A piece of headgear or hat is capable of holding and storing an audio device and an earphone or headphone assembly either while the headgear or hat is in use or while it is stored. The headgear or hat has a pocket accessible from an exterior to accept and store the audio device and allow a user to manipulate and use the audio device without removing the headgear or hat. The headgear or hat also has a plurality of apertures so that the common wire set of the earphones or headphones can be threaded and contained therein. The earphone or headphone assembly and the audio device are removable from the headgear or hat for repair, replacement or cleaning.

Portable audio devices are becoming an increasingly common presence in everyday life. Portable audio devices are becoming smaller in weight and size and thus making it easier to transport these devices throughout the routines of everyday life. For example, people take portable audio devices to work, school, on the bus or train, to exercise, and to various other places and activities.
There are difficulties in the transportation and use of portable audio devices and the associated earphone or headphone assemblies because the user generally places the speakers of the earphone or headphone assembly over their ears but must carry the portable audio device in their hand or store it in a clothing pocket. Carrying the portable audio device in the hand is cumbersome and makes it difficult to perform other activities while listening to music or other audio output from the portable audio device. Storing the portable audio device in a clothing pocket results in wires hanging around the face and neck and can be uncomfortable if not dangerous. Also, when a user is listening to a portable audio device, it is difficult to conceal the activity as the earphone or headphone assembly and the portable audio device are visible to third parties.
Moreover, during transportation and use, the audio device and the earphone or headphone assembly is exposed to the elements and adverse environmental conditions. This exposure such as rain or snow may result in damage to the audio device or earphone or headphone assembly. This damage can be costly to repair and replacement of the damaged components may be necessary.
It is a useful invention to create headgear or a hat that can receive and hold a portable audio device and an earphone or headphone assembly and allow a user to listen to music or other sound originating from the audio device and being transferred through the speakers in a manner than reduces the amount of exposed, dangling or uncomfortable wires.
Also, it is a useful invention to create headgear or a hat that conceals the portable audio device and the earphone or headphone assembly while the user is utilizing the set.
It is further useful to have headgear or a hat that allows for ease of removability of the audio device, which includes cell phones, for the purpose of accessing controls and functions of said device while in use. Or, ease of removability allows for replacement or repair of the earphone or headphone assembly if it becomes damaged in any way thus extending the life of the headgear or hat.

Headgear for receiving and holding portable audio device and earphones


A conveyor system for a self-checkout apparatus including a first side support rail having an inner side and an outer side and a second side support rail spaced apart from said first side support rail and positioned parallel thereto, where the second side support rail includes an inner side and an outer side. The system also includes a first motor mount affixed to the first side support rail at a first end, a second motor mount affixed to the second side support rail at the first end, and a drive roller having a knurled surface. The drive roller transmits a driving force from a drive motor and positioned at one end of the first side support rail and the second side support rail. The system further includes a return roller positioned at a second end of the first side support rail and the second side support rail, a pair of first tracking guides provided adjacent both ends of the driver roller, a pair of second tracking guides provided adjacent both ends of the return roller and a conveyor belt. Other embodiments of the present invention are directed to inclined roller delivery conveyors for transporting articles down an inclined under power of gravity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a self-service checkout system, and more particularly, to improvements to conveyors, weighing mechanisms and delivery area devices used with such systems.
2. The Prior Art
Self-service has benefited consumers and retailers alike. Such systems have been widely adapted for purchasing gasoline at self-service service stations and are now becoming more available in retail stores.
Self-service checkout systems currently on the market included conveyor systems for the automated checkout of articles selected by a customer for purchase in supermarkets and like facilities. Articles for purchase generally bear a so-called "universal product code" (UPC), typically in the form of a bar code uniquely indicative of the identity of the article bearing the code. The UPC of each article selected for purchase is scanned using a bar code scanner or read and a signal indicative of the article identity is generated and applied to a central processing unit (CPU) which has stored in associated memory storage for the UPCs of all articles available for purchase which are so encoded, correlated with the price and other characteristics of the articles, such as weight.
Articles are placed on a conveyor following UPC for transportation to a packaging area. When the article is placed on the conveyor, a scaling device incorporated with the conveyor system weighs the item. The weight obtained from the conveyor measurement is compared to a weight of the product from the database. If the weight from the conveyor is within a predetermined tolerance of the weight from the database, then the article is allowed to continue down the conveyor to a second transport conveyor where it is deposited in a collecting area. If the weights are different (taking into consideration the tolerances), then the security conveyor is reversed and the article is returned to be re-scanned and re-weighed.
One of the problems of conveyor belt weighing systems is that of accuracy. The movement of the belt, its tracking, as well as potential movement of a motor driving the conveyor each and collectively increase the inaccuracies of the weighing mechanisms. These problems are amplified by the unique backward and forward movement of the conveyor in a self service checkout devise that has security return features. Additionally these inaccuracies cause false rejection of articles, resulting in the requirement of supervisory personnel having to be present to enable the self-checkout lane to pass the article through the security zone.
This is especially a problem for light weight articles, where the tolerances used (as a result of the inaccuracies of the conveyor system weighing mechanism) are greater than that of a light-weight product. This tolerance is amplified since the weighing mechanism tolerances are incorporated into the database for each item checked against the item database. The tolerance is applied to a zero value and declared as a starting point prior to scanning in any item, for any measurement taken.
Another problem facing conveyor type self-checkout systems is utilization of the entire packaging area. Currently, as articles come off the end of the conveyor system, they encounter an incline on their way to a packaging (i.e., bagging) area. The incline imparts a frictional drag on the bottom surface. As a result, the friction stops the articles on the incline, causing the articles to back up on the incline. This ultimately jams up the end of the conveyor, and the packaging area is not utilized.
The above stated problems all result in slower purchasing and throughput times, lowering the sales volume for store owners and requiring shoppers to spend more time waiting in line.

Methods and apparatus for improved self-checkout system

International Business Machines Corporation


A policy-driven network traffic manager recommends to individual application programs that generate network traffic whether, and optionally under what conditions, they should generate network traffic. The network traffic manager has an interface, through which the application programs, prior to generating network traffic, call the network traffic manager and describe the traffic the application programs propose to generate. A policy repository stores a set of policies, which the network traffic manager uses to ascertain whether the application programs should generate the proposed network traffic. The policies can include considerations such as time, link cost, latency, congestion and availability. The network traffic manager then sends the recommendations to the application programs.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to network management tools and in particular to network management tools that control communication between nodes of a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Networks are generally categorized as local area networks (LANs) or wide area networks (WANs). LANs interconnect a relatively small number of nodes in a relatively small geographic area, such as a group of buildings. The nodes of a LAN communicate with each other by exchanging packets of data over media, such as cable, optical fiber or wireless connections, called LAN links. A WAN is a group of LANs interconnected by WAN links. The cost of communicating over a LAN is generally much less than the cost of communicating over a WAN because LAN links are usually privately owned, whereas WAN links are often leased. Once a LAN is installed, its owner generally does not incur an additional cost for sending packets over the LAN, whereas the providers of WAN links charge for each packet sent over the WAN and/or for the time the WAN link is established.
Although network software originally written for use with data transmissions over LANs can be used over WANs, the resulting WAN network traffic is very expensive because of design choices made when the software was written. Software designed for use over LANs generally does not limit the amount of network traffic that it generates because LAN communication costs are small. (Generating network traffic herein means transmitting data over a network and/or causing other software to transmit over the network.) Consequently, this software frequently generates inefficient network traffic. For example, the software does not optimize on network usage by forgoing transmission of so-called "heartbeat" messages or by combining several small packets into one large packet. When such software is used over a WAN, the resulting network traffic is expensive primarily because of the per-packet charges levied by the WAN-link providers.
The following types of software typically generate network traffic: application software, such as word processors and spreadsheet programs that retrieve and store files from file servers and send files to print servers; network applications, such as electronic mail programs that send and receive mail messages; and network operating systems (NOS) and distributed database programs that generate various "housekeeping" messages. Network traffic is also generated in support of other NOS functions, such as name resolution, searching, time synchronization, data synchronization and object reference verification. Software that generates network traffic is hereinafter collectively referred to as application programs.
An example of such an application program is a NetWare system having a distributed, hierarchical database of network information called NetWare Directory Services (NDS). NDS stores replicas of objects and entries on several nodes ("NDS nodes") of a network to increase the accessibility of this information to applications and other software that is distributed across the network. Whenever one of these replicas is changed, these NDS nodes collaborate to synchronize all of the replicas, i.e. the NDS nodes exchange messages with each other to ensure that all of the replicas are updated to reflect the change. Synchronization also ensures that the NDS nodes do not provide inconsistent ("stale") data to the distributed software.
Sometimes, in an effort to achieve a performance objective, application programs inefficiently utilize the network. For example, an objective of NDS is to quickly synchronize replicas. To achieve this goal, NDS avoids the overhead involved in recreating connections between NDS nodes by maintaining open connections even when NDS does not need to send synchronization messages. Such inefficiencies increase network-link costs.
Moreover, the large volume of network traffic generated by application programs often overloads certain network links, particularly during periods of peak usage. This type of overloading may interfere with significant network traffic, such as file server and print server operations. Consequently, some network administrators would prefer to restrict the use of selected network links based on the type and priority of the network traffic serviced over the links. In addition, they would prefer to balance the cost of network traffic against factors, such as the speed of replica synchronization provided by a NOS.
Software developers have attempted to reduce network link charges by identifying the sources of network traffic and reducing the traffic they generate. For example, some application programs allow a network administrator to control the network traffic generated by these programs. However, each of these programs typically has a different user interface and different operating characteristics which the network administrator must learn in order to effectively manage the network traffic generated by the program. This is clearly burdensome. In addition, the network administrator must configure each application program for each node on which the program is installed. This approach also duplicates effort because software to manage network traffic must be developed for each such application program. Furthermore, as new types of network links are developed, software developers must update their application programs to provide options for controlling traffic over these new links.

Network traffic manager server for providing policy-based recommendations to clients


A circuit breaker module is provided. The circuit breaker module includes: a frame assembly, a faceplate assembly, and a number of circuit breakers, the circuit breakers having an electrically conductive surface and an extending handle, the frame assembly having a front member and a back member, the frame assembly front member and the frame assembly back member being spaced from each other and defining an enclosed space, the frame assembly front member being electrically conductive, the faceplate assembly having an electrically conductive faceplate, the faceplate being a planar member with a number of openings therein, the faceplate coupled to the frame assembly front member, the circuit breaker disposed in the frame assembly enclosed space, and wherein the circuit breaker is in electrical communication with the faceplate and the frame assembly front member, whereby a current may pass from the circuit breaker to the frame assembly front member.

1. Field
The disclosed concept pertains generally to a faceplate assembly for a circuit breaker module and, more particularly, to a faceplate assembly having a faceplate wherein the faceplate is electrically conductive and the circuit breaker module frame assembly is conductive, whereby circuit breakers within the circuit breaker module may be grounded. The invention also relates to methods of electrically grounding electrical switching apparatus, such as circuit breakers.
2. Background Information
Circuit breakers are used to protect electrical circuitry from damage due to an overcurrent condition, such as an overload condition or a relatively high level short circuit or fault condition between a power source (e.g., a line terminal) and a load. Circuit breakers are used, for example, in aircraft electrical systems where they not only provide over-current protection but also serve as switches for turning equipment on and off. Aircraft or subminiature circuit breakers, for instance, are typically relatively small to accommodate the relatively high-density layout of aircraft circuit breaker panels, which make circuit breakers for numerous circuits accessible to a user. Aircraft electrical systems can consist, for example, of hundreds of circuit breakers, each of which is used for a circuit protection function as well as a circuit disconnection function through a push-pull handle.
Typically, aircraft circuit breaker panels are, at best, poor conductors e.g., such panels are painted; are made of a non-conductive composite material; or are made of an oxidized conductive material, such as aluminum). In order to monitor faults, such as arc faults in aircraft circuit breakers such as, but not limited to, arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCI), there exists the need to power arc fault detection circuitry. Hence, there exists the need to provide a reliable ground connection to the aircraft circuit breaker in addition to the existing line terminal from the power source. There is a further need to make assembling circuit breaker modules simpler.
There is room for improvement in the construction of circuit breaker modules.

Grounded circuit breaker panel electrical module and method for grounding same


The present invention provides an event revenue management system that calculates event pricing to manage revenue and to maximize profit from the event. In particular, the system uses event parameters, including timing, resource, and discount categories, and initializes forecasting parameters. The system aggregates historical data using the forecasting parameters to generate initial forecast statistics, taking into account the event parameters. It then forecasts demand by updating the initial forecast statistics based on current data and optimizes pricing and availability of the event based on the forecasted demand.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an event revenue management system for forecasting demand for an event and optimizing ticket pricing and allocation based on historical and current data to manage revenue and to maximize profit from the event.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, ticket prices are fixed and published well before an event takes place. For any event, there are typically several price categories or seat categories associated with it. For each price category, there may also be several discount categories, such as an advance-purchase discount or senior discount.
To maximize profit from each event, it is desirable to better manage the price and availability of ticket sales. For example, it may be desirable to close from sale low margin ticket categories when a section has high demand. It may be desirable to upgrade purchases for an over-subscribed section by filling purchases that would have gone unsold.
Recently, there has been a growing interest in revenue management systems. Revenue management is the science of using past history and current data to manage revenue and profit for various events.
With the rapid advance of computer technology, it is now possible to collect and store a large amount of historical data and track current booking levels. Further, using computers, our abilities to analyze historical and current data have improved significantly.
Yet, existing revenue management systems suffer from many shortcomings. Such shortcomings include: (1) they do not fully take into account factors affecting revenue and profit, such as timing of an event, availability of resources within an event, ancillary revenue, and discount offers available for each resource; (2) they fail to fully utilize historical data including unconstrained historical demand; (3) they do not adequately support user inputs; (4) they do not fully take into account current booking information for future events; and (5) they lack an adequate ticket pricing optimization capability.
Thus, there is a need for an event revenue management system that is capable of effectively analyzing historical and current data to accurately forecast demand for various types of tickets for an event and optimize ticket pricing to manage revenue and maximize profit from the event.


The present invention relates to a biocompatible injectable filler composition comprising calcium phosphate particles having a porosity of about 10% to about 90%, a BET surface area of about 1 m2/g to about 100 m2/g, and a mean particle size of about 1 micron to about 30 microns, a thermoreversible hydrophilic gelling agent, a carrier comprising water and an optional persistence enhancer and/or volumizing agent, and methods of its use to restore tissue volume and/or to smooth out tissue defects as in soft tissue or deep tissue augmentation.

The invention relates to a biocompatible injectable filler composition, such as a dermal filler (e.g., superficial dermal filler, mid-dermal filler or deep dermal filler) or subdermal filler composition, methods for their preparation, and a method of its use in aesthetic medical applications such as tissue augmentation and restoration.
Aesthetic medicine involves the treatment of patients who desire to modify their appearance or desire to reverse aesthetic problems caused by aging, accidents, or malformation. The majority of aesthetic medical treatments involve minimally invasive procedures, such as dermal and subdermal filler injections. A dermal filler is a product that is injected or placed into the dermis. Subdermal fillers are those that are placed underneath the dermis in the subcutis. Desirably the dermal or subdermal filler when injected in the skin or tissue adds bulk to the area of injection restoring or increasing soft-tissue volume. Restoration of facial volume using fillers can rebalance facial proportions, increase symmetry, and reduce wrinkles and volume loss, particularly in the lower two thirds of the face (e.g., the nasolabial fold area). Dermal and subdermal filler injections can produce immediate results, but usually with limited duration of action.
Fillers can be classified based on their source (e.g., autologous, biological, or synthetic), based on duration of action (in number of months), and based on degree of reversibility (e.g., rapidly reversible, slowly biodegradable but not reversible, and nonbiodegradeable).
Desirably, dermal fillers are biocompatible, nonantigenic, nontoxic, noncarcinogenic and nonteratogenic. In addition, dermal fillers desirably produce consistent and reproducible outcomes with minimal migration from the injection site, maximal safety, minimal adverse effects (e.g., pain or stinging during injection, acute inflammation, infection, bruising, swelling, tenderness, skin discoloration delayed (>24 hrs) hypersensitivity or inflammation), retention of softness or flexibility in the tissue after injection, and ease of administration. Furthermore it is desirable to use a filler composition that is not permanent, yet provides adequate duration of effect, on the order of 12 months or more, so as to minimize the need for retreatment and the associated costs, along with good filler persistence (e.g., without development of nodules, hard lumps, or tenderness). While dermal fillers are known that provide some of these desirable properties, no single filler possesses all of these characteristics.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,968,110, entitled "Tissue augmentation material and method," teaches a tissue augmentation material comprising smooth rounded, substantially spherical particle of hydroxyapatite having a particle size large enough to avoid phagocytosis (i.e., larger than 15 microns) with a preferred particle size range of 30 to 150 microns to facilitate injection. The inventors teach spray drying a slurry of 20 to 40% hydroxyapatite to produce the hydroxyapatite particles having a particle size distribution between 38 to 63 microns that are of very high density (e.g., about 95% to 100%).
The present invention relates to a biocompatible filler composition (e.g., a dermal or subdermal filler composition) comprising porous calcium phosphate particles having a small particle size in combination with a thermoreversible gelling agent that is nontoxic, provides improved flexibility, and a long duration of effect.

Injectable fillers for aesthetic medical enhancement and for therapeutic applications


A photoresist composition may include a novolac resin, a diazide-based photosensitive compound, a surfactant represented by Chemical Formula 1 below, and a solvent.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to a photoresist composition and a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to form a microcircuit pattern, such as a display apparatus circuit or a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC), a photoresist composition may be uniformly coated or deposited on a conductive metal layer or an insulating layer on a substrate. Thereafter, in the presence of a mask with a predetermined shape, the coated photoresist composition may be exposed and developed to form a pattern with a desired shape. Thereafter, by using the mask, the conductive metal layer or the insulating layer may be etched, and a residual photoresist layer may be removed to form a microcircuit on the substrate.

Photoresist composition and method of manufacturing thin film transistor substrate using the same

Abstract: R1 and R2 may denote a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, x may be 10-50, and y may be 10-50.


Mixtures of water immiscible components and water dispersible components, in combination with an optional coemulsifier and an optional coupling agent, provide synthetic (water based) emulsions that have enhanced lubricity, provide excellent cooling characteristics, are low foaming and biostable and can be made effectively transparent.

The invention is useful in water based hydraulic fluids and in water based metal working fluids.
Examples of hydraulic fluids are those fluids used in hydraulic machinery such as brake mechanisms, shock absorbers, control mechanisms and the like. The main classes of hydraulic fluids commonly used are petroleum-based, water/glycol solutions, water-in-oil emulsions, and oil-in-water emulsions.
There are several notable disadvantages to conventional hydraulic fluids. The petroleum-based hydraulic fluids pose certain environmental and health risks. In addition, petroleum oils may be flammable. Further, petroleum is a non-renewable and limited natural resource and, if allowed to escape into the ground, can cause soil and groundwater contamination and associated health and environmental problems.
Water based hydraulic fluids are used in machinery that is not exposed to freezing, or near-freezing, temperatures, such as machinery that is used in underground mining operations or near blast furnaces. Such fluids can contain numerous components so emulsifiers are used to obtain both the required formulation and stability. Existing water based hydraulic fluids, however, often lack the stability or lubricity required to operate at high temperatures and pressures.
Thus, there is a need for water based hydraulic fluids which have the characteristics of desirable shear stability, rheology control, lubricity, stability, volatility, very little swelling effect on (synthetic) rubber and anti-wear properties while reducing potential harm to the environment. Such a variety of desirable characteristics, which sometimes conflict, is difficult to achieve in a single composition.
In America whereas some metal working is still carried out with the aid of oil-based metal working fluids, the preponderance is done with water extendable fluids. Such fluids can contain numerous components (e.g., base oil, water, emulsifier, corrosion inhibitor, biocide) and emulsifiers are used to obtain both the required formulation and emulsion stability. There are three major types of water extendable metal working fluids: (1) "soluble oil" systems, which comprise a base oil, such as mineral oil, synthetic oil (polyolefins), synthetic esters and vegetable oil derivatives, with an emulsifying agent which disperses readily in water to form milky oil-in-water emulsions (e.g., about 85 weight percent of the base oil and about 15 weight percent emulsifier); (2) "synthetic" systems, which are aqueous dispersions comprising water and additives such as lubricating agents, corrosion inhibitors and the like and are substantially free of base oil; and (3) "semi-synthetic" systems, which are typically emulsions comprising aqueous solutions of emulsifying agents containing lesser amounts of highly dispersed base oil (e.g., about 5 to about 30 weight percent base oil). These metal working fluids are often supplied as concentrates which are then diluted with water, usually to form a 2 to 10% concentration, before being charged to the machines.
The selection of an effective metal working fluid for a specific application requires careful consideration of several properties. Whereas good lubrication and effective cooling are important, additional properties such as biostability, low foaming (maximizing contact with the tool and workpiece surfaces), emulsion clarity (allowing visualization of the workpiece), waste treatment and toxicity are often important factors in a given application.
Indeed, some of the most desirable properties are antithetical. In synthetic metal working fluids, for example, coarse-grained (larger) synthetic emulsions enhance lubricity but also form opaque emulsions, which decrease clarity. Reducing the emulsion particle size to improve the ability to see the workpiece is normally accompanied by reduced lubricity and undesirable foaming. It is believed that the foaming is caused by the formation of soaps resulting from the breakdown of the lubricant under high stress (poor lubricity) conditions. The foaming problem also can be exacerbated with the inclusion of certain commonly used corrosion inhibitors and other additives, for example antiwear additives.
Further, metal working fluids are susceptible to microbial attack by, for example, bacteria, fungi, and yeasts, causing one or more symptoms such as odor development, a decrease in pH, a decrease in dissolved oxygen concentration, changes in emulsion stability, increased incidence of dermatitis, workpiece surface-blemishes, clogged filters and lines, increased workpiece rejection rates, decreased tool life and generally unpredictable changes in coolant chemistry. Because biofouling is a major expense to some mills and metal working shops, biocides are sometimes added to metal working fluids to enhance stability and extend bath-life. However, biocides have a limited lifetime and present issues of regarding worker safety, so it is desirable to use a metal working fluid composition that is biostable without the need for biocides. Unfortunately, all metal working fluids must be discarded eventually, and the preferred method of waste treatment is through biodegradation. Traditionally, biostable compositions often complicate disposal and suffer a disadvantage from this perspective.
Esterified trimer acids ("ETAs") are known to be useful in specific metal treatment fluid systems. They provide certain desirable properties, such as biostability, and can be disposed of using standard techniques. ETAs are derivatives of trimer acids, which, depending on the specific derivative, can be water immiscible or water dispersible. Water dispersible ETAs, for example, are useful in synthetic systems, whereas water immiscible ETAs (oil soluble) are ineffective in synthetic systems but useful in soluble oil systems.
Water immiscible ETAs are fully or nearly fully esterified with alkyl alcohols whereas water dispersible ETAs are partially esterified with alkylalkoxy alcohols only or in combination with alkyl alcohols but retain sufficient residual carboxylic acid groups which, when neutralized, render the derivatives water dispersible.
The different types of ETAs are used individually in different formulations depending on the type of emulsion desired. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,060,438 discloses the use of water immiscible ETAs, such as Priolube® 3953 (available from Uniqema, Del.) for use in semi-synthetic oil-in-water emulsions. The description of these water immiscible esters from the '438 patent is incorporated herein by reference. While such semi-synthetic systems are reported as having improved lubricity, biostability and reduced tendency to form soaps, they are opaque and cannot be used in applications where it is necessary or desirable to see the workpiece through the metal treatment fluid.
By contrast, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,707,945 and 5,688,750 disclose the use of water dispersible ETAs, such as Priolube® 3951, Priolube® 3952 and Priolube® 3955 (available from Uniqema, Del.). The descriptions of water dispersible esters found in the '945 and '750 patents are incorporated herein by reference. Water extendable metal treatment fluids based on Priolube® 3951 emulsions are transparent and exhibit good boundary lubricity but experience high degrees of foaming. Water extendable metal treatment fluids based on Priolube® 3952 exhibit good boundary lubricity but are milky. Water extendable metal treatment fluids based on Priolube® 3955 exhibit good lubricity and are moderate foaming and translucent, turning to opaque.
Unfortunately, even with the advancements provided by the ETA technology, it has not been possible to provide a synthetic (water based) emulsion system that exhibits good lubricity, transparency, low foaming, and is both biostable and waste treatable. Thus, the selection of an appropriate water extendable metal working fluid for a given application required a decision as to which desirable property should be sacrificed at the expense of others. For this reason, synthetic metal working fluids are typically used in applications where cooling is the primary criterion, whereas the semi-synthetic and oil soluble fluids are used in applications where lubricity is more important.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for synthetic (water based) emulsion systems that exhibit good lubricity, transparency, low foaming, and that are both biostable and waste treatable.

Low foaming, lubricating, water based emulsions


A parking area tracking method includes: creating a top view image by capturing surroundings of a vehicle; setting a template by detecting a parking area in the top view image; detecting a location of a pillar in the top view image; detecting a region obstructed by the pillar from the parking area in which the template is set; and changing the shape of the template according to the obstructed region. A parking area tracking apparatus includes an imaging unit with a plurality of cameras for recording images around the vehicle, and a control unit for carrying out the steps of the parking area tracking method.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a parking area tracking apparatus and a method thereof, and more particularly, to a parking area tracking apparatus and a method capable of detecting and tracking a parking area around a vehicle to notify a driver thereof.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In general, the view of a driver seated in a vehicle mainly looks forward. Therefore, the left-side and right-side views and the rear view of the driver are very limited because they are substantially blocked by the vehicle body itself. In order to overcome this problem, means of affording visibility include mirrors to supplement the limited view of a driver, such as external mirrors. Recently, camera means have been used to capture video images outside a vehicle to provide it to a driver.
For example, there is a system known as around view monitoring (AVM) that has a plurality of cameras installed around a vehicle so as to show 360 degree images. The AVM system synthesizes images around a vehicle captured by a plurality of cameras, which are capturing areas around the vehicle so as to provide a top view image in which a driver may observe the vehicle as if he looks down at the vehicle from an aerial view, thereby displaying obstacles and parking areas around the vehicle and eliminating blind spots.

Parking area tracking apparatus and method thereof

Industry-University Cooperation Foundation Hanyang University


A method of driving a power transistor switch comprising: receiving a drive input signal; converting the drive input signal into a converted drive input signal; and providing the converted gate drive input signal to a control electrode of the switch to turn on the switch, the converted drive input signal having three regions with respect to time, each having a slope, a first region in time having a first slope up to a Miller Plateau of the switch; a second region in time having a second slope with a reduced slope compared with the first slope; and a third region having a third slope that is greater than the second slope, whereby the control electrode voltage rapidly reaches the Miller Plateau voltage, then more slowly reaches a threshold voltage of the switch and then, when the switch has substantially fully turned on, the control electrode voltage is rapidly increased. The switch delay time is also maintained substantially constant by adjusting the transistor control electrode precharge voltage.

The present invention relates to driver circuits, and in particular, to a driver circuit which reduces the rate of change of current during switching (dI/dt) and therefore reduces EMI (electromagnetic interference). At the same time, it is an aim of the present invention to have a large dv/dt, that is, a large rate of change of voltage to reduce dissipation and switching losses. It is further an object of the invention to provide a driver circuit with delay compensation by adjusting the gate precharge voltage.

Driver circuit and method with reduced DI/DT and having delay compensation


A thermo-compression bonding apparatus is for thermo-compressing a TCP and a substrate layer to connect electrode terminals. The thermo-compression bonding apparatus has a heating unit 1 for auxiliary heating a laminate which is heated by a compression bonding head whose temperature is kept at a predetermined temperature.

This invention relates to a thermo-compression bonding apparatus for connecting electrode terminals of a liquid crystal panel to electrode terminals of an external drive circuit (referred to below as TCP).
An anistropic conductive film (referred to below as ACF) that is a thermosetting resin is normally used for connecting electrode terminals on a TCP film and the electrode terminals extending on the substrate to the outside from the edge of the liquid crystal (LC) panel. This connection is accomplished by temporarily bonding and holding the substrate, having the electrode terminals extending from the edge of the LC panel, laminated with the film on which the TCP electrode terminals are formed with the ACF therebetween. Pressure is then applied so as to thermo-compression bond this laminate.
A thermo-compression bonding apparatus is generally used for this connection. Then, when color LC panels were introduced, the number of TCP tripled compared with black and white LC panels. As a result, a method of simultaneously thermo-compression bonding plural TCP on one side of the LC panel has been used to shorten the connection time.
However, various new problems arise when all TCP on one side are simultaneously connected to the substrate. One of these problems is the problem of offset when bonding the LC panel electrode terminals and the TCP electrode terminals. In order to solve this problem, a semiconductor device connecting apparatus is disclosed as a conventional semiconductor device connecting apparatus in Japanese Patent Publication Tokkai Hei 7-130795 (130795/1995).
In the conventional semiconductor device connecting apparatus as will be described later, it should be noted that while the center of a long pressure head is pushed by a pneumatic cylinder to apply pressure to TCP arranged on the stage, the center of the pressure head is pushed by the pneumatic cylinder by way of a freely turning pin, and it uniformly contacts the surface of the variable temperature stage with the above noted semiconductor device connection apparatus, the force of the pressure is concentrated in the middle of the rod-shaped pressure head, causing the middle of the long pressure head to bend and deflect. As a result, the TCP positioned in the middle of the pressure head is pressurized by a vertical pressure force, but a partial force diagonal to the stage surface occurs in the pressure on the TCP positioned at both sides of the pressure head, and there is the danger of an offset between the TCP electrode terminals and the electrode terminals of the substrate.
Furthermore, when TCP size or count changes, the heat capacity of the overlapping part naturally also changes, and the thermo-compression bonding time changes. For example, when TCP size increases, the heat capacity of the overlapping part also increases, and the time required to reach the resin setting temperature increases. If the temperature of the variable temperature stage is set high in this case to speed the temperature rise time, the polarization plate of the LC panel adjacent to the variable temperature stage will be burnt by heat radiation from the variable temperature stage.
It is also difficult to maintain a uniform temperature in the placement surface of a long variable temperature stage having no indication of whether a temperature sensor is present or where it is located. Furthermore, even if temperature control of the variable temperature stage is possible, it is not possible to determine whether the TCP, ACF, and substrate layer arranged on the placement surface of the variable temperature stage have reached a desired temperature, presenting the problem that there could be TCP not bonded with the substrate layer.
An object of this invention is to provide a thermo-compression bonding apparatus and thermo-compression bonding method that can connect the electrode terminals of a substrate and the electrode terminals of TCP without the electrode terminals shifting or the polarization plate burning by holding uniformly at a desired temperature and uniformly applying pressure to a laminate of TCP, ACF, and a substrate layer.
According to an aspect of this invention, there is provided a thermo-compression bonding apparatus comprising a backup part on which a plurality of laminate members are arranged in a longitudinal direction of the backup part, and a compression bonding head with an internal heater for applying pressure to the laminate members placed on the backup part while heating the laminate members. The laminate members are formed by overlapping and temporarily fixing electrode terminals of a substrate extending from an edge of a liquid crystal panel and electrode terminals of an external drive circuit with an anistropic conductive film therebetween. The thermo-compression bonding apparatus comprises a vertically movable plate for moving the compression bonding head towards a vertical direction, a pneumatic cylinder for linking a piston rod to the vertically movable plate to applying a pressure to the compression bonding head, and auxiliary heating means disposed to the backup part at a position opposite to the liquid crystal panel for auxiliary heating the laminate members which are heated by the compression bonding head.
According to another aspect of this invention, there is provided a method of connecting liquid crystal panel electrode terminals to external drive circuit electrode terminals by thermo-compression. The method comprises the steps of (A) compressing laminate members by a compression bonding head whose temperature is kept at a predetermined temperature, to heat the laminate members to the predetermined temperature, the laminate members being formed by overlapping and temporarily fixing electrode terminals of a substrate extending from an edge of a liquid crystal panel and electrode terminals of an external drive circuit with an anistropic conductive film therebetween, (B) making the temperature of the laminate members be kept at a desired temperature by auxiliary heating means for auxiliary heating the laminate members which are heated by the compression bonding head, and (C) connecting the liquid crystal panel electrode terminals to the external drive circuit electrode terminals.

Thermo-compression bonding apparatus for connecting a liquid crystal panel to an external drive circuit


A garbage disposal with an offset is provided. The garbage disposal includes a grinder mounted within a housing. The grinder rotates within the housing to process waste within the garbage disposal. Waste entering the housing is directed away from an axis of rotation of the grinder due to the offset. By directing waste away from the axis of rotation of the grinder, the waste can be more fully processed by the grinder.

During cooking or cleaning within a kitchen, a sink can collect a significant amount of debris. For example, waste can collect within and around a drain of the sink during cleaning of dishes. Such waste can be large enough to clog the sink's drain if the waste is permitted to enter the drain. Accordingly, a user may be required to remove the waste from the sink. Conversely, certain kitchen sinks include a garbage disposal mounted beneath the sink to process such waste.
The garbage disposal is disposed in-line with sink's drain such that liquids and solid waste exiting the sink passes through the garbage disposal prior to entering the drain. The garbage disposal includes a mechanism for grinding solid waste passing through the garbage disposal. For example, a grinding ring can chop or mince solid waste within the garbage disposal into pieces small enough to pass through the sink's drain without clogging the drain.
Generally, the garbage disposal includes blades mounted to a plate that rotates about a center of rotation. During rotation of the plate, the plate and blades can urge waste towards the grinding ring. However, the garbage disposal's entrance is generally disposed directly above the center of rotation of the plate. Such a configuration can create problems during operation of the garbage disposal. For example, waste can collect on the plate at the center of rotation.
In particular, waste at the center of rotation may experience insufficient force to move the waste away from the plate's center of rotation. Such waste can accumulate on top of the plate at the center of rotation and not be urged onto the grinding ring by rotation of the plate. Further, such waste can remain disposed within the garbage disposal for extended periods of time and eventually create unpleasant odors or otherwise affect performance of the garbage disposal.
Accordingly, a garbage disposal with features for improved processing of waste would be useful. In particular, a garbage disposal with features for directing waste away from a center of rotation of the garbage disposal would be useful.


A malware detection system to detect malware in a client computer system includes a behavior profile generator adapted to generate a behavior profile specifying operational behaviors of a computer system indicative of the existence of malware in the computer system; an interface adapted to communicate the behavior profile to the client; and an identifier responsive to a message from the client that the behavior profile is exhibited by the client and adapted to identify a reaction instruction for performance by the client, wherein the interface is further adapted to communicate the reaction instruction to the client.

A challenge when using network connected computer systems is the potential for infection with malicious software, or malware, including, inter alia: viruses; worms; viruses; Trojan horses; rootkits; grayware; unsolicited software; privacy-invasive software; spyware; adware; fraudulent dialers; and even joke programs. Such malware can be communicated via a network to a network connected computer system and can be difficult to identify and remove. Malware detection and removal techniques improve all the time, though the nature and behavior of malware software evolves to match the progress made in anti-malware technology. Accordingly, the execution of malware detection and removal tools on computer systems can be a resource-intensive task.
Computer systems with spare resource capacity—such as desktop or laptop personal computers and the like—may be able to undertake routine or reactive malware detection and/or removal tasks at normal runtime with little or no impact on the performance of the computer system. Such systems generally employ powerful processors, often multiprocessors, with considerable spare memory and storage capacity.
Some computer systems are resource constrained such that the execution of malware detection and/or removal tasks at normal runtime can be expected to cause a noticeable and unacceptable reduction in the performance of the system. For example, such reduction in performance can be so considerable that the system becomes temporarily unusable or considerably less responsive. The execution of routine malware detection tasks can interfere with the normal services, facilities or functions of such computer systems and, in some cases, such interference can be so considerable that a user of the computer system is effectively denied access to, or the service of, the computer system while the malware detection and/or removal process is undertaken. In particular, even a modest reduction in performance (such as a 30-40% reduction in processor capacity) arising as a result of execution of an anti-malware process can render such systems much less useable. Examples of such resource constrained network connected computer systems include, inter alia: mobile computer systems such as mobile telephone handsets; smartphones; tablet computers; smart watches; thin-client laptop computer systems such as netbooks and Chromebooks; cloud computing terminal devices; so-called 'dumb' terminals; mobile terminals used in various industries such as logistics handsets and utilities handsets; barcode scanners; printers; RFID scanners; entertainment devices including televisions, set-top boxes, games consoles, handheld games consoles, music or sound players and handheld controllers; alarm systems; industrial controllers and controlling devices; manufacturing robots; vehicular computers such as in-car computer systems, satellite navigation systems, self-driving vehicle computers; and the like.
To address the challenge of providing anti-malware services with such resource constrained network connected devices it is known to centralize anti-malware services at a network connected server computer system such that client computer systems communicate with the server which provides remote anti-malware services such as file and memory scanning and malware removal. For example, a resource constrained client device can send files to a server computer system for the server to undertake a malware scan of the files. Where the server computer system identifies malware in a file the server can flag or remediate the malware, such as by removing all or part of the file. Further, such approaches to anti-malware are applicable to all client computer systems, not just resource constrained clients, and are increasingly offered as a security service such as a cloud service.
While the use of a centralized server anti-malware service reduces the demands placed on client computer systems, the sheer volume of network connected clients and files/data for scanning and/or remediation places considerable burdens on the centralized server. Additionally, and perhaps more noticeably, the constant shifting of files and data between client devices and the central server places unacceptable burdens on data networks.
Accordingly it would be beneficial to provide anti-malware for client devices without the aforementioned disadvantages.

British Telecommunications Public Limited Company


An apparatus for storing, preserving and cleaning contact lenses includes a base housing; one or more lens bowls transparent to selected ranges of UV and IR light wavelengths; UV and IR light sources to direct UV and IR light into the lens bowls; a removable cover opaque to the UV light; one or more closure sensors to sense the status of the cover; a power supply; and, a controller in control communication with the UV and IR light sources, the power supply and the closure sensors, the controller causing the UV and IR light sources to cease emitting when the cover is not closed.

The current conventional method for cleaning, sterilization and storage of contact lenses generally requires chemicals. Chemical cleaning and sterilization is both inconvenient and can cause adverse reactions in users with sensitivities to the chemicals. The inconvenience of selecting and purchasing chemical solutions which are compatible with the particular lenses and do not cause adverse reactions in the users, over long timespans, leads to users sometimes running out of the solutions and/or using incorrect solutions, which can lead to infections and/or adverse reactions in the users. Inadequate maintenance practices also shorten the useful life of lenses. Bacterial and viral populations in and on the lenses can develop resistance to chemicals. In addition, the requirement to use specific chemicals in specific order can lead to errors by users, which again lead to adverse results. For example, failure to properly clean lenses prior to chemical sterilization can lead to incomplete sterilization in areas where mucus and protein buildup can shield bacteria and viruses underneath those layers from the sterilizing chemicals, creating danger of infections and irritation of the eyes. Reliance on chemical methods is unreliable on a systemic level.
There is a need for compact, simple, reliable apparatus and methods which are essentially failsafe and easy for ordinary consumers to use, and which avoid growth of chemical-resistant bacteria and viruses.

Method and apparatus for storing, preserving and cleaning contact lenses


A closure is attached across the open mouth of a flexible bag for use in closing the bag and dispensing solid, particulate material therefrom. The closure is formed of a continuous ring having a circumference approximating the circumference of the bag mouth, and include a first wall engaging one side of the bag adjacent the bag mouth, and a cover extending across the bag mouth, the cover having a top surface with at least one access opening, a removable cap for the opening, and a continuous rim extending downwardly from the top surface, the rim having a second wall engaging the opposite side of the bag adjacent the bag mouth, the first and second walls being adapted to clamp the upper edge of the bag.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device for dispensing particulate material from a flexible bag, and in particular to a closure that can be fitted across the mouth of a flexible bag to facilitate storage and removal of particulate material from the bag. The invention also relates to the assembled closure and bag, and to a unique dispenser cap that can be used as part of the closure.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Numerous solid, particulate products are packaged in flexible bags for sale to consumers. Such products include dry dog food, cat litter, birdseed, etc. This type of packaging, as opposed to solid containers, is favored due to its low cost of manufacture and its space requirements. However, flexible packaging is not as convenient to the ultimate consumer when less than the entire package contents is to be used at one time.
When a flexible bag containing multiple portions is to be used, the consumer first opens the top of the bag by cutting open the top or by pulling a string or tab holding the edges of the bag together, to create an open mouth at the top of the bag.
After the consumer removes a portion of the bag contents, e.g., by pouring the contents from the bag, or by using a scoop, the bag must then be reclosed. Normally, this closure is effected by rolling or twisting the top of the bag, or by tying the top of the bag with a string or other tie. Neither of these methods is entirely effective. Tops that are simply rolled or twisted tend to come undone, allowing moisture or rodents, insects and the like, access to the bag contents. If the bag is turned over, the contents are also likely to spill. A string or tie is often lost, and must be undone, often with difficulty, when access to the bag is needed again.
An improved method and apparatus that would provide the economical advantages of multi-use flexible packaging of solid, particulate materials, without the heretofore inherent disadvantage associated with closing of the bag after removal of a portion of the bag contents, would be of considerable economic value and convenience.


Methods and systems of processing a plurality of payments. One method can include receiving the plurality of payments from a plurality of customers, the plurality of payments payable to at least one receiver, determining a first set of payments included in the plurality of payments to automatically accept based on validation parameters, determining a second set of payments included in the plurality of payments to reject based on the validation parameters, determining a third set of payments included in the plurality of payments to conditionally accept based on the validation parameters, and electronically prompting at least one user to accept or reject payments included in the third set of payments.

Payment systems have become a convenient way for customers to make payments to one or more receivers. The payments can include payments related to one or more bills ("bill payments"), payments for one or more prepaid goods and/or services ("prepaid payments"), payments for opening and/or loading one or more stored value card payments ("stored value card payments"), and/or other types of payments made from a customer to a receiver. Payment systems are often operated by third-party service providers or processing systems, that accept and process payments on behalf of receivers.
Receivers, however, may want the ability to review a payment provided by a customer in order to handle exception items. Some exception items can include rejects. Rejects can include payments that are received but are not able to be immediately processed, and, sometimes are rejected and sent back to the sending customer. For example, accepting a payment in the mortgage or insurance industries has legal and other implications that a receiver may want to avoid if the payment is late, incorrect, etc. Therefore, many receivers review a payment prior to accepting it and have the opportunity to reject the payment.
Receivers often use payment instruments (e.g., paper checks) to perform payment returns (e.g., refunds) for rejected payments. In some embodiments, rejected payments are either returned to the customer or are voided. Providing a payment instrument to a customer, however, can create additional issues and problems, such as check printing equipment and maintenance requirements, remote check printing, check inventory and security requirements, lost check procedures, address resolution procedures, etc, which can be costly for the receiver and can delay or inhibit the return of a payment to the customer.

Systems and methods for processing payments with payment review features


The present invention relates to a power-managed socket adapted for connecting to an electrical device and thus providing the electrical device with power. The power-managed socket comprises: a detection circuit capable of detecting and outputting a characteristic value of the electrical device connected to the power-managed socket, the characteristic value being a voltage value or a current value; an identification database capable of storing parameters corresponding to at least one specific electrical product; a micro control unit capable of converting the characteristic value received from the detection circuit after the characteristic value is analog-to-digital converted into an electric signal while comparing the electric signal with signals stored in the identification database to determine whether the electrical device connected to the power-managed socket is the specific electric product; and a power circuit capable of providing the detection circuit, the identification database and the micro control unit with power.

1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention generally relates to a power-managed socket and, more particularly, to a remote power-managed socket capable of detecting power consumption information to be used as an identification basis for determining the type of an electrical device that is connected thereto by comparing the detected power information with an database registered therein, and thus performing a power management operation upon the electrical device according to the known electric characteristics of the same for the purpose of enhancing power consumption efficiency. With the aforesaid power-managed socket, any kind of electric product can be identified as soon as it is plugged into the power-managed socket, and thereby, not only all the electric products connected to the power-managed socket that are identified can be scheduled to perform a malfunction inspection or a remote maintenance, but also their power consumption can be monitored and controlled by the power-managed socket for achieving optimal efficiency.
2. Background of the Present Invention
Although there are already many studies carried out on standby power reduction in electric devices, only a few of which had focused their efforts in developing a power management instrument for controlling and managing the standby power consumption of any electric product currently available on the market in a wired or wireless manner. That is, there are plenty of papers and patents on remote power control related to its style and hardware architecture, but there is no systematic study about how to setup the connection between a remote power control and an electric device as well as how to setup the operation mode for a remote power control.
The technology of remote-control power-managed socket disclosed in the present invention, being designed to work cooperative with power consumption characteristics of common household electrical appliances and the intelligence family energy-saving system, is applied to a power-managed socket, being substantially an intelligence energy-saving system that is embedded with an environmental parameter prediction algorithm and a database of operation modes for allowing the same to select an operation mode for the electric device connected thereto according to its power consumption characteristics, by that the type of the electric device connected thereto is being identified and thus classified automatically according to their predicted power consumption, and then the result of the identification is send to an controller for determining an operation mode for the identified electric device. It is noted that there is already a good power-saving controller disclosed in Taiwan Pat. 082203028. Being an improvement over the aforesaid power-saving controller, the remote-control power-managed socket of the present invention is an intelligence device not only capable of identifying the type of the electric device connected thereto in an automatic manner, but also capable of performing a power cut-off evaluation according to the type of the identified electric device. Moreover, as all the power consumption condition of the electric devices connected to the power-managed socket can be sent to a master controller in a wireless manner, the remote power-saving management as well as the remote maintenance can be achieved.

Industrial Technology Research Institute


An apparatus and method of mapping a short message service (SMS) information from a first communications system to a corresponding message in a second, different cellular system is claimed. SMS information having a format required by the first communication system is received. The SMS information is mapped into a format required by the second communication system. Additional information is appended, if necessary, or information is removed as being extraneous information, if necessary, as required by the second communication system.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to wireless communications. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for providing short message services in different cellular communications systems.
II. Description of the Related Art
Code division multiple access (CDMA) modulation is but one of several techniques for facilitating communications in which a large number of system users are present. Although other techniques, such as time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), the global system for mobile communications (GSM) and AM modulation schemes such as amplitude companded single sideband (ACSSB) are also available, CDMA has significant advantages over these other modulation techniques. The use of CDMA techniques in a multiple access communication system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,307, entitled "Spread Spectrum Multiple Access Communication System Using Satellite Or Terrestrial Repeaters", assigned to the present assignee, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,307 a multiple access technique is described in which a large number of mobile telephone system users, each having a transceiver, communicate through satellite repeaters or terrestrial base stations (also known as cell base stations, or cell-sites) using code division multiple access (CDMA) spread spectrum communication signals. In using CDMA communications, the frequency spectrum can be reused multiple times thus permitting an increase in system user capacity. The use of CDMA techniques results in a much higher spectral efficiency than can be achieved using other multiple access techniques.
In conventional cellular telephone systems the available frequency band is divided into channels typically 30 KHz in bandwidth while analog FM modulation techniques are used. The system service area is divided geographically into cells of varying size. The available frequency channels are divided into sets with each set usually containing an equal number of channels. The frequency sets are assigned to cells in such a way as to minimize the possibility of co-channel interference. For example, consider a system in which there are seven frequency sets and the cells are equal size hexagons. A frequency set used in one cell will not be used in the six nearest or surrounding neighbors of that cell. Furthermore, the frequency set in one cell will not be used in the twelve next nearest neighbors of that cell.
A more difficult situation is presented by movement of the mobile station into a cell serviced by a base station from another cellular system. One complicating factor in such "intersystem" handoffs is that the neighboring cellular system often has dissimilar characteristics. For example, adjacent cellular systems will often operate at different frequencies, and may maintain different levels of base station output power or pilot strength. Further, adjacent cellular systems may require different messaging structures, even for similar types of messages.
For example, the so-called GSM standard has no mechanism for a soft handoff. There is, therefore, a problem in handing off a call using the air interface from a CDMA network to a GSM network. Furthermore, GSM authentication cannot be done because the CDMA 2000 mechanisms cannot transfer the data required to do GSM authentication. Encryption in GSM is different than the encryption in CDMA 2000.
In another example, there is a problem in that there is currently no mechanism for handing SMS and SMSC information using the air interface from a CDMA network to a GSM network. That is, when an SMS message is sent from the mobile, the network needs to know the SMSC address to send the SMS message. Similarly, standard GSM SMSC information cannot be transferred because the CDMA mechanisms cannot transfer the data required to handle GSM SMSC address information. Moreover, standard CDMA SMS message formats (IS-637) cannot be handled by a standard GSM network, because GSM mechanisms cannot transfer the data required to handle standard CDMA SMS messaging.
One way of dealing with this problem would be to modify GSM to enable it to effect handoff to a non-GSM system, e.g. a CDMA system. Another way of dealing with this problem is to modify CDMA to handle traditional SMSC messaging. However, both CDMA and GSM are well established systems, relatively speaking, and operators and equipment providers are reluctant to make expensive modifications to existing equipment in order to accommodate a neighbouring incompatible system. If new messages are added to the air interface in support of dual-mode mobile stations, then modifications must be made to support these new messages using existing hardware. Plainly, this is undesirable form the perspective of the operator and of the equipment provider.

Method and apparatus for effecting SMS and SMSC messaging in different cellular communications systems


A control circuit for a DC/DC converter has a linear-control loop, which receives a quantity to be controlled and a first reference quantity, and generates a modulation value. A nonlinear modulation unit is activated in presence of a variation of the quantity to be controlled higher than a preset intervention threshold and modifies in a nonlinear way the reference quantity supplied to the linear-control loop. In the case of large variation and of preset sign of the quantity to be controlled, the linear-control loop is deactivated, a signal for switching-off of the DC/DC converter is initially generated, and then a false steady-state-modulation value is supplied to the DC/DC converter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nonlinear digital control circuit and method for a DC/DC converter.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In particular, and in a non-limiting way, the present invention relates to a control circuit usable in Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) applications, wherein the converter is used for supplying loads that absorb high current in a discontinuous way, and thus have a rapidly varying load. A typical VRM application is the supply of computer processors, which, according to the operations to be executed, require currents varying rapidly (in a few microseconds) from a few microamps to 100-120 A.
Currently, the most widespread control circuits are of an analog type, but circuits of a digital type are increasingly spreading since they have numerous advantages, such as lower sensitivity to disturbance, environmental variations, and variations of parameters and can be used in different applications, without any need for modifications.
The structure of a typical digital DC/DC converter of a step-down type that can be used for VRM applications is illustrated in FIG. 1. The converter 1 of FIG. 1 comprises a power switch S, for example a MOS transistor, having a first conduction terminal connected to a first pin of an inductor L. The second pin of the inductor L is connected to a first pin of a capacitor C, parallel-connected to a load 2, for example a microprocessor. A diode D is coupled between the first pin of the inductor L and the second pin of the capacitor C and forms, with the inductor L and the capacitor C, a filter F. A second conduction terminal of the power switch S receives a d.c. voltage VS of, for example, 12 V.
The voltage VO on the load 2 is supplied to a linear control stage 3, including an adder node 4, which receives the output voltage VO, converted into digital format by a sampler/converter CONV A/D, and a reference voltage Vref and outputs an error signal Verr. The linear control stage 3 further comprises, cascade-connected to each other, an error amplifier EA receiving the error signal Verr, a control block, for example of a PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) type, a digital-to-analog converter DAC, and a PWM comparator, which receives, on a negative input, a ramp voltage W. The output X of the linear control stage 3 controls a driving circuit DR, which drives the gate terminal of the power switch S and causes switching-on and switching-off thereof.
When the load 2 varies, the output voltage VO undergoes a variation of opposite sign, which is detected by the linear control stage 3. This consequently modifies the on/off time (duty cycle) of the power switch S so as to bring the output voltage VO back to the steady-state value.
Notwithstanding the advantages, indicated above, of the digital technique as compared to the analog one, the digital technique is not readily applicable where the response speed of the converter is an essential requisite, as in the VRM applications mentioned above. In fact, the need to convert the input and output signals of the control circuit from analog to digital and vice versa and to numerically process the digital signals causes the digital technique to be intrinsically slower. On the other hand, for VRM applications, the system must be able to respond to extremely fast load variations, maintaining the output voltage within a preset range, in any operation condition. Here, identification of an appropriate corrective action to be inserted in the feedback line to increase the bandwidth of the system, and hence the speed of response, is not straightforward. In fact, this system is affected by the problem of the limit cycle, which is a phenomenon of instability that causes a considerable deterioration of the output-voltage waveform due to the difference between the resolutions of the A/D and D/A converters. The effects of the limit cycle can be reduced by reducing the gain, which however entails a reduction in the response speed.
Furthermore, in order to reduce the positive or negative voltage peaks when the load is rapidly modified, a solution has been proposed, referred to as AVP (Adaptive Voltage Positioning), which enables a reduction in the output-voltage swing in presence of load variations (see Modelling and simulation of new digital control for power conversion systems, G. Capponi, P. Livreri, M. Minieri, F. Marino; Electronics Specialists Conference, 2002, pesc. 02.2002 IEEE 33rd Annual, Volume 1, 2002, pp. 155-158). This solution envisages a variation in the reference voltage so as to exploit the entire tolerance window of the output voltage. In practice, upon detection of a high variation in output voltage or output current, the reference value is reduced or increased (according to whether there is an increase or a reduction in load) by a corrective value proportional to the maximum admissible current variation. Alternatively, for simplicity, the reference value can remain constant and the output voltage can be shifted up or down (in a direction opposite to the one expected for the reference voltage) by a quantity equal to the corrective value.
Using the AVP technique, the range of swing of the output voltage is reduced. However, the introduction of the AVP in the voltage-regulator circuit complicates the solution of the problem of the response speed.
In the literature, the problem of the response speed of a converter of the type indicated is generally solved by modifying the control loop or the converter topology (for instance, using a multiphase converter).
For example, A. Barrado, R. Vàzquez, A. Làzaro, J. Vàzquez, E. Olías <<New DC/DC Converter With Low Output Voltage And Fast Transient Response>>, 2003 IEEE, pp. 432-437, describes an example of nonlinear control inserted in a single-phase system. The solution proposed in this article comprises two DC/DC converters, one of which intervenes exclusively during load variations. By appropriately sizing the phase offset between the two converters, it is possible to obtain an improvement in the transient response. This solution has the considerable disadvantage that a converter is used only in presence of transients. In addition, from an analysis of the simulations, it may be inferred that the solution disclosed in this article would be far from effective in presence of AVP, in so far as the overshoots would completely nullify the advantages of the AVP. Furthermore, the solution has been presented for current variations not greater than 16 A, and consequently it is not applicable to situations where higher current variations (up to 80 A and above) are present.
Other solutions, such as bang-bang control (see, for example, U.S. 2002/0048180) are aimed at reducing the recovery time, seeking to maintain balance between the currents of various DC/DC converters operating in parallel. This technique is apparently not compatible with AVP and enables a certain hysteresis on the output voltage. In practice, this technique enables maximization of the response speed, causing an increase or decrease in the output current as fast as possible and is not concerned with oscillations on the output voltage.
The aim of the present invention is therefore to solve the problems that afflict known solutions, providing a control circuit of a digital type, which has a high response speed to load variations, reducing as much as possible overshooting and undershooting of the output voltage.
According to the present invention, a control circuit for a DC/DC converter is provided, comprising a linear-control loop, which has an input receiving a quantity to be controlled and a first reference quantity, and has an output supplying a modulation value, and a nonlinear modulation unit for said first reference quantity, said nonlinear modulation unit being activated in presence of a first variation of said quantity to be controlled higher than an intervention threshold.
The invention also provides a method for controlling a DC/DC converter receiving a modulation value and supplying a quantity to be controlled, comprising: acquiring said quantity to be controlled and a first reference quantity; regulating with a closed linear loop said quantity to be controlled on the basis of said first reference quantity; and detecting a first variation of said quantity to be controlled higher than an intervention threshold, and modulating, in a nonlinear way, said first reference quantity in presence of said first variation of said quantity to be controlled.

Nonlinear digital control circuit and method for a DC/DC converter


Disclosed are methods and touch sensitive devices including a haptic actuator drive frequency module stored by the memory and in communication with the controller, the haptic actuator drive frequency module being configured to receive touch input from one of a plurality of regions of the touch sensitive layer and to output one of a plurality of haptic actuator drive frequency signals based upon the region from which the haptic actuator drive frequency module received the touch input to provide for consistency of the haptic response across a touch sensitive device.

Touch screens are utilized in many electronic devices, from airport check in screens, to ATMs, and to mobile communication devices. When a user touches the screen, a touch sensor will send a touch signal to a controller so that the controller can carry out a function based on the user input. Haptic response, that is, a response from the touch screen when it is touched, provides a user tactile feedback that the touch screen has received the input.
Haptic response is provided by any type of electromechanical actuator, such as by a piezo electric actuator layered with a touch sensor layer for localized haptics. When the touch signal is sent to the controller, the controller will in turn send a haptic response signal to an actuator which will drive the actuator at a particular frequency and in accordance with a voltage level so that it provides haptic feedback to the user. The user may feel a click nearly instantaneously when the user provides input to the touch screen.

Methods and devices for consistency of the haptic response across a touch sensitive device


An internal combustion engine includes an engine control unit for setting a ratio of fuel injection quantity of both the injectors. The engine control unit includes a memory storing four sheets of ignition timing maps, with reference to which the maximum torque generation timing and knocking limit torque generation timing, at the direct injection injector (100%) and port fuel injection injector (100%), are calculated. The engine control unit further operates to calculate a correction amount from correction amount map, and calculates first interpolation value of the maximum torque generation timing at the above 100% operation time of both the injectors and second interpolation value of the knocking limit torque generation timing at the above 100% operation time of both the injectors. A value in which the correction amount is added to either one of the above first and second interpolation value on a delay angle side is calculated as ignition timing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine provided with double system of fuel injection including a port fuel injection (PFI) system and a direct injection (DI) system.
2. Related Art
In an internal combustion engine of an automobile, a knocking may be caused at a time when an automobile is rapidly accelerated from a low speed running thereof.
The knocking is a phenomenon in which unburned fuel-air mixture in front of a propagation flame is compressed to a high temperature and then self-ignited due to incompatibility between engine load and engine ignition timing, and a large pressure wave generated at a combustion period in a combustion chamber vibrates a wall of the combustion chamber. According to the generation of such knocking, temperature and pressure in the combustion chamber are abnormally increased, which may cause damage to the combustion chamber. Because of this reason, various counter-measures have been considered in prior art, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open (KOKAI) Publication No. HEI 10-141194).
In this publication, there is disclosed a control unit for controlling an ignition timing of an internal combustion engine, in which the ignition timing is set to a maximum torque generation timing (MBT: Minimum Spark Advance for Best Torque) in a low load range at which any knocking never be caused, and on the contrary, the ignition timing is set to a knocking limit torque generation timing (TK) based on knocking detection in a high load range at which the knocking may be liable to be caused. The knocking limit means a timing at which a knocking noise (trace knock) is first detected during advancing of the ignition timing.
However, in the invention disclosed in the above prior art publication, the ignition timing control is applicable to an internal combustion engine in which one fuel supply device is used for one cylinder.
Incidentally, fuel injection modes is classified into a PFI system (Port Fuel Injection System) in which fuel is injected from an injector to an intake pipe for each cylinder and a DI system (Direct Injection System) in which fuel is injected directly in each cylinder from an injector.
In the PFI system, fuel is easily mixed uniformly with air, and accordingly, in low revolution speed operation of the engine (low engine revolution speed), the engine performance can be fully achieved. On the other hand, in the DI system, since a lot of air is sucked into the cylinder, the high engine performance can be achieved in high revolution speed operation of the engine (high engine revolution speed). In order to achieve more effective combustion performance of the internal combustion engine by utilizing the above advantages of both systems, there may provide a system in which both PFI system and DI system are parallelly arranged for each cylinder of the engine so that a ratio of fuel injection quantity from each of both the systems (i.e. injectors) is changed in accordance with the engine revolution and engine load.
However, the PFI system and DI system differ from each other in their maximum torque generation timings, the knocking limit torque generation timing and so on. Therefore, even if the invention of the above-mentioned prior art patent publication is applied to the case in which both systems are parallelly arranged for each cylinder of the engine, an optimum ignition timing cannot be achieved.

Internal combustion engine provided with double system of fuel injection


A Sweeney Robertson Tocher (SRT) divider and a square root extractor of floating point double-precision bit width, including a selector of single-precision and double-precision, a carry propagation adder (CPA) for conducting carry propagation of a partial remainder, a quotient digit selector circuit for making selection on a quotient digit, and a selector of a divisor or a partial square root extractor circuit, in a lower side thereof. A selector for selecting the propagation of carry between a carry save adder (CSA) in the upper side and the lower side thereof is provided, and a selector of a starting position within a quotient production circuit is provided, thereby enabling the execution of two (2) calculations, such as, division or square root extraction of the floating point single-precision, at the same time, but without increasing the bit width of a computing unit. Also, with the square root extraction, it is possible to execute two (2) calculations of single-precision in parallel, in a similar manner, by adding a partial square root extraction circuit thereinto.

In general, the calculation or computing, such as, division is carried out in a repetitive type; in the similar manner to that with using figures written down on paper on a desk. The division of such the repetitive type of calculation can be divided in the types thereof, roughly into three (3); such as, a pull-back method, a pull-away method, and a SRT method, for example. Though being common with upon the principle of calculations, however those methods are fit to the high-speed calculation, in such the order as was mentioned above, due to use of redundancy of the quotient digit. Further, there is a convergence method other than those, however explanation will be omitted herein.
First, explanation will be given in the pull-back method. Assuming a dividend to be a partial remainder, a divisor is subtracted from the partial remainder, and if the result is a positive or zero (0), the quotient digit is made to be "1". And, if being negative, the quotient digit is made to "0", thereby turning back to an original value by adding the divisor subtracted again (this is so-called the "pull-back"). A left-hand side shifting is made to double the partial remainder (i.e., two (2) times), and then the next quotient digit is obtained, and this is repeated thereafter. Ten (10) times on the calculation with figure on paper corresponds to two (2) times of the 1 bit left-hand side shifting. In this pull-back method, since it is always necessary to add the divisor, so as to pull back, therefore if the partial remainder is negative, there is a limit on the high-speed division calculation.
On the contrary to this, it is the pull-away method, in which a negative value is provided for the quotient digit, such as, "−1" or "1", for example, thereby eliminating the correction by the pull-back of the partial remainder. Since the quotient digit includes "−1", there is a necessity of providing a quotient producing circuit for producing the quotient of only "0" or "1". With this pull-away method, the quotient digit must be determined upon a result of subtraction of the partial remainder and the divisor, similar to the pull-back method mentioned above, therefore the high-speed processing is also difficult when the partial remainder and the divisor are large in the bit widths thereof. This pull-away method is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 4-172526 (1992) "FLOATING POINT DIVIDER", which will be mentioned later.
While, the SRT method is one, in which "−1", "0" or "−1" is taken to be the quotient digit, so as to normalize the divisor and the dividend, thereby enabling the determination of the quotient digit at high-speed with using a several upper bits of the partial remainder. The calculation method by using this SRT method is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 6-290030 (1994) "DIVIDER APPARATUS", Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 9-69040 (1997) "CIRCUIT FOR CONDUCTING SQUARE ROOT CALCULATION/DIVISION OF RADIX 2 BY 3 STAGE OVERLAPPING WITH, EACH HAVING INTERFERENTIAL CALCULATION", Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 9-91270 (1997) "COMPUTING UNIT", and Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 10-187420 (1998) "DIVISION/SQUARE ROOT EXTRACTION COMPUTING UNIT" by the present inventors, etc.
On the other hand, as a method for duplicating the performance of a single precision calculation, by enabling the single precision calculation in the lower bits of the computing or calculating unit having double precision bit width, which is not used, there is also disclosed a computing unit, in which a small-scaled circuit is added to the floating point divider of the double precision, as shown in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 4-172526 (1992) relating to the pull-back method mentioned above, thereby processing two (2) floating point divisions of the single precision, in parallel. The adding/subtracting computing unit is divided into an upper one and a lower one, for conducting the respective single precision calculation therewith. Also, with the partial remainder, selection is made on whether to be added or subtracted with respect to the divisor, depending on the respective signs at the upper and the lower thereof. When being under the double precision, it is so constructed that a result can be obtained, which is same to that obtained by means of the computing unit of the double precision width, by selecting the sign at the upper side and also at the lower side, and transferring carrier from the lower side to the upper side.
Though this Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 4-172526 (1992) discloses therein the floating point dividing apparatus, being very effective for conducting the single precision calculations in parallel, but there is still an aspect in the calculating method, to be further improved with.
Namely, the pull-away method is applied into the calculation of the partial remainder from a viewpoint of the circuit structure, and the positive or negative of the partial remainder is determined upon the sign of the partial remainder, thereby determining on whether addition or subtraction is made with the divisor. However, upon determining on the positive/negative of the partial remainder by means of the sign of the partial remainder, it is necessary to propagate the partial remainder, with carrying up all the bits thereof, and then it takes much time for processing, therefore it has a drawback that it is difficult to process it at high-speed. Further, in this Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 4-172526 (1992), no disclosure is made on a manner or method for executing the calculation for extracting the square root at the high-speed.
An object, according to the present invention, is to provide a high-speed computing unit, such as, a divider, a square root unit, and also to provide an electronic circuit device using thereof.
The object in more details thereof, according to the present invention, is to provide a high-speed computing unit, enabling single-precision one (1) calculation, single precision two (2) calculations, and double precis ion calculation therewith, and also to provide an electronic circuit device using thereof.
Further the object, in more details thereof, according to the present invention, is to provide a computing unit, such as, a SRT computing unit of high-precision and high-speed, in particular, a floating point divider and a square root computing unit, etc., with using the SRT method having the double precision bit width, and also to provide an electronic circuit device using thereof.


Aryl triflate compounds can generate a strong acid when exposed to irradiation of radiation and can be used as an acid generator in a radiologically-acid-producing agent system and a radiosensitive composition.

The present invention relates to a radiosensitive composition which can be utilized in coating materials, printing materials, UV ink, photoresists for semiconductors, photoresists for printed circuit board, materials for holography, etc.; and an aryl triflate compound, an photo-acid-producing (or generating) agent (or photo acid generator) or an photo-acid-producing agent system, which is suitable for said radiosensitive composition.
Practical use of photochemical cationic polymerization was made possible by use of a thermally stable onium salt found by J. V. Crivello (J. V. Crivello and J. H. Lam, Macromolecules, vol. 10, p. 1307 (1977), etc.). In the photochemical cationic polymerization, as compared with conventionally used photochemical radical polymerization, the polymerization is not inhibited by air and the lifetime of an active species is longer. Therefore, the photochemical cationic polymerization is advantageous, for example, in that living polymerization is possible and monomers can be selected in a wide range. Accordingly, earnest studies are in progress in this field. Recent results of investigation on the photochemical cationic polymerization are reviewed in detail in UV Curing: Science and Technology, vol. 1 (1978) and vol. 2 (1984), Technology Marketing Corporation, Norwalk, Conn. A so-called chemical amplified photoresist has been proposed by a group belonging to International Business Machines Corp. The chemical amplified photoresist is highly pervious to excimer laser and has high sensitivity and resolution. Therefore, it is noted as a photoresist for microfabrication of a semiconductor (M. J. Bowden and S. R. Turner, "Polymers for High Technology Electronics and Photonics," ACS Symposium Series, U.S. Chemical Society, Washington, D.C. (1987) p. 138, etc.).
Both photochemical cationic polymerization system and chemical amplification system comprise as their essential constituent a compound or a system, which produces a strong acid on light irradiation. In the case of heretofore known onium salts such as triaryl sulfonium salts and diaryl iodonium salts, the quantum yield of acid production is relatively high and the strength of an acid produced is sufficient, but the onium salts are disadvantageous, for example, in that a light source is limited because wavelengths at which they are photosensitive are short, that they have a bad compatibility with generally used resin systems, that they contain metals, resulting in doping unnecessary in the semiconductor field, and that soft errors due to radioisopes take place. Efforts have been made in various fields to overcome these disadvantages. For example, S. P. Pappas, i.e., one of the present investors, and his co-workers found that the onium salts are photochemically sensitized by anthracene and the like, whereby application of the onium salts in the near ultarviolet range was made possible (S. P. Pappas, Journal of Polymer Science, Polymer Chemistry Edition, vol. 22, P. 77-84 (1984). There was attempted a method in which the onium salts were improved in compatibility with resin systems by introducing an alkyl group into the aryl group. In the process disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 63-272977, application of the onium salts in the semiconductor field is made possible by converting them into onium salts which contain a counter ion but not a metal.
Acid-producing agents other than the onium salts have also been investigated. For example, there have been disclosed cases in which there are used o-nitrobenzyl tosylate (L. F. Thompson, E. Reichmanis, F. M. Houlikan and R. G. Tarascon, Proceedings of the ACS Division Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering, vol. 60, p. 137 (1989)), trichloromethyl-s-triazine (Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 61-169835 and 61-169837), and a sulfonyl compound (Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 61-166544). However, when these acid-producing agents are used, the strength of acids produced is not sufficient. There are also known mix ligand arene cyclopentadienyl Fe (II) salts (J. Lohse and H. Zweifel, Advances in Polymer Science, vol. 78, p. 61 (1986)), but they are not free from the defects described above, namely, they contain a metal and are ionic. Thus, there is not known a radiologically-acid-producing agent which can be subjected to spectral sensitization for impartment of sensitivity to a generally used radiation source, contains neither ionic bond nor metal atom, has a sufficiently high efficiency of acid production by radiation irradiation, gives an acid having a high strength, and has a high storage stability.

Aryl triflate compounds and radiologically acid producing agents thereof