A method for reducing the amount of binder or resin used in glass fiber manufacturing while maintaining product performance is disclosed. The method generally reduces the amount of binder or resin used in a manufacturing process by adjusting other factors in the manufacturing process. Specifically, ramp moisture and/or silane content are factors that are adjusted to achieve the results of the disclosed method. Additionally, glass fiber compositions resulting from the method are disclosed.

Fiberglass binders have a variety of uses ranging from stiffening applications where the binder is applied to woven or non-woven fiberglass sheet goods and cured, producing a stiffer product; thermo-forming applications wherein the binder resin is applied to sheet or lofty fibrous product following which it is dried and optionally B-staged to form an intermediate but yet curable product; and to fully cured systems such as building insulation.
Binders useful in fiberglass insulation products generally require a low viscosity in the uncured state, yet characteristics so as to form a rigid thermoset polymeric mat for the glass fibers when cured. A binder which forms a rigid matrix when cured is required so that a finished fiberglass thermal insulation product, when compressed for packaging and shipping, will recover to its specified vertical dimension when installed in a building.
From among the many thermosetting polymers, numerous candidates for suitable thermosetting fiber-glass binder resins exist. However, binder-coated fiberglass products are often of the commodity type, and thus cost becomes a driving factor, generally ruling out such resins as thermosetting polyurethanes, epoxies, and others. Due to their excellent cost/performance ratio, the resins of choice in the past have been phenol/formaldehyde resins. Phenol/formaldehyde resins can be economically produced, and can be extended with urea prior to use as a binder in many applications. Such urea-extended phenol/formaldehyde binders have been the mainstay of the fiberglass insulation industry for years.
Over the past several decades, however, minimization of volatile organic compound emissions (VOCs) both on the part of the industry desiring to provide a cleaner environment, as well as by Federal regulation, has led to extensive investigations into not only reducing emissions from the current formaldehyde-based binders, but also reducing the amount of binder used in production. Increasing stringent Federal regulations has lead to greater attention to alternative binder systems which are free from formaldehyde.
One particularly useful formaldehyde-free binder system employs a binder comprising a polycarboxy polymer and a polyol. Formaldehyde-free resins are those which are not made with formaldehyde or formaldehyde-generating compounds. Formaldehyde-free resins, such as acrylic resins, do not emit appreciable levels of formaldehyde during the insulation manufacturing process and do not emit formaldehyde under normal service conditions. Use of this binder system in conjunction with a catalyst, such as an alkaline metal salt of a phosphorous-containing organic acid, results in glass fiber products that exhibit excellent recovery and rigidity properties.
Fiberglass products, such as fiberglass insulation, are exposed to a variety of environmental conditions that can adversely affect the performance of the product. Overall rigidity and recovery of the product are typical measures of performance.
Curing of the fiberglass products is essential to proper product performance. Factors that contribute to the curing process, and the ultimate performance of the fiberglass product, include many variables, and ultimate product performance is often unpredictable.
There is a need for reducing the quantity of acrylic resin used in binder systems during the manufacture of fiber glass insulation products without negatively impacting the curing process or the overall performance of the product.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

Method for producing fiberglass materials and compositions resulting from the same


Various methods and systems for updating a copy-on-write snapshot based on a dirty region log are disclosed. For example, a method involves maintaining a dirty region log and updating a copy-on-write snapshot change tracking map, based on information in the dirty region log. In some embodiments, the copy-on-write snapshot change tracking map is updated in response to an indication of a dirty region log cleaning cycle. The dirty region log cleaning cycle is inhibited until after the copy-on-write snapshot change tracking map has been updated. The method can be used to update multiple copy-on-write snapshot change tracking maps, each of which is associated with a respective one of several copy-on-write snapshots, based on information in the dirty region log. Such a method can be performed by a virtualizing network device.

Unplanned events that interfere with the availability of data can seriously impact business operations. Furthermore, any permanent data loss will likely have serious negative consequences for the continued viability of a business. Therefore, when disaster strikes, companies must be prepared to eliminate or minimize data loss and to recover quickly with useable data.
Backups and/or point-in-time copies of data can be maintained in order to decrease the likelihood that data will be lost or unavailable. Several techniques utilized to minimize data loss and improve the availability of data require that modifications to a data volume be tracked. For example, such modifications are often tracked in systems that use "mirror-breakoff" snapshots, in order to allow the snapshots, which are created by detaching a mirror volume, to be resynchronized with a corresponding primary data volume. Similarly, such modifications can be tracked in systems that perform mirroring in order to be able to resynchronize a mirror when the mirror is brought back online after becoming detached from the primary volume due to an I/O error.
Another technique commonly used to improve the accessibility of data and reduce the probability of data loss is storage virtualization. Storage virtualization is the pooling of physical storage from multiple network storage devices into what appears from a user or user application perspective to be a single storage device. Storage virtualization is often used as part of a storage area network (SAN). A virtual storage device appears as one storage device, regardless of the types of storage devices (e.g., hard disk drives, tape drives, or the like) pooled to create the virtualized storage device. Storage virtualization may be performed in a host data processing system, a SAN fabric, or in storage devices directly.
In some conventional systems (e.g., where virtualization is provided in a SAN fabric), virtualization operations are partitioned between specialized hardware (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit or "ASIC" or a proprietary architecture processor, or the like) responsible for the servicing of input/output requests (e.g., the performance of updates) and associated translation between virtual and physical addresses and generalized hardware in combination with software (e.g., a general purpose processor) responsible for establishing the address translation mappings and performing more complex operations.
Tracking modifications to a data volume within such a sectioned storage virtualization system requires a transition between the operation of the aforementioned specialized hardware and generalized hardware/software combination (e.g., to perform additional processing through a "fault" mechanism which causes an interrupt and context switch) and consequently disruption of the ordinary I/O (Input/Output) processing. As update tracking may require a fault or other disruption, the performance of update tracking in a system where virtualization is provided in a SAN fabric may add substantial latency to the performance of operations that modify the underlying data volume.

System and method for updating a copy-on-write snapshot based on a dirty region log


Magnetic separation of fluid cracking catalyst and magnetic hooks can be improved by adding antimony, in the feed or during catalyst manufacture, to enhance the magnetic susceptibility, thus increasing the separation efficiency of the older less active fluid cracking catalyst from the more desirable fraction for recycle. Antimony can also be used as a tag for determination of age distribution of said catalyst. Concentration levels of 0.005-15 wt. % antimony (Sb) on the catalyst or sorbent are preferred. The invention is particularly preferred on catalyst and sorbents which comprise at least about 0.001 wt. %, more preferably above about 0.01 wt. % iron, because the antimony has been found to enhance the magnetic susceptibility of iron-containing particulates.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to processes, apparatus, and compositions for the enhancement of hydrocarbon conversion processes, particularly processes involving the contacting of hydrocarbon feeds with particulates such as catalyst and sorbents, especially fluid catalytic cracking processes. The RCC.RTM. heavy oil cracking process, generally classified in U.S. Patent Class 208, International Patent Classification C10G11.
II. Description of the Prior Art
In an FCC process, metals accumulate onto the catalyst, the catalyst becomes deactivated with time and in order to maintain FCC unit activity, a fraction of the unit inventory is withdrawn and fresh catalyst is added. The spent catalyst (withdrawn catalyst) contains a dynamic mixture of catalyst particles from very old/high metals, low activity to newer/low metals high activity. In order to produce a separation using magnetic separation techniques, the catalyst must exhibit magnetic properties, notably magnetic susceptibility. As metals are deposited onto the catalyst particles over a period of time, the magnetic susceptibility of those catalyst particles increases, FIG. 2, and magnetic separation can be achieved with the MagnaCat.RTM. Process. When antimony (Sb) is added to a FCC process unit, it is laid down onto the catalyst particles and reacts with the metals present (notably iron) on the particle. It has been demonstrated that, with the addition of antimony, the magnetic susceptibility of these catalyst particles increase and an enhanced magnetic separation can be obtained. The antimony can also be used as a tag for determination of age distribution of said catalyst.
Antimony has frequently been added to cracking catalyst to "passivate" the catalyst and reduce the production of hydrogen and other undesirable light gaseous products, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,366, U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,693, U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,422, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,979.
Magnetic separation has been taught by a number of U.S. patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,773, U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,527, U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,486, U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,424, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,869 to Hettinger et al., which teaches the removal of inactive catalyst and sorbents from mixtures of active and inactive particulates so that the active particulates can be recovered for reuse.
However, it has not been previously taught that the passivating advantage of antimony on conversion on catalyst and sorbents can be coupled with the enhanced magnetic susceptible of metals such as iron in the presence of antimony to obtain the advantages of passivation and selective recovery of more active particulate.

Hydrocarbon conversion catalyst additives and processes


A control method and device for a smart seated toilet. The method comprises: by acquiring function usage limitation information of a pre-set function provided by the smart seated toilet, judging whether the function usage limitation information satisfies conditions for allowing a user to use; if so, unlocking the pre-set function; and if not, then locking the pre-set function. By verifying the usage of a smart seated toilet, usage limitations of different functions of the smart seated toilet are realized, and convenience for users is improved.

Intelligent toilets have changed the traditional way people go to the toilet from using toilet paper to washing with water, which triggered a "bathroom revolution". A development trend of the bathroom in future is towards technology, convenience and hygiene. Although the intelligent toilets have entered Chinese market for many years, it has still a very low popularity. Consumers have low awareness of intelligent toilets and misunderstandings for these products, and can hardly switch from the habit of use of traditional sitting toilets, and the price of intelligent toilets is high, which hinders the popularization of intelligent toilets. In addition, due to exceptional nature of the sitting toilet, in generally, consumers are reluctant to try it in a place other than home. At present, communication connection between the intelligent toilet and other devices is very limited, and how to improve communication function of the intelligent toilet so as to enable a wider range of application of intelligent toilets is currently a problem to be solved.

Control method and device for smart seated toilet


Systems and methods for implementing and performing goal-based workflows to assist a human user with achieving a goal or set of goals are described. In one example, a goal-based workflow includes operations for obtaining information from the human user relevant to a goal, performing a psychological and psychological assessment of the human user, selecting and providing goal-based content to the human user, and obtaining and processing a response to the goal-based content from the human user. The operations may be conducted in connection with a subscription or membership to an information service. In further examples, the information service may integrate the content delivery with a social network of “supporter” human users, used to provide encouragement and motivation to the human user for achieving the goal. In other further examples, rewards and adjustments may be provided to the human user based on previous responses to the goal-based content.

Various data services select or recommend content for display to users. For example, in the self-help setting, a variety of data services provide tips, recommendations, and focused content to assist a subject human user with goal-based outcomes such as exercise goals, weight loss, smoking cessation, medical therapy, and the like. Some of these data services provide recommended content to a user in response to user-indicated preferences, user-indicated activity history, or manual user requests for content. Other data services rely on an expert human user to determine which content is most appropriate for delivery to the subject human user to achieve a goal-based outcome.
To the extent that existing data services provide automated recommendations or selections of content, the timing, delivery, and substance of content from these data services is determined by complex predetermined rules and attributes, or other selections influenced by manual human intervention. For example, recommendations may be hard-coded in a content delivery system to deliver suggestive content at scheduled intervals, or in response to the user's manual indications that a certain accomplishment has or has not been reached. Existing systems and techniques do not provide real-time recommendations and content selections without extensive programming or oversight. Further, the workflows involved with existing content delivery systems call for extensive human selection and specification of content, and are not fully automated, responsive, or adaptive to user needs.

Goal-based content selection and delivery


An oral composition for the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity containing a dentinal hypersensitivity reducing or relieving amount of an active compound selected from casein, a component of casein, a phosphoprotein and a phosphopeptide, or salts thereof containing the amino acyl residues --Ser (P) --Ser (P) --Ser (P) --where Ser (P) is phosphoserine.

Tooth sensitivity (dentinal hypersensitivity) is a painful response to physical, chemical or thermal stimuli and can affect one in seven dentate adults. Although the clinical features of dentinal hypersensitivity are well described the physiological mechanisms are not as well understood. The most widely accepted theory suggests that dentinal tubules act as channels that enable the different stimuli to reach the pulp and elicit pain. Compounds used in treating hypersensitive dentine include formalin and silver nitrate, glycerine, strontium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, potassium nitrate, sodium fluoride, sodium citrate, calcium hydroxide, resins, potassium oxalate stannous fluoride and cyanoacrylate. It is believed that most of the above agents reduce dentinal hypersensitivity either by mineralizing, or precipitating at, the entrance of the dentinal tubules thereby blocking stimuli.


Techniques and apparatus for the laser induced etching of a reactive material, or of a multilayer substrate or wafer comprising layers of materials of different etching characteristics and reactivities, are disclosed. Short wavelength laser radiation and control of the process ambient equalize etch rates of the layers of a multilayer substrate or wafer and allow high-resolution etching. A suppressant gas introduced into a halogen-containing ambient suppresses explosive reactions between the ambient and reactive materials or layers. For less reactive layers or materials, reduced-pressure air is a suitable ambient. The techniques and apparatus disclosed herein are particularly useful in the manufacture of magnetic data transfer heads.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for laser induced etching of materials, especially structures composed of layers of materials with dissimilar reactivities and etching characteristics. In particular, the invention concerns methods and apparatus for manufacturing thin-film magnetic data transfer heads.
The benefits of increased information storage capacity of a recording medium are several and include lower cost, more powerful, lighter weight computers, and the development of more powerful computer application programs. The capacity of magnetic storage media such as hard disks and magnetic tapes is not principally limited by the medium, but by the geometry of the data transfer head used to read the data from, and write the data to, the disk or tape. The bit area is determined by the physical geometry of the data transfer head, which, in turn is limited by current methods of manufacturing the transfer head.
A magnetic recording medium, such as a hard disk or tape, typically comprises a backing medium covered by a thin film of ferromagnetic material. This film can be thought of as composed of a large number of individual magnetic dipoles, present in a uniform density, and initially randomly oriented. The data transfer head writes data onto the film by creating regions of aligned dipoles.
Information is stored on the film as a pattern of aligned dipoles. To record information, the information is converted to voltage pulses which are supplied to an energizing coil of the data transfer head. These voltage pulses cause a current in the coil, and a magnetic field in a magnetic gap of the head. Because the magnetic gap is placed in close proximity to the film, the dipoles in the film are aligned in one direction or the other, depending on the polarity of the applied voltage.
The performance of the head is determined most significantly by the gap geometry and the air-bearing surface, which jointly control the dimensions of a bit in the recording medium. Under well controlled close-coupling geometry the gap dimensions are limiting and, therefore, there is intense interest in producing smaller gaps with well defined geometry. However, the air bearing is also critically important since this surface determines the height of flying magnetic head above the recording medium. Excessive height or instability in this height will degrade the device performance. Therefore evolving designs incorporate increasingly complex air foil shapes.
The wet etching and reactive ion etching techniques currently used to fabricate data transfer heads have several disadvantages that limit their ability to form the smaller geometric structures necessary for future scaled devices. Other aspects of current methods limit low-cost mass production of these devices.
Current data transfer heads are typically formed from a wafer onto which films of various materials have been deposited. The wafer is thus a multilayer structure that includes layers of ceramic, i.e., metal oxides, such as alumina; metals, such as aluminum; metal nitrides; metal carbides; hard carbon films; permalloy; cobalt alloys; and nickel phosphorous compounds. Other metal and dielectric films may also be present. The magnetic gap and air foil must be precisely defined in these multilayer structures.
In practice the combined requirements on conventional etch process and on the mask layer necessitated by conventional etches can lead to an impossible or highly restricted processes. In an extreme recent development, some manufactures have been driven to use focused ion beam (FIB) technology to define the sensor gap. In this case a submicrometer diameter beam of ions (usually Gallium ions) is focused onto the substrate and used to ion sputter instead of chemically etch the head structure. Since only nanoamps of current are possible with FIB technology, this approach is very slow (typically removing cubic micrometers or less material per second). However no mask is needed and ion sputtering has the material insensitivity required to uniformly etch all the layers of the thin-film head without undercut.
Finally, the critical geometric structures and surface finish required can currently often only be obtained by a post-etching polishing of portions of the data transfer head. The data transfer heads are handled as individual units. That is, the wafer containing layers of metal and ceramic is diced into individual die, not as a final step in the manufacturing process, but rather as an intermediate step in the process. Each die is then extensively processed individually before it is a finished data transfer head. This individual handling of die increases considerably the time and cost of manufacturing. For example, one wafer can contain hundreds, or thousands, of die heads. Manufacturing of these individual die by current methods, requires individual handling and precise three-dimensional registration of each die for all precision patterning steps. In contrast a single precision alignment for the full wafer is required if the patterning can be done before dicing. It is this same economy that is currently driving manufacturers to ever increasing wafer size for manufacturing of silicon devices.
It is known in the art to microchemically etch thin-films and substrates using a laser. As a result of the anisotropy created by the beam, mask undercutting is minimal compared to other etch techniques. Typically, a laser beam is focused onto the material to be etched in the presence of a reactive ambient gas, liquid, or film. The laser causes a chemical reaction, localized to the area of the substrate illuminated by the laser, and results in the etching of the laser-illuminated area. The chemistry involved in the process of laser-induced microchemical etching can include photolysis (e.g., linear photochemistry) or thermal processes (e.g., thermal decomposition of the substrate, or gas pyrolysis). In photolysis, the laser energy interacts significantly with the ambient by direct absorption in the gas to form reaction products that etch the substrate. In the thermal methods, the laser heats the substrate to drive a reaction between the substrate material and the ambient. Laser pyrolytic and photolytic techniques can also be used to deposit films on substrates.
The development of laser microchemical processes for the etching of materials such as silicon is described in Ehrlich et al. (D. J. Ehrlich R. M. Osgood, and T. F. Deutsch, Applied Physics Letters 38, 1018-1020, (1981) and von Gutfield and Hodgson (R. J. von Gutfield and R. T. Hodgson, Applied Physics Letters 40, 352-354, (1982), herein incorporated by reference. These processes use vapor or liquid ambients in combination with an argon ion laser to achieve fast direct write etching of silicon and/or ceramics. Yokoyama et al. (S, Yokoyama, Y. Yamakage, and M. Hirose, Applied Physics Letters, 47, 389-391, (1985) and Gee and Hargis (SPIE proceedings 459, 132-137, (1984), also incorporated herein by reference, describe extensions of this technique using excimer lasers to etch silicon dioxide in the presence of reactive vapor ambients. General reviews of laser microchemical processing can be found in Ehrlich and Tsao (D. J. Ehrlich and J. Y. Tsao, Laser Microfabrication, Pages 1-582, Academic Press, Boston (1989) and D. J. Ehrlich and J. Y. Tsao, J. Vac Sci. Technol. B-1, 969-984, (1983)). These references are likewise herein incorporated by reference.
Laser microchemical etching has not found extensive use in defining the critical geometric structures, such as the air-foil and the magnetic gap, of data transfer heads. The multilayer structure, or wafer, from which the data transfer head are fabricated contains layers of many different materials including alumina, metal nitrides, metal carbides, hard carbon coatings, permalloy, cobalt alloys, nickel phosphorous compounds, and other elemental metal films. These materials are not alike in their optical properties or thermal properties. The process parameters required to successfully etch these materials can be so different so as to make fabrication of the critical geometric structures of a data head difficult.
For example, problems often arise in laser-induced etching because of the presence of adjacent metal and metal oxide layers, especially when the metal is aluminum. Aluminum is highly reactive, but naturally forms a self-passivating oxide layer on its surface. Aluminum is actually instantaneously combustible in air; it is known as a practical, stable material because its oxide, which is formed during the instantaneous combustion, is one of the most stable and unreactive materials known. For example, when aluminum is machined on a milling machine, the freshly exposed aluminum metal undergoes spontaneous combustion or oxidation and is then converted into an impenetrable alumina or aluminum oxide layer, which quickly grows to the point where it is thick enough to extinguish further oxidation. Only a few atomic layers of the aluminum are consumed, and aluminum appears stable and passive in normal machining. However, this process of spontaneous combustion is not so benign when aluminum is laser etched. Laser etching requires a reactive, typically a halogen, ambient to convert laser-etched material into stable volatile effluent gases.
To laser etch a reactive, self-passivating metal such as aluminum, high laser powers are necessary to break through the oxide layer coating the aluminum. However, once the unoxidized metal is exposed, the laser-heated region reacts explosively with the halogen-containing ambient. The explosions crater the aluminum disastrously. As a result, critical geometric structures such as the magnetic gap cannot be successfully formed. Similar explosive effects can take place when laser etching is used on a multilayer structure containing a metal layer and a ceramic layer as, again, there are enormous differences in the laser reactivities of metals and ceramics.
One solution to this problem has been developed by Koren and co-workers (G. Koren, F. Ho, and J. J. Ritsko, Applied Physics Letters 46, 1006-1008 (1985); Applied Physics A40, 13-34), both herein incorporated by reference. Koren used a pulsed laser with a pulse duration of only twenty nanoseconds to laser etch aluminum in an ambient containing low- pressure chlorine gas. The short pulse duration limits the heating of the aluminum such that etching does occur, but the aluminum is not heated enough to create a sustained explosion of the aluminum in the halogen ambient. This techniques works, but it is extremely slow, due the short pulse duration, low pulse repetition frequency, and low halogen pressure. It is not suitable as a low cost, high production manufacturing method of forming the critical geometric structures, such as the magnetic gap and the air bearing, of magnetic data transfer heads.
There exists a need for improved techniques for efficiently forming the critical geometric structures that are part of a data transfer head. Such techniques would allow the formation of smaller geometric structures which are required to increase the data storage capacity of magnetic media at a reasonable cost.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a new technique for forming the critical geometric structures, such as the magnetic gap of data transfer heads.
Another object of the invention is to provide more economical and faster techniques for forming smaller magnetic gaps, thus reducing the cost of increased data storage capacity in magnetic media.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for reducing the time and cost involved in the manufacture of data transfer heads.
Yet another object of the invention is to reduce the handling of individual die elements in the manufacture of magnetic data transfer heads.
A further object of the present invention is to reduce the process steps and number of mask layers required to manufacture a data transfer head, and to allow the use of simple, easily removable masking materials.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a technique for forming the precise geometric structures of data transfer heads using continuous-wave laser etching.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a technique of laser etching that allows reactive metals, and, in a multilayer structure, adjacent layers of metals and ceramics, to be microchemically laser etched without cratering.
Another object of the present invention is also to provide a laser etching technique for forming the air-bearing structure of a magnetic data transfer head.

Laser-induced etching of multilayer materials


According to one aspect of the present disclosure a method and technique for allocating virtualization-based resources for resolving a problem report associated with a computing environment is disclosed. The method includes: receiving a problem report associated with a computing environment; determining a resource template from the problem report corresponding to the computing environment; determining whether a virtual machine is available from a virtualization-based resource pool based on the resource template; and responsive to determining that a virtual machine is available from the virtualization-based resource pool based on the resource template, utilizing the virtual machine for the problem report.

Computer-related help desks or assistance centers oftentimes include various service levels to assist a customer/consumer with a computing issue or problem. For example, a customer/consumer may have a problem with loading/installing software or utilizing the software. The customer/consumer may also be experiencing errors or unexpected/unanticipated results with the execution or running of the software program/application. The customer/consumer may be able to contact the help desk or assistance center or otherwise submit a request to seek assistance in resolving the problem. Depending on the nature and/or severity of the problem, the root cause of the problem may not be readily ascertainable without reproducing the problem/issue. Reproducing the problem/issue may include creating an environment (or even multiple environments) to ascertain the scope of the issue/problem.

Virtualization-based environments for problem resolution

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATED


The present invention relates to a method and system for diagnosing pathological phenomenon using a voice signal. In one embodiment, the existence of at least one pathological phenomena is determined based at least in part upon a calculated average intensity function associated with speech from the patient. In another embodiment, the existence of at least one pathological phenomena is determined based at least in part upon the a calculated maximum intensity function associated with speech from the patient.

Computer hardware and software for various types of voice analysis is known.
Nevertheless, the analysis of a human voice signal for the purposes of diagnosing a pathological phenomenon according to the techniques taught by the present invention has not been known.
Among those benefits and improvements that have been disclosed, other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures. The figures constitute a part of this specification and include illustrative embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.

Method and system for diagnosing pathological phenomenon using a voice signal


A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery (10) includes a porous film (78) (heat resistance layer (HRL)) in, which particles (filler F) of an insulating ceramic are attached through a binder onto a surface of at least one of a negative electrode active material layer (63) and a separator (72, 74). In the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the insulating ceramic of the porous film (78) contains at least one of Fe and Ni.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery. Here, "secondary battery" described in this specification refers to a battery that can be repeatedly charged. "Nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery" described in this specification refers to a secondary battery in which a nonaqueous electrolyte which is formed of a nonaqueous solution having an electrolyte salt dissolved therein is used. "Lithium ion secondary battery" which is a type of "nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery" refers to a secondary battery in which lithium ions are used as an electrolyte ion, and charge and discharge are realized by electrons moving between positive and negative electrodes along with the lithium ions. Batteries which are typically called "lithium ion secondary batteries" are included in the lithium ion secondary battery described in this specification.
2. Description of Related Art
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-164130 (JP 2009-164130 A) discloses a lithium ion secondary battery in which a porous film which is a mixture of a ceramic and a binder is formed on an active material layer of a negative electrode. In JP 2009-164130 A, alumina (here, Al2O3) is described as an example of the ceramic, and a synthetic rubber-based latex and an acrylic rubber are described as examples of the binder.


An apparatus for positioning a tool, such as a perforating gun, in a wellbore to orient the tool in a desired direction. An anchor having a first reference terminal is set in the wellbore, the first reference terminal pointing in a known direction. A second reference terminal is attached to the tool, the second reference terminal being coupled to the first reference terminal to orient the tool in the desired direction. A gyroscope measures the direction of the first reference terminal with respect to the magnetic north. The perforating gun includes charges arranged to perform perforating along a preferred fracture plane, such as 0.degree.- or 180.degree.-phased perforating.

The invention relates to an azimuth-oriented perforating system.
After a well has been drilled and casing has been cemented in the well, one or more portions of the casing adjacent pay zones are perforated to allow fluid from the surrounding formation to flow into the well for production to the surface. Perforating guns may be lowered into the well and the guns fired to create openings in the casing and to extend perforations into the surrounding formation.
Generally, logging techniques are used to determine locations of pay zones in the formation surrounding a drilled wellbore. Among the measurements taken of the formation is its permeability. Sometimes, the permeability of the formation is too low to produce any meaningful amount of producible fluid. In many cases, such low permeability formations, even though they may contain producible fluids, are not exploited.

Azimuth-oriented perforating system and method


A digital audio encoder, digital video conditioner, and a digital modulator are described for producing a television broadcast signal at a desired channel frequency range. Left and right audio channel signals are digitized and encoded according to a stereo standard and then combined to form a stereo audio signal. A second audio programming channel signal may be included. A video input can be digitized and conditioned to form a digital video channel. The stereo audio signal can be placed directly at a desired channel frequency by frequency modulation without the need for using an intermediate frequency. The digital video channel can be placed at a desired frequency by amplitude modulation. The digital and audio channels can be digitally combined to create a television transmission signal at a desired frequency and according to a desired standard.

There are may different kinds of television video signals, the format of which varies from country to country. In the United States and Japan, for example, the NTSC format is used. NTSC stands for National Television Systems Committee, which is the name of the organization that developed the standard. In Europe, the PAL format is common. PAL stands for phase alternating line. SECAM is a standard used in France and stands for sequential colour avec memoire (sequential color with memory). It should be noted that there are about 15 different sub-formats contained within these three general formats. Each of these formats is not generally compatible with the others. Although they all utilize the same basic scanning system and represent color with a type of phase modulation, they differ in specific scanning frequencies, number of scan lines, and color modulation techniques.
For whatever type of television video standard employed, there are three basic levels of baseband video signal interfaces. In order of increasing quality, they are composite (or CVBS), which uses one wire pair; Y/C (or S-video), which uses two wire pairs; and component, which uses three wire pairs. Each wire pair consists of a signal and ground wire. These three interfaces differ in their level of information combination (or encoding). More encoding typically degrades the quality but allows the signal to be carried on fewer wires. Component signals have the least amount of encoding and composite signals the most.
Composite signals are the most commonly used analog video interface. Composite video is also referred to as CVBS, which stands for color, video, blanking, and sync, or composite video baseband signal. It combines the brightness information (luma), the color information (chroma), and the synchronized signals on just one cable.
The Y/C signal, often referred to as "S-video," is a less encoded video signal. Brightness (luma), which is the Y signal, and the color (chroma), the C signal, are carried on two separate sets of wires.
Component signal interfaces are the highest performance, because they have the least encoding. The signals exist in nearly native format. They always utilize three pairs of wires that are typically in either a luma (Y) and two-color difference-signals format or a red, green, blue (RGB) format. RGB formats are almost always used in computer applications, whereas color-difference formats are generally used in television applications. The Y signal contains the brightness (luma) and synchronizing information, and the color-difference signals contain the red (R) minus the Y signal and the blue (B) minus the Y signal. The theory behind this combination is that each the base R, G, and B components can be derived from these difference signals. Common variations of these signals are as follows:                (1) Y, B-Y, R-Y: Luma and color-difference signals.        (2) Y, Pr, Pb: Pr and Pb are scaled versions of B-Y and R-Y.        (3) Y, Cr, Cb: Digital signal equivalent to Y, Pr, Pb.        (4) Y, U, V: intermediate quadrature signals used in the formation of composite and Y/C signals.
Audio stereo signal standards for television broadcasts include MTS, standing for Multichannel Television Sound also know at the BTSC standard. This is one of the first developed stereo sound systems. BTSC is used in conjunction with NTSC/525, mainly in North America and parts of South America. BTSC, or MTS, comprises two, and sometimes three separate signals for transmitting stereo audio. The first signal is formed as the sum of the left and right audio signals, and can be detected by both monophonic television receivers (to preserve compatibility with such receivers) and stereo receivers. The second signal is formed as the difference between the left and right audio signals, and is detectable only by stereo receivers. In many cases, a third signal, the Secondary Audio Program (SAP), provides for a second language or a descriptive commentary for the blind.
The FM-FM standard is used in Germany, Austria, Holland, Switzerland and Australia. This standard uses a twin channel to transmit analog FM stereo transmissions. Like BTSC, the secondary channel can be used to transmit a second language. NICAM, stands for Near Instantaneously Companded Audio Multiplex NICAM, officially called NICAM 728 and is used throughout Europe and Asia. NICAM is a digital two-channel audio transmission system with a sub-code selection of bilingual operation. Because it is digital, playback is that of near Compact Disc quality. EIAJ, standing for the Electronics Industry Association of Japan, was developed and is used in Japan. EIAJ systems use a subcarrier within the main FM audio carrier. The subcarrier is an FM subcarrier rather than the suppressed AM subcarrier used in the BTSC system or in FM radio broadcasting. Zweiton is a digital stereo standard that was developed out of A2 German Stereo and is used throughout Europe and Asia. Like the other systems, Zweiton has a main carrier signal and a secondary carrier signal usually used for the audio of a second language.
The television broadcast systems and standards described generally have employed analog and mixed analog-digital architectures to place the input audio and video signals onto intermediate (IF) frequencies. The use of IF frequencies and analog architectures has presented problems for use in digital television applications, including the requirement for intricate and costly filter topologies.

Direct digital encoding and radio frequency modulation for broadcast television application


The present invention provides a technique for mapping the intersections of line segments to machine representable points in a tiled plane. The technique provides for two mapping rules with respect to intersections that result in dividing an original line segment into a number of line segment fragments, each of which is an output machine representable line segment. The mapping rules are designed to minimize the fragmentation of an output set of machine representable line segments while still maintaining their topological consistency and geometric accuracy (i.e., closeness) with respect to the corresponding set of original input line segments. The technique provides a way for operations that manipulate line segments to be implemented in a simple manner assuming a finite precision model of computer arithmetic. Such techniques have numerous applications in the field of computer graphics including, but not limited to, hidden surface elimination, set operations on polygons, and the decomposition of complex polygons into simpler components, such as triangles, trapezoids, or monotone regions.

The present invention relates generally to a processor-based technique in the field of computer graphics, and more particularly, to a technique for mapping line segment intersections to machine representable points such that the machine representable intersections are topologically consistent with and geometrically close to the original line segment intersections.
Many types of computer-implemented applications in the field of computer graphics model sets of intersecting line segments in a plane. Fundamental to the functions of interacting with and the visual display of objects modeled as sets of line segments is the problem of finding and correctly representing their intersections. This is a fundamental step for such problems as hidden surface elimination, set operations on polygons, and the decomposition of complex polygons into simpler components (such as triangles, trapezoids, or monotone regions.)
A set of line segments in a plane has certain geometric and topological properties as a result of the relationship among the line segments in the plane. The geometric properties include the positions of the line segments in the plane, typically specified by their endpoints, and the geometric definition of the edges; the topological information indicates the incidence and adjacency of the vertices and edges.
Algorithms that manipulate line segments may be characterized according to whether they are developed assuming an infinite precision or a finite precision model of computer arithmetic. With respect to such algorithms in general, it is customary to assume, unless specifically stated otherwise, that arithmetic operations are carried out with infinite precision, in what may be referred to as the continuous domain. The implementation of geometric algorithms on computer graphics systems, however, often must deal with the limited arithmetic precision of geometric computations. Rather than simply analyzing the errors introduced by the computer, it is often necessary to redesign the algorithms entirely, taking into account the finite resolution of the machine arithmetic, to handle potential errors such as degeneracies (e.g., coincident lines, or multiple lines sharing the same intersection.)
One potential result of errors produced when an algorithm developed using an infinite precision arithmetic model is implemented using finite precision arithmetic is that after manipulation the position of the intersections of the line segments may no longer be topologically consistent with their positions when they were originally received. For example, mapping an intersection of two line segments to a representable point may introduce additional intersections in the two line segments that are not actually present in the original spatial distribution of the lines. Repeated mapping of the location of an intersection of two line segments that results from finite precision computations could produce a final representation of the location of the intersection that is unacceptably distant from the actual location of the intersection of the original line segments, a problem that may be described as "drifting" of an output representable line segment. Depending on the nature and purpose for which the line segments are being used, these inconsistencies may have adverse real-world consequences to a user of an application that depends, for example, on accurately locating a point in a region formed by the intersecting line segments.
Algorithms manipulating line segments in the discrete domain have been suggested by Daniel H. Greene and Frances F. Yao, in "Finite-Resolution Computational Geometry," Proc. 27th Ann. Symp. on Foundations of Computer Science, 1986, pp. 143-152 (hereafter, "the Greene and Yao paper"). Greene and Yao disclose a technique for mapping the intersections in a set of line segments to machine representable points. Greene and Yao use a tiling of machine representable points, treating each representable point in a tile as an "obstacle," and do not allow segments to go over an obstacle while intersections move to their nearest machine representable point. The movement of the intersections causes additional line segments, called fragments, to be added to a line segment, and adhering to the obstacle rule results in adding more fragments to a line segment. Greene and Yao show that no topological inconsistencies arise between the original set of line segments and the fragmented line segments that result from using their technique. Greene and Yao disclose a three-pass algorithm for computing the machine representable intersections efficiently; this algorithm uses a discrete version of a well-known algorithm known as the plane sweep algorithm, in computing the machine representable intersections.
For many applications that handle significant numbers of line segments, the Greene-Yao mapping of intersections to representable points has the undesirable property of creating a large number of breaks in the original line segment in order to accommodate the requirement of not going over the obstacles. While these breaks produce line segments having machine representable intersections that are geometrically very close to the original line segments, they also produce very fragmented line segments, which has an adverse effect on the efficiency of algorithms and operations that use these fragmented line segments.

Method for mapping line segment intersections to machine representable points


A printing device includes a printing mechanism configured to print a printing medium fed to a printing area in a device main body, a stacker configured to receive the printing medium discharged from the printing area, a drive device configured to cause a state of the stacker to be a housed state in which the stacker is housed in the device main body and a projecting state in which the stacker is positioned outside the device main body, and a control device configured to change the state of the stacker from the housed state to the projecting state by controlling the drive device. When a housing condition is established while the state of the stacker is the projecting state, the control device is configured to perform an automatic housing process to change the state of the stacker to the housed state by controlling the drive device.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printing device including a stacker on which a printing medium which is discharged from a printing device main body is placed.
2. Related Art
There are printing devices which include stackers on which printing media after being printed inside device main bodies are placed. For example, for a printing device disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 2004-338873, a stacker is arranged to project from an inside to an outside of a device main body automatically. For the printing device, it is possible to adjust automatically an amount of projecting out of the stacker from the device main body.
Then, for the printing device, when printing is requested, and when the amount of projecting out of the stacker is more than an amount of projecting out corresponding to a size of a printing medium being a printing target, the printing is performed on the printing medium, and the printing medium on which printing is performed is discharged to outside the device main body and is placed on the stacker. On the other hand, the amount of projecting out is less than the amount of projecting out corresponding to the size of the printing medium being the printing target, the printing to the printing medium is ceased.
Of the printing devices which are capable of projecting out the stackers from the inside to the outside the device main bodies automatically, there is one which leaves an operation of housing a stacker inside the device main boy on a manual operation of a user.


A liquid level control apparatus for a flush tank includes an upstanding fill tube integral at its upper end with a valve housing carrying a flexible resilient pinch tube valve member and a pivoting actuator engageable with the pinch tube for opening and closing the valve. The valve housing is fixed to a head member defining a conduit which communicates with a downwardly extending tube parallel to the fill tube. A float has cylindrical portions respectively receiving the fill tube and the downwardly extending tube therethrough so that the float can slide upwardly and downwardly along the tubes as the water level in the tank varies. The actuator is pivotally connected to a linkage which extends outwardly through an aperture in the float and is pivotally connected to the float externally thereof. In one embodiment the aperture defines cam surfaces which engage the linkage to operate the actuator. In another embodiment the float carries a control mechanism including a cam slot engageable with a cam follower roller on the linkage for arresting upward movement of the float until the tank is full to provide a snap-action shutoff of the valve.

The present invention relates to apparatus for controlling the liquid level in tanks and, in particular, to such apparatus for use in toilet flush tanks.
Various types of valves have utilized a flexible, resilient pinch tube as the valve member, which is controlled by a lever-type actuator engageable with the outside of the tube to pinch it closed. Such a valve is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,823. Pinch tube valves have heretofore been used as toilet level control valves, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,960. However, such valves have typically utilized a ball cock mechanism wherein the actuator is coupled by a long arm to a float. Such ball cock devices require considerable lateral space in the tank to accommodate the float and its arm.
It is also known to utilize flush tank level control valves with floats which encircle and ride up and down along an upright fill tube, so as to occupy less space in the tank. Such valves have heretofore utilized a poppet-type valve mechanism, which is of relatively complex construction.

Pinch tube tank level control valve with snap-action shutoff

George S. Cole & Associates, Incorporated


A system and method for substantially increasing billing flexibility on communications or media accounts which also offer user users the ability to make electronic purchases or other financial transactions, where those transactions are accounted for with an additional account or with the same account through which the media or communications services are offered. Charges associated with use of the communications service or making of the financial transactions may be increased or reduced depending on such factors as volume of use, number of transactions, and a monetary value of the transactions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates broadly to systems and methods for assessing charges for use of a communications service, particularly use of the service to make electronic financial transactions. In particular, the present invention concerns a system and method for monitoring use of a voice and/or data communications service or media service and the making of electronic financial transactions initiated by a communications device associated with the service, and for adjusting charges associated with the use of the service or the making of the transactions based on such factors as, for example, an amount of use, a number of transactions, or a monetary value associated with the transactions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Systems and methods for making electronic purchase or other financial transactions with a communications device, or an account associated with a communications device, and related financial gateways and middle-ware solutions, have been proposed.

System and method for monitoring voice/data usage and financial transactions made through a communications service


A torque measuring system is provided in a vehicle transmission including a clutch assembly having a two part, rotatable torque transmitting member, the two pans of the member being angularly movable relative to one another against the compression of at least one damper spring pack, and an actuator with a non rotatable cylinder for controlling the clutch. A device for radiating and receiving wave energy is arranged to irradiate the damper spring pack in order to receive a reflected modulation signal proportional to the current resonance frequency of the damper spring pack, and where the modulation signal is arranged to be converted to a torque value by a signal processing device, which torque value corresponds to the actual torque over the clutch.

The present invention relates to a torque measuring device in a vehicle for measuring torque over a transmission arranged between a vehicle engine and a driven wheel of said vehicle.
Automatic transmissions of the Automatic Mechanical Transmission (AMT) type have become increasingly common in heavy-duty vehicles as microcomputer technology has continued to advance and has made it possible, with a control computer and a number of control elements, for example servo motors, to precision-control the engine speed the connection and disconnection of an automated clutch between engine and gearbox and clutch members of the gearbox, relative to one another, so that smooth gearshift is always obtained at the correct rev speed. The advantage with this type of automatic transmission compared to a traditional automatic transmission based on a set of planetary gears and with a hydrodynamic torque converter on the input side is first that, particularly with respect to use in heavy vehicles, it is simpler, more robust and can be produced at substantially lower cost, and second that it has higher efficiency which results in lower fuel consumption.
The automatic mechanical transmission of the type mentioned above strongly reduces the driver's gear shifting work and the driver will not need to worry about selecting the right next gear ratio when driving the vehicle. All this is taken care of within the AMT.
In order to perform gear shifts faster it is known to measure and/or estimate torque at the input shaft of the AMT so as to be able to control engine output torque in a more optimal way in order to achieve zero or almost zero torque in the AMT, when, for example, gear shift is performed without disengaging the clutch arranged between the engine and the AMT. Instead an engagement ring of the engaged gear is disengaged directly, the engine rotational speed is adapted to the new selected gear and the engagement ring of the new gear is engaged in order to engage the new gear. When the new gear is engaged the engine output torque is resumed according to, for example driver demand.
The clutch in an AMT can be of the dry plate clutch type and which is used to facilitate start-off from rest and disengage the transmission from the engine at some or all gear shifts. In general, there is a damper hub integrated in a dry plate clutch. Adequately designed, this damper hub reduces torsional vibrations from the engine and spares the transmission downstream of the clutch. In this context the term "downstream" is defined as a direction after a particular point in the direction of power transfer through the transmission. A damper hub usually has a number of helical springs arranged circumferentially on the driven disc that transfers torque from the engine flywheel to the input shaft of the transmission. Some designs are shown in DE102 20 205.
In order to be able to control disengagement and engagement of engagement rings in the gearbox, the engine torque has to be controlled so that zero or almost zero torque is prevailing over the AMT. One way to measure torque in such transmission arrangement is magnetostriction, which means that the AMT input shaft is magnetized with a predetermined magnetic pattern. Micro twisting of the input shaft as torque is applied is measured with electromagnetic coils arranged outside and in a contactless relationship relative the input shaft. The electromagnetic coils measure changes in permeability of the magnetic pattern, which changes are proportional to the torque twisting the shaft. An example of such a system is disclosed in for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,160.
Instead of measuring, the torque on the input shaft an alternative solution is to measure torque over the clutch. U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,746 discloses an arrangement for measuring the torque applied on the input shaft of a transmission by measuring the compression of clutch damper helical springs arranged in the clutch between the engine and the transmission. A certain compression distance of the spring corresponds to a certain torque applied over the clutch.
WO 2001/73389 discloses a sensor for non-contact detection of torque on a shaft by measuring the resonance frequency of a string attached to two collars on the shaft. As the shaft is twisted the string will increase or decrease its pretension, and thereby change its lateral vibration resonance frequency. By measuring the prevailing resonance frequency it is possible to indirectly determine the torque applied over the shaft. The string is radiated with microwave energy and a modulation of the microwave signal is caused by the mechanic oscillation of the string. The modulation is translated to a corresponding torque value by a signal processing device.
The known examples suffer from various drawbacks, such as slow response times, insufficient accuracy for use in AMT transmissions, expensive sensor components or complex and/or sensitive sensor arrangements.
It is desirable to come up with an alternative relatively cheap, robust, sufficiently accurate and fast torque measuring device in a vehicle transmission.
The invention, according to an aspect thereof, relates to a torque measuring system a vehicle transmission comprising a clutch assembly having at least a two part, rotatable torque transmitting member. A first part can be a part of or be connected to a flywheel driven by a prime mover, such as an engine. A second part can be a part of or be connected to an input shaft for a transmission, such as a gearbox. The transmission can be an automatic mechanical transmission. The two parts of said torque transmitting member are angularly movable relative to one another against the compression of at least one damper spring pack. An actuator with a non rotatable cylinder is provided for controlling the clutch. Although the torque measuring system according to the invention is primarily intended for friction clutch assemblies, the invention can also be applied to hydrodynamic clutches and torque converters.
A device for radiating and receiving wave energy is arranged to irradiate said damper spring pack in order to receive a reflected modulation signal proportional to the current resonance frequency of said damper spring pack, and where said modulation signal representing a measured mechanical resonance frequency is arranged to be converted to a torque value by a signal or data processing device, which torque value corresponds to the actual torque over said clutch. Torque values are determined continuously while the part comprising spring packs is rotated, in order to monitor the torque over the clutch. The resulting torque values can be used in a target gear selection function, for instance for determining when a gear change can be carried out.
The torque measuring system according to the invention is characterized in that a device for exciting, or radiating, and receiving wave energy is arranged to radiate a damper spring pack of a clutch. Suitable devices for this purpose are devices for emitting electromagnetic radiation, such as pulsed electromagnetic radio waves, microwaves, millimetric or sub-millimetric radio waves. Alternatively, devices for emitting acoustic signals can be used, for instance, for emitting ultrasonic signals. The device can comprise separate transmitter and receiver units arranged spaced apart or an integrated transmitter and receiver unit. In the subsequent text these alternatives will be referred to by the collective term "device".
Said wave energy is reflected back from the damper spring pack in order for the device to receive a modulation signal, for instance an amplitude modulation signal, created by a current mechanical resonance frequency of said damper spring pack. Said measured mechanical resonance frequency is translated by a signal processing device to a torque value, which corresponds to the actual torque prevailing over said clutch.
The device for radiating and receiving wave energy is arranged in a suitable location from which a transmitted signal can reach the at least one spring pack and be reflected back to said device. According to a first example, the device for radiating and receiving wave energy is arranged between said spring packs and a radial diaphragm spring connecting the actuator and the clutch. According to a second example, the a radial diaphragm spring connecting the actuator and the clutch is arranged between said spring packs and said device for radiating and receiving wave energy.
Due to tolerances in the production of these spring packs and tolerances in the spring pack mounting, variations in the compression and/or resonance frequency for a certain torque over the clutch can occur between said different spring packs for a certain torque.
According to one example the signal processing device can be programmed to calibrate the measurements for one of the spring packs in the clutch. The device for radiating and receiving wave energy is then arranged to radiate wave energy to a single spring pack, whereby a torque value is determined for said spring pack. Said spring pack can for example be identified as the one with the lowest or highest mechanical resonance frequency.
In a further example and in order to be able to program the signal processing device so that it can identify the right, damper spring pack, a first distance between two of the six spring packs can differ somewhat compared to the other distances between the spring packs, which other distances can be equal. In this way, when the clutch is rotating, the time passing by between when a first spring pack has passed and to when the next spring pack passes can be identified. Thus, the right spring pack can be the one which follows after said first distance, which differs from the other distances. Said first distance can be longer or shorter compared to the other distances.
In a further example and in order to be able to program the signal processing device so that it can identify the right damper spring pack, a marker can be arranged adjacent the right damper spring pack. This marker can be a projection or a recess/aperture in the outer plate which affects the modulation of the electromagnetic radiation in such a way as to be identifiable. In this way, when the clutch is rotating, the right spring pack can be identified as the one that follows the marker in the direction of rotation.
Alternatively, the device for radiating and receiving wave energy is arranged to radiate wave energy to at least two spring packs, whereby the signal processing device is arranged to determine an average torque value for said spring packs. Ultimately, this can involve radiating and receiving individual modulation signals to and from each spring pack, respectively.
The reflected modulation signal received by the device is preferably an amplitude modulation signal. As stated above, the device is arranged to radiate wave energy in the form of electromagnetic, radiation or acoustic wave energy towards at least one spring pack.
In order to maintain accurate torque value readings, the signal processing device can be arranged to perform a recalibration when a first vehicle condition corresponding to a first torque level and a second vehicle condition corresponding to a second torque level have been detected. Said first vehicle condition can for example be a condition where zero torque is prevailing and said second vehicle condition where a maximum torque is prevailing. The relationship between the change in resonance frequency corresponding to zero torque and up to the resonance frequency corresponding to the maximum torque is linear so the resonance frequencies corresponding to different torque levels between said two different known torque levels, such as zero torque and maximum torque, can be calculated. The recalibration is necessary since the size of the windows and or the elastic properties of the spring packs can change over time. Such changes can be due to normal wear and the resonance frequency of the spring pack may therefore change accordingly over time.
The invention further involves a torque measuring method for a vehicle transmission comprising a clutch assembly having a two part, rotatable torque transmitting member, the two parts of said member being angularly movable relative to one another against the compression of at least one damper spring pack, and an actuator with a non rotatable cylinder for controlling the clutch
The method involves the steps of:                radiating wave energy towards at least one spring pack by means of a device for radiating and receiving, wave energy;        receiving wave energy in the form of a modulation signal reflected from said at least one spring pack by means of said device which modulation signal is proportional to the current resonance frequency of said damper spring pack;        transmitting the modulation signal to a signal processing device; and        converting the modulation signal to a torque value using said signal processing device, which torque value corresponds to the actual torque over said clutch.
According to a first example, the method involves radiating wave energy to a single spring pack and determining a torque value based on the modulation signal from said single spring pack. According to a second example, the method involves radiating wave energy to at least two spring packs and determining an average torque value based on the modulation signals from each spring pack. As stated above, torque values are determined continuously while the part comprising spring packs is rotated, in order to monitor the torque over the clutch. The resulting torque values can be used in a target gear selection function, for instance for determining when a gear change can be carried out.
The torque measuring method preferably involves receiving an amplitude modulation signal reflected from said at least one spring pack.
The method can involve radiating wave energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation or acoustic wave energy towards at least one spring pack.
According to the torque measuring method, a recalibration can be performed when two different vehicle conditions have been detected, where a first vehicle condition has a first torque level and a second vehicle condition has a second torque level which torque levels differ by a predetermined amount, as discussed above.
The invention also involves a computer program comprising program code means for performing all the steps of the torque measuring method described above, when said program is run on a computer.
The invention further involves a computer program product comprising program code means stored on a computer readable medium for performing all steps of the torque measuring method described above, when said program product is run on a computer.
The invention further involves a computer system for implementing the torque measuring method described above, said computer system comprising a suitable storage medium for storing a program for controlling a target gear selection function for the vehicle, and for receiving and storing modulation signals proportional to the current resonance frequency of at least one damper spring pack, wherein a signal processing device operable to run said program for converting said modulation signals to torque values and to control the target gear selection based on said torque values.
The advantage with the device according to the invention is that the response times and the accuracy for torque measurement is improved, which in turn allows for faster and more accurate gear changes in an AMT transmissions. The use of expensive sensor components or complex and/or sensitive sensor arrangements can be avoided, as the invention merely requires a single device for radiating and receiving wave energy arranged within sensor range from a spring pack. As the device is not required to be located in the immediate vicinity of a shaft, as in the case of a Hall sensor or a magnetorestrictive sensor, less space is required for the system according to the invention.

Torque measuring system and a method thereof


A driver circuit disclosed herein comprises a first inverter which comprises: a first transistor which is connected between a first power supply with a first voltage and a first output node; a second transistor which is connected between the first output node and a second power supply with a second voltage; and a voltage maintaining circuit which is provided between the second power supply and the second transistor and which maintains a voltage of the first output node in the vicinity of a threshold voltage of a transistor which is connected to the first output node even when the second transistor is turned on.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driver circuit and a system including a driver circuit, and particularly relates to a driver circuit having a predriver in a stage previous to an output driver and a system including such a driver circuit.
2. Background Art
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a related driver circuit. As shown in FIG. 1, the driver circuit includes a predriver 10 and an output driver 12.
The predriver 10 is configured by connecting plural CMOS inverters 20 in series. The output driver 12 is a CML (Current Mode Logic) type output driver and includes N-type MOS transistors N1, N2, and N3 and resistances R1 and R2.
A bias voltage BIAS is applied to the transistor N3, and hence the transistor N3 functions as a constant current source.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing operation waveforms of the driver circuit shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, a node MAIN_P and a node MAIN_N which are output nodes of the predriver 10 oscillate, for example, between 0 V and a voltage VTERM.
If threshold voltages of the transistors N1 and N2 are VTHN, the transistor N1 remains off while the voltage of the node MAIN_N is between 0 V and the voltage VTHN when the node MAIN_N rises from low (0 V) to high (voltage VTERM). Accordingly, the voltage of an output terminal TX_P does not drop. Then, the voltage of the output terminal TX_P starts to drop only after the voltage of the node MAIN_N has reached VTHN.
On the other hand, the node MAIN_P drops from high (voltage VTERM) to low (0 V), and when the voltage of the node MAIN_P drops from the voltage VTERM to the voltage VTHN, the transistor N2 is turned off. Therefore, at this point, the voltage of an output terminal TX_N rises to high (voltage VTERM).
As described above, on/off timings of the transistor N1 and the transistor N2 do not coincide, whereby a voltage waveform of the output terminal TX_P and a voltage waveform of the output terminal TX_N are not perfect differential waveforms. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, an intersection point (VCOMMON) of the voltage waveform of the output terminal TX_P and the voltage waveform of the output terminal TX_N when the output switches between high and low has a higher potential than an intermediate potential. Namely, {(voltage of output terminal TX_P)+(voltage of output terminal TX_N)}/2=VCOMMON is not a constant value.
However, specifications needed for the driver circuit sometimes require that VCOMMON is constant (fluctuations are within a predetermined range), for example, as in the case of PCI-EXPRESS. In such specifications, it is necessary to avoid fluctuations in VCOMMON in the driver circuit as much as possible.

Driver circuit and system including driver circuit


The invention refers to a method for a communication device in a radio network, which comprises a step of performing a first transmitting, in a first time slot of a first duration, comprising transmitting a Buffer Status Report, BSR, for a plurality of logical channels, and a step of performing a second transmitting, in a second time slot of a second duration, comprising transmitting a Scheduling Request, SR, for at least a first part of the plurality of logical channels; the invention further refers to corresponding communication devices, to a computer-readable storage, to a computer program and to a carrier.

3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) TS 36.321 specifies a framework for buffer status reporting. Buffer status reporting is used by a user equipment (UE) to report to an eNB amount of data stored in its buffers for transmission. The eNB uses these reports to allocate resources to UEs, and to prioritize resource allocation between different UEs.
The UE triggers a Regular BSR when uplink (UL) data becomes available for transmission and the data belongs to a Logical Channel Group (LCG) (or radio bearer group) with higher priority than those for data already existed in the buffer or if the UE buffers were empty just before this new data became available for transmission. If no UL grant is available, an SR transmission will be triggered.
An SR is either sent on a Random Access Channel (RACH), i.e., a Random Access Scheduling Request (RA-SR), or on a dedicated resource on Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), i.e., a Dedicated Scheduling Request (D-SR). A D-SR is typically used when the UE uplink is time synchronized. The purpose is to enable a UE to rapidly request resources for uplink data transmission. In 3GPP, a dedicated solution for the scheduling request has been agreed. For the dedicated approach, each active user is assigned a dedicated channel for performing the scheduling request. The benefit with this method is that no UE ID has to be transmitted explicitly, since the UE is identified by the channel used. Furthermore, no intra-cell collisions will occur in contrast to the contention based approach.
The D-SR is repeatedly transmitted on consecutive SR opportunities on PUCCH until the UE receives an UL grant on Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). The transmission is stopped at least when PUCCH resources are released and/or UL synch is lost even if the UE has not received any UL grant on PDCCH. After stopping transmission of the D-SR, the UE transmits the RA-SR (i.e. accesses the system via RACH).
The RA-SR is used when the UE has lost UL synchronization or if it has no D-SR resources.
For Buffer Status Report (BSR), there are short BSR reports and long BSR reports. For a long BSR report, the buffer status of 4 logical channel groups (LCG) can be integrated into one media access control (MAC) control element (CE). For a short BSR, it is used when the selected physical channel cannot provide enough capacity for a long BSR or a short BSR is enough (e.g. only one LCG has data for transmission). There are various conditions to trigger BSR reports to eNB. In one example, a BSR report can be triggered when data becomes available for a new logical channel. In another example, it can be triggered periodically at expiring of a preconfigured timer. Furthermore, a BSR can be also reported when there is still enough capacity available in a MAC PDU, in which case it is referred to as a padding BSR. If a BSR is triggered due to data becoming available for transmission for a logical channel for which logicalChannelSR-ProhibitTimer is configured by upper layers: start or restart the logicalChannelSR-ProhibitTimer, which prohibits the SR transmission before the timer expires. As the logicalChannelSR-ProhibitTimer is running, the UE is prohibited from transmitting SRs, which means that a BSR for this logical channel is prohibited from further transmitting.
In 3GPP discussions, PDU sessions are established between UEs and the core network. A UE may have multiple PDU sessions for which a user plane tunnel is established between the core network and the radio network. Each PDU session may include a number of PDU flows. Packets are grouped into "flows" according to filters, e.g. TFTs (5 tuple). Each flow is associated with a "Flow ID". This "Flow ID" is expected to be included in a packet header, received in the user plane tunnel per PDU session from the core network to the radio access network, which can be called as a new radio, NR.
The flows are then mapped to data radio bearers in the radio access network. The radio access network is responsible for decisions of mapping flows to data radio bearers. Multiple flows may be mapped to the same data radio bearer. Also, flows from different PDU sessions may be mapped to the same data radio bearer.
Which flow belongs to which data radio bearer needs to be indicated to UEs. This indication may be done using control signaling to the UEs, and by marking each user data packet with a flow ID and possibly a PDU session id (or user data tunnel ID) by the radio access network in the downlink transmission. In the same way the UEs need to mark the user data packets in the uplink transmissions such that the radio access network may map the packets to the correct flows and PDU sessions towards the core network. Depending on the uniqueness of the PDU session IDs and the flow IDs, the value range of the identities varies.
Multiple Service Support:
The flows of a UE are mapped to logical channels in Layer 2 and each logical channel has been assigned a priority (i.e. logical channel priority, LCP). The MAC scheduler then schedules the transmissions for the logical channels according to the descending order of LCPs for the logical channels. To optimize the user experience, was agreed that a logical channel can be further configured with preferred numerology/slot duration to fulfil differentiated delay requirements.


In accordance with this invention, a DRAM with a staggered bitline sense amplifier configuration utilizes an I/O data path scheme which minimizes the time delay through the I/O data path. The DRAM includes a first and a second memory arrays wherein a first external sense amplifier receives on an input terminal a signal corresponding to the state of a memory cell selected from the first memory array via a first column decoding circuit. A second external sense amplifier receives on an input terminal a signal corresponding to the state of a memory cell selected form the second memory array via a second column decoding circuit. Each of the two external sense amplifiers has an output terminal which are shorted together. A tristate signal feeding another input terminal of each of the two external sense amplifiers is used to eliminate data contention on the shorted output terminals.

One DRAM configuration utilizes an even number (such as two or four for example) of memory arrays arranged in pairs, with bitline sense amplifiers placed between each pair. The DRAM 10 in FIG. 1 illustrates such configuration. A pair of memory arrays 11 and 12 are shown with bitline sense amplifiers 13-i in between. Each bitline sense amplifier is connected to two pairs of bitlines, one pair from each memory array. For example, bitline pairs 11-3 and 12-3 in memory arrays 11 and 12, respectively, are connected to bitline sense amplifier 13-3.
Each of the pairs of bitlines 11-i and 12-i is connected to the respective bitline sense amplifier 13-i via a pair of select transistors not shown. The select transistors are used to connect either the bitline pair 12-i in memory array 12 or the bitline pair 11-i in memory array 11 to the sense amplifier 13-i.
A column decoding circuit (not shown) is used to select one of the bitline sense amplifiers 13-i, and provide a connection between the output terminals of the selected bitline sense amplifier and the data bus lines DB.sub.n and DB.sub.n. The I/O sense amplifier 20 is used for further amplification of the signals on DB.sub.n and DB.sub.n lines prior to transmitting these signals to an output buffer (not shown)
Accordingly, upon selection of a particular wordline in one of the memory arrays, a memory cell (representing one bit of information) from one of the two memory arrays 11 and 12 is selected. The state of the selected memory cell is sensed and signals representing this state are then provided on data bus lines DB.sub.n and DB.sub.n.
Another DRAM configuration, shown in FIG. 2, utilizes what is known as a staggered bitline sense amplifier architecture. Unlike the DRAM configuration shown in FIG. 1 wherein all bitline sense amplifiers are arranged between pairs of memory arrays, in FIG. 2 the bitline sense amplifiers (shown as 43-i, 44-i and 45-i) are arranged in a staggered configuration with respect to each memory array.
Bitline sense amplifiers 44-i are utilized in a similar manner to those in FIG. 1. Bitline sense amplifiers 44-i are located between and shared by the two memory arrays 41 and 42. Each of the bitline sense amplifiers 44-i is connected to two pairs of bitlines, one pair from each memory array. For example, bitline pairs 404A and 404B in memory arrays 41 and 42, respectively, are connected to bitline sense amplifier 44-2.
Bitline sense amplifiers 43-i and 45-i are located on the left side of memory array 41 and the right side of memory array 42, respectively, and will be referred to as the end-cap bitline sense amplifiers hereinafter. As shown, each of the end-cap bitline sense amplifiers 43-i and 45-i are connected to one pair of bitlines in the memory arrays 41 and 42, respectively.
All bitline sense amplifiers in FIG. 2 are similar in that each bitline sense amplifier receives two pairs of bitlines. Since the end-cap sense amplifiers 43-i and 45-i only receive one pair of bitlines from the respective memory arrays, dummy bitlines (also referred to as end-cap bitlines) are used as the second pair of bitlines. For example, end-cap bitlines 401A and 403A are used as the second pair of bitlines for the end-cap bitline sense amplifiers 43-1 and 43-2, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 2, the bitline sense amplifiers 44-i are connected to every other pair of bitlines in memory arrays 41 and 42, while the alternate bitlines are connected to the end-cap bitline sense amplifiers 43-i and 45-i; hence the name "staggered sense amplifier" architecture. In this manner, half of the memory cells in memory array 42 are connected by bitline pairs (shown, for example, as 401C and 403C) to end-cap bitline sense amplifiers 45-i, while the other half of the memory cells are connected by bitline pairs (shown, for example, as 402B and 404B) to bitline sense amplifiers 44-i. The memory cells in memory array 41 are similarly connected to the bitline sense amplifiers 43-i and 44-i.
Typically, a memory chip consists of more memory arrays than those shown in FIG. 2. Such a memory chip would include additional memory array arrangements similar to that formed by the bitline sense amplifiers 44-i and memory arrays 41 and 42. Note that in such a chip, the end-cap arrangements shown in FIG. 2, i.e., the end-cap bitlines and the end-cap bitline sense amplifiers, are provided only once for each end of the overall memory block.
A specific memory location is selected by selecting the corresponding wordline and the appropriate pair of bitlines. As in any memory array, the wordlines in memory arrays 41 and 42 (not shown) extend across the array in the direction perpendicular to the bitlines. To read out a memory cell, one wordline is selected from among the wordlines in memory arrays 41 and 42. The selected word line activates one row of memory cells; however, only the memory cells connected to the selected bitline pair will be read.
Each bitline in memory arrays 41 and 42 is connected to a select transistor not shown. A bitline pair is selected by activating the corresponding select transistors. The activated select transistors provide a connection between the pair of bitlines and the input terminals of the corresponding bitline sense amplifier. In this manner a direct connection is provided between the selected memory cell and the input terminals of a bitline sense amplifier.
Upon sensing the state of the selected memory cell, the bitline sense amplifier provides signals on its output terminals representing the state of the selected memory cell. The output terminals of each of the bitline sense amplifiers are connected to a pair of data bus lines DB and DB via a second set of select transistor pairs not shown. These select transistors are part of a decoding scheme wherein by activating a pair of select transistors, a connection is made between the output terminals of a bitline sense amplifier and the corresponding pair of data bus lines.
The column decoding scheme activates a specific select transistor depending upon (i) the array within which the wordline is selected, hereinafter referred to as the selected array, and (ii) the selected bitline pair in the selected array. For example, if a wordline and the bitline pair 403C are selected from memory array 42, the pair of select transistors which connect the output terminals of the end-cap bitline sense amplifier 45-2 to the data bus lines DB.sub.R and DB.sub.R are activated.
As in the DRAM configuration of FIG. 1, once the data is provided on the appropriate DB and DB lines, a second amplification is carried out. The I/O sense amplifiers 60 and 70 perform this task. The I/O sense amplifier 60 receives DB.sub.n /DB.sub.n lines at its input terminals and provides a signal representing the state of the sensed memory cell on its output terminal DO.sub.n. The output terminal DO.sub.n is in turn fed to an output buffer circuit not shown.
Due to the staggering of the bitline sense amplifiers, a selection needs to be made between the DB.sub.L /DB.sub.L lines and DB.sub.R /DB.sub.R lines prior to amplification of the signals on these lines. Multiplexer 80 performs this selection in response to an asserted input signal <A> or <B> from the selected array 41 or 42, respectively. If input signal <A> is asserted, the signals on DB.sub.L /DB.sub.L lines are passed through for amplification. If input signal <B> is asserted, the signals on DB.sub.R /DB.sub.R lines are passed through for amplification.
I/O sense amplifier 70 then amplifies the signals on the selected data bus lines. I/O Sense amplifier 70 provides the amplified signal on its output terminal DO.sub.m. The output terminal DO.sub.m is in turn fed to an output buffer not shown.
The initial sensing performed by the bitline sense amplifier is in the critical speed path (what is commonly referred to as the "address access time") of the memory chip. Thus, it is desirable to minimize the time delay associated with amplifying and transmitting the small signal associated with the selected memory cells. However, two factors hinder reducing the time delay. First, the area within which each bitline sense amplifier is physically laid out is limited to the pitch of two bitlines. As such, the drive capability of the bitline sense amplifiers is severely limited because the transistors in the bitline sense amplifiers cannot be made as large as desired.
Second, since the output terminals of the selected bitline sense amplifier are connected to the corresponding data bus lines, the selected bitline sense amplifier is required to drive the capacitive loading associated with the data bus lines. The data bus line capacitance increases as the length of the data bus line increases.
The impact of the first factor, namely the area limitation, is reduced by staggering the bitline sense amplifiers. Staggering the bitline sense amplifiers doubles the space within which each bitline sense amplifier is laid out, i.e., within a pitch of four bitlines rather than two. However, the time delay degradations due to the second factor is further exacerbated because of the additional data bus line routing required in providing both sets of data bus lines DB.sub.L /DB.sub.L and DB.sub.R /DB.sub.R to the multiplexer 80.
In order for the multiplexer 80 to carry out the selection function, either DB.sub.L /DB.sub.L lines or DB.sub.R /DB.sub.R lines need to be routed across a portion of the chip, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The additional routing significantly increases the interconnect capacitance on the routed data bus lines, thereby degrading the address access time.
Furthermore, unlike the read path represented by DB.sub.n /DB.sub.n lines and I/O sense amplifier 60, the read paths represented by DB.sub.L /DB.sub.L and DB.sub.R /DB.sub.R lines include multiplexer 80. The gate delay associated with multiplexer 80 causes additional time delay.
Therefore, the capacitive loading due to the additional routing of the DB.sub.L /DB.sub.L and DB.sub.R /DB.sub.R lines coupled with the gate delay associated with multiplexer 80, degrade the overall speed of the DRAM device. These drawbacks hinder achieving the desired device address access times, specially in high speed DRAM designs.

Dram with new I/O data path configuration