Crosslinkable liquid crystalline polymer compositions for use as dielectric materials in circuit materials, circuits, and multi-layer circuits are disclosed. The crosslinkable liquid crystalline polymer compositions comprise crosslinkable liquid crystalline polymers that preferably comprise end groups selected from the group consisting of phenyl maleimide, nadimide, phenyl acetylene, or combinations of the foregoing. Additionally, the crosslinkable liquid crystalline polymer compositions may further comprise particulate fillers and/or fibrous webs. The crosslinkable liquid crystalline polymer compositions provided improved electrical and mechanical properties.

This disclosure relates to circuits and materials useful in the manufacture thereof, and in particular, to circuit materials comprising a thermoset liquid crystalline polymer.
As used herein, a circuit material is an article used in the manufacture of circuits, and includes circuit laminates, bond plies, cover films, and resin coated conductive layers. Circuit laminates comprise one or two conductive layers fixedly attached to a dielectric substrate, which is formed from a dielectric material. The dielectric material in a circuit laminate, bond ply, or resin coated conductive layer can comprise a thermosetting or thermoplastic polymer. The dielectric substrate in a circuit laminate generally does not soften or flow during manufacture or use of the circuit, while the dielectric material in a bond ply and resin coated conductive layer usually softens and flows during manufacture of the circuit. Dielectric materials are typically divided into two classes, flexible and rigid. Flexible dielectrics generally tend to be thinner and more bendable than the so-called rigid dielectric layers, which typically comprise a fibrous web or other forms of reinforcement, such as short or long fibers and/or fillers.
Patterning a conductive layer of a circuit laminate, for example by etching, provides a circuit layer. Multi-layer circuits comprise a plurality of conductive layers, at least one of which contains a conductive wiring pattern. Typically, multi-layer circuits are formed by laminating one or more circuit layers together using bond plies, in proper alignment, using heat and/or pressure. The bond plies are used to provide adhesion between circuits and/or between a circuit and a conductive layer that is subsequently patterned. In multi-layer structures, after lamination, known hole forming and plating technologies may be used to produce useful electrical pathways between conductive layers. A resin coated conductive layer may be bonded directly to the outer layer of a circuit. This resin coated conductive layer is sometimes referred to as a cap layer.
Electronic devices that operate at high frequencies (1 gigahertz (GHz) or higher) require use of circuit substrates with low dielectric constants and low dissipation factors. In addition, the requirements for circuit materials and circuits in high density, high performance applications require circuit materials having low dielectric constants (Dk) for low propagation delay, lower cross talk and higher clock rates, low dissipation factor (Df) for low attenuation, better signal integrity, and lower power consumption in portables. In addition, the circuit should be non-flammable, preferably achieving a rating of V-1 or better in the Underwriter's Laboratory UL-94 flammability test without the addition of halogenated flame retardants, as some of these face potential ban by the European Legislation. In addition, the circuit materials preferably have low coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) in all directions to provide good dimensional stability and enhanced reliability, e.g., plated through-hole reliability.
Accordingly, there continues to be a need in the art for circuit materials and circuits suitable for use in high density, high performance applications. A number of crosslinked liquid crystalline polymers are known, but suffer from various drawbacks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,541 to Economy discloses the use of cross-linked co-polyesters in circuit applications, wherein the melting point and cure temperature of the co-polyesters are relatively close in value. This proximity in melting point and cure temperature renders it difficult to produce the co-polyester in sheet form and to make partially cured laminates, which are useful for making homogeneous bond ply systems.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,114,612 and 5,475,133, both to Benicewicz et al., disclose the manufacture of liquid crystalline thermosets using, in the Examples, monomers that are either liquids or very brittle powders, thereby making it difficult to form sheets. These monomers also have very high exothermic curing reactions which are difficult to control, and which result in undesirable porous laminates. Additionally, as these monomers are not film forming, it is difficult to make B-staged prepregs with them.
European Patent, EP 0 697 278 B1 discloses the formation of rigid laminates from thermoplastic liquid crystalline polymers. The resulting laminates suffer from a high coefficient of thermal expansion in the Z-axis, and a low modulus and cohesive strength at high temperatures, which yields a low quality circuit board and poor bond strength at high temperatures, thereby making it difficult for the circuit board to withstand soldering and other high temperature assembly applications.
Accordingly, there continues to be a need in the art for circuit materials and circuits that meet the needs of high density, high performance applications.

Circuit materials, circuits, multi-layer circuits, and methods of manufacture thereof


According to the invention, a system and method for integrating agent scripting and workforce management functions in contact centers, enabling them to work together without opposing the influence of one against that of the other, is disclosed. In an embodiment of the invention, a feedback mechanism is provided between the agent scripting engine and either the forecasting engine or the adherence module of the workforce management system, or both. This feedback mechanism is used to pass useful information dynamically between the said workforce management system and the said agent scripting engine, said information exchange being unidirectional in either direction, or bidirectional. In another embodiment of the invention, a method in which information is passed from an agent scripting engine to a forecasting engine or an adherence module of a workforce management system, or both, is disclosed.

The present invention relates to computer systems and to computer-implemented methods of optimally scheduling contact center resources and of managing the work of those resources. In particular, the present invention relates to methods of integrating workforce management and agent scripting activities in contact centers.
The task of generating optimized schedules for contact center agents and other related resources has been known for years to be a complex one, and has spawned an entire industry of companies which provide products, of varying sophistication, which attempt to provide optimal resource scheduling for contact centers. Known as workforce management systems, the products known in the art generally perform a common series of sequential tasks in order to accomplish the scheduling function. Referring to FIG. 1, the first step of workforce management is to gather historical data on call volumes 100 for the contact centers in question; this data is generally broken out by call activities or skills, such as sales, service, complaints, etc. Data 101 is also obtained, similarly segregated by activity or skill, for the average handling time of calls, which is the total time a call takes within the contact center from start to completion (which is usually defined as the time when the agent who handled the call last completes any call-related work after the caller is released). Note that "call" as used in discussing the present invention can be a traditional phone call carried by the public switched telephone network (PSTN), a voice-over-IP (VOIP) call, an e-mail, or any other customer interaction arriving at or commencing in a contact center.
Second, the data on call volumes and handle times is run through a forecasting engine 102 to generate a forecast 103 of anticipated call volumes and handle times for the period to be scheduled. The technique used to create the forecast can be one of a multitude of techniques known in the art, including but not limited to neural network forecasting, statistical forecasting, template-based forecasting, genetic algorithms and neural networks where the weighting functions are determined by genetic algorithms. The forecast is then modified by the inclusion of the anticipated effects on call volume and handling times resulting from upcoming events such as catalog mailings, television advertisements, and so forth. The modified forecast is then used to generate a forecast of agent resource demand 104, based on the forecast and the desired agent occupancy rates 105 (that is, if you need 9 agents on calls and agents are intended to be busy 90% of the time they are on duty, then you will need 10 agents available to handle the expected traffic). Note that "agent resource" usually refers to human agents but can also refer to interactive voice response (IVR) ports against which scripts have been loaded to handle customer interactions automatically. Usually but not necessarily, this agent resource demand forecast is generated in 15 minute increments for the entire schedule period.
Next, a scheduling engine 106, which takes into account a plurality of business rules 107 concerning break policies, shift schedules, maximum and minimum workweeks, meal scheduling, and other related scheduling influences, creates an optimized overall schedule 108 which includes specific work times for each agent. Often agent preferences and vacation requests are included in this scheduling step. These scheduling engines 106, like the forecasting engines 102, use a plurality of well-known optimization techniques to generate a schedule which ensures that the expected traffic is handled within established service level limits while meeting as many of the business rules and agent preference constraints as possible. Finally, during the period the schedule is in effect, an adherence monitor 109 measures conformance to the schedule in real time, usually by integration of the workforce management system with one of the many interaction management engines 110 known in the art (including for example automated call distribution systems, computer-telephony integration systems, e-mail management systems). Usually a graphic display of the current performance of the contact center relative to the forecast is provided, showing where deviations from the forecast and the schedule are occurring, and showing what their effect is on service levels.
In parallel with the emergence in the art of computer-implemented workforce management systems working as described above, and referring to FIG. 2, there are many methods in the art for controlling the sequence of tasks performed by contact center agents when handling customer calls. Collectively these systems are often referred to as agent scripting systems, although often the agent scripting function is embedded in larger systems, most commonly customer relationship management systems, of which agent scripting is one component of many. These systems comprise a scripting engine 201 which controls the sequence of activities on a plurality of agent desktops 202. The scripting engine 201 generally receives notification of events relating to calls managed by a media server 200 from the interaction management system 110. These events include, but are not limited to, the Ringing event (announcing call arrival at a particular agent location), the Established event (announcing successful completion of a connection between called parties, the Released event (announcing the termination of a call), and various events concerned with call transfers, conferences, and data updates. The scripting engine 201 executes scripts which take into account the nature of the event received and the data that goes with it concerning the interaction, as well as data concerning current agent activities, customer information obtained from a customer information database 203 (such as loyalty level, profitability, identity of agent who last handled, and so forth), and optionally information and direction received from one or more supervisor stations 204. A typical example of the sequence of events managed by the scripting engine 201 starts with the Ringing event, which is, in most systems known in the art, accompanied by call data and user-defined data such as account number. The scripting engine 201 uses the data received with the Ringing event to retrieve customer data from the customer information database 203. The scripting engine 201 then directs the agent desktop 202 to display a "screen pop" showing the agent who is calling and why, and either automatically sends a request to the interaction management engine 110 to answer the call, or displays an answer button on the agent desktop 202 and waits for the agent to push this button before sending the request. The answer request is transmitted by the interaction management system 110 to the media server 200 which in turn completes the communications channel between the caller and the agent's communications device (telephone, e-mail software, or the like). The scripting engine 201 thereafter supplies the agent desktop 202 with a series of prompts advising the agent what to say, and receives from the agent desktop 202 the results of these actions (such as customer responses to questions). The scripting engine 201 is capable of performing branching logic based on the results of the actions on the agent desktop 202 and, thereby, is able to fully manage a large range of customer interactions, thus allowing the agent to deliver a higher quality of service with a given level of training. The scripting engine 201 can be one of many types well known in the art, including among others compiled computer programs, web-based business rules script servers using ECMAScript, XML, or any of a plurality of scripting languages, or a system in which business rules are stored as records in a database and retrieved and executed as needed.
The problem which the present invention addresses is that these two important technologies in the contact center industry in fact work against one another. Workforce management products that follow the sequence of steps outlined above (which means all workforce management products in the art) rely on two key implicit assumptions. First, workforce management products assume that the future will behave much like the past—this is a central assumption of the forecasting step. It means that call volumes and call handle times are external variables that do not depend on any other systems in the contact center—they are what they are, and they can be forecast based on historical data. Second, workforce management products implicitly assume call volumes and handling times are independent variables relative to each other. Frustrating these assumptions is the fact that modem, sophisticated agent scripting systems all operate independently of the workforce management systems. Scripting engines 201 walk the agent through potentially complex scripts which have numerous branching points and which, accordingly, introduce a significant amount of volatility into the key parameter of average handle time (AHT). It is not uncommon to have AHT vary by several hundred percent from call to call, even among seemingly simple calls of the same type. And when scripts are changed, even subtly, the changes can often introduce very large changes in the statistical behavior of AHT. Workforce management forecasting engines 102 use historical statistical samples of AHT as a core element of the forecasting engine's 102 algorithm, so if large variations in the behavior occur, the forecasts 103 will inevitably be inaccurate. Also, if agents are prompted to conference in other agents, or to transfer calls to other agents, as part of the scripting engine's 201 logic, then the call volume element of the forecasts 103 used in creating the schedule 108 will be inaccurate. Each of these agent scripting actions acts to invalidate the core assumptions of the workforce management forecasting engine 102, and in fact, the problem invariably gets worse as more sophisticated (i.e., more useful) scripting techniques are adopted. Existing workforce management systems were designed with basic ACD (automatic call distribution) queuing and simple agent scripts in mind, and do not work well with modern scripting engines 201.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for integrated resource scheduling and agent work management

Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Inc.


A coupling mechanism for removably connecting a fluid line to an apparatus such as a mass flow controller and includes a flange member for connection to the apparatus so that it is cantilevered from the apparatus and provides a fluid connection with a bore opening that is vertically aligned. A yoke member is dimensioned to extend over the flange member and have a corresponding fluid conduit and bore that can be aligned vertically with the bore opening on the flange member. A seal member can be positioned between the yoke member and the flange member. A spacer member is mounted in the yoke member and a fastener member can be aligned vertically to exert a force on the flange member to apply a sealing pressure to the seal member while locking the yoke member to the flange member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coupling mechanism for connecting a fluid line, such as a gas or liquid conduit, to an apparatus having limited connection space, such as a mass flow controller or other device, and, more particularly, to a coupling mechanism that can positively connect and seal the fluid line connection by tightening one fastener member.
2. Description of Related Art
Various forms of connecting mechanisms for providing a fluid tight seal for a coupling that can be subsequently removed are known in the prior art. For example, in the semiconductor manufacturing field, an accumulation type gas unit is designed to supply various gases for the manufacturing of a semiconductor product. Each source of gas has its own gas supply route and a mass flow controller (hereinafter referred to as "MFC") is frequently utilized to control the gas flow volume for the manufacturing operation. The MFC has a primary side that receives the in-flowing gas and a secondary side that emits the gas from the controller. Pipes are used to couple with the MFC and a problem is frequently experienced in that each gas component generally requires a connection that is elongated in a sidewise direction to thereby make the area occupied by the gas unit relatively large.
In order to eliminate such a drawback on both the primary side and the secondary side, upper and lower connection flanges have been provided for connecting the MFC with other apparatus and seal members are provided at a central position between the two flanges on both the primary side and the secondary side. Usually, two or four bolts are provided at a peripheral portion of the flanges surrounding the central position. Accordingly, it is necessary to ensure that the bolts are appropriately torqued down so that equal pressure is applied to ensure a uniform seal. A higher level of skill is required in the service personnel in order to prevent any gas leakage of gases that can be toxic. If the flanges are not appropriately torqued to a proper level, then a twisting or a distortion of the sealing member can occur resulting in leakage. As a result, a significant period of time can be required to ensure the proper torquing of the bolts, thereby raising the occasion of maintenance problems and increasing the time for replacement of parts that would be experienced by the customer.
Accordingly, the prior art is still seeking to optimize the connection and decoupling of gas lines to apparatus such as MFCs.

Coupling mechanism for connecting a fluid line to a mass flow controller or other device


The invention relates to a technique for protecting a point-to-multipoint primary tree in a connected mode communications network set up from a primary root node to leaf nodes in the event of a fault affecting the primary root node by means of a back-up tree between a back-up root node and at least one merge node, said at least one merge node belonging to a branch of the primary tree coming from the primary root node. A merge node executes the following steps:                a step of receiving a request to set up the back-up tree sent by the back-up root node including an identifier of the protected primary root node; and        a step of configuring a routing rule in a table, the aim of said rule being to route packets coming from the back-up tree to branches of the primary tree coming from said merge node, said routing rule being activated only in the event of a fault affecting the primary root node.

Transporting services such as Internet Protocol TeleVision (IPTV) requires traffic engineering mechanisms for optimizing the use of resources, guaranteeing a quality of service appropriate to the service, and minimizing service downtime in the event of a fault. The Point-to-Multipoint Multi-Protocol Label Switching Traffic Engineering (P2MP MPLS-TE) technology exists for this purpose. It makes it possible to set up a point-to-multipoint tree in a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) communications network with reservation of resources. The associated protocol, specified in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) document RFC 4875, is an extension of the resource reservation (RSVP-TE) protocol and makes it possible to set up MPLS trees called P2MP LSP in which packets are routed explicitly. These trees replicate traffic from a node called the root node to a set of nodes called the leaf nodes that are thereafter responsible for routing the traffic to receivers. Explicit P2MP RSVP-TE routing makes it possible to set up trees that minimize bandwidth consumption and also to reserve resources and thus to provide a guaranteed quality of service when routing packets.
To minimize the impact of a fault on a service and in particular the impact on the television pictures of an IPTV service, it must be possible to re-route packets in less than about fifty milliseconds. The IETF P2MP MPLS-TE Fast ReRoute (FRR) mechanism (see draft-ietf-mpls-p2mp-te-bypass-01) is based on local back-up trees bypassing the protected element; it therefore makes it possible to guarantee the above-mentioned level of security in the event of a fault on a P2MP LSP link or in a transit node.
In contrast, it does not enable fast rerouting of packets in the event of a fault in a root node.
Below, references to a fault affecting a root node refer either to a fault in the node itself or a fault on a link supporting a branch coming from it.
A mechanism for protecting the root node is proposed in the IETF document draft-cao-mpls-te-p2mp-head-protection-01.txt. In the event of a fault affecting its primary root, the protection of a P2MP LSP, called the primary tree, is based on a back-up tree set up from a back-up root. The broadcast traffic is sent by a broadcast source to both the primary root and the back-up root. This back-up tree has as leaves one or more nodes downstream of the primary root on the primary LSP. To be more precise, these connecting nodes, known as merge nodes, belong to the primary tree and are positioned immediately downstream of the primary root on the various branches of the primary tree coming from the root. Thus once the back-up tree has been set up, it is possible to re-inject traffic coming from the back-up tree into the branches of the primary tree situated downstream of the merge nodes. In nominal mode, only the primary tree is active, i.e. only the primary root injects traffic into the network: the back-up tree is set up but inactive, i.e. the back-up root destroys broadcast traffic received from the broadcast source. If the back-up root detects a fault affecting the primary root, it activates the back-up tree and routes the broadcast traffic in the back-up tree. Thus only one copy of the traffic reaches the leaf nodes, both under nominal conditions and during a fault.
However, in the event of a fault affecting the root, this protection mechanism is based on the back-up root detecting the primary root fault. The back-up root may be at a great distance from the primary root and it is then very difficult to ensure detection of the fault in less than about fifty milliseconds. This also applies when using a fault detection protocol such as the Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) protocol specified in the IETF document draft-ietf-bfd-base-07.txt.
It is also very difficult to synchronize the two roots. If the primary and back-up roots are far apart, it is possible for the back-up root to misdiagnose a primary root fault, for example if there is a problem on a link between both roots. In this situation the back-up root activates the back-up tree when the primary tree is still active. The receivers receive duplicated traffic coming from the two roots, which in an IPTV service is equivalent to a fault: for example, in a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) television service, duplication leads to loss of picture. Thus some of the advantage linked to fast traffic rerouting is lost.
There is therefore a requirement for a technique making it possible to guarantee traffic rerouting within a time period compatible with services requiring a guaranteed quality of service and without duplicating traffic in the event of a fault of the root node of a point-to-multipoint label switching tree.

Technique for protecting a point-to-multipoint primary tree in a connected mode communications network


The method of manufacturing an article having a surface, a skin, and a core includes closing a first mold portion on a compressible seal. The seal is disposed between the first and second mold portions. The portions define a pressurizable mold cavity having a spaced apart injection port and a vent. The mold cavity is pressurized at a first pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. Molten plastic and blowing agent are injected form gas cells within the mixture. The gas cells have an internal pressure exceeding the first pressure. After waiting for a first period, the pressurizing gas is vented for a second period at a rate sufficient to rupture the gas cells which form a skin adjacent to the mold cavity wall. The skin defines a core cavity filled with the foamed mixture, which is solidified. The mold portions are separated releasing the article.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the method of manufacture of a foamed core article with a Class A visible surface and with integral structural reinforcements on the non-visible back surface beyond current manufacturing capabilities.
2. Background Art
Designers often use plastic parts as replacements for metal parts to take advantage of the greater design freedom that molded parts can give and to reduce the weight and cost of an article. The injection molding process is used to produce such plastic articles. But when injection molding relatively large articles, such as heavy truck fascias, the clamping force needed to seal the mold and to inject the amount of plastic material that is required to fill the mold cavity, requires tremendous pressures to produce a usable part. Injection molds and molding machines that can produce these parts are very large and heavy and are extremely expensive to acquire and to operate. These pieces of capital equipment must routinely be amortized over the number of pieces that are produced therein. To date, the costs have been greater than heavy truck manufacturers have been willing to incur for their short run, low volume programs. As a result, manufacturers have either limited the size of the parts that are injection molded or they have opted for other, less expensive, processes to produce the large parts.
In an effort to injection mold large parts without the full expense that is required for normal injection molds and machines, manufacturers have produced large functional plastic parts by injecting a molten mixture of plastic and a blowing agent into a mold cavity. By adding a foaming agent to the plastic resin during injection molding process, the foaming action creates localized internal packing pressure that forces the melt to fill the part cavity. The addition of the foaming agent to the molten resin expands the volume of the injected melt and thereby reduces the amount of material used, per shot. By reducing the density of the melt, the weight of the article that is molded is also reduced. A further benefit of adding blowing agent to the melt, with the resulting foaming action in the cavity, is that the need for extreme external injection pressure and the related clamping pressure, to keep the mold closed, is greatly reduced. The net result is that a high-pressure molding process is now converted to a low-pressure molding process. Despite these benefits, there are drawbacks that prevent the foamed plastic process from being widely used to manufacture Class A structural parts. These are:                the internal packing pressures of the foamed plastic process do not always yield surfaces that are free of surface porosity and local shrinkage deformities, and        because the foam swirls on the surfaces of the molded part, the foamed plastic process is not capable of yielding the desired Class A surface that is necessary for visual parts.

Method of manufacture of a foamed core class “A” article


There is provided an implantable cardiac pacing system, having multiple sensing channels for sensing spontaneous cardiac signals which arise between respective different pairs of electrodes. In a preferred embodiment, the system utilizes a single pass VDD-type lead, having at least one atrial ring electrode for sensing atrial signals, and at least a distal tip electrode positioned in the right ventricle for sensing ventricular signals. Sensing channels concurrently process signals between the atrial ring and the pacemaker can (the indifferent electrode); the ventricular tip electrode and the pacemaker can; and the between the atrial ring and the ventricular tip. One or more additional electrode pairs can also be employed. Enable signals selectively enable the channels to be used for concurrent processing of the signals. The signal processing embodies both pattern recognition and timing, for analysis and interpretation of the type of event which gives rise to the different concurrent signals on the respective different channels.

In the field of cardiac pacemakers, there is a continuing need to provide an improved sensing system for accurately sensing and identifying patient heartbeat signals. As is well known, sensing of spontaneously occurring heartbeat signals is important for the proper operation of the pacemaker. Particularly for dual chamber pacing systems, it is important to be able to accurately identify sensed signals. For example, it is important to know when a signal that is sensed from the patient's atrium is of ventricular origin, i.e., a far field R-wave; or when a sense channel is missing a signal due to undersensing. Particularly in the case of a VDD single pass pacing system, the sensing from the atrial electrode or electrodes may be suspect, i.e., the source of the signal may be ambiguous.
It is known that unipolar sensing can provide certain sensing that bipolar sensing is unable to provide, and vice versa. What is needed is a pacemaker system providing selectable concurrent bipolar and unipolar sensing, and selectable switching for enabling the pacemaker to process the desired signal senses so as to optimize available information and provide for enhanced interpretation of the nature of sensed signals.

Dual chamber pacemaker with single pass lead and with bipolar and unipolar signal processing capability


Disclosed is a radar system capable of detecting near targets even in case of using discrete bands transmission signal. For this end, a discrete bands selection unit 1 selects discrete bands that meet the required radar parameters for detecting target information. A discrete bands synthetic waveform generation unit 2 suitably synthesizes center frequency signals of the respective discrete bands on the time base so that the signals for all of the discrete bands are transmitted within the transmission time of a particular discrete band that requires the longest time among the signals for the selected discrete bands selected. Alternatively, the center frequency signal is generated for the particular band requiring the longest transmission time, while signals sweeping from lower limit frequencies to upper limit frequencies are generated during the transmission time for the discrete bands other than the particular discrete band requiring the longest transmission time. Subsequently, the signals for the respective discrete bands are synthesized on the time base to generate discrete bands synthetic waveforms so that a discrete bands waveform storage unit 3 stores them in a transmission signal buffer.

In case of newly realizing a low frequency radar in Japan, it is required to use a low radio frequency band that can avoid the frequency bands used by a large number of existing radio stations. This is the reason why the radar transmission signal must unavoidably be discrete bands. Proposed in JP2002-82162A entitled "Pulse Compressed Radar System" is a technique for effectively improving display accuracy of targets by allocating only effective frequency bands in the radar transmission signal and eliminating invalid frequency bands that do not provide clear displays because frequency bands to provide clear displays varies depending upon targets in case of using discrete frequency bands.
When generating a transmission signal waveform in, for example, a band B in a general radar system, it is normal to adopt a chirp signal in which the frequency varies continuously within a transmission time of τ=1/B. Although the chirp signal is able to simultaneously achieve both wide bandwidth and large output, there is a possibility to receive a receiving wave (or a reflection wave) from near targets when using a narrower band and a longer transmission time because the reflection wave is received after termination of the transmission signal as shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 illustrates the relationship between the transmission time of the transmission signal and the receiving signal in the radar. FIG. 7A is an example of transmitting the transmission signal of a band B over a relatively short time τ(=1/B), while FIG. 7B illustrates an example of transmitting the transmission signal of a band B over a relatively long time τa (>1/B).
As apparent from FIG. 7A, if the time τ(=1/B) is relatively short, the transmission operation is terminated before reflection waves from near targets arrive, thereby enabling to receive reflection waves from near targets as well as those from far targets without any trouble. On the other hand, if the transmission time τa (>1/B) is relatively long as shown in FIG. 7B, the transmission operation is not terminated yet when reflection waves from near targets arrive, thereby disabling to detect near targets at locations corresponding to the shaded zone in FIG. 7B.
In contrast to the foregoing, when generating a transmission signal waveform of discrete bands b1, b2, . . . , bn within a band B and continuously sweeping the frequency in the same manner as the chirp signal, there requires a longer transmission time τ as shown in FIG. 8B:τ=τ1(=1/b1)+τ2(=1/b2)+ . . . +τn(=1/bn)This means that non-receivable near zones increase. Accordingly, in order to detect near targets, it is necessary to make the transmission time as short as possible in case of generating the discrete bands transmission signal. FIG. 8 is an illustration of transmitting the discrete bands transmission signal by continuously sweeping the frequency. FIG. 8A is an example of continuously varying frequencies in the band B. On the other hand, FIG. 8B is an example of continuously sweeping discrete signals within the band B over the respective required transmission times.
In other words, in case of transmitting the transmission signal of continuous band B as shown in FIG. 8A, it requires the shortest transmission time τ(=1/B) as described hereinabove with reference to FIG. 7. And the signal is transmitted by continuously varying frequencies as a chirp signal over a time τa (>1/B) that is larger than the minimum time τ. On the other hand, when transmitting the discrete bands transmission signal within the band B continuously for each discrete band in the same manner as the chirp signal as shown in FIG. 8B, it is required to transmit the respective discrete bands over the transmission time longer than the total of their shortest transmission times τi=1/bi (where, i=1˜5). As a result, it takes undesirably longer transmission time than preferable.

Radar system, radar transmission signal generation method, program therefor and program recording medium


A daughter card includes a number of circuit modules generating heat and a spring member transmitting the heat to a thermal bus extending along a circuit board adjacent to one side or to each side of a connector to which the daughter card is releasably attached. One or more contact surfaces of the spring member releasably contact one or more mating surfaces of a thermal bus at a side of the connector or at both sides of the connector. A heat pipe may additionally be used to direct heat from the thermal bus to a heat absorber.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the cooling of electronic components mounted on a daughter card that is releasably connected to a circuit board and, more particularly, to the cooling of memory modules within a DIMM package attached to a circuit board.
2. Background of the Invention
Current computing systems, including personal computers and servers, contain system memory built in accordance with a packaging system called DIMM (Dual In-line Memory Modules).
Increases in the operating speed of microprocessors are pushing the requirements for the speed at which data is written to and read from system memory to levels not previously achieved. Furthermore, a long-term trend has been the realization of dramatic increases in the memory capacity that can occupy a particular space within a computing system. Both of these effects increase the rate at which heat must be dissipated, with the changes in memory speed that are occurring now driving the power that must be dissipated as heat for each DIMM memory module to levels twice as high as the levels achieved as recently as about two years ago. While cooling systems within personal computers and servers can currently dissipate 10 to 12 watts per DIMM module, it is anticipated that in the near future requirements will be made for dissipating 16 to 25 watts per DIMM module.
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. Ser. 2003/0076657 A1 describes a number of structures for dissipating heat from modules attached to elongated daughter cards, such as DIMM memory modules. Formed clamping structures extend over the modules, being held against the modules to facilitate the transfer of heat. In various configurations, heat is dissipated by structures also extending along both sides of the daughter card, such as elongated structures including corrugations or fins increasing the surface area available for heat dissipation. In one configuration, the clamping structure includes a number of resilient fingers extending outward from the end of the daughter card opposite the end at which it is removably connected from the circuit board, with these resilient fingers being staggered so that daughter cards so equipped can be installed in close proximity. These fingers are held in contact with a structure forming a thermal mass that absorbs heat generated by the modules. The daughter cards thus extend between the structure forming a thermal mass and the circuit board, so that the structure must be removed before one of the daughter cards can be removed or installed at one of the connectors on the circuit board. However, since daughter cards with memory modules are often removed and installed by the user of a computer system to upgrade the available memory, it is particularly important to retain the simplicity of removing and installing such daughter cards. Thus, what is needed is a system providing for the transfer of heat to a structure extending away from the daughter cards without requiring the removal of the structure before a daughter card can be removed or installed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,992 also describes a circuit card unit comprising a memory card and an attached heat exchanger including a thin, flexible laminated strip of foil clad plastic, affixed in thermally conductive contact to each card module and extended therefrom to facilitate the removal of heat from the modules. In some embodiments, the exchanger strip extends from the modules on one side of the card to those on the other side in a self-supporting heat exchanger loop spaced over the memory card. In a somewhat more compact embodiment, the strip extends from modules on one card face, along the card itself, to the modules of the other card face. In still another embodiment, the heat exchanger strip extends from the modules of the card to a heat sink, such as the housing of the computer. What is needed is a heat exchanger fastened to the circuit card to carry heat from the circuit modules to a thermal bus in an arrangement that is connected and disconnected as the circuit card is connected and disconnected from the circuit board. Such a connection could be readily made and accurately re-established without concern for changes in the position of the circuit card relative to another structure in the computer, such as its housing.
The literature additionally includes a number of other examples of descriptions of apparatus, such as a thermal bus, for conducting heat away from the electronic components in which it is generated to other parts of a system. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,657,121 and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. Nos. 2003/0000721 A1 and 2004/0045730 A1 describe thermal energy management systems each having a heat spreading device that is operatively engaged with at least one semiconductor chip and a thermal bus operatively engaged with the heat spreading device to transport thermal energy from the heat spreading device to a heat sink. The heat spreading device includes a heat pipe, and the thermal bus includes a loop thermosyphon. U.S. Pat. No. 6,388,882 describes a system having a hierarchical scheme in which thermal management components are operatively engaged with individual portions of a system of electronic components and subsystems and in which the thermal management components are substantially only thermally driven, including, for example, heat transfer devices that have no moving parts, requiring no external power for their operation. Japanese Pat. No. 11087967 describes a system in which a heat exchanging part and a heat receiving part, separately arranged on a circuit board, are thermally connected by a heat pipe and by a ground layer of the circuit board. U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2003/0035269 A1 describes a thermal bus for carrying heat from a die of an integrated circuit to a heat dissipating device such as a heat sink, forming a path for the removal of heat in addition to the traditional path through the surface of the die nearest the heat sink. The IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, August, 1990, pp. 158–160 describes thermally conductive and dissipative structures fabricated on a metal tape having the same format as a bonding tape, which are used for cooling VLSI chips. The structures all include a square central area that is attached to the chip and four generally trapezoidal wings that extend either up or down from the chip.
Again, what is needed is apparatus for transferring heat from circuit modules on a daughter card releasably attached to a thermal bus carrying heat away from the daughter card.

Apparatus including a thermal bus on a circuit board for cooling components on a daughter card releasably attached to the circuit board

International Business Machines Corporation


Apparatus and method use pre-order queuing and scheduling. Reordering of the transmission sequence of packets that could be sent out in one round is allowed according to the quantum consumption status of the flow within the round. Per-packet time complexity is maintained independent from an increase in flow number and packets of variable-length are processed.

In recent years, many packet scheduling algorithms have been proposed to reduce congestion, minimize delay (i.e., latency), and maintain fairness, especially to accommodate a high number of packet flows. Unfortunately, many of these algorithms can only be applied to fixed-size packets. Furthermore, many of these algorithms (even if they do not require fixed sized packets) exhibit poor performance as the number of packet flows increases.
Deficit Round Robin (DRR) is an algorithm which allows for variable-sized packets. Under DRR, a node rotationally selects packets to send out from all flows that have queued packets. During a round, each flow accumulates credits in discrete increments (e.g., in bytes) called a quantum. Unfortunately, DRR typically requires a quantum value that is very large, i.e., many times the size of the maximum packet size for a flow. The data presented in Table 1 below illustrates the above problem.
TABLE 1THE TRAFFIC PARAMETERS AND QUANTUM SIZE OF 4 FLOWSReservedMaximumRatio of MaxFlowRateTrafficPacket SizePacket Size toQuantumID(Mbps)Type(byte)Reserved RateSize (byte)A128CBR400250512B16CBR640320640C64CBR8001002560D64CBR1001252560
The data in Table 1 assumes four flows, sharing the same link, and a link capacity of 160 megabits per second. As illustrated in Table 1, the quantum size of a flow can reach very large values relative to the flow's maximum packet size. For example, flow D has a quantum size of 25.6 times (2560/100) the maximum packet size. Unfortunately, due to the large quantum size required by DRR, DRR's performance can be poor compared to other algorithms such as Self-Clocked Fair Queuing (SCFQ) and Weighted Fair Queuing (WFQ).
However, simply reducing the quantum size also creates problems and is generally ineffective. For example, reducing the quantum size can cause a node using DRR to select no packets to send out after querying all flows in a particular round. This causes unacceptable delay and, again, causes poor performance. Thus, simply reducing the quantum sized used in a DRR node is generally not effective. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a scheduling algorithm and apparatus which does not require fixed size packets and exhibits good performance, including when there is a high number of packet flows.

Method and apparatus for scheduling for packet-switched networks

Industrial Technology Research Institute


An anode active material for a lithium rechargeable battery, the anode active material including: a base material which is alloyable with lithium and a metal nitride disposed on the base material.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to an anode active material for a lithium rechargeable battery, methods of preparing the anode active material, and a lithium rechargeable battery including the anode active material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lithium metal has been used as an anode active material in a lithium battery. When the lithium metal is used, however, dendrites are formed which can result in a short-circuit, increasing a possibility of an explosion. Accordingly, instead of lithium metal, a carbonaceous material is often used as an anode active material in commercially available lithium ion batteries.
As a carbonaceous active material, a crystalline carbon, such as graphite or artificial graphite, and an amorphous carbon, such as soft carbon and hard carbon, may be used. The amorphous carbon has high capacity, but during charging and discharging lithium intercalation in the amorphous carbon is highly irreversible. Crystalline carbon has a relatively high theoretical capacity, but there are practical limitations to the capacity of crystalline carbon such that its capacity is unsatisfactory for a high-capacity lithium battery.
Metal-based and intermetallic compound-based anode active materials are being studied to resolve these problems. Metals can intercalate or deintercalate more lithium than a carbonaceous anode active material. However, when compared to a carbonaceous material, the metals have poor cycle characteristics, hampering their practical use. Thus there remains a need for an improved anode active material for a high capacity battery.

Anode active material for lithium rechargeable battery, method of preparing the same, and lithium battery including the anode active material


Methods of modulating uptake of extracellular lysosomal enzymes by administering a pharmaceutical agent and methods of treating a lysosomal storage disease (such as Gaucher disease, Pompe disease, Fabry disease or Niemann-Pick disease) or enhancing enzyme replacement therapy or gene therapy, comprising administering a pharmaceutical agent such as dexamethasone, glucose or insulin, are provided.

Lysosomal storage diseases are a group of rare genetic disorders comprising more than forty individual diseases. Currently, a promising treatment for these diseases is enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). Gene therapy, which employs a depot expression strategy where high-level expression of lysosomal enzymes in one organ can be secreted into the blood stream and carried to other organs for uptake, is another promising option. One of the major issues with ERT treatment for lysosomal storage diseases is that the infused lysosomal enzymes are rapidly removed from the blood stream by the liver, either through carbohydrate-binding receptors or non-specifically. For substrate deprivation and small molecule therapies, ERT, gene therapy, and combinations thereof, more efficient uptake of lysosomal enzymes circulating in the blood stream by target cells and/or organs would be desirable.

Methods of enhancing lysosomal storage disease therapy by modulation of cell surface receptor density


In a diesel engine equipped with an injector 1 having a plurality of intersections between an axis line of the injector 1 and the axes of injection holes 10a bored in the injector 1, an air intake valve 25 is controlled so that it is closed at timing before a BDC (at timing when a piston comes to a bottom dead center) by an ECU 50, which controls the timing of closing the air intake valve 25 based on operating conditions of the engine.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for controlling a valve timing of a diesel engine equipped with a common-rail fuel injection device, more specifically, a technique for controlling a valve timing suitable for a common-rail diesel engine, provided with a fuel injection device including an injector having a plurality of intersections between an axis line of the injector and the axes of injection holes bored in a nozzle body of the injector, or a group of injection holes.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, there is a well-known common-rail fuel injection device provided with a diesel engine. There is also a well-known concrete configuration of an injector injecting fuels supplied from the common-rail.
Moreover, an injector, which has a plurality of intersections between an axis line of the injector and the axes of injection holes bored in a nozzle body of the injector, i.e., which has a group of injection holes, is heretofore known.
The injector having a group of injection holes can have smaller injection holes than an injector having the same amount of injection quantity without a group of injection holes. Therefore, it is noted that the injector having a group of injection holes enables injected fuels to be atomized and diffused over a wider range, compared to the injector without a group of injection holes, thereby improving an ignition performance and securing a low combustion noise and good combustion state, even when the engine is cool and low cetane value fuels are used.
It is also known that the injector having a group of injection holes is effective as a means for cleaning up an exhaust gas since it enables total hydrocarbons (THC) and particulate matters (PM) contained in the exhaust gas to be reduced. For example, JP 2006-70802 discloses the above-mentioned technique.
However, it is proved from experimental results that nitrogen oxides (NOx) or smokes in the exhaust gas are increased, due to increases of intake temperature and fuel temperature, or an increase to a high cetane value of the fuels.
Consequently, when so-called intake temperature correcting control is performed, a range of reduction in fuel injection quantity must be increased, with increase in the intake temperature, thereby lowering torque and causing a problem in engine performance.
Although it is effective to lower the intake temperature so as to inhibit NOx or smokes, there is a limitation of cooling capacity in an air system, and there is a limitation of cooling capacity, depending on an intercooler capacity even in a water-cooling system. Considering tighter control on exhaust emissions in the future, measures to increase the capacity of the intercooler may be taken, but additional measures exist to inhibit NOx or smokes, since service conditions thereof remain to be limited due to the limitation of installation location and cost phase thereof.
In other words, in a conventional art, it was difficult to put to practical use an engine equipped with an injector, which reaches the environmental standard value (regulation value) and has a group of injection holes.
Technologies that reduce NOx by delaying a peak of combustion so as to lower the combustion temperature by means of injection timing delaying are well-known, but they effect fuel consumption due to the deterioration of combustion efficiency, whereby there still remain problems/limitations such as limitation of delaying or the like.
Previously, as an effective means for lowering the intake temperature, a technology which controls valve timing of the engine and delays a timing of closing the air intake valve so as to drive an engine through a high expansion ratio cycle (so-called miller cycle), in which the expansion ratio is higher than a compression ratio, has been heretofore known.
It is known that when the engine is driven in the miller cycle, an intake temperature in a cylinder can be lowered and a combustion temperature can be lowered, due to the effect of intake air adiabatic expansion. For example, JP 2004-360459 discloses this technology.

Method of controlling valve timing of diesel engine


A circuit breaker includes a shell, a movable press strip, a metal strip, a C-shaped plate spring, and three conductors. A first and a second conductor are inserted through the bottom of the shell, respectively have an upper end extending up in the shell, with a first contact point on its upper end of the first conductor, with an upper end of the second conductor connected with a metal strip, which has one end facing under a first press member of the press strip and an elastic contact strip with one end provided with a second contact point facing under the first contact point. A C-shaped plate spring has two lower ends connected with the metal strip, and a curved-up portion facing a second press member. The contact strip may disfigure by high heat caused by excessive current, curling upward to force the first contact point snap off the second contact point to cut off the circuit breaker.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a circuit breaker, particularly to one provided with an elastic contact strip of a metal strip to disfigure by excessive heat to lift up a C-shaped plate spring, which then forces one of two contacts to snap off the other contact to automatically turn off the circuit breaker. Or a user can opt to press one or the other of two ends of an movable compress key positioned in the upper portion of a shell to cut off or reset the switch to turn on again to let current get through, depending on a practical condition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many kinds of circuit breakers in use and available on the market for users to choose, for cutting off a current in case of the current becoming excessively larger than the preset load or letting a current get through after cut off, keeping safety in using electricity for avoiding dangers of fire or electrocution by accident.
One of conventional circuit breakers may have a defect that a user directly cannot choose to turn off the breaker or reset it or to let the switch to turn on to let current get through again, because of its structure.
Another of conventional circuit breakers may have a defect that a press key provided in the circuit breaker is exposed upward out of the breaker body for turning off or resetting the breaker. So the press key is liable to be pressed accidentally to reset the breaker already in the cut-off condition by excessive large current, causing the breaker to be burned up by excessively large current flowing through and causing a fire.
One more of conventional circuit breakers may have its structure composed of many complicated components to result in a large size of the circuit breaker. In addition, its cost will also be high, losing competitiveness on the market.


A large aperture light-weight space borne telescope is provided which may be launched by a relatively small launch vehicle. A 6 to 8 meter primary telescope composed of, e.g., 30 segments arranged in two concentric rings is provided. Supplemental outer mirror segments are stowed behind and substantially perpendicular to the main mirror which is usable in the absence of supplemental mirror deployment. Deployment of outer mirrors segments provides a large aperture telescope with a large field of view. Other deployable components include a secondary mirror, a bus, deployable with respect to the optics portion, and one or more sun shade sheets or panels.

The success, albeit delayed, of the Hubble Space Telescope has encouraged and inspired work directed to other space-based (such as earth-orbiting) astronomical observatory platforms. Depending on the type of data to be gathered, a telescope with a large diameter primary optic, such as a 6 to 8 meter diameter (or larger) reflector would be particularly useful for astronomical observations. A number of approaches directed to achieving such an observatory have centered around the concept of a visible to infrared, 6 to 8 meter diameter space-based scientific observatory sometimes referred to as the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST).
Realization of a large diameter space-based astronomical observatory would involve overcoming a number of problems. Launching such an instrument into orbit means that the payload mass of the observatory must be maintained as low as feasible. In some lightweight designs, optical or other components are not self-supporting in an earth gravity environment and thus cannot be fully or easily tested on earth prior to launch.
The volume and shape of payloads or cargo bays available on current launch vehicles places constraints on the size and shape of such an observatory. In general, a design providing a monolithic primary mirror would present significant manufacturing risks and, particularly in combination with a fixed secondary mirror support structure or truss, would require a launch vehicle with a very large interior volume.
Designs which envision a deployable observatory present another set of potential problems. Interest in a large-diameter primary optic typically means that the primary optic would be one of the components which was deployable, particularly if it is desired to avoid the cost of modifying or redesigning launch vehicles. However, in order to achieve a desired optical quality, such a deployable primary optic must, at least in some designs, have its components aligned to a very high degree of precision, such as within about 10 nanometers. Experience dictates that some account should be taken of the possibility of malfunction or failure in the deployment (or other systems). Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a deployable telescope which would avoid the need for a large number of high-precision alignments of components and which would reduce the potential for loss of function in the event of full or partial deployment failure.
These problems are multiplied as the number of components that must be repositioned in order to effect full deployment increases. Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a deployable space-based telescope which reduces or minimizes the number of components which must be moved to achieve full deployment, particularly the number of deployable optical elements.


An improved high-frequency all-digital phase-locked loop for locking a local signal in phase with an input signal is disclosed. It contains a novel digital control oscillator which includes: (a) a delay line comprising L delay gates for generating L clocks, where L is an integer and each of the delay gates has a delay time .PHI.; (b) a programmable up-down N-counter, where N is an integer; (c) a multiplexer which selects one of the L clocks based on a count of the up-down N-counter programmable; and (d) an adaptive-compensative circuit for determining the value of N based on the following conditions: ##EQU1## The adaptive-compensative circuit is implemented with a boolean encoder. This improved design allows all-digital PLL's to be constructed without a high frequency system clock, while, at the same time, maintains excellent stability and generates minimum output jitters.

Many of the discussions on phase-locked loop have been provided in a co-pending application Ser. No. 08/555,941, filed by the same co-inventors, the content thereof is incorporated herein by reference. Basically, a phase-locked loop (PLL) is an electronic circuit for locking an oscillator in phase with an input signal. In other words, a PLL is an electronic circuit for synchronizing, in frequency as well as in phase, an output signal with a reference signal. A PLL can act as a demodulator to demodulate a carrier frequency, or it can be used to track a carrier or synchronizing signal whose frequency varies with respect to time.
PLLs have found a variety of important applications in, for example, communication systems, computers, television engineering, etc. In general, PLLs can be classified, based on its method of implementation, into three main types: analog, mixed digital/analog, and all digital PLLs. A basic analog PLL consists of a phase detector and a low pass filter with a feed back loop closed by a local voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). The phase detector detects and tracks small differences in phase and frequency between the incoming signal and the VCO signal, and provides output pulses that are proportional to the detected difference. The low-pass filter removes alternating current (ac) components to provide a direct-current (dc) voltage signal to drive the VCO. The input voltage will act to change the output frequency of the VCO to that of the input signal. The phase detector and low-pass filter function as the mixer in a general feedback loop. The output is driven in the direction that will minimize the error signal, such as in frequency. Accordingly, the loop tends to drive the error signal back toward zero frequency. Once the two frequencies are made equal, the output from the VCO will be locked into the input signal, and any phase difference between the two signals will be controlled.
Recently, all-digital PLLs have been developed which provide several advantages over the analog PLLs, including: (1) high yield rate from the IC process; (2) relatively low cost; (3) high stability; (4) can be implemented without external components, such as VCXO, loop filter, etc.; (5) can be implemented with a very narrow loop bandwidth; and (6) can be implemented in a single PLD, thus fostering system development. Some of the most commonly used digital PLLs include SN54LS297 and SN74LS297, both are available from Texas Instrument. The two chips are essentially identical in specification except that the former can operate at a broader temperature range (-55.degree. C. to 125.degree. C.) than the latter (0.degree. C. to 70.degree. C.).
While the all-digital PLLs provide many advantages over their analog counterparts, there is also a very important drawback: they need a substantially higher frequency system clock than the input clock to divide the input clock period into a fractional of the unit interval (UI). The extent to which the system clock must be faster than the input clock depends on the maximum permissible output jitter. For an El-rated output (2.048 M Hz), if the maximum allowable output jitter is to be controlled below 1/32 UI, the conventional all-digital PLL would need a system clock with a frequency as high as 131.072 M Hz or 65.536 M Hz. The requirement of such a high frequency system clock can substantially increase the design complexity and the cost thereof.
In an article entitled: "PHDPLL for SONET Desynchronizer", by Chii-Min Loau and Ji-Tsu Wu, it is disclosed a phase-hopping digital PLL (PHDPLL) for high-speed desynchronization which provided very narrow bandwidth (below 1 Hz). The PHDPLL included the conventional EXclusive-OR (EXOR or XOR) phase detector and a phase-hopping digitally controlled oscillator (PHDCO). The PHDPLL uses the delay time of a basic gate (e.g., a buffer or an OR gate) to cause a phase hopping and thereby a phase step, and does not require a system clock which is required by a conventional all-digital PLL. However, the gate delay utilized in the PHDPLL is highly susceptible to variations due to fluctuations in the local temperature, manufacturing process, operating voltage, etc. The variation in the gate delay can range from as high as twice as much as the designed value to as low as one-half of the designed value. Such a large variation in the intended gate delay can result in failures in attempting to acquire the lock-in, or generate a large output jitter.
In the co-pending application Ser. No. 08/555,941, it was disclosed an improved all-digital PLL which can reduce the required frequency of the system clock by 75%, thus greatly reducing the production cost of PLLs. However, it still needs a relatively high frequency system clock. The PHDPLL does not require a high frequency system clock; however, its performance has been largely unsatisfactory. As discussed before, the variations in the gate delay times can range from as high as twice the designed value to as low as one-half of the designed value. In order to minimize output jitters, the delay time of each delay gate (assuming all the delay gates have the same delay time), .PHI., is designed such that .PHI.L is as close to 2.pi. as possible (but still less than 2.pi., L is the total number of the gate delays). Under this "optimum" design, a small increase in the gate delay (due to change in temperature, process, and/or voltage) can cause the delay time of .PHI.L to be greater than 2.pi., and the loop will become unstable.
Theoretically, the PHDPLL can be "underdesigned" (i.e., by designing the delay gate such that .PHI.L is substantially smaller than 2.pi.) to avoid the above-mentioned instability. However, this would cause large output jitters to be experienced under normal conditions, and is thus highly undesirable. Furthermore, since the gate delay time can be decreased as a result of the changes in environmental variables such as temperature, process, and/or voltage. This factor itself would cause the PHDPLL to be operating away from the optimum condition and result in large output jitters even without an underdesign.
Because of the above mentioned shortcomings, there exist needs to design an improved all-digital PLLs which can be implemented without a high frequency system clock, provide the required stability with minimum output jitter. And most importantly, its stability is independent of temperature, process, voltage and other environmental variations.

High frequency all digital phase-locked loop

Industrial Technology Research Institute


An abnormal sound diagnostic apparatus for an image formation device, which includes: a specification section that specifies an independently operable drive section; an operation section that selectively operates the drive section specified by the specification section; a receiving section that receives an abnormal sound confirmation input which is inputted in a case where an abnormal sound occurs by operating the drive section through the operation section; and an identifying section that, on the basis of the abnormal sound confirmation input received by the receiving section, identifies the drive section specified by the specification section as an abnormal sound occurring location.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an abnormal sound diagnostic apparatus, an abnormal sound diagnostic method, a recording medium storing an abnormal sound diagnostic program and a data signal.
2. Related Art
With apparatuses including a drive mechanism, such as a motor, there may occur an abnormal sound due to such cause as degradation of a part in the drive mechanism.
For example, an image formation device, such as a multifunctional device, includes a laser unit that emits laser light corresponding to the image to form an image on a paper sheet for outputting; a photosensitive drum that is exposed to the laser light to form a latent image; a developing apparatus that supplies toner onto the photosensitive drum to form a toner image; a paper pick-up section that supplies a paper sheet; a transfer section that transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum onto the paper sheet transported from the paper pick-up section; a fixing section that fixes the toner image transferred on the paper sheet, and the like. These parts and apparatuses are rotated by the driving apparatuses and the power transmission mechanisms, such as the motor, making operations, such as transportation of the paper sheet, transfer and fixing of toner image, and the like, while being contacted with one another.
With the image formation device thus configured, an abnormal sound may occur due to excessive contact, occurrence of a rotational vibration or the like, resulting from wear or degradation of parts or the like The occurrence of the abnormal sound is an indication that the apparatus has something wrong, and gives an uncomfortable feeling to persons around the apparatus.

Abnormal sound diagnostic apparatus, abnormal sound diagnostic method, recording medium storing abnormal sound diagnostic program and data signal


The invention relates to a method for storing an exercise performance of a user of an exercise device that is shared by several users. The invention is characterized by installing into the exercise device software for identifying the user and for collecting information on the exercise performance; assigning a first identifier to the user; assigning a second identifier to the exercise device; identifying the user in response to the first identifier; associating the first identifier with the second identifier; collecting information related to the exercise performance of the user by associating the combination of the first and second identifiers with the information related to the exercise performance; and storing information related to the exercise performance.

Exercise devices and other devices providing biometric and/or mechanical information are typically used by several users in families, schools, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, the military, ships, sports institutes, and workout gyms. After a first user or fitness enthusiast has used the exercise device or other device providing biometric information, such as a treadmill, bi-cycle ergometer, recumbent, exercise bicycle, crosstrainer, rowing machine or stepper, a second user takes the first one's place to use the same device. After this, a third, fourth, or fifth user, the second user again, a sixth user, the third user again and so on may use the device.
A problem with the use of prior art devices is that the information their intelligence has stored, for instance the number of repetitions, the used resistance or preset profile, the duration of the performance, the heart rate of the user, and the energy consumption of the user, cannot be utilized after the exercise, because associating the information registered by the devices with on individual fitness enthusiast is later impossible.

Method for storing exercise performance of user of exercise device and exercise device


A forward-control counterweight fork-lift truck has a liftable and tiltable load-lifting device (1), a traction drive and operating drives for the movement of the load-lifting device (1). A calculation model (D) is stored in a control device (SE), to which directly or indirectly acting sensors (S) are connected for detecting the lifting load (L), the lifting height (H), the tilting angle (WM), the load torque (M), the direction of travel (R), the driving speed (V), and the steering angle (WL). The control device (SE) is designed to determine a driving and load state (Z) based on the detected physical variables (L, H, WM, M, R, V, WL) and the stored calculation model (D) and is operatively connected to the traction drive and the operating drives. Depending on the driving and load state (Z) determined, the operating speed, starting and braking acceleration, and driving speed are each reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an industrial truck, in particular a forward-control counterweight fork-lift truck, having a liftable and tiltable load-lifting device, a traction drive, and operating drives for movement of the load-lifting device.
2. Technical Considerations
In the case of conventional industrial trucks, the operator has to estimate the weight of the load goods to be lifted (lifting load) and the height to which the load goods are to be lifted (lifting height). On the basis of this, the driving speed and the turning radius of the industrial truck must be set such that there is no tipping of the industrial truck to the front or to the side. Although this demanding task must be managed in a static or quasi-static operating range, i.e., an operating range having a relatively low driving speed, it is easily possible for this to be too much for the operator. When the load-bearing capacity of the industrial truck is exceeded or in the event of driving maneuvers which are not adapted to the current lifting load and lifting height, there is the risk of tipping accidents involving severe injury or death to the operator or nearby people, associated with a high level of damage to property. There has, therefore, been no shortage of thought given to creating suitable safety precautions for preventing accidents involving industrial trucks.
DE 29 09 667 C3, for example, has described a generic industrial truck providing intervention in the traction drive depending on the steering angle, the lifting height, and the load torque, and, in the process, the driving speed and, if necessary, also the (electromotive) braking deceleration are limited. This takes place by overriding the desired values predetermined by the operator, using correction signals from the control device.
The subject matter of EP 0 343 839 B1 is an industrial truck in which the driving speed is limited depending on the lifting load, the lifting height, the steering angle, and the direction of travel or the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle. In addition, provision is also made for limiting the acceleration of the industrial truck depending on the lifting height.
EP 1 078 878 A1 discloses the concept of limiting the tilting speed of an industrial-truck lifting mast depending on the lifting load and the lifting height.
Finally, EP 1 019 315 B1 discloses an industrial truck in which the driving speed is limited depending on the lifting load and the tilting angle, and a higher lowering speed without a load is made possible.
The present invention is based on the object of providing an industrial truck of the general type mentioned above but having further improved tipping stability.

Industrial truck having increased static or quasi-static tipping stability


A method to build a 3D model for a physical object includes the following steps. First, depth information of a plurality of images is converted into a plurality of 3D point clouds. Then, the motion parameters of the camera to gather each image relative to a previous image are determined according to the 3D point clouds. Next, a registration energy estimate value of each image's 3D point cloud, as being integrated into a previous image's 3D point cloud, is determined according to corresponding motion parameters. Then, the motion parameters are varied to minimize the estimate value. An optimal camera path is determined according to the varied motion parameters. Finally, a 3D model of the physical object is built according the optimal camera path.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a building method, and particularly relates to a method and apparatus for building a three-dimensional model.
2. Description of Related Art
With the advance of the technique in image processing, the visual effect has been gradually expanded from two-dimensional (2D) plane to three-dimensional (3D) space. Typically, a single video camera is used to build a 3D image of an object. The video camera is positioned at different viewing angles to photograph the same physical object, thus obtaining a number of 2D images of the object. In addition, depth information corresponding to the 2D images are provided to carry distance information of the object in the 2D images. From the depth information, it can be derived that which 2D image is in the front of the frame, and, which one is in the rear of the frame. The depth information can accordingly be converted into 3D point clouds. Further, the rotation angle and the moving distance of the video camera can be decided according to two adjacent images' 3D point clouds. Then, according to the rotation angle and the moving distance, the two adjacent images' 3D point clouds are integrated to construct a part of the 3D image of the physical object. A complete 3D model of the physical object is generated when all 3D point cloud are integrated together.
However, as mentioned above, the two adjacent images' 3D point clouds are integrated according to the rotation angle and the moving distance of the video camera. Once a deviation occurs in calculating the rotation angle and the moving distance, the two adjacent images' 3D point clouds are unable to be integrated, which causes a failure in building the 3D model even with only a single calculation deviation. Moreover, in the typical method, the present image's 3D point cloud is integrated into the previous image's 3D point cloud following the present image is gathered and the rotation angle and the moving distance is decided. That is, the calculation deviation accumulates and cannot be corrected in real time until the 3D model is finished, which causes a 3D model very different from the physical object.

Method for building a three-dimensional model and apparatus thereof


A passenger seat having trim cover attachment structure includes a frame element, vehicle anchorage structure connected to the frame element, and a seat body having a resilient material fixed with respect to the frame element. Trim cover attachment structure is provided and includes a relatively high density, rigid foam member having a groove disposed in a surface thereof. The groove is capable of receiving connection structure included in the trim cover.

1. Field of the Invention
In one of its aspects, the present invention relates to a seat and particularly, to a passenger seat for use in vehicles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel passenger seat for vehicles having an improved trim cover attachment system. In another of its aspects, the present invention relates to a process for producing a passenger seat, particularly a passenger seat for use in vehicles. In yet another of its aspects, the present invention relates to a system for producing a passenger seat, particularly a passenger seat for use in vehicles. In yet another of its aspects, the present invention relates to a mold for producing a passenger seat, particularly a passenger seat for use in vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Passenger seats in vehicles, such as automobiles, are typically fabricated from a foam (usually polyurethane) material which is molded into the desired shape and covered with an appropriate trim cover. The foamed material is selected to provide passenger comfort by providing a resilient seat and the trim cover is selected to provide the desired aesthetic properties.
To meet desired safety standards passenger seats in vehicles such as automobiles now often provide anti-"submarine" properties. Submarining is the term used to describe the tendency of the pelvis of a seated passenger to move forward and down during a collision. When the passenger is wearing a shoulder harness or lap type seatbelt, this tendency can result in the seatbelt strangling the passenger with potentially fatal consequences. Accordingly, it is known in the art to design passenger seats with anti-submarine properties. These properties may be provided by rigid or semi-rigid members embedded in the seat and which provide additional pelvic support to the passenger during a collision. To function properly, these members cannot move and thus, must be fixed (directly or indirectly) to the vehicle.
It is also known in the art that, while the resiliency of the foamed material in the seat provides passenger comfort, it does not provide the necessary structural strength for the seat. This necessitates additional reinforcement of the seat to provide the degree of structural strength required to ensure proper mounting of the seat within the vehicle and proper support of anti-submarine elements. Accordingly, prior art vehicular seats typically include a perimeter frame of metal which strengthens the seat. Further, support rails are typically mounted across the metal frame to stiffen the frame and to provide a suitable attachment point for the means used to anchor the seat to the vehicle. Conventionally, the metal frame and/or support rails are substantially completely embedded in the foam material when the seat is molded. In many cases, the metal frame will further comprise a plurality of apertures or other means for attaching a trim cover to the seat.
Of course, the requirement for such a perimeter metal frame and for support rails adds to the cost of manufacturing the seat and, more importantly, adds to the weight of the seat and the overall weight of the vehicle in which it is installed. This added weight increases both the cost of shipping the seat to the vehicle manufacturer and the eventual lifetime operating expense for the vehicle. Finally, the presence of metal frame and support rails or other components in the seat hampers the eventual recycling of the seat materials which is becoming increasingly important in today's environmentally concerned marketplace.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,400,490 Burchi! and 5,542,747 Burchi!, issued Mar. 28, 1995 and Aug. 6, 1996, respectively, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference, describe a passenger seat comprising a frame element molded from relatively high density, rigid foam; vehicle anchorage means connected to the frame element; and a seat body comprising a resilient material fixed with respect to the frame element. The provision of a frame element molded from relatively high density, rigid foam obviates the need for a conventional metal frame. The '490 and '747 patents also teach application of a trim cover to passenger seat. The trim cover may be attached using push pins or a combination of bottom flaps (see FIGS. 3 and 9 in the '490 and '747 patents) with conventional mechanical attachment means (e.g. Velcro.TM., J-retainers or push pins).
While the invention taught in the '490 and '747 patents represents a significant advance in the art, there is still room for improvement. One such area is in the attachment of the trim cover to the passenger seat. Specifically, in certain cases, for a number of reasons, it can be advantageous to avoid the use of push pins to attach the trim cover as taught in the '490 and '747 patents. First, the trim cover may have to be pre-drilled or otherwise pretreated to permit penetration of the push pins, involving additional manufacturing cost (this is especially true for trim covers made of an impermeable material such as vinyl or leather). Second, a large number of push pins is required to adequately secure the trim cover to the relatively high density, rigid foam frame, involving additional manufacturing cost, both in materials and labour. Third, the trim cover must be correctly positioned over the resilient material and the relatively high density, rigid foam frame independently of placement of the push pins, increasing the likelihood for improper placement and attachment of the trim cover.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a passenger seat, particularly a vehicle seat, which comprises an improved trim cover attachment system. It would be further desirable if such a seat could be produced using an improved process and mold.

Foam passenger seat having trim cover attachment means


The toy is transformable into two distinct open and closed conditions (O, C) through a body and appendages each of a fixed geometric shape mentioned to collectively present the image of an identifiable animate object in the open condition (O) and an image of an inanimate object in the form of a rounded structure in the closed condition (C) through hinges connecting the body and the appendages to permit controlled relative movement of the appendages both for transformation and play in either configuration. Fasteners are provided to hold the toy in the closed configuration defining the inanimate image and upon release to allow the appendages to open relative to the body to define the open configuration and animate image.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transformable toy.
2. Prior Art
The need for toys that intrigue through being transformable as between two or more configurations is evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,990 granted Jun. 23, 1987, entitled "Reconfigurable Toy Assembly". There, a number of parts are pivotably and movably interconnected to provide a vehicle formed by folding and a robotic, humanoid form by being unfolded. The patent mentions the benefit to children's interest obtained through having such configurable toys and it mentions also the advantages of having such toys which can be transformed with ease by a simple operation and manufactured with low cost.
Another example is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,195,127, issued Mar. 26, 1940 and drawn to a reversible doll. There, a doll form has various arms and legs and a pair of heads secured together at common junctures wedded to a reversible skirt so that the doll can be reversed to present two distinctly different visual images. U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,159, issued Jan. 7, 1986, presents a toy convertible among multiple configurations, including a stuffed figurine, a stuffed tote bag which recedes entirely within the figurine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,648, issued Nov. 1, 1988, deals with a reversible plush toy; having a pair of substantially equal sized fabric skins peripherally secured and configured to selectively expose each skin while inclosing the other skin. Still another example of a three dimensional transformable toy is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,442, issued Nov. 8, 1983 which includes embodiments wherein one form of the image of an egg is presented which form can be opened out to provide the image of either a bird or a turtle. Referring to the first configuration as a closed ovid and the second configuration as a fanciful animal figure; change being achieved by passing the bulk of the toy through an opening. A closing means is taught utilizing mateable "VELCRO" strips. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,144, issued Dec. 13, 1977, is included to represent a doll figure having flexible and pivotable arm members with hingedly connected segments and various members are made of foamed material. This patent teaches and refers to other patents including bendable or spring material incorporated in arms and legs and permitting limbs to be moved to various positions.


Centrifugal filtration capable of improving recovery of crystal in a baskey. The basket is so arranged that a central axis thereof is inclined with respect to a horizontal direction to obliqely downwardly orientate a bottom wall of the basket. A crystal recovery auction pipe is arranged which includes a pivotally movable section pivotally moved in the basket, of which a distal end is advanced into crystal in the basket. Crystal in the basket is recovered by suction through the distal end of the suction pipe, which is ultimately displaced to a corner of the basket between a lowermost portion of a peripheral wall of the basket and a bottom wall thereof. This permits crystal collected to a lowermost section of the basket to be substantially recovered by suction through the suction pipe, to thereby improve crystal recovery.

This invention relates to a centrifugal filtration method and a centrifugal filtration apparatus therefor.
In a chemical plant, a solid-liquid separation step of separating slurry which is untreated liquid into a liquid fraction contained in the slurry and crystal is often practiced in manufacturing of a product. Also, a cleaning step of cleaning the crystal with cleaning liquid and a drying step of drying cleaned crystal are generally conducted subsequent to the solid-liquid separation step.
An apparatus for such solid-liquid separation is generally classified into two types. One of them is a filter-type filtration apparatus which is adapted to squeeze or press slurry to feed it to a filter, to thereby separate the slurry into a liquid fraction and crystal. The other type is a centrifugal filtration apparatus which is generally constructed so as to feed slurry to a basket rotated at a high speed to separate the slurry into a liquid fraction and crystal by centrifugal force.
The filter-type filtration apparatus causes crystal to be pressed during filtration, so that the crystal tends to take the form of blocks or agglomerates. This results in the crystal being densified in structure. Thus, the filter-type filtration apparatus substantially fails to permit cleaning liquid to be uniformly distributed in the crystal by penetration in a cleaning step, to thereby keep the crystal from being effectively cleaned.
On the contrary, the centrifugal filtration apparatus permits suitable voids to be formed in a structure of crystal while eliminating such squeezing or pressing of crystal as described above, resulting in cleaning liquid uniformly entering crystal to a degree sufficient to ensure satisfactory cleaning of the crystal in a short period of time, so that the crystal may be provided with increased quality.
Also, the filter-type filtration apparatus has the above-described disadvantage of rendering a structure of crystal densified, so that much time is required for drying of the crystal; whereas the centrifugal filtration apparatus prevents densification of crystal, so that the drying may be accomplished in a relatively short period of time.
Thus, the centrifugal filtration apparatus ensures effective and uniform cleaning of crystal and reduces a period of time required for the drying, therefore, crystal obtained is substantially decreased in impurity content and provided with high quality.
The centrifugal filtration apparatus, as described above, exhibits significant advantages over the filter-type filtration apparatus, however, it encounters a problem of rendering recovery of crystal obtained troublesome or difficult because crystal is formed in a cage-type basket. In particular, when the basket is arranged in a casing of the closed type in order to prevent inclusion of impurities in the crystal, satisfactory recovery of crystal obtained is rendered substantially impossible.
It would be considered that recovery of crystal from the basket of the centrifugal filtration apparatus is conveniently carried out by inserting a suction pipe connected to a vacuum suction unit into the basket to recover the crystal by suction through the suction pipe. Certainly, the suction pipe permits crystal to be recovered to a degree even when the basket is arranged in a closed-type casing.
Nevertheless, mere insertion of the suction pipe into the basket is insufficient to efficiently recover substantially all crystal in the basket, leading to remaining of crystal in the basket.
In view of the foregoing disadvantage, the inventors proposed a centrifugal filtration apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 28553/1985 (60-28553) and Japanese Patent Publication No. 44982/1987 (62-44982). The apparatus proposed is so constructed that a basket is formed on a bottom wall thereof with circumferentially extending grooves in which crystal deposited on an inner periphery of the basket is collected by drop, resulting in crystal scraped off in the grooves by a scraping unit being discharged by suction using a suction pipe. The centrifugal filtration apparatus enhances recovery of crystal, however, it fails to collect all crystal in the grooves, leading to some remaining of crystal in the casket.
Further, in manufacturing of fine chemicals such as pharmaceutical preparations or the like, it is required to prevent inclusion of impurities in crystal to the utmost. For this purpose, it is desired to carry out steps extending from a solid-liquid separation step to a drying step in the same container. When a centrifugal filtration apparatus is used to this end, it is desired that crystal is dried in a basket after a solid-liquid separation step and a cleaning step. Thus, as seen in Japanese Patent Publication No. 20560/1995 (7-20560), it would be considered that the basket is fed with heat to dry crystal after completion of the cleaning step. Unfortunately, any conventional centrifugal filtration apparatus is not constructed so as to ensure that mere feed of heat to the basket permits crystal to be efficiently dried.

Centrifugal filtration method and apparatus therefor


The present disclosure is directed to a novel, unexpected approach of expressing exogenous gene(s) at increased levels by predictably, optionally irreversibly, incorporating the gene(s) into a region of increased gene expression (RIDGE) on a chromosome of a host cell. This approach is accomplished by identification of RIDGE(s) and further by integration of integrase-specific sites (e.g., attP or attB) in the presence of or mediated by integrase. The approach renders a high level of gene expression; predictability of the location of the exogenous genes, elimination of genetic instability or unwanted phenotype; and reduction of time and cost in optimizing protein production in host cells, which will be every useful in the production of therapeutic, prophylactic, and diagnostic proteins.

High level of gene expression in mammalian cells has always been a challenge to production of a large amount of proteins for diagnostic or therapeutic uses. A typical process for protein production involves with the steps of 1) transfecting a vector comprising a gene of interest into mammalian cells such that the vectors may randomly incorporate into sites of chromosomes of the cells through recombination and 2) screening and selecting cells expressing a high level of expression of the gene of interest. Random recombination renders protein production as an art in science, rather a predictable, repeatable scientific process. Additionally, the large amount of selection work is also a costly, burdensome, unpredictable process. Therefore, there is a great need in the art to incorporate genes of interest into predictable, specific sites on chromosomes and reach a high level of gene expression.