Systems and techniques for detecting suboptimal mowing due to impacted vegetation and/or orientation changes are discussed. In some examples, blade speeds, blade heights, torques, and/or a current required to spin the blades of a mower at a determined rate may be calibrated and associated with a lawn mower and/or map. Changes in any one or more of the blade speed, current required, torque, etc. (and/or additional data from one or more sensors on the mower) may be used as an indication for determining whether vegetation has impacted the underside of a mower, whether the blade has struck an object, whether the mower is undergoing an orientation change, whether the mower requires maintenance, and the like. Based on the indication, the mower can perform one or more functions to attempt to remediate the problem autonomously and/or send a signal to a user for additional help.

When mowing, long grass, sloping regions, and the like can cause grass (or other vegetation) to impact mowing operations. For example, large quantities of grass can jam a mower blade, not only damaging the blade and the associated motor, but also reducing the ability for the mower to continue operations. Even in those examples where no damage is done to the mowing equipment, accumulated vegetation can cause suboptimal performance by, for example, improperly mulching the cut grass and causing poor fertilization of the grass resulting in vegetation death. Further, misalignment between the mower and a surface may cause similar damage including, undercutting portions.

Degraded performance detection and control


A connector includes contacts, a housing and a mounting metal fitting. The mounting metal fitting possesses a joined section to be joined to a substrate. The joined section is exposed from a back surface of the housing. Each of the contacts possesses an exposed section exposed from the back surface of the housing. The housing possesses a protrusion and a recess. The protrusion is provided between the joined section and at least part of the exposed sections of the contacts, and protrudes from the back surface. The recess is provided between the protrusion and at least part of the exposed sections of the contacts, and is set lower than an end face of the protrusion to face the substrate.

For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a known related connector configured to connect electronic components to each other. A socket forming the connector described in Patent Literature 1 includes socket terminals made of metal (contacts), a socket-side retainer metal fitting made of metal (a mounting metal fitting), and a socket housing made from resin (a housing). The socket-side retainer metal fitting is attached to the socket housing to increase strength thereof. Each of the socket terminals and the socket-side retainer metal fitting is fixed to a conductive pattern of a printed wiring board (a substrate) with solder.
In related connectors as described above, it is desired to, when the mounting metal fitting is joined to the substrate by soldering, reduce the flow of flux contained in the solder to the contacts.

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


An electric motor used for example in a magnetic disk drive, includes a rotor having a hub on which the magnetic disk is mounted, and an annular driving permanent magnet, and rotating together with a rotary shaft, and a stator disposed outside the rotor, having a core and coils wound on the core. A signaling permanent magnet for detecting the rotary angle or the rotational speed of the rotor may be provided on the radially inner side of the driving permanent magnet. Part of the outer periphery of the stator core may be retracted radially inward or cut away to form a concavity or an open part. A magnetic shielding plate may further be provided to cover the coils, with part or the entirety of the magnetic shielding plate being positioned closer to the rotary shaft than the outermost periphery of the rotor to prevent the escape of the rotor in the direction of the rotary shaft. The stator core may be provided, at its inner extremities, bent portions extending in the direction parallel with the rotary shaft, and away from the hub. Alternatively, the midpoint of the stator core may be positioned farther away from the hub than the midpoint of the driving permanent magnet.

Examples of conventional electric motors of this type are shown for example in Japanese Utility Model Kokai Publication No. 135863/1985 and Japanese Utility Model Kokai Publication No. 104779/1986. These will be explained with reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3.
Referring first to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a magnetic disk 1 for recording information is held by a hub 16, which is fitted with and fixed to a rotary shaft 17. A magnetic disk 1 comprises a recording sheet 1a, a center hub 1d connected to the recording sheet 1a, outer case comprising an upper wall 1b and a lower wall 1c for protecting the sheet 1a.
The center hub 1d of the magnetic disk 1 is provided with an aperture 1e through which an upper end of the rotary shaft 17 extends. A drive pin 15 is fixed to the hub 16 at a certain distance from the axis of the shaft 17, and is engageable with an aperture if provided in the center hub 1d of the magnetic disk 1. The drive pin 15 transmits the rotation of the shaft 17 and the hub 16 to the magnetic disk 1. In this way, the hub 16 and the drive ping 15 in combination hold and rotate the magnetic disk 1.
The rotary shaft 17 is rotatably supported with a pair of ball-bearings 11 at both axial ends of the cylindrical bearing holder 19. Fixed to the outside of the bearing holder 19 is a stator 20 having a core 8, which comprises an annular part 8a and a plurality of tooth portions 8b, on which coils 21 are wound. The core 8 and the cylindrical bearing holder 19 are fixed to a frame 18 by means of screws 14.
Fixed by a screw 6 to a first (lower as seen in FIG. 1) end of the rotary shaft 17, the end opposite to the hub 16 is a generally cup-shaped yoke 23 having a disk-shaped bottom wall 23a and a cylindrical side wall 23b having its first (lower as seen in FIG. 1) end connected to the outer periphery of the disk-shaped bottom 23a. Fixed to the inner surface of the side wall 23b of the yoke 23 is a driving permanent magnet 22 having magnetic poles facing the outer ends of the tooth portions 8b of the core 8. The yoke 23 and the permanent magnet 22 form a rotor 24.
The driving permanent magnet 22 emanates magnetic lines of force radially inward. By the interaction of the magnetic lines of force and the electric current through the coils 21, a rotating torque is generated, by which the rotor 22 is rotated.
An index detecting element 25 generates, in cooperation with an index detecting magnet 26, a pulse every revolution.
As shown in FIG. 3, a signaling permanent magnet (FG (frequency generator) magnet) 27 for detecting the rotary angle and the rotating speed (the number of revolutions per a unit time) of the rotor 24 may be mounted to an end of the driving permanent magnet 22, at the upper edge of the side wall 23b of the yoke 23. The frame 28 of this example of FIG. 3 also serves as a circuit board, on which a detecting circuit pattern 29 is formed at the location confronting the signaling permanent magnet 27. The circuit pattern 29 has a size substantially equal to the signaling permanent magnet 27, and generates an FG output signal in time with the rotation of the rotor 24.
The above-described electric motor is of the outer-rotor type in which the driving permanent magnet 22 of the rotor 24 is positioned outside the stator 20. The magnetic flux from the index detecting magnet 26 is detected by the index detecting element 25, and on the basis thereof, the current through the coils 21 is controlled.
Magnetic heads 41 and 42 are mounted to the frame 18 by means of a mounting structure, which includes a supporting shaft 43 and a sliding block 44. They are so supported that they are capable of translation movement in the radial direction of the magnetic disk 1.
In the above-described conventional electric motor, the rotor 24 is on the outside so when it is contemplated to reduce the thickness of the electric motor and the magnetic recording device in which the electric motor is built, magnetic interferences between the permanent magnet 22 of the rotor 24, and the magnetic heads 41 and 42 and other components of the recording device problematical. The interferences can be eliminated or reduced by use of the inner rotor type in which the rotor 24 is positioned inside the stator 20, but the conventional FG detecting system shown in FIG. 3 cannot be adapted in the electric motor of the inner-rotor type.
Moreover, since the magnetic heads 41 and 42 move in the radial direction of the magnetic disk, they cannot be disposed in the plane of the rotor 24. This also imposes a limitation to the reduction of the thickness of the magnetic recording device.
Furthermore, the frame 18 and the bearing holder 19 are interposed between the stator 20 and the rotor 24 on one hand, and the magnetic disk and the magnetic heads, on the other hand. This imposes a further limitation to the reduction in thickness of the electric motor. If an electric motor of the inner-rotor type is employed the above problem can be solved. But, the rotation of the rotor 24 is accompanied with the so-called thrust force in the direction of the rotary shaft. When the thrust force is excessive, the entire rotor is shifted upward in the direction of the rotary shaft. This makes it impossible to rotate the magnetic disk to rotate at a proper height (position along the shaft), adversely affecting the recording and playback.


A washing machine is provided that includes a tub and a perforated basket rotationally mounted within the tub for relative rotation therewith. A recirculation system is coupled between the tub and the basket and is configured to remove wash liquid from the tub and return wash liquid to the basket. A controller is operatively coupled to the washing machine. The controller is configured to begin recirculation of concentrated wash liquid after an initial fill during a basket slow spin and continue the recirculation of concentrated wash liquid for a predetermined time period prior to a complete fill.

This invention relates generally to washing machines, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for reducing water usage and energy consumption in a washing machine.
Washing machines typically include a cabinet that houses an outer tub for containing wash and rinse water, a perforated clothes basket within the tub, and an agitator within the basket. A drive and motor assembly is mounted underneath the stationary outer tub to rotate the basket and the agitator relative to one another, and a pump assembly pumps water from the tub to a drain to execute a wash cycle. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,298.
Known washing machines fill large loads with almost 22 gallons of water to ensure laundry is safely wetted with detergent solution during wash cycle or rinse water during rinse cycle. Recent proposals by the Department of Energy and certain state regulatory bodies could impose standards that will require reduction in water use and overall energy use. The desired levels would not permit large loads to be properly wetted nor properly agitated during the wash cycle. Both washability and Danish wear scores have large variations across the loads under these conditions. Wash performance must be balanced against time constraints, hot water use, electrical energy use, and laundry wear.

Clothes washer recirculation systems and methods


A multiple disc clutch includes an axially displaceable outer disc hooked into an outer disc carrier to provide a first friction surface, and an axially displaceable inner disc hooked into an inner disc carrier to provide a second friction surface for a friction pairing with the first friction surface. The outer disc has an outer coupling element for coupling to the outer disc carrier and the inner disc has an inner coupling element for coupling to the inner disc carrier. The outer disc has an outer ring, the outer coupling element extends radially from the outer ring, and the first friction surface is connected to the outer ring by an outer leaf spring element; or the inner disc has an inner ring, the inner coupling element extends radially from the inner ring, and the second friction surface is connected to the inner ring by an inner leaf spring element.

DE 10 2018 103 524 A1 discloses a multiple disc clutch for a hybrid drive train of a motor vehicle, in which the axially displaceable discs used for a friction pairing in a respectively assigned multiple disc carrier are coupled to the assigned multiple disc carrier via offset toothed flanges in a torque-transmitting manner. The toothed flanges, which are offset via a single flange web, can perform an axial relative movement to the friction surfaces of the discs.

Multiple disc clutch, in particular for a hybrid drive train


An infrared range-measurement device includes an emitting module, a receiving module and a calculating module, the emitting module includes an emitting light source and a driving circuit, and the receiving module includes a planar array photosensitive chip. The emitting light source, under the drive of the driving circuit, emits a test light beam, the test light beam is reflected by an object in a test range and then is incident on the planar array photosensitive chip, and the calculating module outputs a test light intensity or a test distance; an emitting lens is provided in an emitting light path of the emitting module. By shaping the test light beam to control a divergence angle and a shape of the light beam, and to make it match with the set working area of the planar array photosensitive chip, the overall utilization ratio of the test light beam is increased.

An optical scanning range-measurement device is a device using collimated light beam to perform non-contact scanning and ranging through the methods such as time of flight (TOF) method, triangulation method and the like. At present, a common optical scanning range-measurement device includes: a light emitting module, an optical lens, a chip for receiving and processing signals. The light emitting module emits a light beam, the optical lens is located in the light path of the light emitting module, the collimated light beam is emitted onto a surface of a measured object and after encountering an obstacle, is reflected onto the receiving chip. The receiving chip can calculate the distance from the measured object to the device by measuring the time between emitting and receiving, a phase difference, and a known velocity of light. Components for ranging such as the light emitting module, the optical lens, the light receiving module are installed on a continuously rotatable platform by this type of device to realize collimated light beam scanning, ambient distance signals of one round, i.e., of 360 degrees can be obtained by rotating a motor. Or, this type of device may also be fixedly installed on a moving robot or drone to detect obstacles in a corresponding ranging area as the robot moves forward and backward or turns. Currently, the above two modes are widely used in robots environment scanning, path planning, obstacle avoiding navigation, security detection and so on.

Infrared range-measurement device and TIR lens


An ink jet recording apparatus includes a printer head that ejects ink and a platen. The ink includes an organic solvent, a surfactant, and 60% by mass or less of water. The platen is composed of a material containing a conductive resin. A solubility parameter A [(J/cm3)1/2] calculated from the organic solvent and the surfactant and a solubility parameter B [(J/cm3)1/2] of the conductive resin satisfy |A−B|≧2.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method.
2. Related Art
There have been known an ink jet recording apparatus (recording method) that records an image by ejecting ink from an ink jet head onto a recording medium such as paper. There has been a problem in such an ink jet recording apparatus in that moisture in the ejected ink causes a recording medium having been subjected to printing to wrinkle and to curl. In order to address such a problem, attempts have been made to prevent a recording medium from wrinkling and curling by, for example, reducing the water content in the ink (e.g. see JP-A-2007-161851).
However, when the water content is reduced, the amount of an organic solvent needs to be increased accordingly. As a result, the adverse effect of the organic solvent on members inside the ink jet recording apparatus (particularly, platen) becomes considerable. There is also another problem in that the viscosity of ink increases when the water content is reduced, which accordingly increases the amount of ink mist produced when ink is ejected. When the amount of mist is large, ink easily adheres to the members inside the ink jet recording apparatus (particularly, platen), which results in problems such as contamination of a recording medium and malfunction of the ink jet recording apparatus.

Ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method


A rolling exercise device with a low profile includes an elongated handle, a pair of separate support bodies, connections securing the support bodies at their facing inner sides to opposite ends of the handle so as to maintain the support bodies and the handle in a fixed relationship with respect to each other, mounting seats provided beneath each of the support bodies, and rollers rotatably mounted in the mounting seats so as to adapt the support bodies to be freely rolled by the rollers across a support surface as a user gripping the handle supports a portion of his or her weight on the handle. The device has a modular construction in the sense that the support bodies are interchangeable with one another with respect to their relationships to the opposite ends of the handle.

Many exercise devices are known in the prior art. There are specific ones designed to assist users in performance of upper body exercises on support surfaces, such as a floor. These devices have several different designs.
One prior art design, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,379, U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2012/0238420, and U.S. Des. Pat. Nos. D653,714, D654,544 and D666,684, employs a solid base, a plurality of rollers, balls or wheels rotatably mounted to and extending below a bottom side of the solid base so as to movably support the base on the support surface, and a handle affixed on and extending above an upper side of the solid base such that the gripping portion of the handle is spaced above the solid base where it can be gripped by a user to guide the movable base across the support surface. One potential drawback of this design might be that the weight of the solid base could be excessive such that it tends to increase the resistance or drag of the device thus impeding it from moving freely across the support surface. Another potential drawback might be the height of the handle above the floor could be excessive due to its mounting arrangement which necessarily spaces it above the solid base in order to allow for insertion of fingers about the handle in order to grip it. The excessive height of the handle might cause tilting of the device from skewing or bias the force applied by the user more toward one set of the balls, rollers or wheels than the other during performance of exercises so as to further increase the resistance or drag of the device to moving freely across the surface.
Another prior art design, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,393, employs separate plate-like support members at opposite ends of a handle that are in turn supported by swivel casters. The provision of separate support members might reduce at least a portion of the excessive weight of a solid base as used in the prior art design discussed above. However, the employment of swivel casters might be a potential drawback that offsets the benefit from any weight savings in that the swivel casters might increase the resistance or drag of the device to moving freely across the surface. Also, another potential drawback might be the techniques of construction utilized in making the device of the cited patent. In one embodiment, the opposite end portions of the handle are rabbeted or notched in order to form joints between the handle and the separate support members. In the other embodiment, bores that receive the opposite end portions of the handle are formed completely through the middle of the separate support members in order to form joints between the handle and separate support members. These techniques of construction might result in weakening the structural integrity of either the handle or support members when the device is called on to support the upper body weight of the user during use of the device.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an innovation that will overcome these potential drawbacks of the known prior art and any problems that remain unsolved.

Rolling exercise device having modular construction with low profile


The present invention is an apparatus for draining fluid from a holding tank. The apparatus further comprises a first portion having an axial bore extending therethrough, the axial bore being defined by an upper end and a lower end. An outer wall surrounds the axial bore extending from the lower end to the upper end. The upper end is adapted to engage an existing drain of the holding tank such that fluid communication is established between the axial bore and the holding tank. At least one notch is formed within the outer wall of the bore. A second portion has a plate member with a plurality of leg members. The lower end of the bore being is permanently affixed to the plate member. A reservoir surrounds the leg members. The reservoir has a base portion with an external wall extending upward therefrom to surround the leg members. Each leg member extends downward into the base portion and being permanently affixed thereto. The base portion has an aperture for providing an outlet for drainage of the fluid from the holding tank.

The present invention relates to draining fluid from holding tanks for internal combustion engines. More specifically, it relates to drain plugs for fluid holding tanks. The unique drain plug of the present invention could be applied to all types of tanks where it is required to periodically drain fluid from a holding tank.
The maintenance of various vehicles requires the regular changing of engine fluid such as oil. Normally, a person wishing to change oil within an automobile must get underneath the automobile and completely loosening the oil plug from the holding tank. When the plug is removed, oil starts flowing uncontrollably creating an oil spill which is an environmental hazard. Additionally, skin contact with oil can have the potential of causing skin cancer. The present invention provides an improved drain plug that can alleviate this problem.
During a search, U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,115 an improved oil drain plug having a push and twist type of engagement was found. Also found was U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,727,652 and 5,975,157 which are also of the types of oil draining devices. However, none of the above patents disclosed above, taken singly or in combination describe the present invention.


In accordance with an example embodiment a method, apparatus and computer program product are provided. The method comprises facilitating a selection of a portion in at least one multimedia frame among a plurality of multimedia frames having a first resolution. The plurality of multimedia frames are partitioned into static layers and dynamic layers based on the selection of the portion. An animated image effect is configured from the dynamic layers of the plurality of multimedia frames. The method further includes performing generation of at least one dynamic frame having a second resolution from the dynamic layers, and, at least one static frame having the second resolution from the static layers. The second resolution is configured to be greater than the first resolution. An animated image having the second resolution is generated based on the at least one dynamic frame and the at least one static frame.

In recent years, various techniques have been developed for digitization and further processing of multimedia content. An example of multimedia content may include, but is not limited to a sequence of video frames. The digitization of the multimedia content facilitates in complex manipulation of the multimedia content for enhancing user experience with the digitized multimedia content. For example, the multimedia content may be manipulated and processed for generating animated images that may be utilized in a wide variety of applications. An animated image is a short seamlessly looping sequence of graphics interchange format images created from video content in which only parts of the image perform minor and repeated movement.

Method, apparatus and computer program product for generating animated images


An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a system for distributing an application environment to a compute node. The system includes a first storage unit for storing blocks of a root image of the compute node and a second storage unit for storing a leaf image comprising new data blocks and changes to the blocks of the root image. The system further includes a union block device for interfacing between the compute node and the first and second storage units to distribute the application environment to the compute node. The union block device creates the application environment by merging the blocks of the root image stored on the first storage unit with the leaf image stored on the second storage unit.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of networked computing. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to distributed application environment deployment in a multi-computer system.
2. Background
Over the years, as the interne has expanded and computers have multiplied, the need for clustered computing such as High Performance Computing (HPC) has increased. Clustered computing involves multiple compute nodes, usually a server grid, that work together to achieve a common task. For example, several (typically hundreds of) compute nodes may be clustered together to share the load of serving a high-traffic website. In large-scale systems such as this, a trend in software deployment is to centralize data management on a globally accessible file system with stateless computing nodes. A common example of this is Operating System (OS) software image management, where the compute nodes are activated with the distributed application environment by either diskless booting protocols or remote software installation to local storage. Under this architecture, a boot image is required for each compute node in the cluster. The boot image necessarily contains the kernel; it may additionally contain the application software that is intended to be run on the compute node.
The primary concern in clustered computing is low cluster bring-up time. The software that provides the boot images for the cluster typically stores a master boot image. It may then either pre-create clones of this master image for each such server, or it may create them "on the fly."
Creating a boot image on the fly involves copying the entire contents of the master image, which are typically in the range of 5-15 GB. Even with a significant amount of bandwidth by today's standards, this method will result in a large bring-up time.
Pre-creating a boot image for each server is advantageous from the point of view of cluster bring-up time. However, since one often does not know in advance how many servers will ever be booted, this scheme may result in wasted disk space.
Regardless of which of the preceding methods is used, both suffer from the same major problem—updating the boot image(s) for the cluster is cumbersome, as it means updating a number of copies of the boot image.
A Branching Store File System, as described in patent application Ser. No. 11/026,622 entitled "BRANCING STORE FILE SYSTEM" filed Dec. 30, 2004, pending, and assigned to the assignee hereof, was developed as a solution to the above problem. In a branching store file system, a read-only base image (or "root" image) of the application environment is created. The root image is accessible by all compute nodes in the cluster. Changes made by a compute node to the root image are stored in a "leaf" image unique to that compute node. A filter operates between the compute nodes and the file system(s), which merges the changes recorded on the leaf images with the root image and delivers the result to the appropriate compute node. From the point of view of the compute node, it is running its own unique and cohesive instance of the application environment. While this system allows for creation of boot images on the fly without severely diminishing bring-up time, a separate version of the system must be created for each unique operating system. Thus, migrating a computing cluster from one operating system to another is much more complicated than simply installing a new root image containing the new OS.

Block-level I/O subsystem for distributed application environment management


In a process for manufacturing doped semiconductor single crystal comprises solidifying in a crucible, the amount of dopant is added into the semiconductor melt after the beginning of the crystal growth onto the seed crystal, or after at least partial solidification of the semiconductor single crystal in a conical or tapered portion of the crucible. Dopant may be partially added in advance into the crucible, with the remainder added into the semiconductor melt as described. Type III-V semiconductor single crystals or wafers having a diameter of at least about 100 mm, can be prepared having an electrical conductivity of at least about 250 Siemens/cm, and/or an electric resistivity of at most about 4×10−3 Ωcm, and/or a significantly improved ratio of hall mobility to charge carrier concentration.

The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of semiconductor single crystals that are doped with a dopant, in particular to compound semiconductor single crystals having high electrical conductivity of n-type and p-type, preferably n-type. The process comprises solidifying a melt of the semiconductor material in a crucible by using a seed crystal of the same semiconductor material as the semiconductor single crystal to be produced.
In various fields of semiconductor technology, in particular for the manufacture of semiconductor lasers, luminescence diodes and solar cells, compound semiconductor crystals or substrate wafers are required that have electrical conductivity lying within a specific range determined by the respective use. This conductivity is achieved by doping with appropriate dopants. Furthermore, by choosing the dopant, it can be determined whether the charge transport within the semiconductor is dominated by electrons or defect electrons. The value of the electrical conductivity is determined by the concentration of the dopant in the semiconductor single crystal.
A common process for the manufacture of semiconductor single crystals, and specifically of compound semiconductor single crystals, includes the step of solidifying the semiconductor melt in a crucible, which is formed, e.g., of boron nitride. The semiconductor melt may be covered by a cover melt, which is, e.g., formed of boron oxide (B2O3), in order to avoid an evaporation of volatile components of the semiconductor melt. The crucible normally is a cylindrical container, which conically tapers toward its lower end in its operating orientation, and extends to a cylindrical portion having a lower diameter at the lower end which may be closed at its bottom side. The lower cylindrical portion serves for receiving a seed crystal. By means of heating elements provided outside the crucible, a three-dimensional, preferably radially symmetric, temperature field is applied, wherein the symmetry axis essentially corresponds to the symmetry axis of the crucible. The temperature field is formed such that, at each location within the crucible, a temperature gradient having a vertical component is present. During the crystal growth process, the temperature field is changed such that the solidification/temperature-isotherm shifts in a vertical direction, starting from the seed crystal. There is a good controllability of the crystal growth process, if the solidification front, i.e., the phase interface between the crystal and the semiconductor melt, differs only slightly from the solidification/temperature-isotherm over the whole cross section of the crucible and at each point in time, of the process.
In the conventional manufacturing processes for semiconductor single crystals, and specifically compound semiconductor single crystals, doping is carried out by adding the dopant, in elementary or chemically bound form, to the crucible before or after melting the semiconductor material, and subsequently carrying out the process of single crystal growth by solidification of the melted semiconductor material. In a specific work of Fornari et al. (Journal of Crystal Growth 63 (1983), 415-418) pertaining to Si-doped GaAs single crystal based on the LEC process, essentially the whole amount of the dopant silicon, which corresponded to the desired dopant concentration, was correspondingly pre-charged into the melt (2.5×1019 atoms/cm3), after which a small amount of silicon was further added to the melt during the subsequent crystal growth, for gradually reaching a maximum concentration of 3×1019 atoms/cm3 in the melt. Fomari et al. tried to solve the problem of generating solid particles in the melt, which may flow on top of the GaAs melt and thus, specifically in the LEC process where the crystal is pulled out of the melt, may disturb the single crystal growth by a contact of the particles with the phase interface between crystal and melt. This phenomenon however does not pose a problem in VGF-processes, because the phase interface between crystal and melt does not have a contact to the upper melt surface.
In conventional processes, the amount of the pre-charged dopant is determined such that a dopant concentration is adjusted in the melt. Considering the effective distribution coefficient, this leads to an incorporation of the dopant into the single crystal at the desired concentration. For achieving a high conductivity, a high amount of dopant is added into the melt.
When using a covering melt, e.g., with a boron oxide melt, the semiconductor melt is directly in contact with this melt during the whole period of the crystal growth process. Depending on the affinity of the chosen dopant in relation to oxygen, an oxidation of the dopant and a dissolution of the oxide in the boron oxide melt occurs partially. As a result, a part of the dopant is removed from the semiconductor melt. At the same time, the impurity generated by the reaction (in the example here: boron) is incorporated into the semiconductor melt. The prepared crystals may thus be contaminated by this impurity (e.g., boron) at a substantial concentration, thereby impairing the quality. For example, an impurity with boron may lead to formation of electrically compensating defects and thus to a decrease of the electrical conductivity.
In [1] JP 2000-109400A, [2] JP 2004-217508A and [3] JP 10-279398A, processes are described according to which a homogenization of silicon inclusion into a gallium arsenide single crystal is to be achieved. The axial homogeneity of the electrical conductivity of the single crystal is said to be improved thereby. The processes are based on stirring a boron oxide cover melt at a certain point of time, or at several points of time during the crystal growth process. In the processes described in [2] and [3], a SiO2-enriched boron oxide cover melt is used in order to suppress oxidation of the silicon dopant contained in the gallium arsenide melt. For the reaction equilibrium between silicon, boron oxide and SiO2, the concentration of boron oxide at the phase borderline to the gallium arsenide melt is significant. Stirring the boron oxide cover melt leads to its thorough mixing and thus to a decrease in the SiO2-concentration at the interface to the gallium arsenide melt. In this way, the oxidation of silicon contained in the gallium arsenide melt is enhanced, and the silicon concentration in a gallium arsenide single crystal increases less at its end than without this measure. However, by oxidizing silicon with boron oxide, the concentration of the boron impurity in the gallium arsenide melt and in the gallium arsenide single crystal is increased.
The processes described in [1], [2] and [3] enable a certain homogenization of silicon inclusion into a gallium arsenide single crystal, but the concentration of boron impurity in the gallium arsenide melt and in the gallium arsenide single crystal is increased. This disadvantageously affects the quality of the generated crystals. In the manufacture of a gallium arsenide single crystal according to a process described in JP 2004-115339A [4], the gallium arsenide melt is separated from the boron oxide cover melt by an isolating layer of liquid boron arsenide. The oxidation of the dopant silicon is diminished thereby.
US 2004/0187768 A1 follows another concept for the manufacture of doped GaAs crystals of p-type that have a very low dislocation density of <100 cm−2. The low dislocation density is obtained by mandatorily adding 4 types of dopants to the GaAs starting material, namely, Zn as a p-type dopant, Si as an n-type dopant, B as a. neutral atom, and In as a neutral atom. That is, a high p-type conductivity is obtained by doping with zinc, while the other dopants, Si, B and In, lead to an impurity hardening effect. The necessity of purposively doping 4 types of dopants limits the applicability of such wafer materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,496,118 describes a process for increasing electrical conductivity of III-V semiconductor compounds. A melt of the III-V semiconductor compound is produced in the presence of an impurity selected from Al, Sb, Bi, In and Pb, and a crystal is formed at a solidification point which is intentionally lowered by the added impurity. As conductivity generating impurities, doping atoms are added that are selected from Mn, Te, Se, S, Cd, Zn, Sn, Ge and Si. The amount of impurity being added is so high that a III-V-multiple component melt and thus a corresponding crystal (ternary, quaternary) is produced, rather than dealing with doping or formation of a binary III-V single crystal.
In order to satisfy the need for III-V semiconductor single crystals having a desirably high charge carrier mobility of the dopant, the conventional manufacture normally is carried out without a cover melt of, e.g., B2O3, in a boat for horizontal solidification of the semiconductor melt. However, this manufacturing principle is applicable only to the manufacture of III-V semiconductor crystals having small diameters, such as, normally 2 inches (1 inch=2.54 cm) or up to maximally 3 inches. For example, the abstract of KR 1019920010134 B1 describes a Bridgman process in which the solidification of the GaAs melt is carried out in a sealed quartz ampoule, without a boron oxide cover melt. A GaAs single crystal produced by this process has a electron mobility of 2,000 to 4,000 cm/Vs and an electron concentration of 1017-1018 cm−3.
To produce III-V semiconductor crystals having larger diameters, particularly diameters of at least 100 mm, the process of vertically directed solidification of a melt of the semiconductor material conventionally required use of a cover melt of, e.g., boron oxide. However, this leads to the problems described above.
The conventional processes are not successful for manufacturing semiconductor single crystals that have a high electrical conductivity, while at the same time providing a high process security, yield and quality.

Process for the manufacture of doped semiconductor single crystals, and III-V semiconductor single crystal


A thermostat monitoring system is provided which comprises a coolant temperature detection member for detecting a temperature of a coolant. An intake air temperature detection member detects a temperature of ambient air introduced into combustion chambers. An intake air amount detection member detects an amount of intake air. An engine speed detection member detects an engine speed; a blower switch detects a selected contacting point for driving a blower motor; and a control unit calculates a primary modeled coolant temperature and an auxiliary modeled coolant temperature based on information detected by the coolant temperature detection member, the intake air temperature detection member, the intake air amount detection member, the engine speed detection member, and the blower switch, and for monitoring using the primary modeled coolant temperature and the auxiliary modeled coolant temperature to determine whether a thermostat is in a stuck-open state.

Generally, a thermostat is installed between an engine and a radiator, and it is automatically opened or closed in response to a change of a coolant temperature such that an amount of coolant flowing to the radiator is regulated, and thereby a temperature of the engine is maintained to be constant so that overheating or overcooling of the engine can be prevented. Therefore, the engine may operate at its highest performance level. In addition, the thermostat increases efficiency of heating an inner space of a vehicle, prevents consumption of coolant, and maintains the temperature of the coolant.
Generally, there are pellet-type thermostats and bellows-type thermostats. Because the pellet-type thermostat is affected by pressure less than the bellows-type thermostat, the pellet-type thermostat can control temperature more precisely than the bellows-type thermostat and is thus more widely used.
If the thermostat is stuck in an open state, control of the amount of coolant flowing between the engine and the radiator cannot be normally performed. Therefore, the warm-up period for the engine becomes longer when compared to a normal state, so exhaust emission characteristics become deteriorated. For this reason, on board diagnostics regulation No. 2 (OBD2) forces monitoring of whether the thermostat is in a stuck-open state if the coolant temperature and intake air temperature are higher than −7°, and illumination of an MIL (malfunction illumination lamp) when it is determined that the thermostat is in the stuck-open state.
For this operation, an ECU (engine control unit) monitors the coolant temperature. A coolant temperature is used as an initial value, and a coolant temperature rising gradient is calculated using an engine load in response to a detected amount of air. Then, the ECU calculates a modeled coolant temperature.
The modeled coolant temperature is then compared with the actual coolant temperature. If the actual coolant temperature is lower than the modeled coolant temperature in a specific instance (e.g., an instance when the actual coolant temperature is 85°), it is determined that the thermostat is in a stuck-open state and the MIL is illuminated.
However, even if the thermostat operates normally, the actual coolant temperature rises very slowly in a cold area because the ambient air temperature is low. In addition, in an RV (recreation vehicle), the actual coolant temperature also rises slowly because the passenger room of the RV is relatively large so that the amount of coolant that is sent to the heater core is much larger than that of a normal vehicle. In such cases, even when the thermostats operate normally, it may be erroneously determined that the thermostat is in a stuck-open state.
A problem with the prior art is illustrated in FIG. 3. If it is determined that the actual coolant temperature A is lower than the modeled coolant temperature B at a specific instance in which the engine is sufficiently warmed up after starting the engine, the MIL is illuminated at C to notify the driver of that the thermostat is in the stuck-open state. Thus, in the thermostat monitoring method according to the prior art as stated above, it can be erroneously determined that the normally operated thermostat is in the stuck-open state when a vehicle is driven in a very cold area or in a low load state.
In addition, if a heater blower is operated such that heat from coolant flowing to a heater core is taken into the inner space of the vehicle in order to improve heating efficiency, the temperature of the coolant rises slowly. Under this situation, if a vehicle is driven in a low load state, the temperature of the coolant may drop, so that the MIL can be illuminated.
If the prohibition condition is strengthened in order to solve such a problem, the above-stated problem can be solved. However, regulations for monitoring times in the OBD-2 cannot be met.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known to a person skilled in the art.

Thermostat monitoring system of vehicle and method thereof


A system for accessing a telephone system, in which a set of user stations are matched with a set of base stations for connection to a telephone network. Each base station may be coupled directly or indirectly to the telephone network and may be capable of initiating or receiving calls on the telephone network. Each user station may comprise a spread-spectrum transmitter or receiver and may be capable of dynamic connection to selected base stations A plurality of base stations may be coupled to a private exchange telephone system for coupling user stations in calls outside the telephone network. User stations may use CDMA, FDMA, TDMA or other multiple-access techniques to obtain one or more clear communication paths to base stations. Base stations may be placed at convenient locations or may themselves be mobile. User stations may make and break connections with base stations as the user station moves between service regions, or is otherwise more advantageously serviced by, base stations. User stations may direct requests to and receive information from an enhanced telephone services processor, so as to obtain enhanced telephone services within the telephone network. Base stations may be coupled to each other by means of a private exchange telephone system or other small business telephone system (such as a PBX, Centrex, or key-type system) so as to couple user stations in calls outside the telephone network. User stations may also be coupled directly or indirectly to the telephone network on their own or by another access path, such as narrowband or spread-spectrum cellular telephone circuits.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a spread spectrum wireless telephone system.
2. Description of Related Art
Access to telephone networks, may commonly occur via one of two general mechanisms, termed "private access" and "public access". As used herein, "private access" means access by means of dedicated circuits (and includes business telephones through PBX, Centrex, and key-type systems, and home telephones), while "public access" means access by means of common communication channels (and includes cellular telephones and payphones). Interconnection to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) for both private access and public access may make use of cable, fiber optic, wire, or radio frequency links, or other methods of communication known in the art. Many telephone networks, have a large number of telephones which are hardwired into the network and which have private access to the network from fixed locations.
One problem which has arisen in the art is the desire of mobile persons to have convenient and inexpensive access to telephone networks. These persons generally have a choice between locating a private-access business or home telephone, or a public-access payphone, which can be inconvenient, and using cellular telephone service, which can be expensive. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a relatively convenient and inexpensive system which allows public access to telephone networks.
Moreover, public access to telephone networks is subject to a number of problems, due in part to the public nature of the communication channel. Such communication may be subject to eavesdropping and other security risks, and may also be subject to unpredictable loss, noise, interference, and even active jamming. Many of these problems are ameliorated by spread-spectrum radio communication, in which transmitted signals are spread across a bandwidth which is wider than the bandwidth of the signal. Spread-spectrum communication may also be used in conjunction with CDMA, FDMA, TDMA, and other multiplexing techniques, and thus may offer advantages in a switching network.
One method of public access to telephone networks is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,238. While the system shown therein may achieve the goal of public access to a telephone network, it is subject to the drawback that it is not able to achieve the advantages of spread-spectrum communication. Moreover, the system shown therein has little or no ability to handoff user stations from one base station to another when conditions warrant. It would be advantageous to allow public access to the telephone network with relatively inexpensive user stations and which achieve this and other advantages of spread-spectrum communication.
Some aspects of the art of spread spectrum wireless communication are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,016,255 (issued May 14, 1991) and 5,022,047 (issued Jun. 4, 1991), and in the following copending applications: Ser. No. 07/ 682,050, filed Apr. 8, 1991, in the name of inventor Robert C. Dixon, titled "THREE-CELL WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM", and Ser. No. 07/ 600,772, filed Oct. 23, 1990, in the name of inventors Robert C. Dixon and Jeffrey S. Vanderpool, titled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ESTABLISHING SPREAD SPECTRUM COMMUNICATIONS". Each of these patents and applications is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Another aspect of the problem of access to telephone networks is the desire for mobile persons to be able to contact each other, for example, when these persons are closely located. Access by each such person to a telephone network would allow for them to contact each other, but it might place excess burden on the telephone network and might result in unwarranted delays in making such contacts. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a relatively convenient and inexpensive system which allows contact between multiple user stations which have access (either private or public) to telephone networks.
One method of wireless contact between a plurality of user stations is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,658. While the system shown therein may achieve the goal of operating a wireless PBX, it is subject to the drawback that it may require complex and relatively expensive user stations, and may not be smoothly integrated into a system for access to telephone networks. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide private exchange telephone systems (including PBX, Centrex, or key-type systems) which can be smoothly integrated in a system for providing access (either private or public) to telephone networks with relatively inexpensive user stations.
Another development in the art of telephone networks is the "intelligent network", used herein to mean a telephone network in which enhanced telephone network services are performed by an independent processor, rather than by a local switch or a local switching processor. In an intelligent network, a telephone caller can communicate directly with the independent processor, for controlling enhanced telephone network features. Examples of these enhanced features are call routing and call screening.
Some of these enhanced features are useful for rerouting messages from one telephone to another, while others are useful for caching messages while a person is not available at a particular telephone. Both of these purposes are quite suited to mobile persons who frequently access telephone networks. Moreover, enhanced features add to the value of having a telephone and thus encourage mobile persons to use mobile telephones. Accordingly, it would be advantageous if enhanced features were available to mobile telephones.

Spread spectrum wireless telephone system


Methods of forming electrical isolation regions in semiconductor substrates include the steps of forming a first electrical isolation region at a face of a semiconductor substrate, then forming a trench in the semiconductor substrate, laterally adjacent the first electrical isolation region, and then forming a trench isolation region in the trench so that the trench isolation region is contiguous with the first isolation region. In particular, these methods include the steps of forming a pad insulating layer on the face of a semiconductor substrate and then forming a first nitride layer on the pad insulating layer. The first nitride layer is then patterned by removing a portion thereof to define an opening extending opposite an inactive region within the semiconductor substrate. A second nitride layer is then formed on the patterned first nitride layer and in the opening. The second nitride layer is then patterned within the opening by removing a portion thereof extending opposite a portion of the inactive region. The second nitride layer is then used as a mask to selectively form a first isolation region by thermally oxidizing the substrate. The second nitride layer is then removed and followed by the step of etching a laterally adjacent portion of the inactive region to form a trench. The trench is then filled by depositing an oxide layer in the trench and on the first isolation region. Chemical-mechanical polishing is then performed to planarize the deposited oxide layer and the first isolation region and form a single composite isolation region therefrom. Stable isolation characteristics can therefore be obtained because the above sequence of steps reduces the degree of dishing associated with the composite isolation region, even when relatively wide trenches are used for isolation.

Device isolation techniques play an important role in the design and performance of highly integrated semiconductor circuits by electrically isolating regions and devices therein from adjacent devices and regions. Such integrated semiconductor circuits included memory devices having arrays of memory cells and peripheral devices for driving the memory cells, for example. Moreover, as the degree of integration in semiconductor circuits increases, there is a concomitant need to develop techniques for forming isolation regions which can be scaled to provide isolation regions having smaller dimensions, but without sacrificing the isolation capability of the regions.
Attempts to improve the isolation capability of field oxide regions in a semiconductor substrate by making these regions narrower to facilitate higher levels of lateral integration, while at the same time thicker to compensate for the decrease in isolation capability caused by the reduction in separation distance between adjacent devices, pose significant drawbacks. In particular, the formation of isolation regions of increased thickness typically causes an increase in the nonuniformity of subsequently formed regions and layers (e.g., metal wiring) which cover both the active regions and inactive isolation regions. Unfortunately, such nonuniformities, which may be characterized by a vertical "step-height" between the face of the semiconductor substrate where an active region(s) is formed and the top surface of the isolation regions, typically cause a reduction in yield as higher and higher levels of integration are attempted.
One typical method for forming electrical isolation regions in semiconductor substrates is referred to as a local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) method. For example, referring to FIGS. 1-2, a method of forming an electrical isolation region 13 in a semiconductor substrate 1 using LOCOS, is illustrated. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates a structure resulting from the steps of forming, in sequence, a pad oxide film 3 and a silicon nitride film 5 on a silicon substrate 1. The silicon nitride film 5 is then patterned by selectively etching the film to define openings 9 therein, which extend opposite those portions of the substrate wherein inactive/isolation regions are to be formed. The remaining portions 11 of the silicon nitride film 5 are also defined during the etching step, opposite those portions of the substrate wherein active/device regions are to be formed. Referring still to FIG. 1, preliminary channel-stop impurity regions 7 are then formed in the inactive portions of the substrate by implanting dopants into the substrate, using the patterned silicon nitride film 5 as a mask.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a thermal oxidation step is performed to form field oxide isolation regions 13, using the patterned silicon nitride film 5 as an oxidation mask. During this oxidation step, diffusion of the implanted dopants also takes place to form channel-stop impurity regions 15. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, during the thermal oxidation step, bird's beak shaped oxide extensions will form underneath the patterned silicon nitride film 5, as illustrated. The formation of bird's beak extensions causes the effective width of the field oxide isolation regions to increase, as represented by numerals 17 and 20. Here, reference numeral 19 illustrates the increase in width on each side of the field oxide isolation region 13 which is attributable to the bird's beak shaped extensions. Finally, reference numeral 23 represents the actual size of an active region, which is reduced by the bird's beak shaped extensions. Accordingly, the LOCOS method may not be suitable for applications requiring high degrees of integration, because the lateral width of the bird's beak extensions is not readily scalable. This is particularly true when thicker isolation regions are used to increase isolation capability, because thicker isolation regions typically cause an increase in the lateral dimension of the bird's beak extensions.
FIGS. 3-6 also illustrate a conventional method of forming shallow trench isolation (STI) regions in a semiconductor substrate 21. In particular, as illustrated by FIG. 3, a pad oxide film 22 having a thickness of about 240 .ANG. is formed on the substrate 21 by thermal oxidation. Then, a silicon nitride film 24, having a thickness of about 1500 .ANG., is formed on the pad oxide film 22 by a low pressure chemical vapor deposition method (LPCVD). An oxide mask 26 is then formed by depositing an oxide film having a thickness of about 1000 .ANG. and then patterning the oxide film using conventional etching techniques. Referring to FIG. 4, trenches are then formed in the substrate 21 by reactive ion etching (RIE) the silicon nitride film 24 and the pad oxide film 22, using the oxide mask 26, and then dry-etching the substrate 21, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The trenches may be made of varying width, depending on the application and degree of isolation required. The exposed silicon on the sidewalls and bottom of the trenches is then thermally oxidized to form an oxide film 27. Referring still to FIG. 4, a polycrystalline silicon film having a thickness of approximately 5000 .ANG. or thicker is then deposited into the trenches and anisotropically etched to form a polycrystalline silicon film 28. As illustrated, the relatively narrow trench is typically completely filled by the polycrystalline silicon film 28, however the film 28 in the wider trench may be concave in shape and thereby have a centrally depressed region at the middle of the trench. Accordingly, the profile of the silicon film 28 may vary depending on the width, depth and shape of the trench.
Referring now to FIG. 5, the polycrystalline silicon film 28 is then thermally oxidized to form a field oxide film 29, however, the concave profile of the polycrystalline silicon film 28 is typically replicated in the profile of the field oxide film 29. Then, as illustrated by FIG. 6, the oxide mask 26, the silicon nitride film 24 and the pad oxide film 22 are removed, preferably by a wet-etch technique using a buffered oxide etchant (BOE) and a phosphoric acid solution. A sacrificial oxide film (not shown) is then grown and etched to form the resulting trench isolation structure. Unfortunately, the central depression G in the field oxide film 29 increases the roughness of upper level surfaces and may reduce the yield of integrated circuits formed in the substrate by, among other things, causing shorts between metal lines such as gate and bit lines of an integrated memory device. In addition, as illustrated by reference R, bird's beak shaped extensions may also be present which, as described above with respect to FIGS. 1-2, can cause an increase in the effective lateral width of the trench isolation regions. Furthermore, the step of removing the oxide mask 26 typically results in a removal of a portion of the field oxide film 29 as well. Accordingly, the thickness of the field oxide film 29 may have to be made greater to account for the partial removal during the step of removing the oxide mask 26. Yet, by increasing the thickness of the field oxide film 29, the lateral width of the bird's beak extensions also increases and thereby further inhibits attempts to increase integration densities. This and other deficiencies of LOCOS and STI isolation techniques are more fully described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,385,861 to Bashir et al., 5,492,858 to Bose et al. and 5,494,857 to Cooperman et al.
In order to improve upon the above-mentioned trench isolation method, chemical-mechanical polishing techniques (CMP) have been proposed. Such polishing techniques typically include the step of polishing the surface of the substrate to remove excess field insulation, after the trenches have been formed and filled with an appropriate insulation material. However, a dishing phenomenon, known to those skilled in the art, may occur when trench isolation regions of substantial width are formed. This phenomenon, which is described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,857 to Cooperman et al., typically causes poor local planarization and can therefore reduce yield. Attempts to reduce the occurrence of the dishing phenomenon are described in an article by B. Davari et al., entitled A New Planarization Technique, Using a Combination of RIE and Chemical Mechanical Polish (CMP), IEDM Technical Digest, pp. 61-64 (1989) and the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,857 to Cooperman et al. In this article, a combination of RIE and CMP steps are performed to improve planarization. In particular, an initial planarization step using RIE is performed prior to a final planarization step using CMP, in order to reduce the degree of dishing present in the resulting structure, as described with respect to FIG. 5 of the aforementioned Davari article. Unfortunately, in addition to requiring a separate RIE step, this method may require additional steps such as a step of forming block resist patterns over relatively wide isolation regions, in order to improve the degree of planarization that can be achieved.
Thus, notwithstanding the above described methods, there continues to be a need for relatively simple methods of forming isolation regions having uniformly planar surfaces, which can be scaled to allow for high levels of integration.

Methods of forming combined trench and locos-based electrical isolation regions in semiconductor substrates


The present invention relates to a suspension for a sound transducer. The present invention discloses a suspension for a sound transducer, to which a diaphragm and voice coil of the sound transducer are attached and which guides the vibrations of the diaphragm and voice coil, comprising: a central portion to which a voice coil is attached; an outer peripheral portion resting on a frame; and a connecting portion connecting the central portion and the outer peripheral portion, wherein the central portion has a mold portion, which is molded by heat or pressure to take the place of a center diaphragm.

FIG. 1 is a view showing an example of a conventional sound transducer.
A yoke 21, an inner ring magnet 22, an outer ring magnet 23, an inner ring top plate 24, and an outer ring top plate 25 are installed within a frame 10, and a voice coil 30 is placed in an air gap between the inner ring magnet 22 and the outer ring magnet 23 and vibrates vertically when power is applied to the voice coil 30. The voice coil 30 is mounted to the bottom side of a suspension 40, and a side diaphragm 51 and a center diaphragm 52 are installed on the top and bottom sides of the suspension 40 and vibrate in synchrony with the vibration of the voice coil 30, producing a sound. A protector 60 is connected to the top of the side diaphragm 51 and center diaphragm 52 to protect the parts located inside a speaker. The protector 60 includes a ring-shaped steel portion 61 with an opening in the middle to emit a sound, and a ring-shaped injection portion 62, through which the steel portion 61 is inserted and injection-molded and which is laminated on top of the frame 10, the outer periphery of the side diaphragm 51, and the outer periphery of the suspension 40. In order to separately bond the center diaphragm 52, a bonding surface for attaching the suspension 40 and the center diaphragm 52 is required, and a bonding layer is required between the suspension 40 and the center diaphragm 52, thus causing an increase in laminate thickness and large deviations in operation.
FIG. 2 is a view showing another example of a conventional sound transducer. This sound transducer is identical to the conventional sound transducer of FIG. 1 in that a yoke 21, an inner ring magnet 22, an outer ring magnet 23, an inner ring top plate 24, and an outer ring top plate 25 are installed within a frame 10, a voice coil 30 is placed in an air gap between the inner ring magnet 22 and the outer ring magnet 23, and the voice coil 30 is mounted to the bottom side of a suspension 40′. However, this sound transducer is different from the conventional sound transducer of FIG. 1 in that no center diaphragm is manufactured and attached separately, but instead the central portion of the suspension 40′ serves as the center diaphragm because it is not perforated. The side diaphragm 51 is attached to the top and bottom sides of the suspension, and a protector 60 is also provided to protect the parts located within a speaker. In the case that the central portion of the suspension 40′ takes the place of a center diaphragm, it lowers sound pressure due to its heavy weight. In addition, if the suspension is made thinner to reduce the weight, it weakens the rigidity of the suspension and therefore causes dips in sound pressure at high frequencies, resulting in deterioration of acoustic characteristics.


A smart card comprising a data store and a processor, said smart card being operable to connect with a host data processing apparatus, said smart card comprising authentication logic operable when connected to said host data processing apparatus to identify a secure data processing domain having predetermined properties within said host data processing apparatus and in response to identify said secure data processing domain, said smart card is operable to delegate at least some data processing operations to be processed within said secure data processing domain of said host data processing apparatus.

It is known to provide data processing systems with the intent that the data processing operations performed and data values processed by such systems are difficult to determine from examination of the system. A good example of such a secure system is a smart card.
Smart cards are commonly used to control access to subscription services, such as satellite television and mobile phones. Smart cards are designed to be specific to a user, account or device and contain data that should be kept secure. They are designed to be cheap to manufacture and be small and mobile, such that a user can take them with him.
With satellite television such smart cards have secure encryption keys stored within them to allow a properly authorised user to decode received satellite television signals, which cannot be viewed by anyone not having the encryption keys. It is highly desirable that the encryption keys and any other security data stored within the card are maintained confidential to prevent their unauthorised use.
With mobile phones, a smart card specific to a user, will allow access to a phone network and allow the correct user to be billed for that access. Such a smart card will generally be controlled by the network company, while the phone itself could be made by a different company. Clearly it is not desirable that the information specific to the user that is stored on the card should be available to anyone else as this would allow it to be mimicked.
To this end, considerable effort is expended in making it difficult to determine the data processing operations being performed and the data values being manipulated within a smart card whilst it is operating by observing the smart card.
Smart cards were developed to enable secure data to be manipulated only within a small secure environment. Furthermore, they were made to be easily transferable between devices so that purchase of services, or migration of user data, using such cards could be done effectively. They are also small and relatively cheap to produce and the owner of the smart card itself has control over the security of the data, whatever system the card is being used in. For example, if the smart card is a card for a mobile phone then the owner of the card is the network operator, and it is they that wish to control of the security of the data. A disadvantage of these cards is that processing power available on smart cards is limited so that certain functionalities may not be possible. Furthermore, the transfer of data between a smart card and its host processing apparatus is often via a low-speed serial interface and as such the speed of data transfer is very limited.

Processing efficiency on secure systems having a host processor and smart card


A system for observing the behaviors of mitochondria during ontogeny and the dynamics of mitochondria in various tissues during pathological development is provided. A pCAGGS expression vector containing green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene and a transgenic animal characterized by expressing GFP specifically in mitochondria are provided.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is known to show strict maternal inheritance in mammals. We have previously found that sperm mtDNA was eliminated from the cytoplasm of embryonic cells by the 2-cell-stage in early embryogenesis, using highly sensitive PCR methods (Kaneda, H. et al., (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 4542–4546; and Shitara, H. et al., (1998) Genetics 148, 851–857). This phenomenon could cause the maternal inheritance of mtDNA.
To observe directly and visually the intracellular behavior of sperm mitochondria during early embryogenesis, mitochondrial fraction, cells and tissue have been stained by Rhodamine 123 or by MitoTracker (Molecular Probes, OR; cat. M7512) and observed under a fluorescence microscope (Kaneda, H. et al., (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 4542–4546; Cummins, J. M. et al., (1997) Zygote 5, 301–308; Sutovsky, P. et al., (1996) Biol. Reprod. 55, 1195–1205; and Sutovsky, P. et al., (2000) Biol. Reprod. 63, 582–590). Using these fluorescent dyes, mitochondria can be clearly and specifically stained in the middle piece of a sperm cell.
However, several drawbacks are known regarding the above methods. The above dyes are easily bleached under the irradiation of UV light, and even without irradiation of UV light the dyes rapidly become bleached. The procedures involved in the staining such as centrifugation and resuspension damaged cells and mitochondria, and consequently the fertility of sperm is remarkably reduced, and the dyes are easily released after staining. These drawbacks make it difficult to conduct sequential or repeated observations of mitochondria.
Instead of vital staining dyes, the use of green fluorescent protein (GFP), which has been widely applied as a noninvasive chemiluminescent reporter molecule, enables the visualization of the localization and/or migration of proteins of interest in intracellular compartmentation. GFP can also be used for real-time visualization of intracellular organelles. In particular, Rizzuto et al. (Rizzuto, R. et al., (1995) Curr. Biol. 5, 635–642; and Rizzuto, R. et al., (1996) Curr. Biol. 6, 183–188) reported that GFP was accumulated exclusively in the mitochondria of HeLa cells by transfection of a GFP cDNA clone linked with a polynucleotide encoding the N-terminus of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit VIII precursor protein (mtGFP). Fluorescence was observed as a rod-like shape typical of mitochondria, suggesting that GFP is accumulated in mitochondria. Moreover, the reduction of GFP fluorescence was not at all or less observed by repeated UV-irradiation, whereas the fluorescence of rhodamine 123, a vital staining dye specific to mitochondria, was dramatically reduced under the same conditions.
As described above, it has been expected that GFP linked with an importing signal to a certain organelle has wide applications in real-time observation of the intracellular organelle.
However, the above methods have drawbacks in that applicable cells are limited to cells such as established cultured cells and cells of tissue that can be subjected to primary culture, and that the behavior of mitochondria during ontogenesis and the dynamics of mitochondria in lesions during pathological development cannot be observed.
To express mitochondria-localized GFP in every tissue in an individual animal, an appropriate vector must be selected. To date, expression vectors having promoter sequences to enable tissue-specific expression or vectors that enable expression in all the tissues have been invented and improved. However, there are only few expression vectors that are completely sufficient, particularly in terms of the expression level of a foreign gene.
In the meantime, apoptosis, which is also referred to as programmed cell death and by which the cell content is not released outside the cell, in contrast to necrosis by which the cell content is released extracellularly, is known to cause disorders of mitochondria involving characteristic morphological changes such as the aggregation or fragmentation of nuclei within cells and the discharge of cytochrome C. Recently, the involvement of apoptosis in ontogeny and various diseases is increasingly reported. However, most of the facts about apoptosis remained unknown.

GFP expression vector localized in mitochondria

Tokyo Metropolitan Organization for Medical Research


A multi-beam klystron apparatus is disclosed. A radio-frequency interaction unit pole piece is arranged between a main magnetic field generator and an output-side magnetic field generator. The magnetic circuit formed in the neighborhood of an output cavity of a radio-frequency interaction unit is separated from the magnetic circuit of the main magnetic field generator by the radio-frequency interaction unit pole piece. The output-side magnetic field generator increases the axial magnetic flux density in the neighborhood of the output cavity without curving the electron beams and thus prevents the spread of the electron beams in the neighborhood of the output cavity.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a multi-beam klystron apparatus for amplifying radio-frequency power.
2. Description of the Related Art
The conventional klystron apparatus includes an electron gun unit for generating an electron beam, an input unit for inputting radio-frequency power, a radio-frequency interaction unit for amplifying the radio-frequency power by the interaction between the electron beam and the radio-frequency electric field, an output unit for outputting the radio-frequency power from the radio-frequency interaction unit, a klystron body having a collector unit for capturing the used electron beam having passed through the radio-frequency interaction unit, and a focusing magnetic field unit mounted on the klystron body for focusing the electron beams. The radio-frequency interaction unit includes drift tubes through which the electron beams pass, an input cavity connected to the drift tubes along the direction in which the electron beams proceed and a plurality of intermediate and output cavities, wherein the input cavity is connected with the input unit and the output cavity with the output unit.
FIG. 10 shows the result of analyzing the lines of magnetic force of a focusing magnetic field unit of the single-beam klystron apparatus. In many actual cases, a focusing magnetic field unit 1 includes several to ten and several electromagnets 2a, 2b arranged along the collector unit from the electron gun unit side of the klystron body and a magnetic pole 3 having an electron gun-side pole piece 3a, a collector-side pole piece 3b and a return frame 3c. In this focusing magnetic unit 1, the electron beam is focused by the magnetic field generated by the current supplied to the electromagnets 2a, 2b. In FIG. 10, the electron gun unit is arranged on the lower side, and the collector unit on the upper side. Reference numeral 4 designates lines of magnetic force, which are too thin and not shown in the magnetic pole 3.
Generally, the electron beam of the klystron apparatus, in the absence of radio frequency, has a substantially constant thickness. In the radio-frequency operation, however, the electron beams are bunched progressively downstream in the direction of radiation and, in the neighborhood of the output cavity, the degree of density thereof comes to be clearly defined. At points where electron density is high, the electron beam tends to spread diametrically due to the reaction of the electrons due to the space charge thereof. For this reason, a method is employed in which the radius of the drift tube surrounding the electron beam is increased to prevent collision or the axial magnetic flux density of the focusing magnetic field in the neighborhood of the output cavity is increased to suppress the spread of the electron beam. The method of simply increasing the radius of the drift tube, however, encounters the problem of a reduced output conversion efficiency, and therefore a method is generally employed in which the axial magnetic flux density of the focusing magnetic field is increased in the neighborhood of the output cavity.
FIG. 11 is a graph showing the relation between the axial position from the cathode (position 0 of the distance Z) of the electron gun unit of the single-beam klystron apparatus and the axial magnetic flux density. The magnetic field is formed in the same direction from the cathode of the electron gun unit to the collector unit, and the axial magnetic flux density is 680 Gauss in the neighborhood of the input cavity while it is 820 Gauss, or 20% higher, in the neighborhood of the output cavity. The electron beam is focused in such a manner as to be wound on the lines of magnetic force and therefore an effective means for preventing the dispersion of the electron beam is provided by increasing the axial magnetic flux density in the neighborhood of the output cavity with the electron beam more bunched.
FIG. 12 is a graph showing the relation between the axial position (distance Z) from the cathode of the electron gun unit of the single-beam klystron apparatus and the lines of magnetic force at the radius R in the neighborhood of the center axis. It is understood that the electron beam having the radius indicated by the second lowest line, for example, proceeds along the lines of magnetic force and therefore the radius thereof is reduced from 7 mm in the neighborhood of the input cavity to 6.3 mm in the neighborhood of the output cavity.
Also, it is generally known in this particular field of technique that the lower the ratio of the beam current to the beam voltage called the perveance, the higher the output conversion efficiency of the klystron apparatus. Also, one of the means for improving the efficiency is known to be provided by a multi-beam klystron apparatus in which the number of electron beams is increased from one to several or several tens and the perveance of each electron beam is set low to suppress the beam voltage applied to the electron gun unit while at the same time improving the overall output conversion efficiency (Jpn. PCT National Publication No. 2002-520772).
In the multi-beam klystron apparatus, several to several tens of electron beams are arranged at a distance from the center axis of the klystron apparatus. For example, electron beams are arranged at intervals of 60 degrees at the distance of 60 mm from the center axis of the body of the klystron apparatus.
In this multi-beam klystron apparatus, an increase in the axial magnetic flux density in the neighborhood of the output cavity to suppress the spread of the electron beam, like in the single-beam klystron apparatus, would pose the problem that the lines of magnetic force are curved and so are the electron beams. This is specifically explained with reference to the graph of FIG. 13 showing the relation between the axial position (distance Z) from the cathode of the electron gun unit of the multi-beam klystron apparatus and the lines of magnetic force at the position (radius R) from the center axis of the klystron body in the neighborhood of each electron beam. In the case of the electron beam having the center axis indicated by the second lowest line, for example, the center axis of the electron beam is located at the distance of 60 mm from the center axis of the klystron body in the neighborhood of the input cavity, while the center axis of the electron beam is moved to the point at the distance of 54 mm from the center axis of the klystron body in the neighborhood of the output cavity, thereby curving the electron beam. Under this condition, the electron beam would impinge on the drift tube and therefore it is impossible to assure stable operation of the multi-beam klystron apparatus by increasing the axial magnetic flux density in the neighborhood of the output cavity.
In the case where the output unit such as the waveguide or the coaxial tube output unit connected to the output cavity is led out substantially at right angles to the center axis of the klystron body, on the other hand, a focusing magnet may not be arranged at the particular location. In such a case, the axial magnetic flux density is reduced in the neighborhood of the output cavity. This curves the lines of magnetic force at other than the center axis of the klystron body, with the result that the electron beam is curved in the multi-beam klystron apparatus in which the electron beam passes a point distant from the center axis of the klystron body.

Toshiba Electron Tubes & Devices Co., Ltd.


An automated driving control device includes a registration unit configured to generate automated driving information used for driving a vehicle automatically based on a first image obtained by capturing an environment around the vehicle in a mode of driver driving; and a control unit configured to automatically drive the vehicle based on the automated driving information and a second image obtained by capturing the environment around the vehicle in a mode of automated driving. The registration unit includes an extraction unit configured to extract candidate feature points existing in the environment around the vehicle based on the first image; and a generation unit configured to select the candidate feature points that are determined to be structures fixed around a target position of the vehicle based on the first images captured while the vehicle moves, as feature points.

General vehicle parking spaces are often narrow and it may be difficult to park vehicles, and in view of this, parking by automated driving has been highly desired. In the automated driving, conventionally, a parking target position is estimated by using, for example, an on-vehicle camera or the like and the vehicle is moved automatically to that parking target position. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a technique of automated parking by recognizing a parking line expressing a parking section from image data from a camera, estimating a parking target position from the parking line, and performing automated parking.

Automated driving control device, vehicle, and automated driving control method

MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA


A system and method to pitch balls with a fine adjustment subsystem. The system and method allow an operator to make fine adjustments to the horizontal trajectory of a ball as it passes in front of the hitter. The system includes a throwing head with at least one wheel powered by a motor and a control panel with an adjustment for each motor so that speed and spin imparted to the ball can be changed. This invention further includes a method for pitching practice balls wherein the balls are delivered to a person in need of hitting practice. The fine adjustment subsystem permits an operator to quickly and easily change the horizontal positioning of the balls that are thrown to vary the pitches as a batter practices.

This invention relates to devices for practicing sports, and in particular, this invention relates to a system and method for simulating a pitched or thrown ball such as a baseball or softball.
Currently, there are many devices for throwing a ball, including the throwing of baseballs and softballs as well as cricket balls, lacrosse balls, tennis balls, etc. for players to practice with. Typically these devices have one or more wheels that engage the ball as it passes through the wheels and impart speed and spin to the ball. Two wheel devices have become the standard over the past several years while three wheel devices are also becoming more common. It should be understood that devices using two wheels are limited in orientation to one plane of motion and are strictly limited in the amount of spin they can impart to the ball as it passes through. The three wheel devices offer an improved experience because they can vary the pitch in two planes of motion providing a more realistic pitch compared to a person throwing the ball.
An advantage of any of the different configurations equipped with a single wheel, two wheels or three wheels is that they are very good at replicating a particular pitch with the same speed, trajectory and spin. The machine can be adjusted manually by an operator moving the entire machine from side to side or by raising or lowering the throwing head. A significant problem that exists is that it is difficult to quickly and easily apply a fine adjustment to the positioning of the device so that over a 60 foot, 6 inch trajectory (the equivalent of the distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate in a major league baseball diamond), a slight change in the side-to-side and/or up-down end position can be achieved. A fine adjustment mechanism is highly desirable to more realistically replicate the routine of an actual pitcher during an at-bat, who varies the location of the ball with each pitch so that during practice, a batter is seeing a full range of locations around the plate, including inside pitches, outside pitches, high pitches, low pitches and pitches throughout the different parts of the strike zone, just as s/he would in a real game.

System and method to pitch balls with fine adjustment


A building structure requiring virtually no fasteners for its assembly, composed generally of a plurality of mutually interlocking floor panels which rest upon a plurality of floor stringers, a plurality of uprights interlocked with respect to the floor panels, a plurality of wall panels interlocked with respect to the uprights, a header rail on each left and right wall of the building structure fastened to adjoining uprights and interlocked with adjoining sidewall panels, a plurality of mutually interlocked roof trusses which are fastened to the header rails, and a plurality of roof panels interlocked with the roof trusses and adjoining rail header. The aforesaid interlocking relationships are provided by a male-female structural interrelationship between adjoining interlocking components. The building structure according to the present invention is further preferably provided with a self-leveling feature which connects with the floor stringers and floor panels. It is further preferred that the aforesaid components be constructed of a durable, corrosion resistant material, such as a plastic, and most preferably a recycled plastic.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to building structures, particularly shed and related outbuilding structures, and more particularly to such a building structure of the aforesaid class having mutually interlocking components for facilitating assembly and disassembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, sheds and other outbuilding structures are constructed of wood wall panels on a wood frame, metal wall panels on a metal frame, or combinations thereof. In the case of metal construction, it is known to provide an interlocking relationship between mutually adjoining wall panel members. However, in any combination of these construction techniques and building materials, there is required a plentiful use of fasteners, such as screws, nails, bolts, and the like. The effort and complexity of assembly of these structures is compounded by the need to secure these fasteners at appropriate locations and junctures in the assembly process. Also, a variety of tools are necessary, such as hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, and the like in order to operate the fasteners with respect to the structure. Further still, once assembled, the structure is generally not susceptible to disassembly, especially in nailed-together construction. And, even in the case of fasteners which may be removable, such as screws and bolts, their large number and their likely corroded condition after several years of weather exposure make the job of disassembly quite undesirable.
Accordingly, what is needed is a building structure which is assembled using essentially no fasteners, is easily assembled and disassembled by an average homeowner, is strong, is inexpensive, and is preferably constructed of durable, environmentally friendly materials.

Building structure with interlocking components


Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for generating and managing an online tool GUI with tiles. An embodiment operates by causing the online tool GUI to be displayed responsive to a request to access the online tool GUI from a user. The online tool GUI includes: a first main tile including a use-case for a first online tool; a first use-case navigation button configured to generate, when selected, a request for the first main tile to be displayed within the online tool GUI; and a second use-case navigation button configured to generate, when selected, a request for a second main tile to be displayed within the online tool GUI. In response to a selection of the second use-case navigation button, the online tool GUI replaces the first main tile with the second main tile including a use-case for a second online tool.

Many online tools are available for use within a cloud computing environment. However, it is difficult for a user (e.g. a business entity) to explore these online tools and understand how these online tools can be applied to the user's data to better understand customers and improve relationships with customers. Accordingly, what is needed is a central location for exploring the various online tools and visualizing the potential output of these online tools based on the user's data.
In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical or similar elements. Additionally, generally, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears.

Online tool graphical user interface with tiles


An improvement in automatic paint stirring equipment is disclosed of the type having a rack adapted to removably receive and support a plurality of paint cans. Each paint can includes a cover, a stirring element contained within the can and a driven member positioned above the cover and mechanically connected to the stirring element. The driven member is rotatable about a predetermined axis and includes two upwardly extending pins spaced apart from each other by a preset distance. A drive shaft is rotatably mounted to the rack and rotatably driven by a motor about a generally vertical axis. A drive member is secured to the lower end of the shaft and rotates in unison with the shaft. The improved drive member includes two outer legs and a central leg. Each leg is substantially planar and the outer legs intersect the central leg at an obtuse angle such that the outer legs are substantially parallel to each other. Furthermore, the central leg is dimensioned so that the intersections of the outer legs with the central leg are spaced apart from each other by a distance substantially equal to the distance between the pins on the driven members.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to automatic paint stirring equipment and, more particularly, to an improved drive member for such equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic paint stirring equipment of the type commonly found in automotive paint shops typically comprise a rack adapted to removably receive and support paint cans. The paint cans, furthermore, include a cover which extends across the top of the paint can. A stirring element is rotatably mounted to the paint can cover. The stirring element typically includes a paddle contained within the interior of the can as well as a driven member positioned above the paint can cover.
The paint can rack is designed to removably receive and support the paint cans once they are positioned within the rack. In one previously known type of automatic paint stirring equipment, horizontally extending shelves are provided across the rack for supporting the bottoms of the paint cans.
Once the paint can is positioned within the rack, the driven member of the stirring assembly is mechanically coupled with a drive member mounted to the rack. This drive member mounted to the rack, furthermore, is rotatably driven by a motor contained so that the rotation of the drive member mechanically engages the driven member on the stirring element so that the stirring element and drive member rotate in unison with each other.
In one type of previously known driven member, the driven member comprises an arm having two upwardly extending pins. The pins are equidistantly spaced from the center of rotation of the stirring element. Thus, once the cans are inserted into the rack, the pins stick upwardly from the top of the cover on the paint can.
In order to rotatably drive the driven member, a generally planar drive member is secured to the shaft rotatably mounted to the rack above the paint can. The drive member is positioned to fit in between the upwardly extending pins of the driven member so that, upon insertion of the paint can into the rack and rotation of the drive member by the drive shaft, the drive member rotatably drives the driven member with its attached stirring element.
One disadvantage of the previously known automatic paint stirring equipment is that, in order for the drive member to engage and rotatably drive the driven member, it was necessary that the paint can be accurately positioned on the rack such that the axes of rotation of both the drive shaft and driven member were coaxial. Otherwise, the drive member would simply push the driven member together with the paint can to one side such that the drive member disengaged from the driven member.
In order to achieve the coaxial alignment between the axes of the drive member and driven member, is has been the previously known practice to attach centering guides to the rack shelf such that, upon insertion of the paint can into the rack, the guides automatically center and align the drive and driven members together.
While the previously known method for aligning the axes of the drive member and driven member is effective in operation, the guides that are attached to the shelf interfere with the efficient cleaning of the shelf of paint and other debris. In order to completely clean the shelf, it has been necessary to actually remove the guides from the shelf, clean the shelf and then replace the guides. More commonly, however, paint and other debris merely accumulated around the guides which were left on the shelves during the shelf cleaning.

Drive member for automatic paint stirring equipment


A new method of forming a torsion spring for use in a servovalve is described. The method comprises individually forming the different components of the torsion spring and then connecting the individual components together using a brazing process. The torsion spring created by this method is also described.

Servovalves are known in the art as being electrohydraulic/pneumatic systems which include a Torque Motor that functions as a driver for a second part—e.g. a hydraulic/fuel/pneumatic part.
In flapper-nozzle type servovalves, a flexible member (e.g. such as a torsion spring) is rigidly attached to a torque motor armature and a flapper extends away from the armature. Magnets and pole pieces are situated in the vicinity of the armature and upon application of an electrical signal to the torque motor, the armature pivots.
A torsion spring is also typically provided in a servo valve, for example an electrohydraulic servo valve incorporating a flapper nozzle. The torsion spring may be connected to the armature of the servovalve to bias the armature and the component connected thereto (e.g., the flapper) towards a rest position. The torsion spring may, therefore, be seen as a negative feedback mechanism to the movement of the magnetic armature.

Method for manufacturing a torsion spring for use in a servovalve and the torsion spring itself