buckle. The lift strap is placed under a load and carried by the two workers over rough surfaces that dolly wheels couldn't handle. Alternate embodiments include a central ring to join three or more workers' straps together, a hip carry mode which joins the two loops at a hip, and a two-strap mode for carrying loose objects. This harness would not be suitable for lifting a patient. Further, it would be uncomfortable as the load would be transferred to the users' shoulders.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,331,493 discloses a shoulder harness made of straps forming a figure eight having a criss-cross strap configuration, in one embodiment, across a user's back. Two loops are formed which hang under the user's arms. The loops may be threaded into slots on the top of a wide tension buckle, which is centered in front of the user. A webbed lift strap about five-inches wide is threaded into the base of the tension buckle. A second user threads the opposite end of the lift strap into the base of the second user's tension buckle. The lift strap is placed under a load and carried by the two users over rough surfaces that dolly wheels could not handle. Another embodiment includes a central ring to join three or more users' straps together. Another embodiment is a shoulder harness made of vertically hanging straps. This harness would not be suitable for lifting a patient. Further, it would be uncomfortable as the load would be transferred to the users' shoulders.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,645 discloses a harness for lifting heavy and bulky objects. The device provides for better lifting ability through superior load distribution and also provides for greater protection for the hands and arms of the person doing the lifting. A yoke type shoulder harness substantially spans the distance between the shoulders of the person wearing it while also circumscribing the neck area. Straps depend on the shoulder harness and are coupled with a rigid L-shaped support. The vertical leg of the L-shaped support substantially spans the distance between the hand and the elbow. The horizontal leg of the L-shaped support presents an enclosure having an opening for receiving at least a portion of the hand. A highly frictional covering on the upper surface of the horizontal leg holds objects in place. The strap means which couples the L-shaped supports with the shoulder harness includes buckle means for adjusting the effective length of the device. This harness would not be suitable for lifting a patient. Further, it would be uncomfortable as the load would be transferred to the users' shoulders.
Canadian Patent 2362089 discloses a harness lifting system 10 that is provided for team lifting of objects 10. Two harnesses 12, 14 are provided which are worn separately by two users 32. The system 10 includes two support lines or straps 16, 18. Each line 16, 18 has coupling points spaced from each other which removably attach to one of the harnesses 12, 14. The lines 16, 18 preferably link together at cross-over point 26 and then extend back to the same harness 12, 14 that the line 16, 18 first extends from the system 10 includes adjustability providing structures and accessories for optimal use to enhance the basic system 10. This harness would not be suitable for lifting a patient. Further, it would be uncomfortable as the lifting force is distributed to the shoulders and the back.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,657,166 discloses an apparatus that aids emergency personnel in transporting and carrying incapacitated people on stretchers or similar devices is herein disclosed. The apparatus comprises a belt worn by a user around the lower or middle back. The belt is designed to prevent back strain and injury by keeping the spine aligned and by forcing the user to maintain a proper posture when lifting a patient. The apparatus also comprises a harness to give additional support to the back and non-captive hook positioned on either the front or buckle area of the belt. The hook aids in supporting the stretcher or gurney when the user of the apparatus is an upright position. Its non-captive design allows for quick disconnection should the user stumble, fall or lose their balance. This apparatus would not increase the weight that a user would be able to lift. Further, it would be uncomfortable as the lifting force is distributed to the shoulders and the back.
What is needed is a lifting aid that can be worn by a worker to assist them in lifting a load. It would be preferable if it was a highly adjustable harness so as to fit a wide range of sizes of workers. It would be further preferable if it was lightweight and washable. It would be further preferable if it was designed using engineering principles and morphological considerations. It would be most preferable if it provided a mechanical advantage thus allowing the user to lift a weight greater than could be achieved without the lifting harness.

Caregiver lifting harness and use thereof


A method of producing an aluminum film on a substrate, from which very narrow aluminum conductor tracks can be created that are highly resistant to electromigration and/or stress migration. The substrate with the polycrystalline aluminum film is cooled in an oven in a controlled fashion from a target temperature to a final temperature such that energetically stable Al.sub.2 Cu-.theta.-phases are formed directly among the individual aluminum grains in the aluminum film. The cooling is controlled such that the instantaneous temperature passes through a predetermined temperature profile. Within the range of 320.degree. C. to 200.degree. C., the cooling gradient is less than 6.degree. C. per hour.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method of producing an aluminum film on a substrate.
Aluminum has been the metal used nearly exclusively for conductor tracks in semiconductor technology, because it is very well able to meet the demands made of such conductor tracks.
However, aluminum also has several negative properties, the effects of which have not yet been completely eliminated.
One of these particularly negative properties is the pronounced electromigration in aluminum conductor tracks. The term electromigration is understood to mean the migration of material in conductor tracks under the influence of an electric current. Because of the impacts of moving electrons against the positively charged aluminum core of the crystal lattice, a depletion of material in the direction of the electron flux takes place. This depletion of material can cause a complete local interruption of a conductor track and hence the total failure of an integrated circuit.
A further phenomenon, namely so-called stress migration, can also occur in aluminum conductor tracks. This is understood to mean the migration of aluminum atoms under the influence of internal mechanical stresses at elevated temperature. Stress migration, too, can ultimately lead to an interruption of a conductor track and thus to the total failure of an integrated circuit.
The art has found that the addition of approximately 0.5 to 5% by weight of copper to the aluminum is a viable defense against stress migration and electromigration.
With very narrow aluminum conductor tracks (width .ltoreq.1 .mu.m) in very large scale integrated circuits, however, cracks and interruptions in the conductor tracks are found despite the aforementioned alloy addition of copper. The cracks and line breaks occur ever more often, even without any current load, and after passive temperature storage at low temperatures (125.degree. C.).
Multilayer metallizings with SiO.sub.2 dielectrics as underlays and SiO.sub.2 /SiN.sub.x cover layers in the upper metal levels are especially affected. The reason for this are the very strong extrinsic tensile stresses that occur there. They have been found to be caused by the later gaplike cracking of the aluminum conductor tracks in the cooling phase of the annealing process or in the polyimide cross-linking. The process-dictated cooling characteristic there has the effect that during the cooling, flat copper islets are formed--so-called Guinier-Preston phases--in the grown aluminum grains. In the previously conventional cooling phases, the copper atoms migrate out of the interior of the aluminum grains to the grain boundaries, where they convert into the stable Al.sub.2 Cu-.theta.-phases. They leave behind open lattice planes or lattice planes that are greatly disturbed by offsets. These disturbed planes cannot be entirely cured by the aluminum atoms.


A computer-implemented decision support system provides a performance-based representation using multi-dimensional clipping and transformation algorithms. Three types of supporting information are presented to the decision maker: a function matrix that describes the performance attributes varying with the decision variables; a decision space that illustrates the feasible decision set that meets performance requirements; and, a performance space that provides the feasible performance region displays the Pareto Optimal set.

The engineering design process can be viewed as the process of attaining specified values of one or more performance attributes by manipulating one or more design variables within limits specified by one or more corresponding constraints. Unfortunately, the number of design variables, the number of constraints, and the often non-linear coupling between constraints and design variables, can become hinder the process of identifying feasible designs.
When faced with design problems of excessive complexity, the logical progression of the engineering design process from the specified values to the optimal values of the design variables is often derailed. Under these circumstances, the designer often resorts to heuristic reasoning and educated guesswork accompanied by computer simulation. In addition to its inefficiency, this iterative engineering design method is not guaranteed to converge to an optimal set of values for the design variables.

Performance-based representation for support of multiple decisions


A dust-proof assembly for the lens driving device is disclosed, including at least a ring-shaped element and at least a flexible element. The at least a ring-shaped element is disposed with a tiny gap surrounding a lens assembly. The at least a flexible element fixes the at least a ring-shaped element to a bottom. The dust-proof assembly is able to prevent external foreign objects, such as particles or dusts, from falling onto a sensor element.

As the technology progresses, the smart phone become ubiquitous and the number of pixels of the camera in the smart phone greatly increases. Because the camera of the smart phone features a digital sensor to form imaging, the sensor quality is greatly related to the photo quality. If dust or any foreign objects falls on the sensor, the dust or the foreign objects will also appear in the photo. In addition, the demands on the cleanliness of the key parts of the camera module upgrade become higher as the number of pixels of the camera increases. In particular, special concerns are emphasized over the dust and external pollutions caused by the mechanical motion of the voice coil motor or during manufacturing.
FIG. 1A shows a cross-sectional view of a known lens driving device, and FIG. 1B shows a schematic view of detailed structure and motion of FIG. 1A. As shown in FIG. 1A, a lens driving device 10 includes a lens assembly 11, a lens carrier base 12, an upper cover 13, a bottom 14, and a sensor element 15. The lens carrier base 12 is for housing the lens assembly 11, which is loaded into the lens carrier base 12 through screw threads. The lens carrier base 12 is connected to the bottom 14 through a plurality of resilient elements (not shown). The upper cover 13 is disposed outside of the lens carrier base 12 and is fixed to the bottom 14. The sensor element 15 is disposed underneath the lens assembly 11. The lens carrier base 12 is able to move back and forth along the Z direction for the focusing of the lens assembly 11.
As shown in FIG. 1B, when the lens carrier base 12 moves the lens assembly 11 towards Z direction for focusing, a gap 16 is formed between the lens carrier base 12 and bottom 14, and foreign objects 17 may fall on the sensor element 15 through the gap 16, which results in dots or other shadows on the photo taken by the sensor element 15.

Dust-proof assembly for lens driving device