An electrical interconnection assembly which prevents a slack of insulated wire pieces interconnecting wire receiving terminals and is high in reliability in electric connection between them and suitable for high density wiring. The assembly comprises an insulating support body, a plurality of wire receiving terminals mounted on the insulating support body and each having a wire receiving slot formed at an end portion thereof, each of the wire receiving terminals having a terminal portion at the other end thereof, an insulated wire selectively received in the slots of the wire receiving terminals and cut into a plurality of wire pieces in such a manner as to form a predetermined wiring pattern, and a plurality of wire holding bosses provided on the insulating support body for holding intermediate portions of the wire pieces extending between the wire receiving terminals to retain the insulated wire in the predetermined wiring pattern. Also a process of and an apparatus for manufacturing such electrical interconnection assembly and a wire laying jig for use with such process and apparatus are disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical interconnection assembly wherein a plurality of pressure contacting terminals mounted on an insulating support body are interconnected by pieces of an insulated wire in such a manner as to form a predetermined pattern and also to a process of and an apparatus for manufacturing such electrical-interconnection assembly as well as a wire laying jig which is used with such manufacturing process and apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electrical interconnection assembly wherein a layered bus bar wiring plate which includes a plurality of bus bars and an insulating support disposed in an overlapping relationship with each other is built in an insulating casing and electric parts such as fuses and relays are mounted on the layered bus bar wiring plate is conventionally employed widely for the electric wiring of an automobile for the object of absorption of a joint included in the wire harness or for the protection of a circuit.
However, circuit construction is complicated where the electrical interconnection only includes bus bars, and a change of designing of an entire bus bar circuit cannot be avoided in partial modification of a circuit for different types or grades of automobiles.
Thus, an electrical interconnection assembly has been proposed and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,509 wherein a plurality of terminals (wire receiving terminals) are mounted on an insulating support body and are interconnected by way of insulated wire pieces. Such electrical interconnection assembly is shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the electrical interconnection assembly generally denoted at 105 includes an insulating support body 100 in the form of a plate, and a plurality of wire receiving terminals 101. Each of the wire receiving terminals 101 has, at an end portion thereof, a slotted plate portion 102 having a slot 103 formed therein to receive an insulated wire to establish an electrical connection to the insulated wire and projecting from an upper face of the insulating support body 100, and further has, at the other end thereof, a terminal portion 104 formed integrally with the slotted plate portion 102 and projecting downwardly from the other lower face of the insulating support body 100. The wire receiving terminals 101 are mounted on the insulating support body 100 in any conventional known manner. The electrical interconnection assembly 105 shown in FIG. 13 is thus constructed such that the wire receiving terminals 101 are interconnected by a plurality of insulated wire pieces 106 in such a manner as to form a predetermined pattern.
The electrical interconnection assembly 105 is manufactured in the following manner. Referring to FIG. 14, first, an insulated wire 106 is laid into a groove 108 cut in a template 107, and then, the insulated wire 106 is cut into a plurality of pieces in the groove 108 by means of a carrier plate 109 on which a plurality cutting pins 110 are carried. Then, the wire pieces 106 are ejected from the groove 108 toward the insulating support body 100 and forced into the slots 103 of the wire receiving terminals 101 using an ejecting plate 111 which has a plurality ejecting pins 112 thereon. Consequently, such a product as shown in FIG. 13 is obtained.
In the electrical interconnection assembly 105 of the structure shown in FIG. 13, although the insulated wire pieces 106 are forced fitted into and thereafter retained in the slots 203 of the wire receiving terminals 101, intermediate portions of the wire pieces 106 are not supported at all, and accordingly, there is the possibility that a wire piece may be slackened or may be removed from a terminal. accordingly, high density wiring is difficult.
While the template 107 having the groove 108 cut therein is used at a pretreatment step precedent to another step at which the wire 106 is laid along a predetermined route onto the insulating support body 100, the groove 108 allows wire laying only in a particular fixed pattern, and in order to cope with various types or grades of automobiles or various parts, a large number of templates must be prepared.
Further, when such a plurality of insulated wire pieces 106 are to be transferred from the template 107 to the insulating support body 100, since the ejecting pins 112 do not always correspond to an arrangement pattern of such wire pieces, it is difficult to assure a high quality of electric contact due to a possible slack of a wire piece described above. Further, since the wire 106 is cut before it is received by the terminals 101, the wire pieces 106 are in a hashed condition when they are transferred from the template 107 to the insulating support body 100, and may move or be displaced in the groove 108 and the wire receiving positions of the terminals 101 likely become uncertain.

Process of manufacturing an electrical interconnection assembly


A vibration assisted machining (VAM) system, including: a frame; a vibration element mechanically coupled to the frame; a cutting tool holder connected to the vibration element; and a workpiece holder coupled to the frame. The vibration element includes a first piezoelectric (PZT) actuator and a second PZT actuator, which are adapted to generate a substantially elliptical tool path in a vibration plane of the VAM system. The VAM system also includes a third PZT actuator coupled between the frame and either the vibration element or the workpiece holder. This third PZT actuator is coupled to the frame such that its polarization axis is substantially in the vibration plane and substantially perpendicular to the feed direction of the VAM system.

Vibration assisted machining (VAM) is an advanced manufacturing technique that is utilized in various applications such as manufacturing master molds for gratings and diffractive optics and die masters for stamping. VAM techniques may provide advantages, including: decreased tool wear; expanded material machining capability; and increased nano-scale feature capabilities, as compared to single point turning machining.
VAM further enables machining of materials, such as, for example, silicon carbide, that are extremely difficult to machine using single point diamond turning techniques due to excessive heating of the diamond tip. VAM systems vary in complexity and utility. VAM systems, such as the Ultramill system developed at North Carolina State University, use two piezoelectric (PZT) actuators mounted sided by side to drive a diamond tool in an elliptic trajectory. The minor and major axes of the ellipse trajectory are determined by a T-shaped linkage used to couple the PZT actuators to the cutting tool and the amplitude and phase of the drive signals used to drive the PZT actuators. However, this linkage geometry and driving method does not allow for reduced tool lead-in and lead-out zones (i.e., transition zones) when entering or exiting a workpiece when operated in a steady-state condition.

Vibration assisted machining system with stacked actuators


A sole for an article of footwear having an insert with a plurality of forefoot support tubes are configured to control the support characteristics of the sole in a forefoot region of the sole. In one embodiment, the forefoot support tubes each include a base, and a wall extending from the base. The wall is formed from a material that has a lower durometer value than the base. In another embodiment, the forefoot support tubes air arranged in a radiating pattern, such that at least two of the forefoot support tubes diverge as they extend toward the lateral side of the insert.

The present invention relates to footwear, and more particularly to a sole construction for an article of footwear.
There is a continuing effort to provide ever more comfortable footwear. Running shoes, as well as other footwear, have undergone tremendous evolutionary advances in technology over the past 20 years. Many of the technological advances have occurred in the midsole. In most footwear, the midsole functions as the "suspension system" of the sole and it often provides both protective cushioning and a stable platform for the wearer's foot. Variations in the characteristics of the midsole can have a dramatic affect on the performance of the shoe. In an effort to provide improved performance, it is often desirable to vary the support characteristics of the sole from one region to another. For example, it may be desirable to provide a higher density material in the heel and a lower density material in the forefoot. A higher density material in the heel provides greater support upon heel strike while a lower density material provides appropriate cushioning and support for the typically smaller loads encountered in the forefoot. A wide variety of soles have been developed to provide variable support over the foot. In some applications, variable support is provided by forming different regions of the midsole from different materials, such as softer EVA foam in the forefoot and firmer EVA foam in the heel. In other applications, the sole is provided with a support plate that can be configured to provide the sole with the desired overall support profile. Although a marked improvement over conventional uniform sole constructions, there remains a need for a sole construction that is inexpensive to manufacture and that is highly tunable with a wide range of adjustability.
At the same time, there is also an ongoing effort to extend the life of footwear soles. In conventional footwear, the midsole (as well as other sole components) may begin to lose its performance over a relatively short period of time. Degradation of the sole material can cause the sole to lose its resiliency over time, particularly in regions of high and repeated impact, such as the heel. The rate of degradation will vary from sole to sole, but is largely dependent on the specific characteristics of the sole material and the types of loads applied to the sole. For example, conventional closed and open cell foams, such as EVA, have a relatively short life as the material naturally breaks down over relatively short periods of use. Conventional foam materials are also susceptible to temperature changes, which can cause the resiliency of the foam to vary noticeably. For example, the sole may become noticeably stiffer in colder temperatures and noticeably softer in higher temperatures. As a result, temperature can have a significant adverse affect on the support characteristics of a sole manufactured from conventional foam materials.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a highly reliable, highly tunable sole that has an extended life and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.


An apparatus to aid in the filling or refilling of a flexible, collapsible container having a pour spout and a method for using same. The apparatus includes a center frame element having attached to its upper end an upper frame element adapted to receive at least a portion of the pour spout of the container. At its lower end, the center frame element is attached to a lower frame element adapted to cradle a lower portion of the container being filled and to urge the container toward the center frame element as the flexible, collapsible container fills and expands. The apparatus is portable and may be removably mounted to a variety of vertical or horizontal surfaces.

Flexible, collapsible containers such as bags or pouches are used for a variety of purposes. Liquid foods such as individual servings of salad dressing may be packaged in a sealed plastic pouch. The user cuts or tears a portion of the pouch to open it and dispense the contents. The emptied pouch may then be discarded. Bags or pouches of this type are not intended to be refilled after use.
Various collapsible bags or containers are known which are adapted to be filled with liquid contents, which may be dispensed through annular spouts or fitments. The walls of the bag are typically flexible sheets of a plastic, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, or polyester. The contents of the bag are dispensed through the spout or fitment in a wall of the bag. Often the spout has a replaceable cap or closure means thereby permitting the bag to be refilled and resealed after its initial use. The liquid contents can be foods, such as juices or milk, soaps or shampoos, or other liquids, such as photoprocessing solutions or cleaning chemicals. Often the collapsible bags are contained in a rigid support container. An example of this construction is the so-called "bag-in-box" whereby a rigid exterior box structurally supports the interior bag during filling, storage, shipment, and as the bag is being emptied.
It is known to use collapsible bags for dispensing liquids without the bag having a structural support such as a box. Flexible plastic containers having a resealable spout for filling the container and dispensing its contents are commonly used for travel, such as for camping. In addition, there are also mop handle assemblies adapted to dispense a liquid wherein the liquid supply reservoir may be a flexible, collapsible bag.
Filling a flexible container once the contents have been dispensed can be inconvenient for the user. A flexible, collapsible container typically has no external means of support and does not retain its filled shape when empty. Filling the container may require one person to hold the container while a second person fills it. Alternatively, one person may attempt to hold the container with one hand while keeping the spout in an upright position while directing the filling material into the spout with the other hand. Depending on the size of the container and the weight of the contents, this procedure may induce considerable stress at the point at which the container is being held, typically at the neck of the pour spout. Neither filling process is desireable when the contents of the container are potentially hazardous.
Although commercial manufacturing facilities may have equipment adapted to support and fill a collapsible container, a need exists for a convenient means for the end user to support and refill a flexible, collapsible container having a pour spout.

Apparatus for filling and refilling a flexible container


Disclosed is an antenna calibration technique for performing absolute antenna calibration. An antenna to be calibrated is positioned in a first position, called a home position, and records data samples from received satellite signals. The antenna is then moved to another location, called a non-home position, and records data samples from received satellite signals while at the non-home position. The antenna is then returned to the home position and records additional data samples. During the time that the antenna to be calibrated is recording its data samples, an auxiliary antenna is also recording satellite signal data samples. The data samples taken by the antenna to be calibrated during the home and non-home positions are differenced with the data samples taken by the auxiliary antenna during the same time period. The differenced data are interpolated to determine, at a particular time, an estimate of what the differenced data would be if the antenna to be calibrated occupied both the home and non-home positions at the same point in time. This allows for determination of the phase center of the antenna to be calibrated by differencing the interpolated estimates.

The present invention relates generally to antenna calibration, and more particularly to absolute calibration of global navigation satellite system antennas.
Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), such as GPS (U.S.A.) and GLONASS (Russia), are well known in the art. A navigation receiver receives and processes radio signals transmitted by satellites located within line-of-sight distance of the receivers. The satellite signals comprise carrier signals that are modulated by pseudo-random binary codes. The receiver measures the time delay of the received signal relative to a local reference clock or oscillator. These measurements enable the receiver to determine the so-called pseudo-ranges between the receiver and the satellites. The pseudo-ranges are different from the ranges (distances) between the receiver and the satellites due to various noise sources and variations in the time scales of the satellites and receiver. If the number of satellites is large enough and satellite clock differences are known, then the measured pseudo-ranges can be processed to determine the user location and coordinate time scales. Some satellites broadcast more than one code-modulated carrier signal, such as a GPS satellite which broadcasts a carrier in the L1 frequency band and another carrier in the L2 frequency band. More than two frequency carriers are possible.
The requirement of determining user location with a high degree of precision, and the desire to improve the stability and reliability of measurements, have led to the development of differential navigation (DN). In differential navigation, the task of finding the user position, also called the Rover, is performed relative to a Base station (Base). The precise coordinates of the Base station are assumed known and the Base station is generally stationary during measurements. The Base station has a navigation receiver which receives and processes the signals of the satellites to generate measurements. These signal measurements are transmitted to the Rover via a communication channel (e.g., wireless). The Rover uses these measurements received from the Base, along with its own measurements taken with its own navigation receiver, in order to determine its location precisely.
The location determination accuracy of differential navigation may be further improved by supplementing the pseudo-range measurements with measurements of the phases of the satellite carrier signals. If the carrier phase of the signal received from a satellite in the Base receiver is measured and compared to the carrier phase of the same satellite measured in the Rover receiver, measurement accuracy may be obtained to within several percent of the carrier's wavelength.
The collection of GPS pseudorange (code) and phase (carrier) data at two or more sites simultaneously and subsequent processing to determine precise relative coordinates (baselines) is well known in the art. Using well-known techniques, code and phase data are usually processed in either one-way (no differencing), single-, double-, or triple-difference modes. It is well known that one-way, single- and double-differences of carrier phase measurements have biases that must be estimated. In particular, if successful, the integer nature of the double-difference biases (also called ambiguities) will be recognized and the solution may be constrained so that the integer nature of the double-difference ambiguities is preserved.
A GPS solution for a baseline provides the vector between the phase centers (or electrical centers) of the antennas at either end of the baseline. However, antennas do not have single well defined phase centers, but instead the location of an antenna phase center is a function of the direction from which the antenna receives a signal. In order to take full advantage of the millimeter level carrier phase measurements, these variations in antenna response, or range (distance) corrections, as a function of satellite azimuth and elevation must be modeled.
Initially, such models treated the antenna corrections as an offset to the range measurement to a theoretical phase center, whereby the phase center coordinates were given relative to a recognized physical antenna reference point known as the Antenna Reference Point (ARP).
Originally, antenna phase center calibrations were available only in relative form. It was recognized that two antennas of the same type, behaving (theoretically) identically to incoming signals because of their proximity to each other, would yield no information about the actual response to incoming voltage fronts. However, if the two antennas responded differently, e.g., using two different antenna designs, the differences in measured response could be determined. As such, original antenna phase center calibrations were calculated in terms relative to a given reference antenna. The United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Geodetic Survey, has used this relative calibration technique to calibrate various types of antennas, using the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Dorne/Margolin choke ring antenna type T (JPL D/M+crT) as the reference antenna. These calibrations do not provide absolute phase calibration for the tested antennas, but rather the relative calibrations with respect to this particular reference antenna.
While the above described technique utilizes relative calibration, the absolute nature of antenna response variations has also been studied. In particular, it has been recognized that if a short baseline with antennas of the same or different design are used, but one antenna is rotated with known rotation angles, the one being rotated responds in different ways depending on the angular orientation, and thus the absolute rather than relative responses can be estimated.
There are two types of absolute antenna calibration, one using antennas of the same type, and the other using antennas of different types. In order to determine absolute response using two of the same type antennas at different ends of a baseline, differences in response to different orientations from the different ends of the baseline can be used to model absolute response. Alternatively, if the antennas at each end of the baseline are of different types, then each would respond differently even without changing orientations. Thus, one of the antenna's absolute responses must be known so that the other antenna's responses at the opposite end of the baseline can be determined. Once a known antenna's response has been removed (measurements corrected or moved to the ARP), the unknown response of the other antenna can be recovered should sufficient samples be collected.
While the above described calibration techniques are useful, there are certain disadvantages. First, there is significant reliance on the consistency of antenna types. Using the relative calibration technique, consistency between various reference antennas (e.g., JPL D/M+crT) is required. Similarly, using the absolute calibration techniques with the same antenna type, the accuracy of the calibration relies on the fact that the two antennas of the same type will react in the same way. Given manufacturing variations, such reliance may result in inaccurate calibrations. Another disadvantage to both the relative and absolute methods is that the precise baseline between the reference and test antennas must be known so that variations can be determined from a study of measurement residuals after the known baseline contribution is removed. This requires that precise baseline measurements be made prior to antenna calibration.
What is needed is an antenna calibration technique which can accurately perform absolute antenna calibrations without reliance on a precisely known baseline, and without the need for precise advance information of the characteristics of the reference antenna.

Method for absolute calibration of global navigation satellite system antennas


A wire harness testing system is disclosed. The wire harness testing system includes a voltage sensor configured to measure a voltage at a location associated with an electric load, wherein the electric load is connected with at least one wire harness. The wire harness testing system also includes a controller electrically coupled to the voltage sensor. The controller is configured to receive a wire harness test request. The controller is further configured to determine a voltage drop based on a voltage sensor measurement and a reference voltage and compare the voltage drop with a threshold. The controller is also configured to adaptively update the reference voltage with the voltage measurement responsive to a voltage drop below the threshold, and generate a fault notice responsive to a voltage drop above the threshold. The wire harness testing system further includes at least one indication device configured to provide a warning signal based on the fault notice generated by the controller.

Electric or hybrid machines are widely used as alternatives to their mechanical counterparts in industrial applications due to their higher efficiency and lower maintenance requirements. A high voltage power supply system is required for driving these electric machines. For the purpose of the present disclosure, high voltage refers to a voltage greater than 50 volts. The high voltage system usually includes one or more wire harnesses that enable the establishment of electrical power between the various systems of the electric machine. Non-limiting examples of wire harnesses include electrical conductors and connectors. These wire harnesses may be configured to pass various types of electrical signals, including DC voltage potentials and AC voltage signals.
The integrity of the high voltage harness is important to the reliability of the machine. For instance, if the connector components are not fully engaged or properly soldered, or crimped, or other types of connector faults occur, arcs may occur at the connector. Arcs usually contain high energy and generate a large amount of heat that may melt the connector and any conductive components. Therefore, it is desirable to test the harness system and detect connector degradation before arcs occur.
In order to achieve early detection, it is important that the testing system can adaptively account for operating characteristics of loads and sensor measurement errors. For example, each electric machine may include one or more electric loads. Depending on the operating characteristics of the electric loads, the currents flowing through these electric loads, as well as the voltages associated with them, may vary significantly. As a result, voltage levels at multiple points of a high voltage system may fluctuate significantly, depending on the electric loads connected to the system. For another example, sensor precision may also vary among different sensors and affect the voltage measurement.
One system for testing a wire harness in a high-voltage electrical circuit is described in Schoepf et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,833,713 ("the '713 patent"). The '713 patent describes a wire harness testing system for detecting arc faults. The system includes two smart connectors connected in series with two terminals of a circuit portion being tested. Each smart connector includes electronic circuitry to measure both voltage and current. The system further includes two signal wires to transfer the values of the end voltage and end current from the end smart connector to the beginning smart wire. The testing system described in the '713 patent may compare the voltage difference between the two smart connectors with a preset value. In one instance, the wire harness testing system described in the '713 patent may further include a switching device that disconnects the power supply to the smart connectors in the event of arc faults.
Although the wire harness testing system described in the '713 patent may be effective for testing wire harness and detecting arc faults, it may be problematic. For example, the testing system described in the '713 patent is only capable of detecting an arc fault when it occurs, but does not provide early and preventative detection. For example, the system of the '713 patent does not use adaptive reference voltages and thus a voltage difference due to large resistance of electric loads being tested may be mistakenly detected as an arc fault.
Furthermore, the system described in the '713 patent may be too complex. For example, the system described in the '713 patent requires external smart connectors and additional wirings to perform the test. In addition, the solution provided by the '713 patent may not be convenient to use. For example, the wire harness test described in the '713 patent has to be formed manually by skilled electrical engineers since the system requires re-wiring and connection of external components.
The disclosed high voltage harness testing system is directed towards improvement in the existing technology.


An armrest device has a main body, a cover plate, and an armrest support plate. The main body has a first chamber, a second chamber, a middle post, a groove, a first seat, and a second seat. The armrest support plate has a corrugated slot and a plurality of recess apertures.. A hook device has a shaft rod, a notch, and a through aperture. A coiled spring is inserted in the groove and the notch. An elastic plate covers the first chamber and the second chamber. A guide plate is disposed on the elastic plate. A press plate is disposed on the second seat. A press panel is disposed on the first seat. The armrest support plate is confined between the press plate and the press panel.

The present invention relates to an armrest device. More particularly, the present invention relates to an armrest device for a chair or for a sofa.
A conventional chair has a fixed armrest which cannot be adjusted. Since the height of the users vary from one person to another person, the user may want to adjust the height of the chair in order to fit the height of the user. However, the conventional armrest does not have any adjustment function.


The present invention is constituted with crystal of 2-amino-3-cyano-4-methyl-5-(2-fluorophenyl)pyrrole, which show diffraction peaks at diffraction angles (2θ±0.2 degree) of 10.3 degree, 14.3 degree, 15.5 degree, 15.9 degree, 25.1 degree and 25.7 degree in a powder X-ray diffraction spectrum, and also show absorption peaks at wavenumbers (cm−1, ±0.2%) of 3373, 3322, 2201, 762, 687 and 640 in an infrared absorption spectrum.

WO96/40634 describes that 2-amino-3-cyano-4-methyl-5-(2-fluorophenyl)pyrrole (hereinafter referred to as the pyrrole compound) has excellent urinary bladder capacity increasing activity and is useful for the treatment of pollakiuria or urinary incontinence. Also Examples 5-(1) and 5-(2) of the above publication describe that crystal (hereinafter referred to as type-II crystal) of the pyrrole compound by recrystallizing the pyrrole compound from a mixed solvent (1:1) of benzene and n-hexane, or benzene.

Abstract: The crystal of the present invention is superior in stability and is useful as a pharmaceutical bulk.


A power supply of luminous sources is disclosed comprising a first circuit configured to generate a direct voltage signal from an alternating input voltage and a second circuit having in input the direct voltage signal and configured to generate an alternating voltage signal of rectangular wave shape and null average value. The power supply comprises: a third circuit configured to generate a current signal of triangular wave shape from the alternating voltage signal, a fourth circuit configured to extract from the current signal a voltage signal of triangular wave shape and non-null average value, a fifth circuit configured to control the frequency of the alternating voltage signal based on the average value of the voltage signal extracted by the fourth circuit, a sixth circuit configured to rectify said current signal and supply the luminous sources.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure refers to a power supply of luminous sources, in particular power LED diodes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Power supplies are known for LED diodes that comprise a direct voltage source, a DC/DC converter suitable for supplying the LED diodes arranged in series or parallel to each other and at least a sense resistance. If the LED diodes are arranged in series there is uniform light due to the same current that circulates in the diodes but there is the drawback of high supply voltage. If the diodes are arranged parallel to each other the supply voltage is lower but the light of the diodes may undergo variations; further, ballast resistances are used to equalize the currents in all the diodes at the expense of efficiency.
On the market there are currently circuit types of the flyback type for supplying LED diodes. Said circuit types have various drawbacks in the event of use for high output power: great circuit complexity for independent adjustment for each branch of LED diodes of the light flow, significant dimensions, need for the output transformer to be made with low leaked inductance in order to contain losses, problems linked to the buzz of the cores during adjustment of the light flow and high costs.


In order to play back a plurality of kinds of image data using a single device, a 1394 receiver receives data transmitted via an AV bus according to a format of an IEEE 1394 standard. A separating circuit then determines a format of this data by referring to a prescribed region of a CIP header of this data. When this data is MPEG-PS data, this data is outputted to an MPEG-PS decoder. When this data is MPEG-TS data, this data is outputted to an MPEG-TS decoder. When this data is DVCR SD data, this data is outputted to a DVCR-SD decoder. The MPEG-PS decoder, MPEG-TS decoder and the DVCR-SD decoder then decode the supplied data of respective formats.

The present invention relates to a receiving device and method thereof, and more particularly relates to a receiving device and method thereof decoding received data at any of a plurality of decoders in accordance with a format of the received data.
In recent years, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-Video (hereinafter referred to as "DVD") has been standardized, so that it is expected to become widespread. With the DVDs, video data is compressed using an MPEG (moving Picture Experts Group)--PS (Program Stream) method and recorded. A DVD player plays back a DVD at a driving unit, with MPEG-PS data played back from the DVD being decoded at a decoder and outputted to a television. An image corresponding to this data is then displayed.
On the other hand, digital satellite broadcasts are also becoming widespread. Video data transmitted by these digital satellite broadcasts is compressed using an MPEG-TS (Transport Stream). A receiver for receiving the digital satellite broadcasts then has a built-in decoder for decoding MPEG-TS data.
However, as described above, when a number of images such as digital satellite broadcast images or images from digital video cassette recorders (DVCR) etc. are to be enjoyed in addition to the images played back by the DVD player, because of the image data formats being different in correspondence to these images, mutually independent playback systems have to be provided in order to playback all of the image data. This therefore causes the device to be large in size.
In order to resolve the aforementioned problems, the present invention enables playback of data of these images using a single device by connecting a plurality of devices handling these various kinds of image data via a digital interface to a device having a plurality of decoders for decoding the image data.

Receiving device and receiving method thereof


A separator tank for separating and trapping contaminants in rainwater and runoff is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the separator tank comprises a container having a bottom wall, side wall, and top wall defining an internal chamber; an insert located inside of the internal chamber, the insert comprising a weir defining an intake area between the weir and the side wall; and a round-edged orifice positioned within the intake area; an inlet conduit for introducing an influent liquid into the intake area; wherein the weir is positioned such that the weir induces the influent liquid to flow in a swirling motion within the intake area. According to another embodiment of the present invention an insert for a separator tank is disclosed. The insert includes a weir defining an intake area for receiving an influent liquid; and a round-edged orifice positioned within the intake area.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to separator tanks adapted to receive rainwater from a storm sewer or drain, and, more particularly, to separator tanks having a high flow rate through their lower chambers, while achieving high levels of separation and removal efficiency.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, separator tanks are structures adapted to receive rainwater and runoff from a storm sewer or drain. The tanks separate and entrap free and floating oils, grease, hydrocarbon, petroleum products, and total suspended solids (TSS), as well as sorbed contaminants like nutrients, heavy metals, and hydrocarbon and petroleum products, that are transported as suspended solids. Once the various contaminants have been separated or entrapped, the semi-clarified water may be discharged into municipal receiving sewers or water courses. Examples of separator tanks are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,987,148; 5,498,331; 5,725,760; 5,753,115; and 6,068,765, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.


An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a transfer member and a cleaning member. The image forming apparatus: determines whether the electric resistance of a recording medium is low or high; applies a first transfer bias to the transfer member if the electric resistance is low; applies a second transfer bias to the transfer member if the electric resistance is high; applies a first cleaning bias to the cleaning member if the electric resistance is low; and applies a second cleaning bias to the cleaning member so that a potential difference between a portion of a surface of the image carrier against which the cleaning member is rubbed and the cleaning member becomes smaller than that in a case of applying the first cleaning bias if the electric resistance is high.

The present disclosure relates to an electrophotographical image forming apparatus.
As an electrophotographical image forming apparatus, there is known a printer which includes photosensitive elements for carrying developer images, and transfer members for transferring the developer images formed on the photosensitive elements onto a paper sheet.
For example, there has been proposed a color printer which includes four photosensitive drums that are provided corresponding to colors of black, yellow, magenta, and cyan, respectively, a conveyor belt that conveys paper sheets so that the paper sheets come into contact with all photosensitive drums, and four transfer rollers that are provided corresponding to the four photosensitive drums, respectively, so that the conveyor belt is interposed between the transfer rollers and corresponding photosensitive drums.
In this color printer, a resistance value between the most upstream photosensitive drum and a transfer roller facing the corresponding photosensitive drum is measured, and a target value for an electric current to flow between the photosensitive drum and the transfer roller (a transfer current target value) is set based on a resistance value before a paper sheet is conveyed and a resistance value when a paper sheet is being conveyed.
Then, a voltage to be applied between the photosensitive drum and the transfer roller is controlled such that the electric charge to flow between the photosensitive drum and the transfer roller approximates to the transfer current target value.


The clutch lever includes a pivot at a proximal end which pivots relative to a mounting bracket and has an arm extending distally from the proximal end. An anchor recess is provided adjacent to the pivot at the proximal end. A post extends from an inner wall of the anchor recess. A clutch cable with a head at a distal end, and with a hole in the head, can fit within the anchor recess with the post passing through the hole in the head. The post and sidewalls thus support the clutch cable relative to the clutch lever. A cap encloses the anchor recess with a depression on an inner face thereof, sized to receive and support a tip of the post therein. The post is thus securely supported at both a base and a tip of the post.

Clutch levers on motorcycles are a common element which has a somewhat standardized function between most motorcycle makes and models, so that motorcycle riders can have an at least somewhat familiar experience when riding a motorcycle type for the first time. The clutch lever is adjacent to one of the handlebars so that fingers of the rider can simultaneously hold the handlebar with a thumb and palm thereof, while fingers of the rider can reach over an arm of the clutch lever to pivot the clutch lever when desired. The clutch is engaged so that drive is provided between the motor and the drive wheel through a gear box, when the clutch lever is in a relaxed state most distant from the handlebar. When fingers of the rider pull the clutch lever toward the handlebar, the clutch is disengaged and gears within the transmission can be shifted, before releasing the clutch lever to reengage drive between the motor and the output wheel, through the transmission and the newly selected gears.
A common configuration for a clutch lever is to include a pivot hole which aligns with a pivot pin held by a mounting bracket which is secured to the handlebar. The clutch lever pivots about this pivot hole and pivot pin combination. A clutch cable connects to a proximal end of the clutch lever with a relatively small offset distance between where the clutch cable attaches to the clutch lever and the location of the pivot hole. This offset distance is actually carefully selected, to provide a desired amount of tension on the clutch cable responsive to amount of force applied to the clutch lever.
While different goals might be met by adjusting this offset distance in different ways, in some instances it is desirable that a relatively small clutch lever pivoting force, even applied with just one or two fingers of a rider, can produce a relatively high tension force in the clutch cable, for effectively disengaging the clutch so that gears can be shifted. One way to achieve such a goal is to shorten this offset distance between the pivot hole and where the clutch cable attaches to the clutch lever. As one example, if a user applies one pound of force on the clutch lever at a location four inches away from the pivot hole of the clutch lever, and if an offset distance between the clutch cable and the pivot hole is 0.4 inches, the tension in the clutch cable would be ten pounds of tension. Other design factors to accommodate include ensuring that the clutch cable has a required amount of travel, so that the clutch can be fully disengaged and engaged when the clutch lever is depressed and released.
Replacing and adjusting clutch levers typically involves a process of removing the clutch cable from the clutch lever early in the process, and replacing the clutch cable and reconnecting it back to the clutch lever proximal end at an end of such a clutch lever replacement or adjusting procedure. One common configuration for a clutch lever is to include a head at an end of the clutch lever which fits through a slot in an upper portion of a bracket which supports the clutch cable, and then to have this head fit into a recess in the proximal end of the clutch lever. It can be difficult to fit the head of the clutch lever through this slot and into this recess, due to the high forces of tension required to get needed slack in the clutch cable. This can be especially difficult if the clutch is designed to require a low amount of travel in the clutch cable, which can correspond with a short offset distance between the pivot hole and where the clutch cable attaches to the clutch lever. One sub-optimal solution to this problem is to merely increase the offset distance somewhat and require that a user apply greater force to the clutch lever to affectively disengage the clutch.
Depending on how details of the clutch lever are modified to provide an optimal solution, different forces can be required upon different portions of the clutch lever for actuation of the clutch. If the clutch lever is made of aluminum or other relatively weak materials, the geometry can be insufficient for the design and a maximum load can be exceeded, causing the clutch lever to exceed its strength limit when in use and fail, at least partially. Accordingly, a need exists for unique designs which can provide optimal performance, including ease of moving of the clutch lever when in use, and ease in replacing and/or adjusting the clutch lever, while having a clutch lever maintain robust and reliable performance, even if formed of aluminum or other materials weaker than steel.

Side loading low force clutch lever for motorcycles


The present invention relates to a method for controlling a bit rate and an apparatus therefor, and more specifically to an apparatus for storing a bit rate changed according to a significant level in a memory and a method for determining the bit rate, which meets the requirements for the distortion according to the memory space limitation and the significant level of the image information so as to minimize the energy consumption.

Technical Field
The present application relates to a method for controlling a bit rate and an apparatus therefor, and more specifically to an apparatus, which stores a bit rate varied according to a significance level in a memory, and a method for determining a bit rate.
Description of the Related Art
As a social interest in a security increases, demands on a black box monitoring camera or a security camera becomes higher.
A main function of a device for obtaining image information on a predetermined area detects an event such as appearance or a suspected object in a camera area and compresses and stores data according to image information which is obtained until the event is terminated.
Because the device for obtaining image information receives power from a battery (e.g., a security camera operated by a battery of a vehicle when the vehicle is parked during a few weeks), a reduction in energy consumption is one of the most important issues.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional device satisfying such a main function. Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional device 100 may operate in an event-driven manner to protect energy consumption according to storage of a frame including less important information.
That is, other function blocks except for an event detector 120 are generally power-gated and wake up and operate whenever the event detector 120 detects an event.
A significance level of image information obtained when an event lasts is variable. For example, a significance level of image information including a face image is higher than that of image information including the back of his/her head.
The significance level is measured through various algorithms such as background subtraction, face detection and recognition, object tracking, behavior analysis, and the like.
A result of the measured significance level is used to adjust video encoding of a video encoder 140 (e.g., a manner of encoding image information having a high significance level using high image quality).
Generally, an encoding configuration with a high bit rate and low compression efficiency of an encoding frame needs power consumption units of which the number is smaller than that with high compression efficiency.
However, as a bit rate of an encoder increases, the energy consumption needed to store encoded image information in a memory increases.
That is, there is an energy trade-off on a video encoding configuration.
Furthermore, a memory embedded in an imaging device has a limited memory space to reduce the cost of the imaging device overall.
Accordingly, determination of a bit rate for encoding has to satisfy a restriction on a memory space in order to consider such constraints.
The encoding bit rate for minimizing energy depends on an event behavior specified by frequency of event occurrence and duration.
However, because the event behavior is nondeterministic and non-static, a time-driven encoding bit rate configuration according to the predetermined event behavior is inaccurate and inefficient.

Method for determining bit rate and apparatus therefor

CENTER FOR INTEGRATED SMART SENSORS FOUNDATION


In one example implementation, a sensor apparatus includes a bracket, a first polar plate, a first contact portion, a first leading wire, a rotating shaft, a support frame, a second polar plate, a second contact portion, and a second leading wire. The bracket is of a cylindrical structure with two open ends. The first leading wire is disposed on the first polar plate and an external side of the bracket, one end of the first leading wire is connected to the first contact portion, and the other end of the first leading wire is connected to the first polar plate. The second contact portion is disposed at a first end of the support frame. The second leading wire is disposed on the support frame and the second polar plate.

A sensor is a main component of an electronic device. The sensor can sense measured information, and can convert, according to a rule, the measured information sensed by the sensor into an electrical signal or information in another required form for output, so as to meet requirements, such as information transmission, processing, storage, display, recording, and control. A stress sensor mainly converts stress-induced deformation of a to-be-measured object into a resistance change or a capacitance change to implement stress measurement.
In the prior art, a strain gauge sensor is usually used to measure stress applied to an object. In specific usage, a strain gauge sensor is attached to a surface of a measured object by using an adhesive. The strain gauge sensor can measure, by using the adhesive, whether the surface of the measured object is deformed because of stress, and transmit a signal measured by the strain gauge sensor to a stress tester by using a conducting wire connected to the strain gauge sensor. The stress tester converts the measured signal into an electrical signal and sends the electrical signal to a computer for analysis, so that a value of the stress applied to the measured object is finally obtained.
However, when the prior art is used, stress-induced deformation of the measured object is transmitted to the strain gauge sensor by using the adhesive. Because a rigidity change of the adhesive may affect correctness of a result, collected by the strain gauge sensor, of the stress applied to the measured object, measurement accuracy of the strain gauge sensor is decreased.


A semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of memory cell regions each having a plurality of memory cells disposed on the semiconductor substrate, a word line formed in a first level above the semiconductor substrate, a bit line formed in a second level above the first level, and a backing line having a lower resistance than the word line and formed in a third level above the second level. A dummy bit line is formed in the second level outside the memory cell region so as to reduce the step formed at the periphery of the memory cell region. The dummy bit line is also used to interconnect the word line and the backing line so that an electrical connection therebetween is stabilized.

1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly relates to a semiconductor device in which a signal delay at a lower level line made of a material having a comparatively high resistance and high melting point, such as polysilicon, is compensated by an upper level line made of a material having a comparatively low resistance, such as aluminum. The present invention also relates to a process for fabricating such a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Since the packing density of a semiconductor device in which a number of semiconductor elements are integratedly formed on one chip has been enlarged, the length of wiring interconnecting the elements on the chip has been increased. On the other hand, the width of the wiring has been reduced so as to enhance the packing density. Generally, a long and narrow wiring has a high resistance. Wiring having a high resistance causes a problem of signal delay, which reduces the operation speed of the semiconductor device.
In a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), material having a low resistance and low melting point such as aluminum can not be used for a word line because it is not durable in the fabricating process of the semiconductor device. Instead, a material having a relatively high resistance and high melting point such as polysilicon and polycide is used. In such a DRAM, in order to prevent the problem of signal delay that occurs at the word line, another wiring made of aluminum is formed above the word line so as to run substantially in parallel with the word line. This aluminum wiring, called a "backing line", is connected to the word line at a plurality of points.
A conventional semiconductor device provided with the backing line will be described in detail. FIGS. 5A and 5B show partial sectional views of such a conventional semiconductor device. The semiconductor device has a structure of stacked capacitor cells. Referring to FIG. 5A, a part of the semiconductor device shown as B (right side of the dash-dot line in the figure) is a memory cell region having a plurality of memory cells. The other part of the semiconductor device shown as A (left side of the dash-dot line in the figure) is a memory cell peripheral region surrounding the memory cell region B. In the memory cell region B, a plurality of MOSFETs and memory capacitors connected to the respective MOSFETs are arranged in a matrix.
FIG. 6 schematically shows four memory cell regions B and the memory cell peripheral regions A surrounding these memory cell regions B. Each memory cell region B includes 256.times.64 memory cells arranged in a matrix. Each of the memory cells is connected to a word line 4 and a bit line 8. Thus, totally 256 word lines 4 and 64 bit lines 8 run through one memory cell region B. Each word line 4 and an aluminum backing line 15 running in parallel with the word line 4 are connected to each other in the memory cell peripheral region A, not in the memory cell region B. Sense amplifiers are also disposed in the memory cell peripheral region A.
Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the structure of the conventional semiconductor device will be described. The semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate 1, a level of the word lines 4, a level of the backing lines 15, and a level of bit lines 8 disposed between the above two levels. The bit lines 8 run transversely to the direction of the word lines 4 and the backing lines 15 (FIG. 6). Each bit line 8 is composed of a polysilicon film 8a as a lower layer and a silicide film 8b as an upper layer.
A field oxide film 2 is formed between the semiconductor substrate 1 and the word lines 4. As shown in FIG. 5B, each word line 4 is covered with an upper insulating film 5 on the top surface thereof and with side-wall insulating films 6 on the sides thereof. A first interlevel insulating film 18 is formed between the word lines 4 and the bit lines 8 for insulating them from each other. The bit lines 8 are electrically connected to sources of transistors in the memory cell region B through respective contact holes (not shown) formed through the first interlevel insulating film 18.
A second interlevel insulating film 9 is formed over the first interlevel insulating film 18 so as to cover the bit lines 8. On the second interlevel insulating film 9 in the memory cell region B, memory capacitors comprising storage nodes 10, capacitor insulating films 11, and a plate electrode 12a are formed. Each storage node 10 is connected to a drain (not shown) of the corresponding transistor.
A third interlevel insulating film 13 is formed over the second interlevel insulating film 9 so as to cover the plate electrode 12a. In the memory cell peripheral region A, contact holes 17 having a high aspect ration are formed through the interlevel insulating films 13, 9, and 18 and the upper insulating film 5 to reach the word lines 4. Each contact hole 17 has a tungsten (W) plug 14 formed therein. Thus, each aluminum backing line 15 having a low resistance is electrically connected to the corresponding word line 4 through the tungsten plug 14. The backing line 15 runs above the word line 4 substantially in parallel therewith.
As described above, the memory cell region B includes the bit lines 8 (thickness: about 240 nm), the storage nodes 10 (thickness: about 500 nm), the capacitor insulating films 11 (thickness: about 5 nm), and the plate electrode 12a (thickness: about 100 nm), which are not formed in the memory cell peripheral region A. Therefore, the third interlevel insulating film 13 in the memory cell region B is formed in a higher position than that in the memory cell peripheral region A by the total thickness of the above layers (about 845 nm), producing a step of that height at the boundary between the memory cell region B and the memory cell peripheral region A. This step causes the following problems in the photolithography and etching processes:
(1) Since the height of the step exceeds the allowable depth of focus for the photolithography (normally, no more than about 800 nm), a precise focusing on both the memory cell region B and the memory cell peripheral region A is not possible. Thereby, it is difficult to form a fine resist pattern on the semiconductor device.
(2) An aluminum film formed by sputtering on the vertical side of the step portion is thinner than that on the flat portion. Thereby, the reliability of the aluminum backing line 15 including such a thin film portion is lowered.
(3) The thickness of the aluminum film in the direction vertical to the substrate 1 is larger at the step portion than at the flat portion. Therefore, after the aluminum film is etched by a high anisotropic etching method, some aluminum tends to be left behind on the side of the step portion. Such aluminum left behind on the side of the step portion may cause a short circuit between the aluminum backing lines 15.
(4) Tungsten (or polysilicon) is deposited on the entire surface of the third interlevel insulating film 13 and then etched back so as to form a CVD tungsten plug (or a CVD polysilicon plug) inside the contact hall 17 by a blanket method. After the etching back, some of the tungsten (or the polysilicon) tends to be left behind on the step portion.
Further, in the conventional semiconductor devices, the aspect ratio of the contact hole 17 for connecting the aluminum backing line 15 with the word line 4 is high (about 3.5 to 5.0). It is difficult to form the tungsten plug 14 through the contact hole 17 having a high aspect ratio.

Semiconductor device having a semiconductor substrate with reduced step between memory cells

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The present invention relates to a device and method for brazing a heat pipe assembly with copper-silver alloy filler rings to improve heat dissipation efficiency of a heat pipe. The device comprises a brazing furnace and a conveyor. The brazing furnace comprises an open ended passage with a multi-stage brazing heater and cooler. The conveyor comprises an input bracket assembly, an output bracket assembly and a steel mesh belt. The method comprises steps of (A) providing multiple heat pipe components, (B) assembling the heat pipe components to form heat pipe assemblies, (C) injecting mixed gas, (D) turning on the multi-stage brazing heater and cooler, (E) placing the heat pipe assemblies on the conveyor, (F) brazing the heat pipe assemblies to form heat pipes, (G) cooling the heat pipes and (H) removing the heat pipes from the conveyor.

With recent reductions in electronic equipment size) performance of electronic equipment has increased dramatically. Higher performance has resulted in more internal heat and higher operating temperature. Without effective dissipation of the internal heat, reliability and life span of the associated electronic equipment is adversely affected.
To dissipate heat from electronic equipment, conventional heat sinks and fans are used. Since heat is dissipated at a heat transfer rate proportional to a conventional heat sink's surface area, fins are attached to the heat sink to increase the surface area so more heat will be dissipated. However, small, modern electronic equipment size limits how many and how large fins can be, which provides an upper limit to how much heat can be effectively dissipated by a heat sink attached to the electronic equipment. Since heat pipes transfer heat at a much higher rate than heat sinks and fans and can be made to be much smaller than a heat sink and fan, heat pipes are excellent candidates for heat dissipation in small, high performance electronic equipment.
            ⅆ      Q              ⅆ      t        =      h    ·          A                    (                              T            0                    -                      T            env                          )
Where                Q=Thermal energy in Joules        h=Heat transfer coefficient        A=Surface area of the heat being transferred        T0=Temperature of the object's surface        Tenv=Temperature of the environment
Specifically, the heat transfer coefficient (hwf) of a working fluid in a heat pipe is much higher than the heat transfer coefficient (ha) of air as in a heat sink or fan.
In a conventional assembly process of a heat pipe, tin is often used as a filler to braze components of the heat pipe together and is covered with flux to reduce oxidation of the tin. However, tin has a low melting point and heat-transfer coefficient (h) and is poorly suited to dissipate heat generated by high performance electronic equipment. In addition, traditional heat pipe components soldering with tin can not pass a reduction procedure at 400° C. Therefore, reliability of the heat pipe is poor.
The heat pipe is hollow and air-tight, has an internal cavity, an inside surface and a wick and has a vacuum inside to maintain its heat-transfer efficiency. However, flux covering the components of heat pipe may degrade performance of the wick on the inside surface inside the heat pipe and decrease the heat-transfer efficiency of the heat pipe by raising the evaporation and condensation temperatures of the working fluid.
In a conventional heat pipe manufacturing process, the heat pipe is usually between 100 millimeter and 300 millimeter in length, is cut to fit a product specification and sealed at one end. The sealed end cannot transfer heat. The bigger the heat pipe is, the longer the sealed end is. Therefore the sealed end reduces the heat-transfer efficiency of the heat pipe.

Device and method for brazing a heat pipe


A welding facility includes a main welding line for manufacturing an assembly of frame members, and a sub-welding line for manufacturing an assembly of panel members, the sub-welding line merging with the main welding line. The main welding line is comprised of a plurality of welding stages provided with a welding robot, the sub-welding line is provided at the end with a transfer mechanism for transferring the panel member assembly to the desired welding stage, and the merging parts are changeable according to the type of product to be welded. The facility permits a plurality of vehicle bodies having different vehicle types to be manufactured using the same manufacturing line.

This type of welding facility is known as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-47328 (JP 2001-47328 A). The welding facility disclosed in JP 2001-47328 A is shown in FIG. 23 hereof.
Referring to FIG. 23, a welding facility 200 is composed of a main welding line 201 and a sub-welding line 202 that merges with the main welding line 201. The sub-welding line 202 is composed of a front floor assembly line 203, a rear floor assembly line 204, and an engine compartment assembly line 205. A workpiece assembled using the assembly lines 203 to 205 is supplied to the main welding line 201, and welded to assemble a vehicle body.
The front floor assembly line 203 constituting the sub-welding line 202 is provided with first and second manufacturing facilities 206a, 206b. The rear floor assembly line 204 is provided with first and second manufacturing facilities 207a, 207b. The engine compartment assembly line 205 is provided with first and second manufacturing facilities 208a, 208b. Different types of products are assembled using the assembly lines 203, 204, 205.
However, a problem is presented when different types of products are welded and assembled in the welding facility disclosed in JP 2001-47328 A, in that a plurality of facilities corresponding to the plurality of product types on each sub-welding line is required, and the surface area needed for the facility is increased. Additionally, since the respective facilities are each dedicated to a specific type of product, few of the facilities can be shared, and difficulties are presented in terms of flexibly and effectively using the facilities.

Method of manufacturing vehicle body and welding facility


A voltage converting circuit has an output terminal for supplying an output current at an output voltage to a load. In response to a transient of the load, a current sinking circuit allows a current source to provide a sink current flowing from the output terminal of the voltage converting circuit into a ground potential. The sink current is finite and stable. When the output voltage decreases below a threshold voltage, the current sinking circuit allows the current source to keep providing the finite and stable sink current for an extension time, causing the output voltage to decrease from the threshold voltage to a regulated value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voltage regulator and, more particularly, to a voltage regulator capable of stabilizing output voltages at load transients.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1(A) is a circuit diagram showing a first example of a conventional linear regulator 11. The linear regulator 11 converts an input voltage Vin into an output voltage Vout, and supplies an output current Iout in accordance with a requirement of a load Id. A resistive voltage divider formed of series-connected resistors R1 and R2 generates a feedback voltage Vfb representative of the output voltage Vout. Through comparing the feedback voltage Vfb and a predetermined reference voltage Vref, an error amplifier 13 generates and applies an error voltage Verr to a gate electrode of a transistor PQ. The drain-source current channel of the transistor PQ is connected between the input voltage Vin and the output voltage Vout. As the error voltage Verr is applied to control the resistance of the drain-source current channel, the linear regulator 11 maintains the output voltage Vout at a regulated value and supplies the output current Iout in accordance with the requirement of the load Id. As shown in FIG. 1(B), which is a second example of a conventional linear regulator 12, an NMOS transistor NS may replace the PMOS transistor PQ and then function as a passive element between the input voltage Vin and the output voltage Vout. However in this case, the non-inverting input terminal of the error amplifier 13 is changed to receive the reference voltage Vref while the inverting input terminal is changed to receive the feedback voltage Vfb.
When the load Id makes a transient from heavy loading to light loading, e.g., the load Id is suddenly removed, an excessive portion of the output current Iout turns to charge the output capacitor Cout before the output current Iout eventually reduces to become equal to the light load Id in response to this transient. As a result, the output voltage Vout is raised out of the regulated value. In order to overcome this problem and suppress the overshooting of the output voltage Vout, the prior art suggests a current sinking circuit for providing the excessive portion of the output current Iout with a sinking path when the load transients occur.
In the first example of FIG. 1(A), the current sinking circuit 14a primarily includes a voltage comparator 15 and a switching transistor PS. When the load Id makes a transient from heavy loading to light loading and then causes the output voltage Vout to rise as mentioned earlier, the error amplifier 13 also correspondingly generates a rising error voltage Verr. Once the error voltage Verr reaches a predetermined trigger voltage Vtrg, the voltage comparator 15 turns on the switching transistor PS so as to form a sinking path for short-circuiting the output current Iout into the ground potential. In the second example of FIG. 1(B), the voltage comparator 15 of the current sinking circuit 14b is provided to compare the reference voltage Vref and the feedback voltage Vfb level-shifted by a predetermined offset voltage Vofs. When the feedback voltage Vfb becomes large enough to trigger the voltage comparator 15, the switching transistor NS is turned on so as to form a sinking path for short-circuiting the output current Iout into the ground potential.
Although the prior art of FIG. 1(A) or 1(B) uses the current sinking circuit 14a or 14b to provide the sinking path for suppressing the overshooting of output voltage Vout, the output current Iout is in fact dramatically pulled down since the switching transistor PS or NS when turned on short-circuits the output terminal of the linear regulator 11 or 12 directly to the ground potential. As an adverse result, the output voltage Vout is prone to oscillating at a high frequency and actually causes the current sinking circuit 14a or 14b to repeatedly turn the switching transistor PS or NS between on and off.

Voltage regulator with prevention from overvoltage at load transients


In a method of detecting an underground object which is at least partially under a surface of ground, a first view of the object determined by transmitting a first radar signal from a first known geolocation. A second view of the object is determined by transmitting a second radar signal from a second known geolocation. The respective first and second trajectories of the first and second radar signals are oblique with respect to the surface of the ground and the respective first and second trajectories are at a first angle with respect to each other. A position of the object is estimated by maximizing a correlation between the first view and the second view by adjusting an estimated dielectric constant associated with medium between the object and the surface of the ground.

Excavation is often done to expose an underground object, such as a pipe, for maintenance or replacement. Digging as close to the object being sought with automated digging machines, such as back hoes, maximizes the efficiency of excavation. However, if the location of the object is not determined accurately enough, damage may occur. Furthermore, there may be other objects to be avoided in the excavation process, even if the excavation isn't exposing existing infrastructure. If the objects underground are not known or adequately located, the excavation team may have to limit the use of automated digging equipment to avoid damaging the objects, and spend a significant amount of time manually digging with shovels.
One solution to this problem has been to use injected radiation. In this process, an RF signal is injected into the object at a place where it breaks the surface, and the rest of the object, typically a pipe is tracked by a device on the surface that is sensitive of the radiated signal. However, injected radiation requires a portion of the object to be exposed above the ground's surface so can be energized, and also requires the object to be conductive.
Another solution to this problem involves Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) in which the radar signals are transmitted into the ground at a perpendicular angle. GPR is sensitive to a broader range of objects as it relies only on differences in dielectric constant between the object and the surrounding ground to generate returns, which is not limited to conductive objects. However, this technique has not always provided adequate resolution or accurate depth measurements of the objects in the ground.
An alternative GPR method utilizes an array of antenna positions from a single point of view in order to form a synthetic aperture, typically from an oblique angle. The oblique angle is used primarily to enable the array of antenna positions to be made uniform by employing an antenna structure, which would be cumbersome if done at while wheeled or towed along the ground as occurs with the standard form of GPR. Synthetic aperture improves accuracy and resolution somewhat from standard GPR, but not to the degree needed in excavation work.


A method for controlling an engine of a vehicle includes: monitoring, by a controller, engine operation data including a crank position and an engine rotation speed; obtaining, by the controller, a measured air amount flowing into to a specific cylinder; calculating, by the controller, an expected air amount at an intake valve closing time based on the measured air amount; calculating, by the controller, a fuel amount based on the expected air amount; calculating, by the controller, an ignition timing based on the engine rotation speed and the expected air amount; and injecting, by the controller, the calculated fuel amount and performing ignition at the ignition timing.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Generally, an engine is an apparatus that produces mechanical energy by compressing an air and fuel mixture and combusting the air and fuel mixture. For example, the combustion is triggered by a spark plug at a time called an ignition timing, and thereafter a firing propagates through the air and fuel mixture in a combustion chamber.
The ignition timing may be controlled according to various operation conditions of an engine, for example, to increase an output torque of an engine, and/or to decrease noxious gas in an exhaust gas. It is generally known that the ignition timing may be advanced to increase the output torque of the engine. However, knocking may occur while advancing the ignition timing is being advanced.
In order to prevent or minimize a disadvantage of the knocking, the ignition timing may be retarded when the knocking is detected. Alternatively, the advancing or retarding of the ignition timing may be controlled very slowly.
In the case that an accelerator pedal is depressed suddenly and rapidly by a driver, an intake air amount may accordingly vary suddenly and rapidly. In this case, knocking may occur due to sudden and rapid change of intake air amount when the ignition timing is controlled slowly, since the ignition timing may depend of the intake air amount.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Apparatus and method for controlling engine of vehicle


A transmission with a countershaft brake includes a countershaft, a positive displacement pump including a pump housing having a chamber with an inlet and an outlet, the pump being driven by the countershaft, and a flow restrictor disposed at or downstream of the chamber outlet, the flow restrictor being adjustable to increase and decrease an amount of flow restriction from, the outlet of the chamber. Torque needed to drive the pump increases with an increasing flow restriction by the flow restrictor. A method for braking a countershaft in a transmission is also provided.

The present invention relates generally to transmissions and, more particularly, to transmissions having countershaft brakes.
Heavy-duty vehicles often use non-synchronous manual transmissions that require a substantial level of operator skill. To avoid clashing of gears, it is necessary for an operator to control the speed of rotation of a drive gears on the drive shaft to match the speed of rotation of the collar that is supposed to engage with a particular one of the drive gears. The collars rotate with the drive shaft, while the drive gears are driven by countershaft gears which are driven by the engine through a clutch and an input shaft geared to the countershaft. During initial start-up when a stopped vehicle is to be shifted into first gear or reverse gear, and during an upshifting operation, it is generally necessary to slow or stop rotation of the countershaft so that rotation of the drive gears will be slowed or stopped. To facilitate shifting gears more quickly, clutch and countershaft brakes have been employed. These tend to involve substantial additional expense and inertia brakes are prone to wear.
It is desirable to provide an inexpensive countershaft brake. It is also desirable to provide a countershaft brake that is less prone to wear.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a transmission with a countershaft brake comprises a countershaft, a positive displacement pomp comprising a pump housing having a chamber with an inlet and an outlet, the pump being driven by the countershaft, and a flow restrictor disposed at or downstream of the chamber outlet, the flow restrictor being adjustable to increase and decrease an amount of flow restriction from the outlet of the chamber. Torque needed to drive the pump increases with an increasing flow restriction by the flow restrictor.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for braking a countershaft in a transmission comprises driving a positive displacement pump with the countershaft to pump liquid out of an outlet opening of the oil pump, and increasing resistance to driving of the pump.

Transmission with countershaft brake and method for braking a countershaft


An object is to provide a circuit configuration with which the number of transistors can be reduced and power conversion efficiency can be prevented from being reduced, in a transmitting and receiving circuit. The transmitting and receiving circuit includes a voltage doubler rectifier circuit having N stages, each of which includes a capacitor, where N is a positive integer. The voltage doubler rectifier circuit having N stages is connected to a circuit having a modulation function. In the capacitor in any one of the N stages, one electrode of the one capacitor is connected to an input terminal of the transmitting and receiving circuit, and a node to which the other electrode of the one capacitor is connected is connected to a circuit having a demodulation function. Since the transmitting and receiving circuit can be formed of fewer transistors, it can be reduced in size. Since a reduction in power conversion efficiency can be prevented, a power supply potential can be efficiently generated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmitting and receiving circuit for transmitting and receiving data, and also relates to a semiconductor device including a transmitting and receiving circuit for transmitting and receiving data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an individual identification technology using wireless communication (hereinafter referred to as a wireless communication system) has attracted attention. In particular, as a data carrier which communicates data by wireless communication, an individual identification technology using an RF tag (hereinafter collectively referred to as a semiconductor device regardless of the shape such as a card shape or a ship shape) utilizing RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology has attracted attention. The semiconductor device is also called an IC (Integrated Circuit) tag, an IC chip, an RFID tag, an RF tag, a wireless tag, an electronic tag, or wireless chip. The individual identification technology using a semiconductor device has been useful for production, management, or the like of an individual object, and application to personal authentication has been promoted.
The term "wireless communication system" here refers to a communication system for transmitting and receiving data between a receiver-transmitter with a power supply source, such as a reader/writer, and a transmitter-receiver such as a semiconductor device.
In such a wireless communication system, a reader/writer and a semiconductor device are not necessarily physically connected to each other. That is, the reader/writer can communicate with the semiconductor device so that data can be transmitted and received to/from the semiconductor device, as long as there is the semiconductor device in a region designated by the reader-writer.
Semiconductor devices can be broadly categorized into two types: active semiconductor devices and passive semiconductor devices. An active semiconductor device incorporates a primary battery and operates by obtaining a power supply potential from the battery. Meanwhile, a passive semiconductor device does not incorporate a battery. A passive semiconductor device generates a power supply potential therein by using a wireless signal from a reader/writer and operates with the power supply potential.
In a wireless communication system, when data is transmitted and received between a reader/writer and a plurality of semiconductor devices at the same time, distances between the reader/writer and the plurality of semiconductor devices (hereinafter referred to as a communication distance) are not completely the same. There may be a case where a communication distance varies from hour to hour; for example, products to each of which a semiconductor device is attached may be packed in a carton, be put on a forklift, and pass in front of a reader/writer.
A wireless signal transmitted by a reader/writer attenuates in proportion to the square of a distance between the reader/writer and a semiconductor device. The amplitude of a wireless signal fluctuates in accordance with power received by a semiconductor device. Therefore, power to be supplied to a semiconductor device from a reader/writer varies depending on a communication distance.
Therefore, in a wireless communication system using a passive semiconductor device, when a reader/writer and a semiconductor device are away from each other and thus a communication distance is long, only weak power is supplied to the semiconductor device.
Since a passive semiconductor device needs a certain level of power for normal operation, in the case where a semiconductor device can receive only weak power, the semiconductor device cannot generate a power supply potential needed for operation and thus cannot operate.
A communication distance has a relation to a performance of a transmitting and receiving circuit of a semiconductor device. A communication distance can be extended by improvement of efficiency in conversion of power received by a transmitting and receiving circuit into a power supply potential or DC power (hereinafter referred to as power conversion efficiency). The above-described transmitting and receiving circuit has a rectification function for converting a received power of a wireless signal (hereinafter referred to as received power) into a power supply potential, a demodulation function for extracting data from a wireless signal, and a modulation function for changing an input impedance of a semiconductor device by changing an input impedance of a transmitting and receiving circuit, and then transmitting data.
An active semiconductor device incorporates a primary battery. An active semiconductor device can operate regardless of a communication distance while a charge is in a primary battery and cannot operate when no charge is therein.
As applications of active semiconductor devices and passive semiconductor devices, semiconductor devices each incorporating a secondary battery have been developed. Power conversion efficiency of a transmitting and receiving circuit in the case of a semiconductor device incorporating a secondary battery affects time for charging a secondary battery and the level of power for charging. Therefore, in the case of a transmitting and receiving circuit as a semiconductor device incorporating a secondary battery, reduction in charging time or storage of weaker charging power can be achieved by improvement of power conversion efficiency.
FIG. 6 shows a conventional transmitting and receiving circuit of a semiconductor device (see Patent Document 1: Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2002-152080). A transmitting and receiving circuit 626 of the semiconductor device shown in FIG. 6 has a circuit configuration in which a voltage doubler rectifier circuit 602 having two stages and a voltage doubler rectifier circuit 603 having two stages are connected in parallel. The voltage doubler rectifier circuit 602 includes an input terminal 600, an input terminal 601, an output terminal 613, four transistors, and four capacitors. In the transmitting and receiving circuit 626, the voltage doubler rectifier circuit 602 has a rectification function and outputs a DC potential obtained by rectification of an AC signal inputted from the input terminal to the output terminal 613. Further, in FIG. 6, the voltage doubler rectifier circuit 602 is additionally provided with a transistor 604 and a transistor 605 and is controlled by a terminal 607 so that a modulation function is provided.
On the other hand, in FIG. 6, the voltage doubler rectifier circuit 603 includes the input terminal 600, the input terminal 601, an output terminal 623, four transistors, and four capacitors. In FIG. 6, the voltage doubler rectifier circuit 603 is connected to a transistor 606 so that a demodulation function is provided. In the voltage doubler rectifier circuit 603 provided with a demodulation function, which is shown FIG. 6, the transistor 606 needs a bias terminal 624. A given bias voltage in accordance with a voltage value of the output terminal 613, which is a power supply potential, is supplied to the bias terminal 624 so that a current load in proportion to a consumed current of a circuit of a next stage, which is the load of the voltage doubler rectifier circuit 602, can be achieved.
In FIG. 6, with the voltage doubler rectifier circuit 602 provided with a modulation function and the voltage doubler rectifier circuit 603 provided with a demodulation function, the transmitting and receiving circuit 626 achieves a rectification function for converting a received power into a power supply potential, a demodulation function for extracting data, and a modulation function for transmitting data.

Transmitting and receiving circuit and semiconductor device including the same

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


The present invention relates to a mobile telecommunications device such as a mobile telephone 1. The device includes a display (5) and a control unit (4,10,11,12) configured to display a menu of pending calls, one call being selectable from the menu by a user to display a sub-menu listing call handling options associated with the selected call.

A mobile telephone incorporates a liquid crystal display to provide its user with information concerning the status of the telephone and to enable a large number of different functions to be accessed and selected easily. As the display is usually fairly small, only very limited information can be displayed on it at the same time otherwise it becomes cluttered and difficult to read. Therefore, to select a particular function, the user generally needs to access one or more menus listing various options. By selecting one of those options the function may be performed or a sub-menu may appear listing further options specifically associated with the initial menu selection.
A disadvantage with a conventional mobile telephone having a small display is that for many functions there are a considerable number of different options listed in each menu or sub-menu only part of which can be displayed at once. To view the remaining options listed in the menu or sub-menu, the user must scroll down the list so that those at the top of the list disappear off the top of the screen and those at the bottom of the list come into view. Although this arrangement works fairly well, sometimes it is desirable to be able to see the whole menu or sub-menu to avoid confusion and improve functionality and ease of use. Confusion particularly occurs when multiple calls are received simultaneously as the list of call handling options for a plurality of calls becomes very long. Furthermore, although active voice calls, waiting voice calls, held voice calls and data calls may have individual options specific to that particular type of call, some options apply to all types of calls and it can be difficult for the user to easily remember which option applies to which call especially when active, held and waiting calls are all pending simultaneously and this leads to call handling errors It is also slower for the user to access the required option as the menu listing all the options for these calls is very long and so the user sometimes has to scroll through a large number of options before the required option is located.
Some conventional mobile telephones have attempted to solve this problem by referencing an active call with an index number that appears on the display together with the list of all the different call options for each call so that the user can tell whether the option they select will apply to the active call. However, to show the status of all calls when there are several active at once, index numbers for each call would have to be displayed. This makes the display too cluttered and it therefore becomes even harder to read. This problem will become more significant in the future when telephones capable of handling even more pending calls at the same time are developed.
A common problem with call handling multiple calls is the function performed by the "End" key which is generally used to terminate a call. However, in circumstances where there are multiple pending calls, it is not immediately apparent to a user which call they are terminating when the "End" key is actuated. Again, this renders the call handling facility difficult to use and prone to user error.


The invention provides a data visualisation system comprising a data value memory in which is maintained a finite set of data values and display means arranged to display a contoured representation. One or more of the data values are displayed as contours around one or more data points and each data value is centred on a data point. The invention also provides a method of data visualisation and a data visualisation computer program.

The low cost of data storage hardware has led to the collection of large volumes of data Merchants, for example, generate and collect large volumes of data during the course of their business. To compete effectively, it is necessary for a merchant to be able to identify and use information hidden in the collected data. This data could include shop floor sales, and where the merchant operates a website, the use that is made of a website may also be collected. The task of identifying this hidden information has proved very difficult for merchants.
It is also important for other individuals and organisations to analyse stored data. Each time a game of sport is played, there is generally a large volume of data collected. For example, a game of rugby union generates statistics such as total number of points scored, the number of tries scored and the number of tries scored which are then converted. There is an increasing trend toward analysis of collected data with a view to analysing opponent strategies and as a coaching aid in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of a particular team. It is also especially desirable with televised sports to present the collected data to spectators in a form which is easily interpreted.
Traditionally, analysis of data has been achieved by running a query on a set of data records stored in a database. The merchant or other party first creates a hypothesis, converts this hypothesis to a query, runs the query on the database, and interprets the results obtained with respect to the original hypothesis.
One disadvantage of this verification-driven hypothesis approach is that the merchant must form the desired hypothesis in advance. This is merely confirming what the merchant already suspects and does not provide the merchant with information which may be unexpected. Another disadvantage is that the merchant needs to have available the technical knowledge to formulate the appropriate queries.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A yarn for a floor textile material which is comprised of a coarse yarn and a fine yarn twisted together for tufting into a backing material to provide a floor mat. The finer yarn has fibers in the range of 32 to 100 decitex while the coarser yarn has fibers in the range of 110-290 decitex.

The present invention relates to a floor textile, and more particularly to a cleanable dirt control textile which may be used for mats and for runners.
Mats are generally used in access ways where people tend to brush or scrape their feet in order to prevent carrying of moisture and/or dirt, accumulated on their footwear, into other areas of the premises. Normally these mats are located in areas of high pedestrian traffic, such as doorways. similarly, runners (for example, long carpets in hotel corridors) have to cope with high pedestrian traffic.
Mats or runners may be produced as roll goods from which individual mats or runners can be prepared. Generally it is preferable that mats and runners have the appearance of conventional carpeting. In this market a rustic enhanced surface is required which ensures lasting rigid fibres whilst retaining an acceptable appearance. It has previously been proposed to provide floor textile material having the general appearance and feel of carpeting, but which allows for improved cleaning and may have the added feature of having a dirt scraping effect.
British Patent Number 1527622 relates to a carpeting material which comprises pile or tuft fibres which comprise yarns of first carpet fibres along with second fibres or filaments which are not part of said yarns and are stiffer than the yarns and can act as dirt scrapers.
It is desirable that floor textile material of this kind should be capable of being thoroughly cleaned for example, by washing. In British Patent Application Number 2279247 it was stated that the form of materials disclosed in GB Patent 1527622 created a problem because, during washing the stiff fibres tend to be washed out of the carpet material.
British Patent Application Number 2279247 was concerned with solving this problem and disclosed a method for forming a washable scraper carpet including the steps of bringing a length of the scraper floor textile material into contact with a corresponding length of un-cured rubber material, applying heat to the un-cured rubber material for a short period at a temperature between 80.degree. C. and 120.degree. C. to enable the rubber viscosity to reduce to a level where the rubber material can flow round the stiff fibres, and applying heat and pressure to the floor textile material to enable the rubber material to laminate the carpet fibre material, so as to be cured, and to bond to the mono-filaments and form a backing.
The method described in Patent Application Number 2279247 overcomes the problem of stiff fibres tending to be washed out of the floor textile material during laundering, but provides a method which is complicated, requires high temperatures for operation, and cannot be directly substituted into conventional methods for making carpet material.
The present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages with the prior art.