The invention comprises a method and system for dynamically processing messages. After a message is received from a network or from an internal application, and the message type is identified, the invention determines whether an optimized handler should be used to process messages of the identified message type. If an optimized handler has not previously been generated for the identified message type or is otherwise not available, an optimized handler may be generated, during run-time, for subsequent processing of messages of the identified message type. In some embodiments, the invention maintains statistics relating the processing characteristics of different types of messages and these statistics are used to determine whether to generate an optimized handler or to use a generic handler to process subsequently received messages having a certain identified message type.

It is becoming increasingly common for server systems to interact with each other over networks, such as the Internet and local area networks, to provide distributed and flexible computing solutions. Such server systems employ a variety of different programming languages, some having a low level message format (e.g. binary representation), while other languages use high level and more complex message formats (e.g., SOAP, XML-based message formats).
While high level languages can provide more flexible techniques for conveying message content and structure, such formats tend to necessitate lengthy and complex messages (this is especially the case for XML-based standards). As the message length and complexity increases, so does the required processing time needed to handle such messages (which includes, inter alia, the time needed to convert the message into a format suitable for use by the intended application). Accordingly, complex and lengthy message formats increase the constraints (e.g., costs, bandwidth and traffic requirements, etc.) associated with wide-scale deployments of architectures based on such formats. These constraints are particularly problematic in large Internet-based deployments where millions of messages need to be processed within short periods of time.
Currently, there are some software packages that may be used for message handling that can optimally process a limited number of special message types, provided however, that these special cases are identified in advance of the processing. Most message handling programs typically include a set of functions within a library that converts the incoming messages from the message format into the internal representations which are used by an application. These libraries contain handlers that are optimized to perform the analysis of certain types of messages and build the internal representation in a format useful for the application. With such conventional message handling techniques, the libraries are prepared in advance so that they typically cover only a limited number of special cases with regard to different message formats. However, when a message is received for which there is no corresponding optimized handler (such as the case with an application server that acts as a generic platform for different types of application having a shared common functionality), a generic handler is utilized that is typically not as efficient as an optimized handler. As a result, such systems utilize a set of optimized handlers that are estimated to correspond with certain types of expected message traffic, and these estimations do not always accurately reflect the types of messages most often received. Accordingly, conventional techniques are unable to maximize the number of messages that are processed with optimized handlers rather than generic handlers resulting in inefficient processing.
With XML Web Services protocols, generic handlers, or parsers, can be used to process any kind of XML document and also typically obtain and interpret the XML Schema of a message during run-time. More specifically, there are two main types of generic parsers that are often incorporated into libraries. Event-driven generic handlers (for example based on Simple API for XML "SAX" handlers used to configure Java beans) process the document, and call some functions in the application every time they encounter a new element, a new attribute or another identifying feature within a message. The application is responsible for interpreting each event and deciding how to process it. With this arrangement, most of the processing and analysis of incoming messages is handled by the application because the generic handler is doing little more than a lexical analysis. In order for this situation to be efficient, knowledge about the message format must be incorporated into the design of the underlying application. This requirement greatly reduces the flexibility of the type of messages to be received by the underlying application and results in additional programming costs.
Other generic handlers used in connection with XML documents build an internal representation of the XML document using a tree structure such as a Document Object Model (DOM). This internal representation can then be accessed by the application receiving the message content which uses queries to search for specific elements or traverse the tree by getting the list of children for each node in the tree.
In this case, the application does not need to be compiled to reflect the full document structure, but rather, it only accesses those elements of interest.
In addition to generic handlers, a typical library for XML documents will also incorporate specific parsers that are designed for specific XML Schema and are typically generated at or around the compile time for the underlying application (which are presumably optimized for the type of messages expected to be received). These handlers can only parse and validate those documents that incorporate a specific XML Schema. Similar to generic handlers, an optimized handler may or may not build an internal representation like a DOM tree (which is often hidden from the application programmer because the application is expected to use some schema-specific functions generated together with the parser for accessing parts of the data). An approach that utilizes a DOM tree is useful in accelerating the processing of certain type of documents as the application only has to query the DOM tree for parts of the documents of interest. While this simplifies the work for the application programmer, it is relatively inefficient, as XML Schema must be interpreted at run-time. This is especially time consuming if the handler must validate an XML data DOM tree. In addition, allocation of internal representations provided in such a DOM tree is not necessarily efficient because most handlers allocate the children of each node dynamically as a regular document.
It can be appreciated that a more efficient usage of XML Schema could allocate the internal data structures more efficiently, based on constraints specifying the number and type of children of each node. In addition, if the internal representation is not optimal then it is likely that the functions querying the tree are not necessarily optimal. Such inefficiencies can be avoided or reduced by generating a new optimized handler at run-time for the specific schema used by the documents, however, conventional technologies do not provide such on-the-fly generation of optimized handlers. The constraints imposed by the Schema on the document can be then compiled directly into the code of the specific parser instead of having to be interpreted every time. In addition the internal representation can be optimized according to the expected structure of the document as defined by the Schema.
Based on the foregoing, it can be appreciated that there remains a need for an arrangement where message processing handlers are optimized for the current type of traffic within a dynamically changing message flow.

System and method for dynamically optimized message processing


A sizing agent for a reinforcement fiber is used for reinforcing thermoplastic matrix resins and spreads on the reinforcement fiber surface and imparts both excellent splittability and bonding performance to thermoplastic matrix resins. The sizing agent includes essentially an ester compound (A) having a vinyl ester group, acrylate group or methacrylate group bonded to at least one of the chain ends of the main chain of the ester compound (A), and of a polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether (B) which is an adduct between an alkylene oxide and a C4-14 monohydric alcohol. When water is added to the sizing agent thereby producing a mixture with a nonvolatile content of 1 weight %, the mixture exhibits a dynamic surface tension ranging from 40 to 55 mN/m determined by the maximum bubble pressure method when bubbles are blown into the mixture at the rate of one bubble per 100 milliseconds.

Fiber-reinforced composites manufactured by reinforcing plastic materials (called matrix resins) with various synthetic fibers are employed widely in automotive industry, aviation and space industry, sporting and leisure goods industry, and general industries. Fibers employed for the composites include inorganic fibers, such as carbon fiber, glass fiber and ceramic fiber, and organic fibers, such as aramid fiber, polyamide fiber and polyethylene fiber. These synthetic fibers are usually produced into continuous filament, and later processed into various forms of reinforcement textiles with advanced techniques, including a sheeted intermediate material called unidirectional prepreg which is manufactured by applying hot melt resin to fabric and winding it onto a drum, textile material manufactured by filament winding, and sometimes woven fabric or chopped fiber.
Reinforcement fibers are often used in a form of chopped fiber cut into 1 to 15 mm long for manufacturing fiber-reinforced composites of thermoplastic resins, such as polyolefin resins, polyamide resins, polycarbonate resins, polyacetal resins, ABS resins, polyphenylene sulfide resins and polyetherimide resins, which are included in the matrix resins mentioned above and attract attention because of their good moldability and advantages in recycling. The chopped fiber should have sufficient cohesion when it is knead with a thermoplastic resin to be manufactured into pellets, because chopped fiber having insufficient cohesion may be fed inconstantly to pellet manufacturing or break to deteriorate the properties of resultant fiber-reinforced composites. For preventing such troubles, numbers of techniques for coating reinforcement fibers with sizing agents formulated of various thermoplastic resins as a main component have been proposed in order to impart optimum cohesion to reinforcement fibers (for example, see Japanese patent documents JP-A-06-002274, JP-A-2002-138370 and JP-A-2003-165849 and widely employed in industrial fields.
Recently, reinforcement fibers are increasingly processed into a form called filament pellet or into a unidirectional sheet, tape or fabric to be impregnated with thermoplastic resins and molded in subsequent processes similarly to composite materials of thermosetting resins, in order to effectively achieve desirable properties of reinforcement fibers including tensile strength. In such cases, hot-melt thermoplastic resins should rapidly penetrate into fiber strands, specifically, fill space between single fibers when a fiber-reinforced composite is molded, in order to shorten molding time and improve the physical properties of resultant composites.
Sizing agents in prior art have posed problems relating to insufficient performances of sizing agents including low bonding strength between a matrix resin and sized reinforcement fiber due to insufficient heat resistance of the sizing agent or poorly impregnated reinforcement fiber with a matrix resin.
More serious problem relating to conventional sizing agents is low bonding strength between a matrix resin and sized reinforcement fiber caused by nonuniform coating on the reinforcement fiber with a sizing agent, in other words, slow penetration of a sizing agent into fiber strand leading to nonuniform spreading of the sizing agent between single fibers or on fiber surface. In addition, conventional sizing agents form a strong film on fiber surface to make sized fiber strands poorly splittable, and thus disturb quick splitting of sized reinforcement fiber strands at guide bars in warping before sized reinforcement fiber strands are processed into unidirectional sheet or woven fabric. Such sizing agents have also caused other problems including stiffly sized reinforcement fiber strands which cannot be easily wound into packages, or the deformation of packages of sized reinforcement fiber strands during transportation.

Sizing agent for reinforcement fibers, and application thereof


An electrosurgical instrument and method for making and using the same are provided. The electrosurgical instrument includes a stainless steel blade having two major opposed surfaces connected by two edge surfaces, with each surface plated with an intermediate layer comprising a substantially non-toxic metal having a hardness of at least about 130 on a Knoop scale and an electrical resistivity not exceeding about 15 microhm-cm at 20.degree. C. A non-stick coating is coated on the intermediate layer on only the two major opposed surfaces, thereby exposing the intermediate layer on the two edge surfaces. The non-stick coating prevents tissue from sticking to the instrument during surgery while the intermediate metal layer enhances the electrical conductivity of the instrument for more efficient cutting and cauterization of tissue with less power consumption. The use of gold-coated edge surfaces in conjunction with fully coated major opposed surfaces provides better electrical conductivity to cut flesh and cauterize, while allowing facile passage of the blade through the flesh without sticking and permitting easier cleaning of the blade while reducing surgery time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the plating of electrosurgical instruments, and, more particularly, to the plating of the steel blade of an electrosurgical instrument with an intermediate metal layer to enhance electrical conductivity.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrosurgical knives or blades currently utilized by surgeons essentially comprise a surgical steel cutting tool, such as a scalpel, and a source of radiofrequency electrical energy for application to the cutting tool. When used in surgery, the surgeon controls the application of radio-frequency electrical energy to the blade to generate heat and cause hemostasis as tissue is cut. In this manner, bleeding is minimized during surgery.
While proven effective for controlling bleeding during surgery, electrosurgical knives are rendered less efficient by the sticking of tissue to the blade such that replacement of the blade is ultimately necessary. A common approach in addressing this problem has been to coat the blade with some type of non-stick material to which the cauterized tissue is less likely to adhere. However, the non-stick coating must not prevent the passage of sufficient electrical current from the blade to the tissue to achieve hemostasis.
Methods currently employed to achieve reduced sticking to tissue in electrically-conductive electrosurgical blades are directed to the configuration of the non-stick coating. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,807 discloses an electrosurgical knife in which the thickness of the non-stick coating is limited to about 3 mils so that the knife remains conductive. While the electrical conductivity of a steel blade having a thin non-stick coating is undoubtedly improved over one having a thicker coating, the electrical conductivity remains impeded to a degree. Other methods involve providing small, interspersed conductive openings in a non-stick coating to expose the metallic knife blade to the tissue and ensure the passage of electrical current from the blade to the tissue. However, these openings typically become coated with charred tissue such that the knives are rendered nonconductive and unusable.
It is therefore desired to provide an electrosurgical knife having both a reduction in sticking and an optimal electrical conductivity. Further, the knife must be readily cleaned and easy to manufacture.


An energy storage module, particularly a solid state battery, an energy storage system, a vehicle and a method for measuring an electrical voltage on an energy storage module or on an energy storage system is based on two stacked and series-connected energy storage cells, each have an anode layer and a cathode layer. A contact, which is electrically connected to an anode layer located within the stack of a first energy storage cell and to a cathode layer located within the stack of a second energy storage cell, which is adjacent to the first energy storage cell, leads out of the stack such that at least one contact can be contacted from outside the stack.

The invention relates to an energy storage module, in particular a solid-state battery, for the electrochemical storage of energy, to an energy storage system comprising such energy storage modules, to a vehicle comprising such an energy storage module or energy storage system, and to a method for measuring an electrical voltage at such an energy storage module or energy storage system.
Solid-state batteries are electrochemical energy storage cells in which solid electrolytes are used instead of liquid electrolytes. The use of solid electrolytes results in significantly higher energy densities being achieved in comparison with liquid electrolytes. Furthermore, as a result, the production of such cells is simplified and the safety thereof during operation is increased. In order to increase the achievable voltages, a plurality of energy storage cells are generally connected in series.
It is an object of the invention to enable a further increase in the reliability of an energy storage module during operation and in particular to achieve a longer lifetime in conjunction with high energy density.
An energy storage module according to the invention, in particular in the form of a solid-state battery, for the electrochemical storage of energy comprises at least two energy storage cells arranged in a stack and connected in series and each having an anode layer and a cathode layer, and is characterized by at least one contact element which is electrically connected to an anode layer of a first energy storage cell, said anode layer being located within the stack, and to a cathode layer of a second energy storage cell adjacent to the first energy storage cell, said cathode layer being located within the stack, and is led out from the stack such that the at least one contact element is electrically contactable from outside the stack.
A first energy storage system according to the invention comprises at least two energy storage modules according to the invention, wherein the energy storage modules are arranged next to one another and/or one above another in such a way that at least one contact element led out from a first energy storage module and at least one contact element led out from a second energy storage module adjacent to the first energy storage module touch one another.
A second energy storage system according to the invention comprises a plurality of energy storage modules, wherein contact lugs of different energy storage modules that correspond to one another with regard to the construction of the energy storage modules are arranged in such a way that these lie in a respective line, in particular in the stacking direction.
A plurality within the meaning of the invention refers to at least two, preferably three, more preferably several, items or objects.
A vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, according to the invention comprises an energy storage module according to the invention and/or an energy storage system according to the invention. The vehicle preferably comprises an electric drive or a hybrid drive.
A first method according to the invention for measuring an electrical voltage at an energy storage module and/or energy storage system according to the invention, comprising at least two contact elements, between which one or a plurality of energy storage cells are arranged, is characterized in that an electrical voltage at in each case two contact elements led out from a stack of energy storage cells connected in series is tapped off and measured.
A second method according to the invention for measuring an electrical voltage at a plurality of energy storage modules and/or an energy storage system comprises contact lugs, wherein the contact lugs that lie in a line, in particular in the stacking direction, are electrically connected and form in each case a first parallel circuit, wherein a plurality of these first parallel circuits extend parallel to one another in each case, and an electrical voltage at the contact lugs is tapped off and measured.
One aspect of the invention is based on the approach that the electrochemical energy storage cells form a so-called bipolar stack, in which the anode and cathode layers of adjacent energy storage cells are electrically connected to one another by an electrically conductive contact element, wherein the contact element is led out from the stack in order to make it accessible outside the stack. As a result, the respective potential, in particular the individual cell voltage (also referred to hereinafter as "individual cell voltage"), of the individual cells connected in series can easily be tapped off and measured in order to obtain therefrom for example information about the individual state of charge of the individual energy storage cells.
By virtue of the measurement or monitoring—made possible as a result—of the individual cell voltages of the cells connected in series in the bipolar stack, an imminent overcharging and/or deep discharge of the individual cells during charging and/or discharging of the energy storage module can be detected in a timely manner in order to initiate in a timely manner the countermeasures respectively required for avoiding damage to individual cells. By way of example, if necessary, e.g. in the case of an imminent overcharging or deep discharge of individual cells, the state of charge of individual energy storage cells can be influenced by charges externally fed in or carried away via the contact elements, for instance by an electrical current source or an electrical load being applied or connected to two respective contact elements, in particular one contact element connected to the cathode and one to the anode of an individual cell.
Overall, the invention enables a further increase in the reliability of an energy storage module during operation. As a result, it is possible to achieve longer lifetimes in conjunction with high energy density.
In one preferred embodiment, the at least one contact element has an electrically conductive contact layer extending substantially parallel to the respective anode layer and cathode layer, said contact layer being electrically connected to the anode layer and the cathode layer. In this case, the contact layer forms an electrically conductive intermediate wall or layer which is arranged between respectively adjacent cells and by which the anode and cathode layers of the adjacent cells are connected to one another. The contact layer, which can also be referred to as a bipolar plate or as a current collecting layer, preferably extends over the entire cross section of the stack. The area of the contact layer thus forms the conductor cross section for the operating current that flows in the stacking direction.
Preferably, the at least one contact element is led out from the stack at a side surface of the stack in order to enable contacting from outside in a particularly simple manner. In this case, the side surface of the stack extends substantially parallel to a stacking direction in which the energy storage cells, in particular the anode and cathode layers, are stacked one above another or arranged next to one another in the stack, and/or perpendicular to the anode and cathode layers.
In one preferred embodiment, the at least one contact element has a contact pad extending substantially parallel along a side surface of the stack, said contact pad being electrically contactable from outside the stack. The at least one contact element can be contacted particularly reliably via such a contact pad.
Preferably, the contact pad is spaced apart from the side surface of the stack, for example by a contact lug of the contact element, said contact lug projecting from the stack laterally, i.e. perpendicular to the stacking direction. Alternatively or additionally, the contact pad is electrically insulated from the side surface, in particular from one or more anode and/or cathode layers, of the stack. In both cases, a short circuit is avoided in a simple manner.
In a further preferred embodiment, the contact pad, along the side surface of the stack, in particular in the stacking direction and/or perpendicular to the contact layer, has an extent that is greater than the thickness of the contact layer. Preferably, the contact pad extends along the side surface of the stack, in particular in the stacking direction, over more than 100 μm, preferably more than 250 μm, particularly preferably more than 500 μm. The risk of incorrect contacting, in particular the contacting of an anode or cathode layer or the generation of an electrical short circuit, is reduced as a result.
In a further preferred embodiment, the contact pad is configured to form a plug connection with a contact pad of another energy storage module and/or an electrical line. Preferably, for this purpose, the contact pad has a first plugging or latching element, which can be connected to a corresponding second plugging or latching element of a contact pad of another energy storage module and/or an electrical line in such a way that an electrical connection is produced. This allows electrical interconnection with other energy storage modules in a fast, simple and reliable manner.
In a further preferred embodiment, a plurality of contact elements each having a contact pad are led out from the side surface of the stack, wherein the respective contact pads are arranged offset in two dimensions of the side surface, such that different contact pads have different positions not only in the stacking direction but also perpendicular to the stacking direction. Preferably, in this case, the offset of two adjacent contact pads perpendicular to the stacking direction is greater than the extent of the contact pads perpendicular to the stacking direction. By virtue of the arrangement offset perpendicular to the stacking direction, the extent of the individual contact pads in the stacking direction can be chosen to be large enough to enable safe and simple electrical contacting—without the risk of touching and/or overlap with an adjacent contact pad.
In a further preferred embodiment, the contact pads of the contact elements are arranged substantially along a diagonal of the side surface of the stack. As a result, a regular arrangement of the contact pads is achieved, in particular with a maximum possible distance between the contact pads perpendicular to the stacking direction. This makes the contacting particularly safe and simple. Moreover, if two such energy storage modules are placed against one another by their side surfaces, then the respective contact pads of the energy storage modules come into contact, wherein the latter can be interconnected with one another to form an energy storage system in a simple and reliable manner.
In a further preferred embodiment of the energy storage module, the contact element has a contact lug extending away from a side surface of the stack. What is achieved as a result is that the contact element and thus also its voltage value can be tapped off and measured in order to prevent the contact element from touching a component of the stack, leading to a short circuit, for example.
In a further preferred embodiment of the energy storage module, the contact pad is spaced apart from the side surface and is electrically connected to the contact element by means of the contact lug. This makes it possible that tapping off the voltage at the contact element can be carried out in a simplified manner. In particular, the distance between the contact lug and the stack at least substantially prevents a tapping tool from inadvertently making contact with the stack.
In a further preferred embodiment of the energy storage module, the contact lug is formed integrally with the contact pad. What can be achieved as a result is that the electrical connection between the contact element and the contact pad via the contact lug and the mechanical strength of this are improved.
In a further preferred embodiment of the energy storage module, the contact pad is located at least partly in a plane that is at least substantially parallel to a side surface. By virtue of this embodiment, the voltage of the contact element can be tapped off via the contact pad, independently of the form of a tapping tool.
In a further preferred embodiment of the energy storage module, a plurality of contact elements are led out from at least a first and a second side surface of the stack, said second side surface being located in particular opposite the first side surface, in each case by means of at least one contact lug and the respective contact lugs, in particular their contact pads, are arranged offset in two dimensions of the side surface. What can be achieved as a result is that in the case of a plurality of energy storage cells arranged within a stack, an inadvertent contacting or a short circuit of two adjacent contact elements that are led out from the stack as contact lugs is avoided since the distribution of these contact lugs is shared between at least two side surfaces. In particular, provision can be made for in each case the contact lugs of energy storage cells of a first group, which are arranged at an odd location, namely for example at the first, third, fifth location, of the stack, to be arranged at a first side surface and contact lugs of energy storage cells of a second group, which are arranged at an even location, namely for example at the second, fourth, sixth location, of the stack, to be arranged at a side surface that is different, in particular located opposite, with respect to the first side surface.
In a further preferred embodiment of the energy storage module, the contact lugs are arranged substantially along a diagonal of the side surface of the stack. What can be achieved as a result is that a geometric arrangement of the contact lugs out of the stack is ensured, as a result of which a tapping tool can better tap the contact lugs, in particular the contact pads thereof, since the contact lugs are thus arranged at predetermined points.
In a further preferred embodiment of the energy storage module, the energy storage module comprises an electronic control device, which is arranged on an end face of the stack and is electrically connected to the contact lugs. What can be achieved by this embodiment is that the cell voltage of the individual energy storage cells can be determined by means of the control device. Furthermore, the arrangement of the control device at an end face of the stack reduces the risk of the control device inadvertently making contact with an electrically conductive component of the stack.
In a further preferred embodiment of the energy storage module, the contact lugs that are electrically connected to the topmost and bottommost contact elements, in particular with respect to the stacking direction, have an increased area and/or thickness and/or length and/or are arranged at a third and fourth side surface different than the first and second side surfaces. Said contact elements are preferably those contact elements which carry the highest current flow into the stack and out of the latter again. On account of this property, said contact elements are embodied such that said contact elements can carry higher current flows without the risk of destruction of the contact elements.
In one preferred embodiment of the second energy storage system, contact lugs that lie in a line, in particular in the stacking direction, are electrically connected and form in each case a first parallel circuit, wherein a plurality of these first parallel circuits extend parallel to one another in each case. What can be achieved by means of these first parallel circuits is that the contact lugs of all the energy storage cells do not have to be tapped individually, but rather are tappable in combination as a plurality of first parallel circuits.
In a further preferred embodiment of the second energy storage system, the energy storage system comprises an electronic control device, which is arranged on an end face of a stack of the plurality of energy storage modules and is electrically connected to the contact lugs, in particular to the first parallel circuits. This control device makes it possible to monitor and control all the energy storage cells, such that possible deviations of cell voltages are able to be determined by the control device. Furthermore, the arrangement of the control device on the end face of the stack allows a reduction of the risk of the control device unintentionally coming into contact with an electrically conductive component of the stack.
In a further preferred embodiment of the second energy storage system, a temperature-regulating device is arranged at least between each second, in particular between each, energy storage module, said temperature-regulating device extending substantially parallel to the contact elements of the energy storage modules, in particular in a meandering fashion. Said temperature-regulating device can make it possible that the energy storage modules can be operated at an optimized operating temperature. In particular, this heat exchange achieves the effect that the energy storage modules can be either heated or cooled to a predetermined operating temperature.
In a further preferred embodiment of the second energy storage system, respective first terminals of a plurality of temperature-regulating devices and respective second terminals of a plurality of temperature-regulating devices are electrically connected to one another and are led out from the stack, such that the first and second terminals form in each case a second parallel circuit, wherein a plurality of these second parallel circuits in each case extend parallel to one another. What can be achieved as a result is that not every temperature-regulating device need be connected individually to a respective separate line to its first and second terminals. Secondly, a space-saving and simple line placement can be made possible by means of this parallel routing of the second parallel circuits.
In a further preferred embodiment of the second energy storage system, the first and the second electrical parallel circuits extend at least substantially parallel to one another. What can be achieved by the parallel routing of the first and second electrical parallel circuits is that the construction of the energy storage system is simplified since the lines of the first and second parallel circuits are able to be placed in a space-saving and efficient manner.
In a further preferred embodiment of the second energy storage system, the control device is electrically connected to the first and second terminals of the plurality of temperature-regulating devices in order to control the first and second terminals of the plurality of temperature-regulating devices and/or to supply said terminals with electrical energy. What can be achieved as a result is that the temperature-regulating devices do not require additional terminals involving the risk of inadvertent contacting with an electrically conductive component of the stack. What can furthermore be achieved is that the entire energy storage system is controllable by means of the control device and hence a single component.
In a further preferred embodiment of the first method for measuring an electrical voltage at an energy storage module and/or an energy storage system, the electrical voltage at in each case two contact elements which is respectively connected to the anode layer and the cathode layer of an energy storage cell and is led out from the stack is tapped off and measured. As a result, the cell voltage of an individual energy storage cell in a stack having a plurality of energy storage cells can be detected reliably and the operating state, in particular state of charge, of the individual energy storage cell can be determined as a result. Alternatively, as a result, an electrical voltage of a plurality of energy storage cells in a plurality of stacks which are connected in parallel in an energy storage system can also be detected, without a measurement at a plurality of individual energy storage cells being necessary.
In one preferred configuration of the second method, a voltage deviation of at least one first parallel circuit of the plurality of first parallel circuits from a predetermined voltage value is determined and on the basis of the voltage deviation the energy storage cells, in particular their voltage value, are controlled which are electrically connected to the first parallel circuit, preferably by passive and/or active charge balancing between the energy storage cells which are electrically connected to the first parallel circuit and energy storage cells of a further first parallel circuit.
What can be achieved as a result is that a plurality of energy storage cells of a plurality of energy storage modules can be simultaneously tapped and monitored, thereby making it possible overall to save structural space and additional electronics. Furthermore, the lifetime and the efficiency of the energy storage cells, preferably of the energy storage module, more preferably of the entire energy storage system, can thus also be increased in a simple manner.
In a further preferred configuration of the second method, first terminals of a plurality of temperature-regulating devices and second terminals of a plurality of temperature-regulating devices which are arranged at least between each second, in particular between each, energy storage module and which extend substantially parallel to the contact elements of the energy storage modules, in particular in a meandering fashion, are in each case electrically connected to one another and are led out from the respective stack of the energy storage modules and the first and second terminals of the plurality of temperature-regulating devices are controlled and/or supplied with electrical energy.
What can be achieved as a result is that firstly the energy storage modules can rapidly be brought to an optimized operating temperature. Secondly, this method makes it possible that overall only two lines need to be placed for the first and second terminals of the plurality of temperature-regulating devices.
Further features, advantages and application possibilities of the invention will become apparent from the following description in association with the figures, in which:
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Energy storage module, energy storage system, vehicle and method for measuring a cell voltage

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


The present disclosure relates to novel methods of treating pain comprising administering to a human in need thereof an effective amount of (1R,5S)-(+)-1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane, in free and/or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form, substantially free of the corresponding (−) enantiomer, wherein the human is a heavy drinker and/or binge drinker and/or wherein the human has compromised liver function and/or wherein the human is a codeine non-responder. The present disclosure also relates to a method of treating pain comprising concurrently or sequentially administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of (a) (1R,5S)-(+)-1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane, in free and/or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form, and (b) acetaminophen. The present disclosure also relates to a method of treating pain comprising simultaneously or sequentially administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of (a) (1R,5S)-(+)-1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane, in free and/or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form, and (b) a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

Pain is a sensory experience distinct from sensations of touch, pressure, heat and cold. It is often described by sufferers in such terms as bright, dull, aching, pricking, cutting or burning and is generally considered to include both the original sensation and the reaction to that sensation. It can be classified by the duration as either acute or chronic, or by the cause as either nociceptive, in that it is being caused by the ongoing activation of pain receptors or neuropathic in that it is caused by changes in the nervous system.
Nociceptive pain, also called acute pain, is caused by activation of the nocioceptors, sensory neurons that respond to stimuli which can cause tissue damage such as sprains, bone fractures, burns, bumps, bruises, or inflammation. Nociceptive pain usually resolves once the condition that precipitated it is healed and is generally responsive to opioids and traditional analgesics.
Neuropathic pain syndromes are linked by injury or damage to either the peripheral and/or the central nervous system. The symptoms associated with neuropathic pain conditions include allodynia (painful response to a non-noxious stimulus, such as the touch of clothing), hyperalgesia (heightened or extreme sensitivity to painful stimuli), paraesthesias (abnormal sensations such as tingling, burning, pricking or tickling), hyperesthesia (enhanced sensitivity to a natural stimuli), and dysesthesias (disagreeable sensations produced by ordinary stimuli). Neuropathic pain is generally nonresponsive or only partially responsive to conventional analgesic regimens, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, (e.g., ibuprofen; acetaminophen; aspirin; celecoxib) and opioids. Therapeutic methods currently used to treat neuropathic pain include neurosurgery treatments such as nerve block and epidural spinal cord electric stimulus, tricyclic antidepressants (e.g., amitriptyline), intrathecal administration of baclofen, anti-epileptics, milnacipran, duloxetine, pregabalin, and gabapentin.
Pain can be acute, lasting less than thirty days or chronic, lasting more than six months. One in five people suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain, and one in three people are unable or less able to maintain an independent lifestyle due to their pain. It has been reported that between one-half and two-thirds of people with chronic pain are less able or unable to exercise, enjoy normal sleep, perform household chores, attend social activities, drive a car, walk or have sexual relations.
1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane was previously described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,131,611, 4,196,120, 4,231,935, and 4,435,419.
(1R,5S)-(+)-1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane of Formula I, below,
is a stereoisomer of 1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane. (1R,5S)-(+)-1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane is described as an anti-depressant in U.S. Pat. No. 7,098,229.
Administration of a racemic, i.e., 50:50, mixture of the (+)- and the (−)-enantiomer of any drug, for example (±)-1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane, to a patient can be disadvantageous. First, the racemic mixture might be less pharmacologically active than one of its enantiomers, rendering racemic drugs inherently inefficient. Second, the racemic mixture may be more toxic to a patient than one of its enantiomers, so that administration of a racemic mixture can lead to undesirable side effects in a patient.
Many metabolic routes of elimination may be inhibited or induced by concomitant drug treatment. Metabolic drug-drug interactions (DDIs) may cause substantial changes—an order of magnitude or more decrease or increase in the blood and tissue concentrations of a drug or metabolite—and may affect the extent to which toxic or active metabolites are formed. These large changes in exposure may alter the safety and efficacy profile of a drug and its active metabolites. The risk of DDIs is large because it has been reported that 20.8% of people in the U.S. use three or more drugs per month and 10.2% use 5 or more drugs per month. Serious adverse events may be attributable to DDIs. Cytochrome P450 (CYPs) enzyme isoforms, which catalyze oxidative reactions, account for the metabolism of 75% of all drugs, and in particular, about 80% of drugs cleared by CYPs are metabolized by four CYP isoforms—CYP3A4, CYP2D6, CYP2C9 and CYP2C19. Thus, these four CYPs are potential candidates for DDIs. In addition, CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 are polymorphic and have fast metabolizing and slow metabolizing alleles, which may alter the rate of drug metabolism and plasma drug levels. Physicians must routinely consider potential DDIs and metabolic pathway(s) when selecting treatments.
Few agents and combinations of agents currently prescribed for the treatment of neuropathic pain are fully effective. Additionally, the agents and combinations of agents currently prescribed for chronic pain have limited therapeutic value, losing their efficacy with extended use, and frequently have undesirable side effects including, for example, cognitive changes, sedation, nausea, liver damage, and, in the case of narcotic drugs, respiratory depression, constipation, and addiction. Further, the agents and combinations of agents currently prescribed for chronic pain may be contraindicated in certain patient populations. For instance, as with other opiate-based painkillers, chronic use of codeine can cause physical dependence. In addition, central to the therapeutic action of codeine is its conversion by the cytochrome P-450 metabolizing enzyme 2D6 (CYP2D6) to morphine. Up to 10% of the Caucasian population, however, may have a polymorphism in the metabolizing enzyme that results in the inability to convert codeine to morphine, thus not gaining any analgesia from codeine. Such patients are known as codeine non-responders. Conversely, some people, known as ultrarapid metabolizers, achieve higher-than-expected serum levels of morphine which can lead to side effects such as abdominal pain. In patients treated with duloxetine (Cymbalta®), a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) that is mainly eliminated through hepatic metabolism, there have been reports of hepatic failure, sometimes fatal, and duloxetine should ordinarily not be used in patients with hepatic insufficiency. Elimination of acetaminophen is principally by liver metabolism (conjugation) and subsequent renal excretion of metabolites. Acetaminophen may cause serious liver damage if higher doses are used or if the acetaminophen metabolizing capacity of the liver is overwhelmed as with acetaminophen co-administration with ethanol or when fasting.
Some common analgesics are known to be substrates and/or inducers and/or inhibitors of cytochrome P450 isoforms. Patients taking these analgesics may be at a greater risk of experiencing adverse drug-drug interactions. Analgesics that may pose a risk of drug-drug interactions include, e.g., acetaminophen (CYP1A2 and CYP2E1 substrate), naproxen (CYP1A2 and CYP2C9 substrate), indomethacin (CYP2C19 substrate and inhibitor), diclofenac (CYP2C9 substrate), and celecoxib (CYP2C9 substrate and CYP2D6 inhibitor). CYP inhibitors and inducers that could adversely interact with these analgesics include ciprofloxacin, cimetidine, and fluvoxamine (CYP1A2 inhibitors); amiodarone, fluconazole, fluvastatin, isoniazid, lovastatin, paroxetine, sertraline, zafirlukast, and metronidazole (CYP2C9 inhibitors); bupropion, fluoxetine, paroxetine, quinidine, duloxetine, sertraline, cimetidine, chlorpromazine, diphenhydramine, and ranitidine (CYP2D6 inhibitors); omeprazole and insulin (CYP1A2 inducers); phenobarbital and carbamazepine (CYP2C9 inducers); dexamethasone (CYP 2D6 inducer); and rifampin (CYP1A2, CYP2C9 and CYP2D6 inducer).
Amitriptyline, which may be used to treat neuropathic pain, is a CYP1A2 and CYP2D6 substrate, and can adversely interact with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, anticholinergics, antipsychotics, cimetidine, dilsulfiram, and serotonergic agents (e.g., SSRIs, such as fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine and escitalopram).
Further, while it has been reported that as many as 28% of people experiencing chronic pain turn to alcohol to alleviate their suffering, using common analgesics with alcohol may place people at risk for a number of harmful health consequences. For instance, mixing alcohol and acetaminophen may cause acute liver failure and the prescribing information for duloxetine indicates that duloxetine should not be prescribed to patients with substantial alcohol use because duloxetine and alcohol may interact to cause liver injury.
Medications that include combinations of agents for chronic pain may include the undesirable side effects of each agent. For instance, in 2011, the FDA required a boxed warning that highlights the potential for severe injury on all prescription acetaminophen products. Prescription acetaminophen products include acetaminophen with other active ingredients. Acetaminophen with codeine also includes a warning that codeine can produce drug dependence of the morphine type and, therefore, has the potential for being abused.


The invention relates to a coating installation (1) for coating components (3, 5), in particular for painting aircraft components, having a first coating booth (2), in particular for coating large aircraft components (3), a multi-axis coating robot (7) that positions a coating device, in particular a rotary atomizer, a travel axis (8) for moving the coating robot (7) along the travel axis (8), the travel axis (8) running within the first coating booth (2), and a second coating booth (4), in particular for coating small aircraft components (5). According to the invention, the travel axis (8) for the first coating robot (7) extends as far as into the second coating booth (4), such that the coating robot (7) can optionally coat components (3, 5) in the first coating booth (2) or in the second coating booth (4).

When painting aircraft components, both large components (e.g. wings) and small components (e.g. landing flaps, brackets, sheet metal, lugs, retainers, bulk material) must be painted, whereby the large components on the one hand and the small components on the other are painted spatially separately from each other in separate painting booths. The painting booths for the painting of wings are therefore adapted to the dimensions of the wings to be painted and are therefore extremely long, whilst the painting booths for painting the small components are considerably smaller.
A disadvantage of these known painting installations to paint aircraft components is the idling time of a painting robot in the large painting booth used to paint large components. The painting robot installed in the large painting booth idles for a relatively long period between individual painting processes. However, this painting robot nevertheless requires considerable investment and operating costs.
A mobile spray installation for viscous solutions (e.g. bitumen) is known from DD 241 374 A1 in which the coating device can alternate between two adjacent coating booths. The change between the two adjacent coating booths is time-consuming, however, and is effected by several crossing travel axes and is extremely complex. Further, this document belongs to a different technical area (bitumen application).
With respect to the state of the art, reference is furthermore made to DE 10 2008 045 553 A1, DE 690 05 404 T2, DE 690 05 577 T2, DE 195 41 409 A1, DE 43 14 615 C1, DE 103 21 924 A1, DE 93 18 217 U1, US 2007/0095279 A1, JP 06165959A and DE 10 2006 032 804 A1.

Coating installation and corresponding operating method


Pose estimation of a camera is facilitated by including in the scene a space fiducial, an object that has the property that its appearance as viewed by the camera uniquely determines the direction from which it is viewed.

There are various occasions, such as when a camera is on a mobile robot, when it is important to ascertain from the view seen by the camera of the pose (i.e., the position and orientation) of the camera. Typically this is done by searching the view for known features, either shapes or points, as determined by edges and comers of known objects or for specially designed calibration objects known to be in the picture scene. If there is known the geometry of the features and if one can uniquely identify them in a perspective image taken by a camera whose intrinsic parameters are known, then pose estimation becomes a classical problem of photogrammetry and computer vision. Such problems are amenable to solution by known techniques. In these cases, however, pose estimation generally involves first determining the precise location (via sophisticated image analysis algorithms) of the features whose intrinsic geometry was assumed to be already known. This reduces the problem to the equivalent algebraic-like framework of feature points whose precise perspective projection is provided by the images seen.
However, such currently used methods are based on feature identification and require rather extensive image processing and analysis to locate with the required precision the geometric elements necessary for the algebraic computation of the desired spatial pose.
In spite of the fact that it was recognized early on that in many cases of practical importance one can actually produce and deploy in the environment being viewed calibration objects, such objects were generally designed with the aim of making it easier for the image analysis procedures to locate precisely various features. The present invention takes a new approach that should usually lead to the simplification of the image analysis procedures.

Process for pose estimation of a camera viewing an image scene


A system for handling sample vials includes a vault for receiving a series of storage cartridges. Inside the cartridges are one or more discs providing vial recesses. In multidisc cartridges, through passages are provided to place and retrieve vials into and from the subjacent discs. A pick up device is moved until it aligns with a selected vial and the vial is pneumatically removed. A device is provided to reverse orientation of a vial moving through the system. A venturi operated system is provided including symmetrical bleed off ports to propel vials through the system without inducing excessive spinning of the vials. A piping system from a central bank to a multiplicity of analytical instruments includes a minimum number of through conduits and a diverter at each instrument location for sending the vial either to the instrument or downstream toward another diverter and instrument.

As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,824,613, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, there are many situations where large number of analytical instruments are used to conduct large numbers of chemical, physical or biological tests on liquids. Examples of such laboratories are oil refineries, chemical plants, pharmaceutical manufacturing operations, forensic laboratories, medical laboratories, food manufacturing operations and the like.
Typically, a sample is taken at a location outside the laboratory delivered to a sample preparation station where an individual, machine or robot withdraws a suitably sized portion and places it in a clean specialized container known as a vial. Records are made to indicate when and where the sample was taken and suitable information is placed on the sample container so results can be appropriately correlated for study and analysis.
In a typical large analytical laboratory, sample vials are loaded in a tray and manually delivered from the sample preparation station to a bank of analytical instruments, of which gas chromatographs (GCs) or combinations of gas chromatographs, liquid chromatographs and mass spectrometers (MSs) are common. An individual loads the vials into the inlet tray or autoloader of the GCs or MSs and the analytical instruments more-or-less operate automatically to conduct the programmed tests on the samples in the vials, generate reports and transport the vials to an output tray of the instrument where the vials are ultimately collected and either discarded or temporarily stored.
Disclosures of some interest relative to this invention are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,733,026; 4,941,777; 4,886,401; 5,234,292; 5,337,920; 5,441,699; 5,623,415; 5,682,026; 5,805,454; 6,071,477; 6,128,549; 6,141,602; 6,659,693; 6,974,294, 7,407,627 and 7,824,613 and U.S. printed patent publications 2002/0198738, 2004/0100415 and 2006/0120835.


An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging station, an exposure station forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged image bearing member, and a developing station for developing the latent image formed on the surface of the image bearing member. A stop control device is provided for immediately stopping a charging operation by the charging device when the image forming apparatus must stop due to the detection of an irregular state during an image forming process. The image bearing member continues moving by at least the distance along that member from the charging to the developing station before the stop control device stops the developing operation and the moving of the image bearing member.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image forming apparatus and method. More particularly, the invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as copying machine, facsimile machine, printer, and the like for forming images utilizing an electrophotographic process.
2. Background
In recent years, in an image forming apparatus utilizing an electrophotographic process, a method for developing an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductive element by a dry type developing method using a drum-shape or belt-shape photoconductive element as an image bearing member is becoming widespread. The process produces a visible image by charging the photoconductive element by a charging device, forming a latent image by exposing the photoconductive element using an optical system including laser light, and developing the latent image by a developing device. When a sheet (hereinafter a sheet is a recording paper) jam or some other error occurs during the image forming process, typically the entire image forming apparatus is stopped.
However, because of the inertia of some components, developing can continue until the apparatus comes to a complete stop. This often results in needless consumption of toner. Especially in recent years, color copying machines have spread remarkably and some kinds of machines have a heavy flywheel or the like on a shaft of the photoconductive element to improve image quality by decreasing banding (a deviation in a line-to-line distance in a sub-scanning direction). In this kind of image forming apparatus, since a rotating shaft of the photoconductive element has a considerable inertial moment, it takes time until the photoconductive element stops when the entire image forming apparatus is commanded to stop during the image forming process. Therefore, even though each operation, such as a charging operation, a photoconductive element drive, a developing bias, and a developing device drive are commanded to stop at the same time, the area of the surface of the photoconductive element which is already charged (the area corresponding to a distance from a charging position to a developing position of the photoconductive element) passes through the developing station when the developing bias is off, and developer (a carrier and a toner) is delivered to the above-mentioned area of the photoconductive element.
In view of this, for example, according to Japanese Laid-Open patent Application No. 261963/1991, in response to an emergency condition instructions to stop development and to stop the photoconductive element are given at different times, considering the time difference between stopping times of the photoconductive element and the developing device (because their inertial moments differ, and there is a difference between stopping times of the motors). However, this may not be enough to prevent needless toner usage after turning on the apparatus again.
Further, in color copying machines which spread in recent years, an A.C. bias is superimposed on a D.C. bias for the purpose of improving image quality and developing ability. The developing bias method as described above tends to cause even more needless usage of toner in the case of an emergency stop of the image forming process.

Image forming apparatus and method for preventing wasted toner


An organic porous material having selective adsorption ability for boron, characterized in that it has an open cell structure comprising macro pores jointed to one another and, formed within the wall of the macro pore, meso pores having a pore diameter of 0.02 to 200 μm, has a total pore volume of 1 to 50 ml/g, and contains a compound capable of forming a complex with boric acid introduced through a covalent bonding in an amount of 1 μmol/g-dry porous material or more. The organic porous material exhibits improved ability for adsorbing boron and also is excellent in stability, and a boron removing module and an ultra-pure water production apparatus using the porous material have extremely high utility.

Boron is contained in industrial raw water such as underground water or river water only in an amount of about several tens μg/l. However, since boron is present in water in the form of boric acid, which is an extremely weak acid, boron can only be insufficiently removed by a reverse osmosis membrane or ion exchange resin forming an ultrapure water production apparatus. There is a concern that the apparatus may have a propensity of allowing boron to leak into ultrapure water.
A resin for selectively adsorbing boron prepared by introducing N-methyl-glucamine into a styrene-based resin is commercially available as an adsorbent for efficiently removing a slight amount of boron by utilizing a highly acidic complex formed by boric acid and a polyhydric alcohol. However, this resin for selectively adsorbing boron has only insufficient capability of removing a very slight amount (several ng/l) of boron and allows leakage of boron at the initial stage when the superficial velocity increases.
In order to solve the above shortcoming to the above-mentioned boron absorption resin, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-140631 discloses a resin for selectively adsorbing boron. The resin comprises an anion exchange resin dotted with a compound having at least two phenolic hydroxyl groups and anionic exchange sites. However, since chromotropic acid or the like is dotted on the anion exchange resin via an ionic bond, the resin is unstable to the fluctuation of treated water quality and the compound dotted on the resin is desorbed during use, resulting in a remarkable increase in the effluent TOC load and a reduced adsorption capacity.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-49563 discloses a porous ion exchange material comprising an organic porous material has a continuous pore structure comprising macropores and mesopores, the macropores being interconnected with each other forming mesopores in the interconnected parts into which ion exchange groups are introduced. The ion exchange material includes an anion exchange material and is assumed to have the capability of adsorbing and removing boron in principle. However, this adsorption capability is quite limited because boric acid is an extremely weak acid.
An object of the present invention is therefore to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art. Specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide an organic porous material capable of selectively adsorbing boron and having high and stable capability of adsorbing boron, and to provide a boron-removing module and an ultrapure water production apparatus using the organic porous material.

Organic porous article having selective adsorption ability for boron, and boron removing module and ultra-pure water production apparatus using the same


An electromechanical actuator for a vehicle brake, the actuator comprising first and second portions 8 and 9 that are separable. The first portion 8 includes an electric motor 5 and connection structure 15 for connecting the actuator to an external control structure 4. The second portion 9 including a slidable pusher 6, the second portion 9 also including measurement structure 21. The first portion 8 includes a first antenna 14 connected to the connection structure 15, and the second portion 9 includes a second antenna 22 connected to the measurement structure 21, the two antennas 14, 22 being arranged to be electromagnetically coupled together when the first portion 8 and the second portion 9 are coupled together, so as to enable electrical signals to be transferred between the measurement structure 21 and the connection structure 15.

In an electrical braking system for an aircraft, each braked wheel is provided with a brake having friction members, generally a stack of carbon disks stacked around a torsion tube, and electromechanical actuators carried by an actuator carrier and controlled to apply a braking force on the friction members in order to exert a braking torque on the wheel tending to slow the aircraft down.
Each electromechanical actuator is electrically powered and controlled by external control means. An actuator generally includes a pusher, an electric motor adapted to move the pusher in register with friction members, a blocking member for blocking the pusher in position, and sensors associated with the motor (position sensor, etc.) or with the pusher (force sensor, thermocouple, etc.). In order to control the electric motor, in order to actuate the blocking means, and in order to acquire the measurements taken by the sensors, the control means are connected to the actuators via a connection harness. Each actuator is fitted with a connector for receiving the harness.
The designers of braking systems or of actuators seek to make actuators that are made up of two portions that are separable: a first portion comprising the motor, the blocking member, and the sensors associated with the motor; and a second portion comprising the pusher and the sensors associated with the pusher. In the event of a failure of either one of the two portions, only the failed portion is removed, while the portion that is still operational is retained on the brake. Such a configuration presents a clear economic advantage when one of the two portions is significantly less reliable than the other.
Nevertheless, since each portion co-operates electrically with the control means, it is necessary to provide each portion with an electrical connector. A second connector is thus added to the actuator, thereby increasing its cost and making the management of interfaces and the connection harness more complex.


Performing signal integrity (SI) analysis on integrated circuit designs is becoming increasingly important as these designs increase in size and complexity. Dividing a design into blocks can simplify the resulting analysis. Additionally, such blocks can be replaced with timing models, which provide a compact means of exchanging interface timing information for the blocks. To further increase the speed and accuracy of SI analysis, enhanced interface logic models (SI-ILMs) can be used. An SI-ILM can include cells in timing paths that serve as the interface between the block and other parts of the design. The SI-ILM can also include internal nets that have cross-coupling effects on interface nets and nets outside the block. By including these internal nets, SI analysis at the top-level can be both fast and accurate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to signal integrity (SI) analysis performed in conjunction with static timing analysis of a hierarchical design, and particularly to using interface logic models (ILMs) in this SI analysis.
2. Description of the Related Art
Static timing analysis of complex circuits is a computationally expensive operation. Static timing analysis (STA) refers to a method of validating the timing performance of a design by checking all possible paths for timing violations. Unfortunately, when routing is performed for circuits in the design, the proximity of two nets could result in undesirable crosstalk in which a signal on one net could affect the timing of a signal on the other net.
An operation called signal integrity (SI) analysis can be performed in conjunction with STA to evaluate the dynamic effects of cross-coupling between proximate nets. Typically, SI analysis is addressed using physical synthesis (e.g. sizing of drivers, inserting buffers, optimizing placement of components, and isolating nets) and routing. Unfortunately, performing this SI analysis adds significant complexity to STA. Thus, accomplishing SI analysis on a full chip may be practically impossible. Moreover, even if SI analysis is possible, it takes an inordinate amount of time. For example, for complex designs, such as system-on-a-chip (SOC) designs, SI analysis could take many hours or even days to run.
Therefore, a need arises for a method of performing SI analysis that provides accurate and time efficient results.

Hierarchical signal integrity analysis using interface logic models


Embodiments contemplate techniques and devices for allocating IP addresses for MTC devices, transmitting and receiving SMS using the allocated IP addresses. The MTC device may be allocated with an IP address without activating a packet data protocol (PDP) context. In addition, after the IP address has been allocated, SMS messages may be transmitted from and to MTC devices using the IP address.

A machine type communications (MTC) device refers to, for example, user equipment (UE) equipped for machine type communication, which communicates through a public land mobile network (PLMN) with MTC server(s) and/or other MTC device(s). A MTC device may also communicate locally (wirelessly, possibly through a PAN, or hardwired) with other entities which provide the MTC device raw data for processing and communication to the MTC servers and/or other MTC devices.
Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication has wide applications such as in smart metering, home automation, eHealth, fleet management, and the like. Accordingly, there is a need to lower operational costs associated with offering such new M2M services. In addition, for mobile terminated short message service (SMS) transfer, an SMS gateway mobile switching center (SMS-GMSC) may query a home location register (HLR) using a mobile station integrated services digital network number (MSISDN), and the HLR may provide the address for serving general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (SGSN)/mobile switching center (MSC) that may serve the MTC device. The network may use the MSISDN number to route the packet. However, there is a risk that MSISDN numbers may run out in the near future. Accordingly, for at least this reason, there is a need to provide an alternative to use of MSISDN numbers.

Allocation of internet protocol (IP) addresses and usage during short message service (SMS) transmission


System and method for computing coefficients for color correcting rendered colors used in displaying images. A preferred embodiment comprises measuring color values of light output for a display system, receiving color values of desired colors, and computing a color correction matrix based on the measured color values and the input color values. The color correction matrix may be used to modify color commands to a light engine of the display system. The modifications to the color commands permit the storage and use of a set of color commands designed for a reference display system, simplifying display system design and manufacture.

When developing a display system for subsequent manufacture and sale, the display system manufacturer will often create a reference display system that is used to develop the display system hardware and software. The reference display system and its hardware and software are tweaked along with system settings, such as configuration parameters, conversion coefficients, and so forth, with the end result being a display system that meets image quality standards. Such a reference display system is commonly referred to as a "golden display system" or a "golden projector."
The golden projector's hardware, software, and tweaked system settings generally are used as the standard to which the subsequently manufactured display systems will be built. Although the manufacturer will attempt to exactly duplicate the golden projector, manufacturing variances will normally prevent the creation of exact duplicates. Software and system settings generally may be exactly duplicated since they simply can be copied from the golden projector and stored in memory in the manufactured display system. Mechanical systems, such as the optical system of the display system, however, do not lend themselves to duplication without variation. These variations in the mechanical systems, especially in the optical system, can result in a visually noticeable difference between images displayed by the golden projector and images displayed by the other manufactured display systems. Because of the manufacturing differences between the manufactured display systems and the golden projector, additional tweaking of the manufactured display systems may need to be performed to bring them to the standards of the golden projector.
With reference now to FIGS. 1a and 1b, there are shown data plots illustrating CIE 1931 xy chromaticity diagrams for a golden projector (FIG. 1a) and an exemplary manufactured display system (FIG. 1b). The diagram shown in FIG. 1a shows a color space 105 of the golden projector as determined by the location of the golden projector's red point 110, blue point 120, and green point 115 in conjunction with the intensity of the light provided at each of these primary colors. A white point 125 is located at the intersection of lines connecting the primary colors and secondary colors, which are a weighted combination of the primary colors.
The diagram shown in FIG. 1b shows a color space 155 of an exemplary display system and its red point 160, blue point 170, and green point 165. The red point 160, the blue point 170, and the green point 165 of the exemplary display system may be the same as the red point 110, the blue point 120, and the green point 115 of the golden projector. Due to changes in relative intensity, however, secondary color points as well as white point 175 may be shifted.
Therefore, one disadvantage of the prior art is that the images displayed by the exemplary display system may have a different color cast from the same images displayed on the golden projector. Another disadvantage of the prior art is that these variations between display systems may be noticeable and unacceptable to the sellers and purchasers of the display systems.

System and method for computing color correction coefficients


The invention relates to a spinning line for producing a plurality of endless synthetic filament yarns. The spinning line comprises a spinning apparatus for melt spinning the yarns and a takeup apparatus for winding the yarns. Between the spinning apparatus and the takeup apparatus, a yarn collection device is arranged which cuts and removes the yarns by suction upon occurrence of a disturbance in the yarn path of at least one yarn. To this end, the yarn collection device comprises a movable yarn guide with a yarn guide groove in the yarn advance plane, a cutting device, and a suction device. The cutting device and suction device are arranged in the yarn advance plane on one side of the yarn web. The yarn guide is arranged on the opposite side of the yarn web and moved in direction of the cutting device for cutting the yarns.

A spinning line for producing a plurality of endless synthetic filament yarns.
To produce endless synthetic filament yarns spinning lines are used, wherein in a spinning apparatus the yarns are first spun from a molten plastic. To this end, a melt is supplied at a spinning position to a spinneret. The spinneret has a plurality of bores through which the molten plastic is extruded. The filaments individually emerging from the spinneret advance through a cooling zone and are combined to a yarn at the end of the cooling zone. In the spinning apparatus of a spinning line, a plurality of spinning positions are arranged side by side, so that six, eight, or maximally ten yarns are spun at the same time.
After the yarns have advanced through a treatment zone downstream of the spinning apparatus, they are wound to packages in a takeup apparatus. In the treatment zone, an individual treatment that depends on the polymer type and yarn type, is performed on the yarn by lubricating, drawing, heating, relaxing, entangling, or a combination of these treatment methods.
In such complex lines, disturbances are never totally preventable in the yarn path. Such disturbances may be caused, for example, by yarn breaks or formation of laps, for example in a godet system. To eliminate disturbance, as well as to avoid rejects, it is necessary that the web of yarns of the spinning line be cut and taken into a suction device. To this end, so-called yarn collection devices are provided in the spinning line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,358 discloses such a yarn collection device, wherein each individual yarn advances through a cutting device and a suction device. In the case of a disturbance, the cutting device is activated. The yarn ends are taken over by the suction device. This ensures that the spinning apparatus of the spinning line continues its operation uninterrupted. The known yarn collection device has the disadvantage that each individual yarn is taken into a separate suction device. Since an operator guides the web of yarns in a manual suction device when threading the yarns in a spinning line, it will be necessary that the operator first remove each individual yarn from the suction device. In addition, the known yarn collection device requires a considerable expenditure for apparatus with a correspondingly high susceptibility to disturbances.
It is therefore the object of the invention to further develop a spinning line of the initially described kind such that it facilitates both a fast collection of the yarns and a correspondingly fast threadup of the yarns in the spinning line.
In accordance with the invention, this object is accomplished in that the yarn collection device comprises a movable yarn guide with a yarn guide groove in the plane of the yarn advance, a cutting device, and a suction device, the cutting device and suction device being arranged on one side of the web of yarns. Before cutting the yarns, the yarn guide is located on the opposite side of the group of yarns, and for cutting the yarns, it can be moved in direction of the cutting device. The advantage of the invention lies in that it is possible to combine the web of yarns to a bundle regardless of the number of yarns, and to supply same to a suction device. This bundling of the yarn web permits direct rethreading, for example, in the takeup apparatus without any substantial delay, after eliminating the disturbance. To this end, it would be possible to use, for example, a suction device that is constructed as a hand gun. To bundle and cut the group of yarns, only one movable yarn guide used, which results in a particularly simple construction of the yarn collection device.
To facilitate the cutting of the yarns in a tensioned state, the yarn guide has two yarn guide grooves adjoining each other in one plane, in which the individual yarns are collected. By deflecting the yarns, it is possible to tension partial lengths of the yarns that extend between the two yarn guide grooves. With that, it is easy to cut the yarn.
The cutting device preferably is formed by a cutter whose blade extends between the legs of the yarn guide during the cutting of the yarns. This ensures a reliable cutting of the yarns without movable structural parts. To facilitate collection of the yarns during the movement of the yarn guide parallel to the plane of the yarn advance, the yarn guide groove is made V-shaped, so that yarns slide with certainty into the yarn guide groove.
According to a further, particularly advantageous embodiment, the yarn guide is connected to a carriage that is movable by means of a drive along a straight guideway parallel to the plane of the yarn advance. This permits an unimpeded yarn advance in the spinning line when the yarn collection device is not activated. The carriage is arranged for movement along the straight guideway on the side of the yarn web.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the spinning line, the drive of the yarn guide is realized by a pneumatically movable magnetic piston inside a tube. This magnetic piston is coupled by magnetic forces with a countermagnet of the carriage. The countermagnet is arranged for movement with the carriage on the circumference of the tube. By the movement of the magnetic piston in the interior of the tube, it is possible to displace the yarn guide without additional displacement mechanisms. In this instance, it is preferred to move the magnetic piston in the interior of the tube pneumatically.
In a further, especially preferred embodiment of the spinning line, the drive is connected to a control unit which receives signals from a sensor arrangement that monitors the yarn paths. Upon occurrence of a disturbance, it is thus possible to bundle the yarns without substantial time delay.
According to a further advantageous embodiment of the spinning line, the sensor arrangement comprises a yarn break sensor for each yarn.

Melt spinning line for producing multifilament yarns


An image display system is disclosed that enables users to navigate very large digital images quickly and seamlessly. The system is optimized to transmit image data from a disk drive at high data rates. The image data is stored on the disk drive in a file format optimized for high speed retrieval, display, and seamless navigation. The image display system can be cascaded for showing two or more contiguous images.

The present invention relates to the viewing of images on various devices including, but not limited to, CRT, LCD, TFT, electro-luminescent, plasma, and DLP displays. More particularly, the present invention relates to navigating displayed images by zooming in and out (zooming, panning) and multi-dimensional roaming such displayed images at various levels of zoomed sizing. The images can be geographic (terrestrial and astronomy), chemical and biological compound and organism structures, anatomical structures of plants and animals, graphical representations of complex data and combinations (e.g., data on demographic and resource distribution over a geographical area). Such images tend to be massive in size, but require fast navigation and a high degree of resolution to be useful.
There is a focus for purposes of this invention on images larger than two gigabytes in uncompressed twenty-four bit RGB color space, but other images can be handled beneficially through the present invention. High-resolution digital imagery has only been available to the general public for about the last two years, but much longer in military and industrial settings. Presently, systems that are available for general usage to view very large images in real time are very expensive and contain unnecessary technology for the task at hand. Examples of such a systems are Silicone Graphics, Inc.'s Onyx® family of computing systems (Mountain View, Calif.). Current systems capable of loading/reading an image over two gigabytes in size will pass the image contained on the disk drive through a 3D graphics engine before displaying it. Due to the current speed limitations of these 3D graphics engines, the quality of the image displayed on the screen ultimately suffers. Current systems read the image from the hard drive as a bmp, rgb, or tif file.
Other systems and methods that attempt to improve imagery navigation are described herein below. The contents of each of these references are incorporated by reference.
A System for Managing Tiled Images Using Multiple Resolutions is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 36,145, filed Apr. 30, 1991. The system defines an address space for virtual memory that includes an image data cache and a disk. An image stack for each source image is stored as a full resolution image and a set of lower-resolution subimages. Each tile of an image may exist in one or more of five different states as follows: uncompressed and resident in the image data cache, compressed and resident in the image data cache, uncompressed and resident on disk, compressed and resident on disk, and not loaded but re-creatable using data from higher-resolution image tiles.
A Method for Storage and Retrieval of Large Digital Images is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,835, filed on Nov. 14, 1995. Image compression and viewing are implemented with (1) a method for performing DWT-based compression on a large digital image with a computer system possessing a two-level system of memory and (2) a method for selectively viewing areas of the image from its compressed representation at multiple resolutions and, if desired, in a client-server environment.
A method enabling a Fast Processed Screen Image is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,562, filed Jun. 23, 1998. The method includes a display process for displaying predetermined image data in a computer that includes a processor, a fast memory, and a video system having a video memory, comprising the steps of: during a computer execution period, writing contents from a block of the fast memory to a first memory, the fast memory having an access time which is less than an access time for the video memory; writing predetermined image data into the block of the fast memory; processing the predetermined image data from the fast memory; and writing the processed predetermined image data to the video memory.


A benzopyran compound of the general formula (I) ##STR1## wherein A represents --OR.sup.1 or --NH--COR.sup.2 ; R.sup.3 represents hydrogen, a lower alkyl, a lower alkoxy, amino, a mono- or di-lower alkylamino, an amino-lower alkyl, a hydroxy-lower alkyl, a halo-lower alkyl, a lower alkoxy-lower alkyl, an acyloxy-lower alkyl, a lower alkoxycarbonyl-lower alkyl, an aryl or a heteroaryl, or R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 combinedly together form an alkylene having 1 to 2 carbon atoms; R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are the same or different, and respectively represent hydrogen or a lower alkyl, or combinedly together form an alkylene having 2 to 5 carbon atoms; R.sup.6 represents hydroxyl group, formyloxy, an alkanoyloxy, a haloalkanoyloxy, a lower alkoxycarbonyloxy, an aroyloxy, a heteroaroyloxy, carbamoyloxy, a mono- or di-lower alkylcarbamoyloxy and R.sup.7 represents hydrogen, or R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 combinedly together form a bond and X and Y are the same or different, and respectively represent hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, a lower alkyl, a lower alkoxy, a halo-lower alkyl, carboxyl, formyl, an alkanoyl, an aroyl, a halo-alkanoyl, carbamoyl, a lower alkylsulfinyl, an arylsulfinyl, a lower alkylsulfonyl, an arylsulfonyl, sulfonamido or a mono- or di-lower alkylsulfonamido, or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts and its pharmaceutical use.

This invention relates to novel benzopyran compounds and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts which possess remarkable and durable antihypertensive actions, coronary vasodilating actions and relaxant actions on vascular smooth muscles and the other smooth muscles and pharmaceutical uses thereof.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,113, there is disclosed 6-cyano-3,4-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-trans-4-(2-oxo-1-pyrrolidinyl)-2H-1-benzo pyran-3-ol(BRL-34915). In European Patent Publication (Laid-open) Gazzette No. 273262/1988, British Patent Publication Gazzette No. 2204868/1988 and European Patent Publication (Laid-open) Gazzette No. 296975/1988, there are disclosed a group of 4-substituted benzopyran compounds having antihypertensive actions, smooth muscle-relaxant actions and the like.

Benzopyran compound and its pharmaceutical use

Yoshitomi Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd.


A strain sensing cable including one or more strain sensing elements and a strain transfer medium extruded directly onto the one or more strain sensing elements disposed within the strain transfer medium. The strain transfer medium is operatively arranged to transfer strain experienced by the cable to the one or more strain sensing elements. A method of making a strain sensing cable is also included.

Cables, particularly fiber optic cables, are used ubiquitously in the downhole drilling and completions industry. These cables are often disposed with a tubular string or other downhole component and used for enabling a variety of downhole conditions and parameters, such as temperature, vibration, sound, pressure, strain, etc. to be sensed and/or monitored. In order to increase efficiency and reduce costs in installation, use, and manufacture, the industry always well receives advances in sensing technology and alternate styles of sensing and monitoring cables.


A wall adaptor includes an adaptor body, a terminal unit and a connector module. The terminal unit is disposed on the adaptor body and has a pin arrangement, and the connector module is detachably disposed on the adaptor body. The connector module has a module body and at least a first connector disposed on the adaptor body, the connector module and the adaptor body are in electrical communication through electrical contacts. The connector module is replaceable for broader implementation.

1. Field of the Invention
The instant disclosure relates to a wall adaptor; in particular, to a wall adaptor fixed on a wall receptacle or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional utility planning and design for interiors usually involves embedment in the wall and connection to the receptacle on the wall for electricity or signal transmission. When an electronic product (for example, mobile phone, digital camera, personal digital assistance or other portable electronic device) runs low in power and needs supplement electricity to maintain operation, recharge or signal transmission is done by wire connection, a user can connect the electronic product to electricity or signal wiring through a cable with a head plugging into the receptacle so as to obtain power or connect to the Internet.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,415,920 by the present applicant disclosed a charger and a combination structure. One side of the charger is formed with terminals. The charger has a connector. The terminals, the connector and a charging circuit inside the charger are electrically connected. The charger has a panel connecting piece. The charger can be combined with the receptacle panel and provide easy access without difficulty to be found. The charger also functions as an adaptor.
However, the connector of the charger (adaptor) is fixed to the main body of the charger. Therefore, the connector cannot be replaced according to user need, which lacks in adaptability. If a user is going to use another type of connector, a new type of charger has to purchased, which cause extra burden to the user. Furthermore, the charger (adaptor) has limited functions without the service of carrying an electronic product. A different type of receptacle (U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,043,116 and 8,221,158) is provided yet the receptacle does not serve as an adaptor.
To address the above issues, the inventor strives via associated experience and research to present the instant disclosure, which can effectively improve the limitation described above.


User authentication techniques are provided using a scene composed of selected objects. An exemplary method comprises obtaining enrollment information from a user, wherein the enrollment information comprises a first scene comprised of a first selection of objects; initiating a challenge to the user in connection with an authentication request by the user to access a protected resource; processing a second scene comprised of a second selection of objects submitted by the user in response to the challenge, and wherein the processing comprises determining a likelihood that the submitted second scene comprised of the second selection of objects matches the first scene comprised of the first selection of objects submitted by the user with the enrollment information; and resolving the authentication request based on the likelihood. Objects in the first selection of objects are optionally selected from a catalog and arranged into the first scene.

In order to gain access to applications or other resources via a computer or another user device, users are often required to authenticate themselves by entering authentication information. Such authentication information may comprise, for example, passwords, responses to one or more challenges, or other forms of cryptographic or authentication information. In a conventional challenge-response system, for example, a user must submit an appropriate response that addresses the authentication challenge. The submitted response is compared to authentication information that was previously provided by the user during an enrollment phase, in order to make an authentication decision.
A need exists for improved techniques for authenticating a user.

User authentication using scene composed of selected objects


A touch panel and a method thereof are provided. The touch panel includes a touch sensor, a shielding layer, and a plurality of conducting foils. The shielding layer is disposed on the touch sensor. The plurality of conducting foils is disposed via an Anisotropic Conductive Film (ACF) on a surface of the shielding layer, which is on an opposite side of a surface of the touch sensor. Any two of the plurality of conducting foils, the ACF, and the shielding layer are connected in series as a signal path.

This Application claims priority of China Patent Application No. CN 201310313434.2, filed on Jul. 24, 2013, and the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a touch panel technology, and in particular, a touch panel and a test method thereof.
Description of the Related Art
Widely adopted electronic systems such as a Personal Digital Assistant, handheld game console, smart phone, and tablet PC may include a touch panel and a monitor. Because the touch panel may be disposed above the monitor, a touch sense layer in the touch panel could easily be coupled together by the electromagnetic interference from the monitor and consequently, sense precision thereof would be reduced.
In order to enhance interference resistivity for the touch panel, a shielding layer is typically disposed at the touch sense layer on the side of the touch panel, close to the monitor, thereby preventing the touch sense layer from being affected by the electromagnetic interference from the monitor. The shielding layer is connected to a ground of the system via a Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC), to form a leaking path for the shielding layer. The electrical characteristics of the leaking path will impact the shielding performance of the shielding layer. Thus, the leaking path of the shielding layer is tested when tests are conducted on the touch panel.
The current approach for testing the leaking path of the shielding layer involves providing a signal with a fixed frequency by a testing device to the shielding layer, to measure capacitance of the coupling capacitor between the shielding layer and the touch sense layer. If the measured capacitance is different from the default value, it will be determined that the leaking path of the shielding layer has poor electrical characteristics, which may have been, for example, caused by a poor connection between the FPC and the shielding layer.
An alternative current (AC) characteristic of the shielding layer is used for testing of the coupling capacitor. Therefore, when the resistance of the shielding layer is abnormally high and exceeds a defined working range, the test may not efficiently and correctly identify problems which may be occurring. Subsequently, the shielding layer may not perform normally. As a result, the interference resistivity of the shielding layer will be reduced.