An LED surface lighting device (100) comprises a plurality of LED light source modules (120) assembled together side-by-side. Each of the LED light source modules comprises a light guiding plate (122) and at least one LED (124). The light guiding plate comprises a light emitting surface (1222) and a plurality of lateral sides (1225, 1227) adjacent to the light emitting surface. At least one of the lateral sides defines a groove (123) for receiving the at least one LED. The groove keeps a predetermined distance (D) from the light emitting surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface lighting device, and more particularly to a surface lighting device using light emitting diodes as light source.
2. Description of the Related Art
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) have many advantages, such as high luminance brightness, low power consumption, good compatibility with integrated circuit, long-term reliability and environment friendliness compared with other conventional lighting devices. Thus, LEDs have been widely used as backlight source for liquid crystal display (LCD), light source for vehicle lamps and luminance devices, as described in an article titled "Unique White LED Packaging Systems" cited in a publication of 2003 IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference written by Atsushi Okuno.
In related art, LED surface lighting device is divided into edge type and direct type according to LED positions. In the direct type LED surface lighting device, LEDs are arranged at a bottom of a light guiding plate for supplying light rays. However, a size of the LED surface lighting device currently becomes larger and larger, and correspondingly it is required to increase size of the light guiding plate and number of the LEDs used in the light source device. Accordingly, cost of the direct type LED surface lighting device increases.
Referring to FIG. 9, an edge type LED light source module 420 comprises a light guiding plate 422 and two LEDs 424 arranged at lateral sides 4220 of the light guiding plate 422. Light rays emitted from the LEDs 424 enter into the light guiding plate 422 from the lateral sides 4220, and then emit out of a light emitting surface 4222 adjacent to the lateral sides 4220.
Referring to FIG. 10, a surface lighting device 400 having a large size is formed by assembling a plurality of the LED light source modules 420 side-by-side. Light rays from the LEDs 424 at the lateral sides 4220 of a single LED light source module 420 can only emit towards the opposite lateral sides 4220 and out of the light emitting surface 4222 of the single LED light source module 420. The light rays cannot arrive at a seam area 430 between two adjacent LED light source modules 420. Thus, a dark area is formed above the seam area 430 so that illumination uniformity of the surface lighting device 400 cannot be satisfactorily obtained.
Accordingly, what is needed is a LED surface lighting device having a satisfactory illumination uniformity.

Light emitting diode based surface lighting device


A clamp for suspending an aerial conductor wire from a transmission tower includes an inner sleeve formed by a pair of sleeve halves which are mated and fastened together to define a cylindrical open-ended conductor bore for compressing the conductor wire, the inner sleeve having outer enlarged ends each forming an opposing shoulder, and an outer sleeve formed by a pair of outer sleeve halves which mate together to define an inner bore which closely fits an outer diameter of the inner sleeve and having a length which fits between the opposing shoulders of the inner sleeve, to permit rotation of but restrict longitudinal movement of the inner sleeve within the outer sleeve, wherein each outer sleeve half each comprises an interlocking assembly which mates with an interlocking assembly on the other half and a mounting tab on an longitudinal edge opposite the interlocking assembly.

Conductor wire galloping is a phenomenon observed in aerial transmission lines when high winds blow across the conductor wires. The conductor wires oscillate at a low frequency, typically 0.5 to 1 Hz, and may reach peak to peak amplitudes of 10 feet or more. Conductor wire galloping can damage transmission towers and take down power transmission lines.
Aeolian vibration represents another major cause of fatigue failure of conductor strands and/or items which support or protect the conductor. It involves low amplitude, high frequency and typically occurs in the vertical plane and is caused by steady, moderate winds.
Conventional suspension clamps and spacer dampers clamp onto the conductor wire and suspend it from tower cross arms in such a manner that both longitudinal movement and rotation of the conductor wire is restricted. It is believed that conductor wire galloping may be reduced or eliminated if the suspension clamp would allow rotational movement while still preventing longitudinal movement of the conductor wire.
Conventional clamps use a plurality of fasteners which require manipulation by line workers. Tightening or loosening all of the fasteners to install or remove a clamp can be time-consuming and laborious affair.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a suspension clamp which mitigates the problems in the prior art.

Anti-galloping and Aeolian vibration dampening clamp


In one aspect, the present invention is a web-based system that facilitates rapid and reliable documenting, cataloging, and distributing of proven error proofing techniques. More specifically, and in an exemplary embodiment, a system includes a plurality of clients coupled to a web-based server. Each client includes a plurality of user interface classes and at least one class that provides access to a database. The server includes a plurality of servlets, and at least some of said servlets provide at least one of a database and server access capability to each client. The system further includes a database having a plurality of tables, and at least one of said tables includes at least one error proofing example. The database is accessed by each client via the server.

This invention relates generally to product design, production and service and, more particularly, to error proofing processes associated with product design, production and service.
Error proofing methodologies have been documented by manufacturers and academic institutions. Such methodologies are used, for example, in product design to ensure that a final product meets a pre-defined specification, as well as in assembly processes. However, there is no known system for easily documenting, cataloging, and distributing proven error proofing techniques in a rapid and reliable manner.
An electronic mail based repository of text descriptions of candidate error proofing techniques is known. The error proofing techniques identified in the repository, however, are not necessarily proven, nor is the repository configured for rapid and reliable cataloging and distribution of information related to such techniques.


A sound process apparatus includes a processor. The processor may execute instructions, which are stored on a memory, and when executed cause the sound process apparatus to perform operations. An obtaining operation may obtain sound data in a remote site. A first determining operation may determine volume levels of voice and noise in the remote site based on the sound data. A second determining operation may determine a volume level of noise in a local site based on the sound in the local site. A third determining operation may determine a target volume level based on the volume level of the voice in the remote site, the volume level of the noise in the remote site, and the volume level of the noise in the local site. A notifying operation may notify a user of the target volume level.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a sound process apparatus having a sound-volume notification function, a sound processing method, and a computer readable storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known sound process apparatus transmits sound collected by a microphone to another sound process apparatus disposed in a remote site via a network, and simultaneously receives sound in the remote site via the network and outputs the sound from a speaker. The sound includes, for example, voice produced by a user. Such a sound process apparatus is widely used in a teleconference system or the like. One example of such a sound process apparatus is a speakerphone.
If voice is output as an example of sound from the speaker, the sound output from the speaker normally contains the voice and noise. In order for a user to clearly hear the voice output from the speaker, it is desirable that the volume level of the voice be greater than the volume level of the noise. Therefore, in order for another user using another sound process apparatus to clearly hear and recognize the user's voice, it is preferable that the user produce the voice loudly so that the user's voice is output with a large volume level from the speaker in the other sound process apparatus. For example, in the related art, there has been proposed technology for making a user produce a loud voice by turning on a lamp in accordance with the ratio between the volume level of the collected voice and the volume level of the noise so as to obtain voice with a volume level necessary for recognizing the voice.

Sound processing to produce target volume level


A wireless communication device (200) and method (300). The method (300) can include: detecting (310) a motion signature in a wireless communication device; sensing (320) a location of the wireless communication device; and setting (330) a user interface experience, based on the detected motion signature and sensed location of the wireless communication device. Engagement signatures can be detected in various ways, such as by dock or cradle specific connections, seating, gestures, movements in an x, y and/or z direction and location. A desired location specific user interface experience can include: a preferred user interface experience, application, display brightness, touch lens sensitivity, input key activation, and the like, based on a user preference for a particular location.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a smart method and device for adaptive user interface experiences.
2. Introduction
Users enjoy smart devices that know their location and task or application, to launch, without a user having to navigate through multiple menus.
For example, Motorola sells a cell phone called Droid, which can be used to dock with a docking station. It uses a magnet in the dock and a Hall-effect sensor in the cell phone, which launches a navigation application in vehicular use. This allows two possible locations launching two applications.
Another example is the use of identification ICs in a dock to provide identification of genuine or authentic products, and location.
There is a need for wireless communication devices, which are capable of being docked at multiple locations, which are identifiable and provide a customized user interface experience for the user, for example, by providing an alarm clock application in a bedroom, navigation for vehicular applications, email at an office and streaming video in an entertainment setting.
There is also a need to allow a user to specify a desired user interface (UI) experience or setting for a wireless communication device, to initiate at a particular docking location, and that the device learns about a user's preferences, and adapts the UI experience or setting, to the most frequently used applications.
There is also a need to provide a low cost approach to dock identification, using the existing sensors in the phone or minimal additional hardware.
There is a further need to provide personalized experiences and offer additional alternative solutions to users, which are configured with and compatible with conventional docking systems, to minimize complexity and minimize costs.
There is yet a further need to provide a smart method and device adapted to provide personalized experiences capable of being docked at multiple locations identifiable to the device, so a desired UI experience is automatically launched.
Thus, there is a need for a method and device for providing a low cost approach using conventional accelerometers, gyros, location sensors and the like, to identify a wireless communication device location, to enable a localized or customized UI experience, and that is user friendly and can use many components already found in certain wireless communication devices.
Thus, a method and device that addresses the above problems and Applicant's solutions, as detailed herein, would be considered an improvement in the art.

Smart method and device for adaptive user interface experiences


The present invention relates to a man-made composite material and a man-made composite material antenna. The man-made composite material is disposed in a propagation direction of a plane electromagnetic wave and convert it into a spherical wave. Reverse extensions of the spherical wave intersect at a virtual focus. A line connecting the virtual focus to a point on the second surface of the man-made composite material and a line perpendicular to the man-made composite material form an angle θ therebetween, which uniquely corresponds to a curved surface in the man-made composite material. A set formed by points having the same angle θ forms a boundary of the curved surface to which the angle θ uniquely corresponds. Each point on the curved surface to which the angle θ uniquely corresponds has a same refractive index. Refractive indices of the man-made composite material increase gradually as the angle θ increases.

In conventional optics, a lens can be used to refract a plane wave into a spherical wave which appears to be radiated from a point light source located at a virtual focus of the lens. Currently, the diverging effect of the lens is achieved by virtue of the refractive property of the spherical form of the lens. The inventor has found in the process of making this invention that, the lens antenna has at least the following technical problems: the lens is bulky and heavy, which is unfavorable for miniaturization; performances of the lens rely heavily on the shape thereof, and directional propagation from the antenna can be achieved only when the lens has a precise shape; and serious interferences and losses are caused to the electromagnetic waves, which reduces the electromagnetic energy. Moreover, for most lens antennae, abrupt transitions of the refractive indices follow a simple line that is perpendicular to a lens surface. Consequently, electromagnetic waves propagating through the lenses suffer from considerable refraction, diffraction and reflection, which have a serious effect on the performances of the lenses.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Man-made composite material and man-made composite material antenna

KUANG-CHI INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY


A control system for an internal combustion engine having at least one fuel injection valve for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of the engine. A compression end temperature in the combustion chamber is estimated. A target compression end temperature is calculated according to an operating condition of the engine. A main injection and a plurality of pilot injections before the main injection are performed by at least one fuel injection valve. A fuel injection amount in a first-performed pilot injection of the plurality of pilot injections is controlled so that the estimated compression end temperature coincides with the target compression end temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control system for an internal combustion engine in which compression ignition is performed, and particularly to a control system for controlling an amount of fuel injected during a pilot injection of fuel that is performed before a main injection of fuel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Publication No. 3572435 (JP '435) discloses a control system for an internal combustion engine that estimates a compression end temperature that is a temperature of an air-fuel mixture in a cylinder when a piston is positioned at a compression top dead center. The control system disclosed by JP '435 increases the pilot injection amount of fuel when the estimated compression end temperature becomes relatively high. The control system of JP '435 suppresses a combustion noise by increasing the pilot injection amount of fuel in a high-load operating condition of an engine.
The ignitionability of fuel in the compression-ignition internal combustion engine depends on the compression end temperature during a low temperature condition, e.g., immediately after the cold start of the engine, or in a low load operating condition immediately after starting the engine. If similar control for a high load operating condition is attempted by the control system taught by JP '435, as in the low temperature condition or in the low load operating condition, the ignitionability of fuel is known to degrade.

Control system for internal combustion engine


A disk head suspension assembly in which a swage ring (a cylindrical hub) is used for attaching a load beam to a head actuator arm. The swage ring is used instead of a typical base plate. A head suspension assembly includes a cylindrical hub having an inner diameter and an outer diameter and a load beam having a load beam hole therein. The load beam hole has a diameter that is less than the outer diameter of the swage ring and greater than the inner diameter of the swage ring. The swage ring is placed concentric with the load beam hole and a series of welds around a periphery of the load beam hole are made so that the welds affix the swage ring to the load beam. The swage ring is inserted into an actuator arm boss hole and the swage ring is swaged outward to create a press fit upon the actuator boss hole.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to disk head assemblies for supporting read/write heads adjacent rotating disks in disk drives and more particularly, to a swage ring for attaching a load beam assembly to a head actuator arm.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Disk drives typically include a stack of spaced apart, concentric magnetic storage disks mounted on a common shaft, and an actuator arm assembly encased within a housing. The actuator arm assembly, also called a head stack assembly (HSA), comprises a plurality of arms extending into spacing between the disks. Mounted on the distal end of each arm is a resilient suspension assembly to which is attached an air bearing slider, the combination of which is referred to as a head gimbal assembly (HGA). Included in the suspension assembly is a load beam, which is mounted at one end to the actuator arm by means of a base plate, and a flexure which is attached to the other end of the load beam and pivotally supports the slider on a gimbal that keeps the slider suspended in a horizontal plane on the disk surface regardless of any motion of the load beam.
The load beam provides the resilient spring action that biases the slider toward the surface of a magnetic recording disk, while the flexure provides flexibility for the slider. A thin film or other magnetic transducer is deposited or otherwise attached at the rearward end of the slider to read or write on the magnetic disk.
In the prior art, the actuator arm and load beam elements of the head stack assembly are connected end to end by a base plate which includes a flat flange portion and a cylindrical hub portion or boss. In assembling the head stack, the hub is inserted into a load beam boss hole and the flange portion is welded to the load beam. The hub is then inserted into an actuator arm boss hole.
Using a swage machine, a swage ball is driven through the hub. The swage ball exerts pressure on the hub which expands (swages) into the boss hole in the actuator arm. The expanded hub rigidly connects the hub and attached load beam to the actuator arm boss hole. The expanded hub creates a very tight friction fit against the sides of the boss hole. To ensure a tight fit, the length of the hub is such that sufficient contact exists between the outer portion of the hub and the inner portion of the boss hole. As the hub plastically deforms, it hardens, which is desirable for maintaining a press fit in the actuator arm boss hole.
Because the load beam is welded to the flange portion of the base plate and the flange is soft from annealing, the flange deforms easily, resulting in fluctuations in the load beam that is welded to the flange. As the disk drive industry moves to nano and pico form factors, the thickness of the base plate becomes a more significant factor in the overall stack height of the head stack assembly.
It is therefore an object of this invention is to provide a new base plate which will result in a lower stack height of a head suspension assembly.

Swageable base for suspension assembly in hard disk drive without flange


Disclosed herein are glass articles coated on at least one surface with an electrochromic layer and comprising minimal regions of laser damage, and methods for laser processing such glass articles. Insulated glass units comprising such coated glass articles are also disclosed herein.

Glass substrates coated with electrochromic films may be useful in a variety of applications, including architectural and automotive applications. For example, electrochromic films may be used to vary light intensity and/or light absorption in a room or vehicle. Insulated glass units (IGUs) can comprise two sheets of glass with a perimeter seal forming a cavity between the glass sheets, which can be filled with an insulated gas such as argon to improve the energy rating of the IGU. In certain applications, one of the glass sheets in the IGU may be coated with an electrochromic layer. Such coated IGUs may additionally include one or more components for applying voltage to the electrochromic layer, e.g., bus bars, thereby providing a tinting effect which may lower the transmission of various wavelengths and/or heat by the IGU.
During the manufacture of IGUs or any other glass articles comprising an electrochromic layer, the electrochromic layer may be applied to the glass after cutting and grinding steps due to the sensitivity of these films to moisture and particles generated during these steps. For instance, exposure of electrochromic films to aqueous coolants used during the grinding process may result in blistering and/or breakdown of the films, thereby inhibiting their functionality and/or aesthetic qualities. As such, for traditional IGU production, a glass sheet is often first cut to the desired IGU shape and size and then coated with the electrochromic film ("cut-and-coat"), rather than coating a large glass substrate with an electrochromic film and then cutting the coated substrate to size ("coat-and-cut").
However, the cut-and-coat process can result in a glass substrate having a significant area that is not coated or is not uniformly coated by the electrochromic layer due to fixturing. For example, the components for positioning and holding the glass substrate in place in the coating apparatus may interfere with the ability to coat the glass substrate edge-to-edge. Additionally, the coat-and-cut process may have reduced manufacturing flexibility, because the fixturing must is specific to each glass substrate shape and/or size and must be adjusted to accommodate different glass shapes and/or sizes. In contrast, a coat-and-cut process can implement a single standard fixturing for a large glass substrate and the glass substrate can be subsequently cut to size (coat-and-cut).
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide methods for producing glass substrates coated with an electrochromic film which do not substantially damage the electrochromic film and/or do not result in glass substrates comprising uncoated or non-uniformly coated regions. Additionally, it would be advantageous to provide methods for manufacturing such electrochromic coated glass articles which can exhibit increased manufacturing flexibility and/or reduced manufacturing cost, e.g., methods which can be used to coat a glass substrate having a generic shape and/or size and subsequently cut the glass to a specific shape and/or size for a desired application.

Electrochromic coated glass articles and methods for laser processing the same


According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system reduces re-reading of database logs by persisting long running transaction data. The system processes the database log records of the database transaction log; generates a snapshot of the database log records at periodic intervals, wherein each snapshot includes database log records for pending transactions; and in response to an interruption in processing of the database log records, utilizes a snapshot to restore database log records for the pending transactions and resume processing of the database transaction log from a position succeeding the database log records of the selected snapshot.

1. Technical Field
Present invention embodiments relate to change data capture, and more specifically, to reducing re-reading of database logs by persisting long running transaction data.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Change data capture (CDC) products read the log of a database (the source database or source) to determine what changes have been made to the database. Action can then be taken on the basis of these changes. In particular, the changes can be replicated in a copy of the database (the target database or target). Only committed transactions of the source database are replicated in the target. As log records are read, they are stored according to the transaction they are part of. Each transaction is stored in its own in-memory queue or list. When the commit log record for a transaction is seen, the transaction is applied to the target database. Thus, transactions are applied to the target in commit order, and the log position of the last commit applied indicates how far the replication has progressed. This is called the commit position.
From time to time, a CDC process will shut down. Later the process must resume in a manner that preserves data integrity. If the process is able to shut down gracefully, it can save the in-memory transaction queue data to disk before terminating. This information is restored at restart, and log reading can begin from the last log record previously read. However, if the process stops in a non-graceful manner, the transaction queue data will be lost, and some log data will have to be re-read in order to guarantee that all desired changes to the source are captured. If a non-graceful shutdown occurs while a long-running transaction is in progress, relevant entries may be far back in the log. As a result, a large amount of log data has to be reprocessed.

Reducing reading of database logs by persisting long-running transaction data

International Business Machines Corporation


An automated lensometer including a mounting device to support and center a lens to be tested along an axis. First and second arrays of light source patterns are positioned at different optical distances from the mounted lens and are projected along the axis through the lens. The images of the projected patterns are captured and stored in a camera imaging device located along the axis. A comparison of the patterns by a processor allows derivation of refractive power of the lens.

A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lensometer, and in particular, to an automated lensometer.
B. Problems in the Art
1. Definition of Lensometer: Lensometers are devices to measure the refractive power of eye glasses or contact lenses. Ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians, as well as their staff and technicians, can obtain these readings by removing the eye glasses or contacts from the patient, positioning them in the lensometer, and then operating the lensometer.
2. Manual Lensometers: Manual lensometers utilize various systems to allow a user to manually adjust the device to obtain the refractive power readings. Most manual lensometers operate in a manner similar to a microscope. The lens must first be positioned in the device, and then the user looks through an eye piece. An optical system then requires the manual adjustment of optical elements to adjust a target or perpendicular lines. Precalibration of the device allows correlation of refractive power for that particular lens, the readings are generally indicated on mechanical dials or other indicators.
The size and cost of manual lensometers are factors which favor their continued use. Problems and deficiencies with these devices exist, however.
Accurate calibration is essential to their accurate operation. The risk of miscalibration of these mechanical elements exist. Secondly, manual operation requires substantial training. On the one hand, this contributes to the overall expenditure of resources for the device. Manual operation also relies on the skills and desire for accuracy by the operator. If the ophthalmologist, optometrist, or optician is to learn and operate the device, it takes away valuable time from other activities.
In addition to operational errors, the presence of human error in taking or transcribing the readings to a written record also exists.
3. Automated Lensometers: Several attempts have been made to create lensometers which operate semi-automatically or automatically. Devices of this type generally utilize substantial electronic components to either assist in taking the readings, or at least electronically record the readings.
These devices generally continue to rely to some extent on mechanical optical systems for obtaining the readings. These devices are relatively large requiring a substantially sized table or supporting structure. Many also require some significant calibration and/or manual adjustment to obtain a reading.
These types of units again require substantial training for anyone using them. The calibration and operation steps may not represent a substantial improvement over the amount of time demanded to use manual lensometers.
Still further, human error again comes into play. If the operator needs to visually align targets or otherwise verify some condition before the reading is taken, the accuracy depends a good deal on the operator.
4. Practical Considerations: Although ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians provide medical or vision-related services, they also in most cases are involved in businesses. Business efficiency therefore plays a significant role in these practices. Efficiency and economy are constant goals.
Time savings is an obvious goal. The more quickly procedures can be accomplished and patients or customers processed, the number of patients which can be seen increases, and the more revenues can be generated. Related to this is the concept that the easier the equipment and procedures are to learn, the more quickly staff members or anyone can reliably perform the procedures.
Cost savings is another primary factor. Some of the automated lensometers available are extremely costly as compared to manual lensometers. This deters some from using automated lensometers. The trade-off is the requirement of more time and a greater margin of error in readings.
Space considerations are a subtle but important factor in this field. The more area and floor space required to position or support a lensometer, translates into the need for more room for other equipment, examination rooms, etc. This in turn translates into more rent or building expenses, and less examination rooms. The fewer examination rooms means that patient flow and through-put is more restricted and less flexible.
Staff considerations are also a factor. The more procedures that can be delegated to staff or technician personnel, the more time the ophthalmologist, optometrist, or optician has to deal with higher revenue-producing tasks. The ability to delegate procedures is related to the complexity of the procedure. It is also related to the ability to train staff, which in this field tends to have a high turnover rate.
A related factor is the accuracy and reliability of results from tasks such as utilizing lensometers. Again, a complex machine, one that requires substantial training or one that requires manual operation or translation of results, raises the margin of error for those results.
Training on manual lensometers is somewhat difficult because it requires a user to know and understand how the equipment works and how to achieve the most accurate readings. It also requires a high skill level of the user. Training of most present automated lensometers is complex because it also generally requires some high level of technical skill or expertise.
Another factor involved in the practical business is the actual or perceived need to have high technology equipment. The present automated lensometers can generally be considered higher technology than the manual lensometers. The perception of patients or customers is that higher technology means better service. This perception must be balanced against all the above discussed factors such as time, cost, size, training, in deciding whether automated lensometers are more cost effective than cheaper manual devices.
An additional subtle but important factor at play in this field is the struggle of small offices or establishments to effectively compete with larger offices or establishments. Larger offices generally utilize more staff, more space, and have economies of scale. For a smaller office to compete, it is especially urgent that efficiency and economy be maximized.
5. Needs in the Art: It can therefore be seen that there is a real and identifiable need in the art for a lensometer which addresses and improves over or solves the problems and deficiencies in the art.
The need exists for an automated lensometer which eliminates to a substantial degree any margin of human error involved in taking such readings. The need exists for an automated lensometer which is as small as possible, yet can take all necessary readings reliably and accurately. It must be easy to operate and to learn how to operate. It must also be economical to manufacture and to purchase.
6. Objects: It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an automated lensometer which improves over or solves the problems and deficiencies in the art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated lensometer which is quick and easy to operate, and produces reliable and accurate readings.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated lensometer which is small in size when compared to other automated lensometers, and which is as small or smaller than most manual lensometers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated lensometer which can take readings from both eye glasses and contact lens easily and accurately.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated lensometer which is efficient, economical, reliable and durable.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent with reference to the accompanying specification and claims.


Methods and apparatus, including systems and computer program products, to provide clustering of users in which users are each represented as a set of elements representing items, e.g., items selected by users using a system. In one aspect, a program operates to obtain a respective interest set for each of multiple users, each interest set representing items in which the respective user expressed interest; for each of the users, to determine k hash values of the respective interest set, wherein the i-th hash value is a minimum value under a corresponding i-th hash function; and to assign each of the multiple users to each of the respective k clusters established for the respective user, the i-th cluster being represented by the i-th hash value. The assignment of each of the users to k clusters is done without regard to the assignment of any of the other users to k clusters.

The present invention relates to digital data processing and more particularly to grouping users of a computer application or system into clusters.
Grouping users into clusters is done for a variety of purposes. To achieve user personalization, for example, one of the well known techniques, collaborative filtering, involves clustering users and recommending to a user items that other users in the user's cluster have expressed interest in. Conventionally, a user may be taken to have expressed interest in an item in various ways, e.g., by clicking on it, purchasing it, or adding it to a shopping cart. The recommendation can take a variety of forms, e.g., presenting to the user as part of search results, showing as news stories the user may want to read, identifying items the user may want to purchase, and so on.
One way to achieve user clustering is to define a distance measure between two users and then cluster them using well-known clustering algorithms like k-means or hierarchical agglomerative clustering (HAC). However, such techniques have shortcomings. For example, HAC has a running time of O(n2) which is prohibitive for n values that are hundreds of millions; and the k-means algorithm requires representing the mean of data points, which is not possible when the data points are sets.

Scalable user clustering based on set similarity


It is intended that the relative head speed for a track in seeking is detected precisely without being influenced by track swing due to eccentricity of a disk. To this end, the current (proportional to the acceleration of an optical head) for a voice coil motor for driving an optical head is previously detected while track following control is executed and the detected data are stored in memory. In seeking, the sum of a detected current (representative of the acceleration of the head for a fixed component) and the data supplied from the memory is integrated to provide the relative speed of the head for a track. The relative speed signal is added to the differential signal of a pulsated signal of the track traversing signal of the head. The addition output represents the precise relative speed signal in consideration of track swing. If the voice coil motor is controlled so that this relative speed coincides with a target speed signal, the head speed can be controlled without being influenced by the track swing.

The present invention relates to an information recording/reproducing device such as an optical disk device and a magnetic disk device. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method of controlling positioning of a recording/reproducing head which intends to position the recording/reproducing head on a desired track of a rotary disk-shape recording medium with concentric or spiral tracks, and more particularly to a method of controlling positioning of a recording/reproducing head and an information recording/reproducing device which use a speed detecting method which can precisely detect the relative speed of the recording/reproducing head for a track.
In a magnetic disk device, a previously known seeking system positions a recording/reproducing head on a target track of a disk-shape recording medium by detecting the relative speed of the recording/reproducing head for a track using a sum of a differentiated value of the position information obtained when the head traverses each track and an integrated value of the driving current for shifting the head.
Such a system controls the moving speed of the recording/reproducing head on the basis of a speed signal which is a sum of the differential signal of position information obtained from a track in seeking and the integral signal of an actuator driving current for the head. In this case, the differential signal, although it is the relative speed signal of the head for a track, is an intermittent and relatively high frequency component signal so that it cannot detect a change in the relative speed having a continuous and relatively low frequency component due to eccentricity and cannot transmit the detected change. On the other hand, the integral signal, although it is a continuous and relatively low frequency component signal, is the absolute speed signal of the head but not the relative speed so that it cannot also detect a change in the relative speed due to eccentricity and transmit the detected change. As a result, the known system cannot precisely detect a change in the relative speed which results from track swing due to eccentricity and cannot control the head so that it is swiftly positioned on a target track.

Controlling positioning of recording/reproducing head by combining a position differentiation and a drive current integration


An apparatus for holding a brush in contact with a moving conductive surface, the apparatus includes: a rotatable member disposed adjacent to the brush; and a spring coupled to the brush and to the member and configured to bias the brush towards the moving conductive surface; wherein the rotatable member in a first position makes contact with the brush to secure the brush from movement and in a second position releases the brush from the contact to allow the spring to hold the brush in contact with the moving conductive surface.

The present invention relates to a brush holder assembly for conducting electrical current between a brush and a rotating element of a dynamoelectric machine. In particular, the brush holder assembly can be replaced during operation of the machine.
A dynamoelectric machine has a rotor with windings that conduct electrical current for operation of the machine. Because the rotor rotates, rotating elements are used to conduct current to the rotor windings from a source external to the rotor. The rotating elements such as collector rings or commutators make contact with brushes to conduct the current. As the brushes are stationary with respect to the rotating elements, the brushes, which are made of carbon, wear due to friction and need periodic replacement.
Commercial electric generators are expensive to operate and need to generate revenue to support operations. Hence, a major goal in operating the generator is to reduce downtime for maintenance. To this end, the brushes are designed to be replaced while the generator is operating. As the generator is operating during brush replacement, safety is of the utmost concern.
In order to safely change the brushes, an operator uses only one hand. Using two hands increases the probability of an accident with current flowing from one hand to another hand through the operator's body. Even with appropriate protective personnel equipment, using only one hand is very important to reduce the risk of serious injury.
Older brush holder designs for replacing the brushes while the generator is operating have some drawbacks. For example, one type of brush holder weighs about ten pounds making it difficult for the operator to change out using only one hand. There are both ergonomic and safety concerns with this design. Also, while the brush surfaces are exposed to cooling air, it is difficult to see the amount of brush wear in order to determine an appropriate time for brush replacement.
As another example, other brush holders are somewhat lighter at five pounds but still too heavy to be conveniently changed out with only one hand. These brush holders are generally complicated and expensive. In addition, these brush holders use a box-style enclosure around each brush. Unfortunately, the box-style enclosure limits the amount of brush surface exposed to cooling air, thus, shortening the life span of the brush.
Some of the brush holders with the box-style enclosures hold only a single brush, which means the operator must reach into the energized brush-rigging/collector assembly for brush changing twice as many times as a two-brush holder design. In addition, it is difficult to see the amount of brush wear using the box-style enclosure design. One box-style holder design uses a wear indicator attached to each individual brush, increasing the cost of each brush and, therefore, maintenance costs.
Therefore, what are needed are techniques that allow changing brushes in a dynamoelectric machine safely, quickly, and inexpensively. In particular, the brush changing needs to be performed while the machine is operational.

Pin-style collector brush holder with rotating spring plate, radial contact, and brush-wear indicator


Apparatus and a method is described for correcting a set of stored digital representations of numbers having an estimable error probability distribution where there is at least one known arithmetic relation between the numbers which can be expressed as a sum, difference or equality. The invention finds particular, but not exclusive, application to the correction of optical character recognition (OCR) results. Hidden Markov Model optimization logic is employed for finding the most likely path through a set of states in accordance with probability functions recording the likelihood of transitions between the states giving rise to a set of event-related observations. The system is arranged so that the states are possible accumulated totals generated by adding or subtracting ones of the numbers to or from an initial accumulated total, addition or subtraction of the numbers to or from an accumulated total or equality of an accumulated total with the numbers are the events causing transitions from state to state, the digital representations are the event-related observations, and the error probability distributions are the probability functions, the apparatus comprising means to correct the digital representations in accordance with events giving rise to the most likely path through the states.

Various automatic document processors have been marketed by various manufacturers for use for example with cheques and other kinds of forms in, for example, the finance industry, tax offices and other areas where large numbers of documents must be handled. Typically, these machines read indicia on a document using magnetic or optical techniques. For a variety of reasons the reading of the indicia may be in error. For example the document may be moving rapidly, the printing or handwriting on the document may be imperfect or the document may be damaged.
Various methods have been proposed to identify and/or correct errors in reading. For example in systems typified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,978 where characters are recognized both magnetically and optically, readings are rejected when the two systems indicate different symbols. This adds hardware and software to the system and can lead to a substantial number of reject readings.
Other techniques such as keying or manual verification of the amount of each item have also been proposed. This represents a substantial amount of additional manual labor.
In many cases, contextual information can be used to improve the quality of an OCR result. For example, in the case of words a dictionary lookup operation is sometimes used to ensure that a recognized word is valid.
In the case of numbers, there may be an arithmetic relation between a set of numbers which might be used both to indicate that an error has been made and to correct the error.
For example, EP-A-446633 discloses apparatus for automatic processing of cheques in which, in the event of a discrepancy between a cheque amount and a summary document, such as a deposit slip or cash letter, an expert system uses logic, stored rules, error probabilities and alternate numeric values to try to correct the errors.
Of course, the straightforward way to deal with inconsistent arithmetic, would be to try combinations of alternate values produced by an OCR process until consistency is achieved. However, this is a procedure for which the computing resources required increase exponentially with the number of figures involved and therefore it can only practically be applied to relatively small bodies of data and with a small number of combinations.

International Business Machines Corporation


Apparatuses and methods of aligning at least one tip of a tip manifold with a plurality of wells of a multiwell plate. The tip manifold includes a plate, at least one tip depending from the plate, a first tip alignment pin depending from the plate, and a second tip alignment pin depending from the plate. The second tip alignment pin opposes the first tip alignment pin. The multiwell plate includes a body defining a plurality of non-porous wells for holding biological material, a first alignment hole, and a second alignment hole. The second alignment hole opposes the first alignment hole.

Ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) is one of the most exciting discoveries in biology in modern times and represents a revolution in the analysis of gene function. At present, genome-wide RNAi screens are becoming an increasingly important part in the process of target discovery. However, there is a lack of apparatuses and methods for the efficient tranfection of biologically relevant cell types at a sufficient throughput. For example, lipid-based methods can deliver in terms of throughput, but are unable to efficiently transfect most biologically relevant cell types. Methods based on conventional electroporation can transfect a wide range of primary and hard-to-transfect cell types, but are unable to do so at a price, efficiency and throughput required.
Electroporation is an increase the in the electrical conductivity and permeability of the cell membrane caused by an externally applied electrical field. In molecular biology, electroporation is used to introduce substances into a cell. For example, a nucleic acid can be introduced into a cell to change the cell's function. Electroporation is generally useful for introducing nucleic acids or other chemical or physical entities into tissue culture cells, including mammalian cells as well as to targeted organs in the living body. Electroporation applications include tumor treatment, gene therapy, cell-based therapy, and drug discovery.
In traditional electroporation techniques, electroporators create an electric current and pass it through a cell solution in a cuvette containing e.g. two metal electrodes on its sides. The cell suspension contained in the cuvette is mixed with a plasmid to be introduced into the cells. The cuvette is inserted into an electroporator, which applies a voltage (for example, 240 volts) to the electrodes and creates an electric field in the cell solution allowing the plasmid to enter the cell. After the cell solution is electroporated, the cells have to be handled carefully until they have had a chance to divide producing new cells that contain reproduced plasmids.
In many current electroporation practices, cells are detached from the cell culture vessel, placed in suspension, and transferred to cuvettes for electroporation as described above. This process is labor intensive and limits throughput and effectiveness. In addition, the electroporation step itself may cause significant stress to the cells and in combination with elaborate handling of cells such as scraping, digestion, transfer, pipetting and the like. As a result, high rates of cell morbidity and mortality are often observed.

Apparatus and method for tip alignment in multiwell plates


A CD-ROM drive is disclosed which usually is put to use with CR-ROMs of varying qualities which may, or may not, wobble during rotation, possibly resulting in the vibration of the complete device. On being loaded into the device, therefore, each disk is rotated at increasing speed preparatory to reading. The speed of disk rotation at which vibration due to disk wobbling builds up to a prescribed limit is held as a maximum allowable speed until the disk is unloaded. The disk is subsequently read at no more than the maximum allowable speed.

This invention relates to the recovery of data from rotating data storage disks such as, typically, compact disks (CDs) used as read-only memories (ROMs) in computer systems. More specifically, the invention concerns how to preclude the possible wobbling of CD-ROMs or the like for error-free reading thereof.
Although originally developed for consumer audio reproduction, CDs have now found widespread acceptance as compact, high-speed, large-capacity ROMs for computers. CD-ROMs are driven at linear velocities several times as high as the standard linear velocities (1.2-1.4 meters per second) of audio CDs.
There has been a problem left unsolved in use of CD-ROMs in high-speed CD-ROM drives in computers. CD-ROMs are made under the same design specifications and manufacturing standards as low-speed audio CDs. Inevitably, therefore, there are some CD-ROMs on the market that are not of satisfactory quality for use as high-speed computer data storage media, including those having their center holes cut eccentrically, and those having an uneven weight distribution circumferentially. Such low-grade disks are easy to wobble when driven at a speed as high as, say, 12 times the standard audio CD speed: The disk wobbling may go so far as to make tracking and focus controls difficult or even impossible. Improper functioning of the tracking and focus controls will result in read errors, which necessitate retries and thus impede high speed data recovery.
The wobbling of low grade disks can give rise to additional inconveniences. A wobbling disk may cause vibration of the complete CD-ROM drive, giving the user a shoddy image. Worse yet, the complete computer may vibrate with the CD-ROM drive. Particularly undesirable is the vibration of a hard-disk drive (HDD) that may be incorporated with the computer along with the CD-ROM drive. The vibration of the HDD can readily lead to read and write errors, to the detriment of the reliability of the computer.
All such troubles and inconveniences might be avoided if only high quality CD-ROMs, altogether free from the physical defects pointed out earlier, were used. CD-ROM drive manufacturers cannot, and should not, expect their products to be used only that way.

Method and apparatus for wobble-free data recovery from CD-rom or the like


An organic electroluminescent device comprises two substrates facing to each other. The first substrate has a first conductive layer and a pixel array. A second substrate is located on the pixel array, and has a second conductive layer on its lower surface. The pixel array includes a plurality of organic light emitting diodes connected to the first conductive layer. The second conductive layer is electrically connected to the conductive layer, and then electrically connected to a voltage source by way of the first conductive layer.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic electroluminescent device with uniform driving current.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Organic electroluminescent panels use organic light emitting diodes as light sources. The organic light emitting diodes belongs to current-driving elements which change brightness with electric current flowing through the organic light emitting diode. Therefore, it is important to precisely control the electric current to flow through organic light emitting diode.
FIG. 1A shows a circuit diagram of a pixel array in a conventional active organic light emitting panel. FIG. 1B shows a plane diagram of one pixel of the pixel array in FIG. 1A. Each of pixel units 10 includes an organic light emitting diode 11, a switching transistor 12, a driving transistor 13, a data-line 14, a scan line 15, a power line 16 and a capacitor 17. Their connections have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art.
All driving transistors 13 of the pixel array are connected to a common display voltage source VDD with either source electrodes or drain electrodes, in order to generate a display voltage level. The source electrodes or drain electrodes, which are not connected to the display voltage source VDD, are connected to the organic light emitting diodes 11. The organic light emitting diode 11 has one end connected to the driving transistor 13, and the other end connected to the ground electrode or a reference voltage source Vss to get a reference voltage level. The difference between the display voltage level and the reference voltage level cooperates with the data voltage input from the data line 14 to effect the electric current flowing through the organic light emitting diode 11, in order to control the brightness.
Generally, the reference voltage level is constant, so the stability of the display voltage level affects the difference between the display voltage level and the reference voltage level. However, as the electric current which is applied by the display voltage source VDD goes to different pixel units by way of the power line 16, the different IR drops happen due to the factors such as materials, thickness of the power line 16, pathway of electric current, or distance from each pixel unit to the display voltage source VDD. Therefore, the practical operating voltage of the pixel unit is different from the voltage applied by the display voltage source VDD. The result are that unstable electric current occurs and flows through the organic light emitting diode 11 of each pixel unit, and that brightness is hard to control.
For improving the above disadvantage, the thickness of the metal wire such as data line, scan line or power line etc., is increased to prevent the unstable electric current. For example, the thickness of the power line 16 is increased to stabilize the electric current which flows through the source electrode or the drain electrode of the driving transistor 13.
Refer to FIG. 1C, buffer layers 131, such as silicon nitride or silicon oxide, gate oxide layer 132, dielectric layer 133, metal layer 134, protecting layer 135 and flat layer 136 etc., are disposed on the substrate 130. The metal layer 134 acts as the source/drain electrode of the transistor 13, and has a thickness reaching to 6000 Å.
Refer to FIG. 1D, the ordinate is uniformity of the display voltage (%), and the abscissa is the thickness of the metal layer (Å). In average, as the thickness of the metal layer 134 is increased from 2000 Å to 6000 Å, the uniformity of the display voltage is increased from 78% to 88%. Therefore, the electric resistance and IR drop can be reduced by increasing the thickness of the metal layer.
However, the increased thickness of the metal layer results in the following issues: the time and cost in PVD or etching process increase; high step coverage ability requirement or a flat process employed due to the ITO layer and the protecting layer 135 fabricated in the latter process; corrosion happening in the latter process due to the sidewall of the metal layer 134 covered incompletely; the structure peeling off due to larger stress.

Organic electroluminescent device with two electrically connected conductive layers respectively disposed on different substrates


In a process for the direct reduction of iron-oxide containing material, synthesis gas is mixed with top gas formed in the direct reduction of the iron-oxide containing material and is used as a reducing gas for direct reduction. In order to avoid metal dusting despite an elevated CO-content of the reducing gas, or to reduce metal dusting, in a procedurally simple and cost-saving manner while minimizing the energy demand, an H.sub.2 O content of between 1 and 2%, preferably amounting to about 1.5%, is achieved in the reducing gas by subjecting a partial volume of the top gas to CO.sub.2 scrubbing prior to being used as a reducing gas, wherein the top gas subjected to CO.sub.2 scrubbing is mixed with the synthesis gas, is brought to a predetermined temperature by direct water irrigation while being saturated with H.sub.2 O, after direct water irrigation is heated to a temperature above the saturation temperature by admixing CO.sub.2 -unscrubbed top gas, and subsequently is used as a reducing gas.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the direct reduction of iron-containing material, wherein synthesis gas, preferably reformed natural gas, is mixed with top gas forming in the direct reduction of the iron-containing material and is used for direct reduction as a reducing gas which does not crack at reduction temperature, as well as a plant for carrying out the process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A process of this type is known, for instance, from U.S. Pat. No. 2,752,234, U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,251, and EP 0 571 358.
From EP 0 571 358 it is known to carry out the reduction of fine ore not exclusively via the strongly endothermic reaction with H.sub.2 according t o EQU Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 +3H.sub.2 =2 Fe+3H.sub.2 O-.DELTA.H,
but additionally via the reaction with CO according to EQU Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 +3CO=2 Fe+3CO.sub.2 -.DELTA.H,
which is an exothermic reaction. Thereby, it is feasible to considerably lower the operational costs involved.
However, in metallic plant parts that get into contact with CO-containing reducing gas are subject to a high stress due to corrosion. The result is metal decomposition, which is denoted as "metal dusting" in the technical literature. Metal dusting occurs to an increased extent at elevated temperatures, plant parts that get into contact with hot CO-containing reducing gas, thus, being particularly jeopardized. With a plant for carrying out the initially mentioned process, these are primarily the reactors employed for direct reduction and the gas heater heating the reducing gas to reduction temperature.
With a process according to the prior art, difficulties may occur when the reducing gas has a water content that is either too high or too low. If the water content is too high, the reduction potential of the reducing gas decreases. As a result, a higher amount of reducing gas is required for direct reduction than would actually be necessary in accordance with the chemical potential of the reducing gas. A further difficulty arises if the water content of the reducing gas is too low, because too dry a reducing gas causes metal dusting to an increased extent. In order to minimize both of these drawbacks, it is necessary to adjust the optimum water content with great accuracy.

Direct reduction process for iron oxide-containing materials


Various embodiments of the present technology may provide methods and apparatus for an amplifier integrated circuit. The amplifier integrated circuit may provide two amplifiers, one amplifier set to a low gain bandwidth product to amplify at a higher speed and the other amplifier set to a high gain bandwidth product to amplify at a lower speed. The amplifier integrated circuit may further provide a switching circuit connected to the amplifiers, wherein the switching circuit is responsive to a control signal and operates to selectively activate the high speed amplifier and the low speed amplifier in sequence.

Many electrical systems utilize an amplifier to charge a switched capacitor. Conventional amplifiers are designed to charge the capacitor to a particular capacitance. However, if the charging time is fixed to a short period, an amplifier needs to be set to operate at high speed to suit the electrical charging time. If an amplifier is set to operate at high speed, a wide range of thermal noise is amplified raising the noise of the amplifier circuit. While methods to reduce noise level exist, such as including an adding function at the amplifier output, these methods have the undesirable effect of increasing the circuit size and increasing the calculation period.

Methods and apparatus for an amplifier integrated circuit

SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC


A securing mechanism for securing a computing device within a vehicle includes a first end and a second end. A top face and a bottom face extend from the first end to the second end, and the securing mechanism is folded such that the bottom face at the first end is proximate to the bottom face at the second end, defining a channel configured to receive a portion of a seatbelt of the vehicle. The securing mechanism also includes an attachment mechanism that is configured to attach the securing mechanism to the computing device. In various embodiments, the securing mechanism is attached to the computing device at a point below a center of gravity for the computing device.

Field
The present specification generally relates to securing mechanisms and, more specifically, to mechanism for securing a mobile computing device within a vehicle.
Technical Background
In-cab mounted computers (sometimes called a "mobile data terminal" or "MDT") enable a truck driver to process bills of lading and scan documents from the truck back to the office. The computing device, when equipped with a GPS receiver, can also allow the dispatcher to track the location and route progress for the driver and manage the productivity of the fleet. The computing device may also connect to the truck's internal computing system to provide information regarding preventative maintenance and engine fault codes, fuel economy, speed, and odometer mileage.
Computing devices may be mounted within the cab of the truck to reduce the likelihood that the driver will drop, damage, or lose the computing device or to reduce wear on the computing device. Although mounting the computing device within the cab provides protection for the device, existing mounting techniques may render it difficult to quickly remove the computing device from the mounting. Thus, the company may need to rent additional trucks to handle business level spikes or to replace company-owned trucks that are being repaired, leaving the driver without a computing device. A driver who personally purchases a computing device may drive for multiple carriers or be in different trucks during the day. Accordingly, there is a need for a mount for a computing device that enables the computing device to be easily removed for transfer between trucks.


The proposed boost circuit includes a DC/DC converter having a switch, receiving an input voltage and outputting an input voltage feedback signal, an output voltage feedback signal, an input current feedback signal and an output voltage after a boost of the input voltage, and a feedback control circuit having a pulse-width modulation limiting controller, coupled to the converter, receiving the input voltage feedback signal, the output voltage feedback signal and the input current feedback signal and generating an output signal with a fixed time period. The output signal is employed to control the switching of the switch so as to generate the boost.

Please refer to FIG. 1, which is the schematic circuit diagram of a conventional boost circuit 1 in the prior art. In FIG. 1, the boost circuit includes a DC/DC boost converter 11 and a feedback control circuit 12. The feedback control circuit 12 further includes a voltage/current detector 121 for receiving an input voltage feedback signal SVi, an output voltage feedback signal SVo and an input current feedback signal SIi generated by the DC/DC boost converter 11, an oscillator 122, a modulator 123, a soft-starting unit 124 and a feedback controller 125. In which, an input voltage Vin turns into an output voltage Vo after a boost, and the output voltage Vo is controlled by an output signal K of the feedback controller 125. As shown in FIG. 2, the variations of the output voltage Vo of the boost circuit 1 is increasing from an initial value S to a peak value P gradually and then decreasing to a stable value Vo slowly. The operational principles of the boost circuit 1 are described as follows. The voltage/current detector 121 coverts the detected signal into a voltage signal and outputs the voltage signal to the modulator 123 firstly. The modulator 123 modulates the time period of a pulse train according to the voltage signal and a first output signal generated by the oscillator 122 secondly. The modulated pulse train is outputted from the modulator 123 to the feedback controller 125 and compared with the first output signal generated by the oscillator 122 and a second output signal generated by the soft starting unit 124 thirdly. And the output signal K is generated and outputted by the feedback controller 125 to control the switching of a switch Q1 of the boost circuit 1 so as to generate the boost lastly.
According to the waveform of the output voltage Vo as shown in FIG. 2, the value of the output voltage Vo is rising from an initial value S to a peak value P and then decreasing from P to a stable value Vo. Since the conventional boost circuit 1 will make the output voltage Vo rise to the highest value of P, relatively the electronic elements of the boost circuit 1 such as the switch Q1, the diode D and the output capacitor C1 must have the higher withstand voltage and the higher reliability, and the manufacturing costs of these electronic elements are higher. The power consumption of the conventional boost circuit 1 is relatively higher and more expensive since the output voltage Vo will raise to the peak value P, which is higher than the rated voltage Vo.
Keeping the drawbacks of the prior arts in mind, and employing experiments and research full-heartily and persistently, the applicant finally conceived the configuration and the controlling method of a boost circuit having a pulse-width modulation limiting controller.

Configuration and controlling method of boost circuit having pulse-width modulation limiting controller


Techniques and apparatus for utilizing bits in a translation look aside buffer (TLB) table to identify and access security parameters to be used in securely accessing data are provided. Any type of bits in the TLB may be used, such as excess bits in a translated address, excess attribute bits, or special purpose bits added specifically for security purposes. In some cases, the security parameters may include an index into a key table for use in retrieving a set of one or more keys to use for encryption and/or decryption.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to data encryption and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for identifying and storing parameters to be used when securely accessing data through the use of encryption.
2. Description of the Related Art
A system on a chip (SOC) generally includes one or more integrated processor cores, some type of embedded memory, such as a cache shared between the processors cores, and peripheral interfaces, such as memory control components and external bus interfaces, on a single chip to form a complete (or nearly complete) system. The use of cache memory hierarchies is well established to improve a processor performance by reducing and/or eliminating read access requests to external memory.
As part of an enhanced security feature, some SOCs encrypt some portions of data prior to storing it in external memory. Adding such encryption to an SOC may add valuable benefits, such as preventing a hacker from obtaining instructions of a copyrighted program, such as a video game, or data that may be used to determine such instructions through reverse engineering. When the encrypted data is subsequently retrieved from external memory, it must first be decrypted before it can be used by the processor cores.
A set of security parameters (stored on or off chip) may contain information about the type of security to be applied to different portions of memory. For example, these security parameters may identify which portions of memory are protected as well as, for those identified portions of memory that are protected, exactly how encryption is applied (e.g., an encryption block size, a set of encryption keys, and the like). Unfortunately, according to some implementations, some amount of latency may be suffered as a set of security parameters is located and retrieved, for example, based on the address of data targeted in a memory access request.
In virtual memory systems, real (or "physical") addresses of the targeted data are often translated from virtual addresses utilizing a data table commonly referred to as a translation look aside buffer (TLB). In some cases, possibly due to scalability reasons, the number of external address lines (actually leaving the SOC) may be less than the total number of bits of the translated real address. As a result, the translated real address may have a number of "excess" bits that are not utilized. Further, TLB entries often have some collection of attribute bits that contain information about corresponding data (e.g., valid and dirty bits). The collection of attribute bits may also include unutilized excess bits.
In conventional SOCs, such excess address and/or attribute bits in TLB entries constitute a waste of resources. It would be desirable to utilize these excess bits in a TLB entry, for example, to identify a set of security parameters to be applied to corresponding data.

Secure memory control parameters in table look aside buffer data fields and support memory array


An additive agent injection valve and a catalyst unit are formed on an exhaust gas tube in an exhaust gas purifying system. The additive agent injection valve injects urea solution into exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust gas passage. The additive agent injection valve has a first spray part having a first traveling distance and a second spray part having a second traveling distance which is longer than the first traveling distance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exhaust gas purifying system such as a urea SCR (selective catalyst reduction) system as a typical example, capable of purifying exhaust gas emitted from an internal combustion engine, for example, mounted on motor vehicles, by carrying out exhaust purifying reaction on catalysts using a predetermined additive agent. More particularly, the present invention relates to an exhaust gas purifying system capable of purifying exhaust gas by exhaust gas purifying reaction as well as promoting the exhaust gas purifying reaction with an additive agent such as a urea solution to be injected into the exhaust gas flow by an additive agent injection valve.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, urea SCR (selective catalyst reduction) system as an exhaust gas purifying system has been studied and developed, which is applicable to thermal power plants, various types of factories, and auto vehicles (in particular, a motor vehicle equipped with a diesel engine). The urea SCR system is capable of purifying particulate matter (PM) such as NOx (Nitrogen oxide) contained in the exhaust gas. Some of those researches have been put into practical use.
There is a conventional well-known urea SCR system disclosed in Japanese paten laid open publication No. JP 2003-293739.
A description will now be given of a typical configuration, with reference to FIG. 14, adopted to conventional usual urea SCR systems as well as to the system of Japanese patent laid open publication No. JP 2003-293739.
As shown in FIG. 14, the conventional urea SCR system is composed mainly of a catalyst unit 51, an exhaust tube 52, and an additive agent injection valve 53 placed in the middle of the exhaust tube 52. The catalyst unit 51 promotes the exhaust gas purifying reaction. Through the exhaust gas tube 52 the exhaust gas emitted from an exhaust gas generation source (for example, an engine) flows and is introduced into the catalyst unit 51. The additive agent injection valve 53 injects urea solution (as additive agent) to the exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust tube 52. The catalyst 51 is capable of promoting reduction reaction for NOx contained in the exhaust gas.
In the conventional urea SCR system having the above configuration shown in FIG. 14, the additive agent injection valve 53 injects the urea solution into the flow of the exhaust gas in the exhaust tube 52, the flow of the exhaust gas (or the exhaust gas flow) supplies the injected urea solution to the catalyst unit 51 which houses catalyst at the downstream side when observed from the position of the additive injection valve 53.
In the catalyst unit 51, the reduction reaction of NOx contained in the exhaust gas is performed with catalyst. This reduction reaction can purify NOx contained in the exhaust gas. In the reduction reaction, urea solution is hydrolyzed with thermal energy of the exhaust gas to generate ammonia (NH3). NOx contained in the exhaust gas is reduced and purified with the catalyst in the catalyst unit 51. Japanese patent kohyo (Japan unexamined patent publication as a national publication of translated version) No. JP 2001-516635 disclosed such an additive agent injection valve 53 shown in FIG, 14 which is mounted on the exhaust gas tube 52, more particularly, disclosed the additive agent injection valve mounted on a passage wall of the exhaust gas tube 52. Like the configuration shown in FIG. 14, the Japanese patent kohyo No. JP 2001-516635 disclosed the urea addition valve placed in an exhaust gas tube so that an outlet opening of the urea addition valve leans to an exhaust gas tube toward a catalyst unit which houses catalyst. However, it is generally desirable to spray ammonium gas generated by hydrolysis of urea solution onto the entire end surface of the catalyst unit 51 at the upstream side of the exhaust gas flow in order to adequately purify the exhaust gas in the catalyst unit 51. This configuration enables that NOx contained in the exhaust gas is completely reduced in the entire area of the catalyst unit 51. Accordingly, there is a demand to spray the additive agent (urea solution) into the entire section area of the exhaust gas tube by the additive agent injection valve in order to distribute ammonium gas into the entire end surface side of the catalyst unit 51 at the upstream side thereof. In particular, in a case of mounting the additive agent injection valve 53 on the exhaust gas tube 52 as an exhaust gas passage of a straight pile shape, as shown in FIG. 15, most of spray immediately following the injection by the additive agent injection valve 53 is carried away with the flow of the exhaust gas emitted from an internal combustion engine, as a result, there is a possibility that the spray does not reach the opposite part 60 in position to the area at which the additive agent injection valve 53 is mounted on the exhaust gas tube 52. This causes that ammonium gas generated by hydrolysis of urea solution reaches only a part of the upstream side end surface of the catalyst unit 51. This means that the catalyst does not serve as catalyst in a part of the catalyst unit at the upstream side thereof to which no ammonium gas is carried and where NOx is not reduced and purified. Thus, there is a possibility to adequately exhibit the purifying performance of the catalyst at the part to which no ammonium gas is carried.
By the way, Japanese patent laid open publication No. JP 2001-516635 disclosed a net (designated by reference number 56 shown in FIG. 3 of JP 2001-516635) placed at an outlet opening of an additive agent injection valve in order to uniformly spray urea solution into an exhaust gas tube, and further disclosed a deflector (designated by reference number 28 shown in FIG. 2 of JP 2001-516635) in order to change the direction of the urea solution injected from the additive agent injection valve.
However, spray of urea solution injected from the additive agent injection valve, as shown in the conventional system disclosed in JP 2001-516635, is also considerably influenced by the exhaust gas flow. This case also introduces a possibility of not reaching the spray of the urea solution to the opposite area to the additive agent injection valve mounted on the exhaust tube.


A microplate assembly comprising a multi-well microplate, a plurality of vent caps and a porous vent film. The microplate includes a frame that houses a plurality of open wells in a rectangular array. Vent caps mount on the microplate to seal and vent the wells. When the vent caps are coupled to the wells, an interior volume is formed in each well. The wells function as a vessel for liquid samples that occupy predetermined spaces within the interior volumes. Each liquid sample remains within its predetermined space for all orientations of the microplate assembly. The vent cap comprises an array of well inserts. Each well insert comprises a sealing plug and a vent tube. A flexible perforated web interconnects the well inserts to each other. The vent tubes are fixed to the sealing plugs and terminate in a vent. A barrier formed from a plurality of nested flaps resiliently mounts on the vent tube to partially cover the vent and help inhibit the evaporation and loss of the liquid samples.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to techniques for handling fluid samples in chemical, biological, pharmacological and related processes. More particularly, it relates to spillproof microplate apparatus for receiving and securely holding fluid samples.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Multi-well microplates play an important role in conventional chemical, biological, pharmacological and related processes that are designed to analyze and/or synthesize large numbers of small fluid samples. Such conventional processes normally employ multi-well microplates as tools when processing, shipping and storing the small liquid samples. Many of these processes achieve high-throughputs by applying modern automation techniques, including robotics. In recent years, efforts have been directed at integrating the different prevailing microplate apparatus into the automation equipment of these high-throughput processes. Such integration efforts, however, have had only limited success. Specifically, spillage, leakage, evaporation loss, airborne contamination and inter-well cross contamination of liquid samples are some of the common deficiencies that limit the application of many standard microplate assemblies in high-throughput systems. Consequently, one of the most critical problems confronting designers of microplate apparatus has been finding techniques of preventing the loss and contamination of well contents without unduly complicating the structures and/or handling requirements of a microplate assembly.
A standard microplate assembly normally comprises a microplate having a plurality of open wells and a closure device for sealing the wells shut. Commonly available microplates generally embody a unitary molded structure comprising a rigid frame for housing a plurality of open wells arranged in a rectangular array. Standard well closures include resilient, press-fit stoppers, rigid screw caps, adhesive films and the like. Microplates come in a range of sizes; a well may be sized to hold as high as five milliliters or as low as only a few microliters of liquid. In addition, microplates come in a variety of materials, such as polystyrene, polycarbonate, polypropylene, Teflon, glass, ceramics and quartz. Conventional microplates found in many high-throughput systems comprise a 96-well geometry molded into an 8xc3x9712 rectangular array of open wells. Microplates with lower well densities (e.g., 24 and 48 wells) and higher well densities (e.g., 384 and 864 wells) are also available.
An important microplate application exists in high-throughput organic synthesis (HTOS) systems. HTOS has been rapidly gaining importance as a tool for the accelerated synthesis of small organic molecules. HTOS systems employ a variety of automation techniques, which significantly reduce the time required for the development of commercially acceptable compounds in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and other specialty chemical industries. Most conventional HTOS systems simultaneously synthesize large groups of compounds while using standard microplate assemblies for the reaction, purification and shipment of such compounds. Another important microplate application exists in high-throughput screening (HTS) systems, which examine samples of pre-dissolved compounds for desired properties. HTS systems usually examine the samples while they are contained in the wells of conventional microplates. As such, automatic apparatus must manipulate conventional microplates and their contents during a typical HTS process. Consequently, a primarily requirement of a microplate assembly for use in HTOS and HTS systems is an ability to securely maintain a controlled environment for a liquid sample while the assembly is being manipulated in an automation process. In addition, a microplate assembly must provide means for adding reagents or other materials to an individual well or to multiple wells simultaneously. Further, a microplate assembly must allow for the mechanical mixing of well contents without risking spills, leaks or cross contamination.
Many HTOS systems deliver multiple samples as solutions of pre-dissolved compounds in microplate assemblies to various locations throughout the world. To prevent a loss of these solutions of pre-dissolved compounds from occurring during delivery, suppliers often convert the solutions into solids prior to shipment by freezing or other methods. Shipping compounds as solids rather than liquids, however, creates problems in dissolution that can complicate and inhibit subsequent sample evaluation procedures. Further, an unstable solid material may disperse on opening of a closed well prior to re-dissolution. Consequently, those skilled in the art have recognized that HTOS systems should preferably deliver solutions of compounds in their stable liquid form.
A need to deliver compounds as stable liquids creates handling and storage requirements that standard microplate apparatus cannot fully provide. As mentioned above, spills, leaks, sample evaporations and well contamination often limit the application of most standard microplate assemblies in high-throughput systems. A singular example involves the shipping of microplate assemblies in aircraft cargo hulls. At flying altitudes, a low ambient air pressure in an aircraft cargo hull may create a relatively large pressure difference across a well closure. Such pressure differences often cause press-fit closures to distort or even pop open, thereby permitting a resident liquid sample to spill, leak, evaporate, and/or cross contaminate other open wells. Similar problems also occur in conventional surface shipping because of mechanical shocks, vibrations and the like. Likewise, some chemical reactions create heat and pressure of sufficient magnitude in the confines of a sealed well such that the well closure will inadvertently open, thereby causing a resident sample to leak.
One attempt to resolve the shipping problems described above involves the use of a solution of a compound in an assay-compatible solvent that can be frozen, such as dimethyl sulfoxide. If the solution remains frozen, delivery may be achieved without spillage. This, unfortunately, is not always the case, since the useful life of cooling agents available for use in shipping environments rarely exceeds a few days. In addition, certain compounds will come out of solution on freezing and remain out on thawing, further complicating the use of cooling agents. Therefore, shipping techniques that involve cooling agents often create multiple sample-handling problems and require an inspection step prior to assay. Other attempts at solving these and similar problems have usually resulted in unduly complicating the structure of a microplate assembly while imposing elaborate and unacceptable requirements on automated processing systems.
The present invention solves these problems in the art by providing a technique for preventing the loss and contamination of the contents of microplate assemblies. In general, the present invention includes a method of sealing and venting a vessel having an opening and an interior volume containing a liquid sample. The method comprises the steps of inserting a plug in the opening, forming a vent in the interior of the vessel, and extending a tubular passage from the vent to the exterior of the vessel. The vent communicates with the interior volume and the exterior of the vessel. The method further includes extending the tubular passage through the plug. In addition, the liquid sample is deposited in a liquid-holding space in the interior volume. The liquid sample remains confined to the liquid-holding space for all orientations of the vessel. The vent communicates with the interior volume outside the liquid-holding space. A resilient barrier, having a plurality of nested flaps separated via narrow slits, mounts at one end of the tubular passage to inhibit the loss of a liquid sample via evaporation, spillage and the like while permitting the insertion of a probe into the interior volume.
According to another aspect of the invention, a microplate assembly comprises a microplate having a plurality of open wells. Each of the wells comprises a vessel with an interior volume. A seal is coupled to the wells for sealing the wells so that liquid in the interior volume is prevented from exiting the wells. A vent equalizes the pressure of the wells with the ambient pressure. The vent includes a resilient barrier with a plurality of nested flaps separated via narrow slits. The flaps resiliently mount at one end of the tubular passage to inhibit the loss of liquid sample via evaporation, spillage and the like while permitting the insertion of a probe into the interior volume.
Still, another aspect of the invention includes a microplate assembly comprising a multi-well microplate, a plurality of vent caps and a porous vent film. The microplate houses a plurality of open wells in a rectangular array. Vent caps seal and vent the wells. When the vent caps are coupled to the wells, an interior volume is formed in each well. The wells hold liquid samples that occupy predetermined spaces within the interior volumes. The liquid samples remain within a predetermined space for all orientations of the microplate assembly. The vent caps comprise sealing plugs and vent tubes, which are interconnected by a perforated web. The sealing plugs form a seal at the mouth of the open wells. The vent tubes attach to the sealing plugs and terminate in vents defined by a plurality of flaps separated by narrow slits. The vents communicate with the interior volumes outside the predetermined spaces occupied by the liquid samples. The vents permit the pressure within the interior volume to be equalized with the ambient pressure via a passage that runs through the vent tube and the sealing plugs. Material may be added to or removed from the wells via the passages and the resilient flaps. The porous vent film, which has an adhesive coating, adheres to the vent caps while covering the passages, thereby inhibiting evaporation of the liquid samples.

Method for sealing and venting a microplate assembly


A vehicle powershuttle system comprising a conventional forward/reverse gearset with a synchromesh and an electronic control system arranged to automatically control the vehicle main clutch, main brake and forward/reverse synchromesh to effect a substantially smooth engagement of forward or reverse drive to the vehicle driving wheels on manual selection of forward or reverse gear.

The present invention relates to a method and a system for automatically performing a forward/reverse gear change without requiring the manual disengagement of the vehicle main clutch. The invention has particular application in agricultural tractors where eg frequent three point turns on field headlands and repeated backward and forward travel during loading work involve frequent forward/reverse gear changes.
The concept of a system for effecting a direction change by shifting a lever or button, etc, without touching the clutch pedal is known. The word "powershuttle" is often used to describe such a system.
Known powershuttles generally employ two clutches working against each other to control the transfer of power between gear trains that remain continually in mesh. That is to say, no synchromesh is employed and the shift is effected using a similar procedure to that employed in making a shift between two forward gears in a "power shift" transmission. Thus, one clutch is arranged to transmit or to disable a reverse direction drive to the vehicle's driving wheels, whilst the other is arranged to transmit or disable a forward direction drive.
The control of the forward and reverse clutches will generally be electronic, taking into account speed, engine revs, and possibly other factors to set an optimum rate for the respective clutches to engage and disengage.
This type of system obviously requires a reverse direction clutch in addition to its main clutch.
The problem with such a powershuttle is that a great deal of energy needs to be dissipated by the clutches during a gear change, and the additional reverse clutch therefore needs to be substantial. This makes for high cost and the requirement for room under the bonnet to house the extra clutch.
The object of the present invention is to alleviate the above problems and provide a powershuttle system which is relatively inexpensive and requires no more room under the bonnet than is taken up by an equivalent transmission with a manual forward/reverse change.
A further object of the invention is to provide a powershuttle system that is readily installed in a vehicle with a conventional manual forward/reverse gearshift facility, with the minimum of adaptation; in particular, leaving the majority of the components in the transmission unaffected.

Automatic forward/reverse gear change system having a main clutch disengaged and main vehicle brake engaged during a shuttle shift


A method for forming a wiring on a substrate includes the steps of preparing a copper substrate, plating a copper-nickel layer on a portion of the copper substrate, combining the copper substrate with a soft polyimide substrate, and etching the copper substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of forming wiring on a substrate, and more particularly to a method of printing the wiring on the substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently there are three different ways of encapsulating a drive IC (integrated circuit) on a liquid crystal display (LCD), namely, 1, a Tape Carrier Package (TCP); 2, a Chip On Flex (COF); and 3, a Chip on Glass (COG). The first method and the second method require a soft circuit board to function as the carrier base board to combine the glass plate and the printed circuit board (PCB) on the display. The soft circuit board for the driver IC is divided into three categories:
The first soft circuit board:
With reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, it is noted that the very bottom is a copper layer (51). The second layer is an adhesive layer (52) and the third layer is a soft polyimide (PI) layer (53). In particular, the structure shown in FIG. 1B indicates that besides the structure being the sane as that of FIG. 1A, a second adhesive layer (52a) is attached to a free side of the polyamide layer (53), and a second copper layer (51a) is then attached to a free side of the second copper layer (52a). While forming the wiring on the copper layer (51), due to the etching process required to form the wiring on the copper layer (51), the thickness of the copper layer (51) has to at least be 12 μm due to the handling issue so that the effective product yield rate is high. However if the copper layer thickness is big, it will be very difficult for making slender wiring. For example, if the copper layer thickness is big, and the wiring has an average of 40-45 μm pitch (25 μm in width and 20 μm in-between), the effective product yield rate becomes low and that is why the current standard in industrial business is at the range of 45 μm pitch. When the wiring pitch is below 45 μm, a copper film having such as 12 or 9 μm thickness is required. Nevertheless, using a copper foil of this thickness still has its drawbacks. That is, the thin copper foil wrinkles easily during the wiring forming process and this causes a high defect rate. Therefore, the cost is high.
The second soft circuit board:
With reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, it is noted that there is no adhesive layer when compared with the embodiment in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The structure comprises a polymide substrate (54), a Monel layer (alloy of nickel and copper) sputtered on a surface of the polyimide layer (54) and a copper layer (55) attached to the Moriel layer. Thereafter, the thickness of the copper layer (55) is controlled by plating to reach 6 or 9 μm. With this method, it is not required to press the copper foil on the polyimide (PI) substrate (54) such that the effective product yield rate is high at fine pitch circuitry such as lower than 40 μm pitch. Furthermore, due to the thickness of the copper foil being controlled by plating, the operator is able to make wires with the required pitch and width, which often reaches a standard well below 30 μm. However, because there is no adhesive layer used to bond the metal layer and the soft polymide substrate, the metal layer sometimes peels off the substrate. Furthermore, the plated copper layer breaks easily so that the reliability of the encapsulated element is unsatisfactory. A further disadvantage is that the Monel and Cr layer is not easily etched away due to a good chemical bonding on Ri film such that electricity leakage occurs.
The third soft circuit board:
The third soft polyimide substrate is achieved by applying a polyimide (PI) directly onto the copper foil to create a substrate similar to the substrate without an adhesive layer. This kind of substrate has problems such as the contraction of copper foil thickness in the curing process and being inapplicable to a thickness under 12 μm. As a result, this product has little market share.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an improved wire forming method to mitigate the aforementioned problems.

Method for forming wiring on a substrate