A control device detects whether or not an up-converter fails, based on a DC voltage from a voltage sensor, an output voltage from a voltage sensor, and a duty ratio in controlling switching of NPN transistors. If a failure in the up-converter is detected, the control device then controls an inverter and an AC motor such that regenerative electric power generation in the AC motor is prohibited.

Recently, hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles have attracted great attention as environment-friendly vehicles. Some hybrid vehicles are now commercially available.
The hybrid vehicle includes, as a power source, a DC power supply, an inverter and a motor driven by the inverter, in addition to the conventional engine. Specifically, the engine is driven to generate power while DC voltage from the DC power supply is converted into AC voltage by the inverter to rotate the motor by the AC voltage and accordingly generate power. The electric vehicle includes, as a power source, a DC power supply, an inverter and a motor driven by the inverter.
Some hybrid or electric vehicles are designed to boost DC voltage from the DC power supply by an up-converter and to supply the boosted DC voltage to the inverter driving the motor.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2-308935 discloses an electric device 300 shown in FIG. 13. This electric device 300 is mounted on a hybrid vehicle. Referring to FIG. 13, electric device 300 includes a DC power supply 310, a bypass line 311, a relay 312, a boost chopper 320, a capacitor 326, an inverter 330, an electric device body 350, and a field magnet controller 360.
Bypass line 311 and relay 312 are connected in series between a power supply line and the positive electrode of DC power supply 310.
Boost chopper 320 includes a reactor 321, MOS transistors 322, 323, and diodes 324, 325. Reactor 321 has one end connected to the power supply line of DC power supply 310 and the other end connected to the intermediate point between MOS transistor 322 and MOS transistor 323. MOS transistors 322 and 323 are connected in series between the power supply line and a ground line. MOS transistor 322 has its drain connected to the power supply line. MOS transistor 323 has its source connected to the ground line. Diodes 324, 325 are each connected between the source and drain of the corresponding one of MOS transistors 322, 323 for allowing current to flow from the source side to the drain side.
Inverter 330 is constituted of a U-phase arm 343, a V-phase arm 344 and a W-phase arm 345. U-phase arm 343, V-phase arm 344 and W-phase arm 345 are connected in parallel between the power supply line and the ground line.
U-phase arm 343 is formed of MOS transistors 331 and 332 connected in series. V-phase arm 344 is formed of MOS transistors 333 and 334 connected in series. W-phase arm 345 is formed of MOS transistors 335 and 336 connected in series. Diodes 337-342 are each connected between the source and drain of the corresponding one of MOS transistors 331-336 for allowing current to flow from the source side to the drain side.
Electric device body 350 includes three phase coils and serves as a power generator and a motor for an engine. The U, V, W phase arms of inverter 330 have their respective intermediate points connected to the respective ends of the U, V, W phase coils of electric device body 350. The other end of the U-phase coil is connected to the intermediate point between MOS transistors 331 and 332. The other end of the V-phase coil is connected to the intermediate point between MOS transistors 333 and 334. The other end of the W-phase coil is connected to the intermediate point between MOS transistors 335 and 336.
Field magnet controller 360 includes a diode 361, an NPN transistor 362 and a base amplifier 363. Diode 361 is connected between the positive terminal F+ of the field coil of electric device body 350 and the collector of NPN transistor 362. NPN transistor 362 is connected between the negative terminal F− of the field coil and the ground line for receiving at its base a voltage from base amplifier 363. Base amplifier 363 is responsive to a control signal from a control device (not shown) to output a prescribed voltage to the base of NPN transistor 362 for turning on/off NPN transistor 362.
DC power supply 310 outputs a DC voltage. When relay 312 is turned on by the control signal from the control device (not shown), bypass line 311 supplies the voltage on both ends of capacitor 326 to DC power supply 310. Boost chopper 320 has its MOS transistors 322, 323 turned on/off by the control device (not shown) and boosts the DC voltage supplied from DC power supply 310 to provide an output voltage to inverter 330. Boost chopper 320 also down-converts the DC voltage generated by electric device body 350 and converted by inverter 330 to charge DC power supply 310, at the time of regenerative braking of the hybrid vehicle including electric device 300.
Capacitor 326 smoothes the DC voltage supplied from boost chopper 320 and supplies the smoothed DC voltage to inverter 330.
Inverter 330 receives the DC voltage from capacitor 326 to convert the DC voltage to an AC voltage based on the control from the control device (not shown) and drives electric device body 350 as a driving motor. Field magnet controller 360 allows current to flow in the field coil in accordance with the time period during which NPN transistor 362 is turned on. Electric device body 350 is therefore driven as a driving motor to generate torque specified by a torque command value. In regenerative braking of the hybrid vehicle including electric device 300, inverter 330 also converts an AC voltage generated by electric device body 350 to a DC voltage based on the control from the control device and supplies the converted DC voltage to boost chopper 320 through capacitor 326.
In electric device 300, a failure in boost chopper 320 is detected by detecting that the output voltage of boost chopper 320 becomes lower than a reference value. When the failure in boost chopper 320 is detected, relay 312 is turned on by the control signal from the control device, and bypass line 311 directly supplies the voltage on both ends of capacitor 326 to DC power supply 310.
In electric device 300 disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2-308935, however, when boost chopper 320 fails, the voltage on both ends of capacitor 326 is supplied to DC power supply 310 without being down-converted. Therefore, if a large amount of power is generated by electric device body 350, a high voltage will be applied to both ends of capacitor 326, resulting in that the withstand voltage performance of capacitor 326 must be improved, thereby increasing costs.

Voltage converting device, computer readable recording medium with program recorded thereon for causing computer to execute failure processing, and failure processing method


A liquid dispensing device includes a dispensing end piece and a neck of a reservoir for storing the liquid, the end piece being attached to the neck, which has a tubular internal surface. The end piece has a tubular internal skirt that is mounted in the neck and defines, with the internal surface, at least one annular sealing zone, preventing the liquid from passing between the internal skirt and the neck. The skirt defines, with the internal surface, a separate zone for retaining shavings, which prevents shavings that are formed in the sealing zone while the end piece is being fitted into the neck from getting into the reservoir.

Dispensing devices comprising a liquid storage reservoir and a dispensing end piece attached to a neck of the reservoir, for example by screwing, are already known, in particular from patent application FR2980378. The reservoir and the dispensing end piece are made of plastic. To ensure liquid sealing of the device, a part of the dispensing end piece is intended to come into leaktight contact with the internal surface of the neck of the reservoir so as to create a sealing zone. This contact can be achieved by an annular bead on the reservoir, or alternatively by face-to-face contact.
It is found that screwing the dispensing end piece onto the neck of the reservoir is carried out at a high speed (for example greater than 300 rotations per minute), which can generate chips of material resulting from friction between the dispensing end piece and the neck of the reservoir at the sealing zone. These chips risk falling into the liquid contained in the reservoir and contaminating it, or else disturbing the operation of the dispensing end piece. This phenomenon is not desirable, especially when the liquid is pharmaceutical liquid.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Bone fixation systems for stabilizing bones such as vertebral bodies are disclosed. The fixation systems include fixation connectors that preferably are equipped with bone anchors (e.g., screws, hooks, pins or like structures) for securing the fixation connectors to bones desired to be stabilized. The fixation systems also include linking elements (e.g., rods, plates or other members) for linking the fixation connectors together to form a stabilizing construct capable of maintaining a desired spacial relationship between bones desired to be stabilized.

Chronic back problems cause pain and disability for a large segment of the population. In many cases, the chronic back problems are caused by intervertebral disc disease and deterioration and loss of stability of the intervertebral joint. Examples of these spinal conditions include degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, spondylolithesis, spinal stenosis, etc. Stabilization and/or arthrodesis of the intervertebral joint can reduce the pain associated with movement of a diseased or deteriorated intervertebral joint. In order to allow for development of a solid intervertebral fusion, the spine has to be stabilized.
Spinal stabilization systems have been developed to stabilize the vertebrae to allow for fusion or stabilization of diseased intervertebral joints. One type of spinal stabilization system includes connectors and rods that are used to stabilize the spine. Some examples of such spinal stabilization systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,613,050 B1; 6,371,957 B1; 6,050,997; 5,879,350; 5,725,527; 5,628,740; 5,545,165, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In these systems, connectors are anchored to the vertebral bodies desired to be stabilized by anchoring structures such as screws or hooks. One or more connecting rods are then secured to the connectors to form a connector/rod construct that stabilizes the vertebral bodies to which the connectors are secured.
In many known stabilization systems, threaded nuts are used to secure the rods to the connectors. The rods can be provisionally held in position by loosely tightening the nuts on the connectors. After desired adjustments are made with respect to the relative positioning of the bones desired to be stabilized, the nuts can be further tightened to finally secure the connector/rod construct. Typically, a torque wrench or similar device is used to achieve the required torques to finally secure the connector/rod construct. To prevent torque from being transferred to the patient while tightening the nut, an anti-torque device is frequently used in combination with the torque wrench. The effective use of the torque wrench and anti-torque device can be difficult and often is dependent upon the strength and experience of the surgeon. What are needed are alternative spine stabilization fastening techniques that do not require the use torque. What are also needed are improved means for provisional positioning of rods or other vertebrae linking elements before final tightening.

Fastening system for spinal stabilization system


A transmitter is provided for amplifying signal power in a communication system. The transmitter includes a single-tone signal generator for generating a single-tone signal; a baseband signal generator for generating a baseband signal; a bias modulator for switching a positive bias signal to a first power amplifier using the baseband signal, and switching a negative bias signal to the second power amplifier using the baseband signal; the first power amplifier for power-amplifying the single-tone signal using the positive bias signal; and the second power amplifier for power-amplifying the single-tone signal using the negative bias signal.

A communication system has a power amplifier, included in a transmitter, for amplifying transmission signals during signal transmission, and the transmitter power-amplifies transmission signals by means of the power amplifier and transmits the power-amplified signals.
Currently, communication systems are increasingly evolving, and due to the evolution of communication systems, the transmitter increasingly requires use of broadband signals. In addition, communication systems require a high Peak-to-Average Ratio (PAR) of transmission signals according to signal transmission. Therefore, a power amplifier included in the transmitter requires higher linearity and higher efficiency.
Power amplification schemes used for the power amplifier are classified into a Doherty scheme, an Envelope Elimination and Restoration (EER) scheme, a Delta-Sigma Modulation (DSM) scheme, and a Linear amplification using Nonlinear Component (LINC) scheme.
Of the power amplification schemes, the Doherty scheme and the EER scheme are superior in terms of efficiency, and the DSM scheme and the LINC scheme are superior in terms of linearity. Further, the EER scheme uses signals of polar components without using rectangular (IQ) signals (i.e, signals having a 90°-phase difference between an In-phase (I) component and a Quadrature (Q) component), which are represented by I and Q components. The EER scheme uses, as an input to a power amplifier, phase components of signals having a constant envelope after undergoing envelope elimination. In addition, the EER scheme modulates direct current (DC) bias of a switch mode or a saturation power amplifier for envelope restoration. With reference to FIG. 1, a description will now be made of the EER scheme.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a transmitter using an EER scheme in a conventional communication system.
Referring to FIG. 1, the transmitter includes a baseband signal generator 111, a rectangular-to-polar converter 113, a bias modulator 115, a phase modulator 117, and a power amplifier 119.
The baseband signal generator 111 generates rectangular (IQ) signals of a baseband using voice signals or data.
The rectangular-to-polar converter 113 converts the rectangular signals into polar signals which are divided into amplitude components and phase components.
The bias modulator 115, which supplies power (i.e., voltage or current) to a power amplifier, supplies voltage or current components corresponding to signals of the amplitude components to the power amplifier 119.
The phase modulator 117 performs phase modulation to generate radio frequency (RF) signals of a desired frequency band using the signals of the phase components.
The power amplifier 119 receives the signals phase-modulated by the phase modulator 117, amplifies the power of transmission signals, and combines amplitude components depending on a change in a bias voltage by the amplitude components generated by the bias modulator 115 to thereby restore the original signals. Since an input to the power amplifier 119 has a constant envelope and there is no distortion for an input signal even though a switch mode or a saturation power amplifier is used, the power amplifier 119 has a high-efficiency characteristic. With reference to FIGS. 2A to 2C, a description will now be made of internal signals of a transmitter using the EER scheme.
FIGS. 2A to 2C are graphs illustrating internal signals of a transmitter using an EER scheme in a general communication system.
Before a description of FIGS. 2A to 2C is given, it is assumed that baseband signals used in the present invention use sine waves of a low-frequency band. In each graph, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the amplitude of signals. For example, referring to FIG. 2A, shown is a sine wave signal having an amplitude '1' and a period '1'.
Referring to FIG. 2A, shown are an output signal (a) of a baseband signal generator in a transmitter, and an output signal (b) corresponding to an amplitude component obtained by converting a polar of the signal 'a' by a rectangular-to-polar converter in the transmitter.
The signal 'a' is a low-frequency sine wave signal, and the signal 'b' is an envelope signal, which is an amplitude signal of the signal output from the rectangular-to-polar converter.
Referring to FIG. 2B, shown are an output signal (c) corresponding to a phase component obtained by polar-converting the signal 'a' by the rectangular-to-polar converter in the transmitter, and a signal (d) obtained by phase-modulating the signal 'c' by a phase modulator in the transmitter. The vertical axis of the graph showing the signal 'c' represents a phase. The signal 'd' is a phase signal which is modulated with a carrier signal having a frequency which is approximately 10 times higher than a baseband signal of low-frequency sine waves.
Referring to FIG. 2C, shown are an abnormal output signal (e) of a power amplifier in the transmitter, and a normal output signal (f) of the power amplifier.
The signal 'e' is a signal distorted due to the band limit, and the signal 'f' is a signal that should be normally output from the power amplifier.
Since the transmitter using the EER scheme converts the rectangular signal into the polar signal, the amplitude components and the phase components have more high-frequency components than the original signals. Therefore, the bias modulator should have an operating bandwidth which is, for example, 2 to 5 times that of the baseband signal, and the power amplifier should have an operating bandwidth which is, for example, 5 to 20 times that of the baseband signal. Thus, the transmitter using the EER scheme increases the operating bandwidth of each hardware module in the transmitter.
In addition, as the operating bandwidth increases, the transmitter using the EER scheme increases in non-linearity caused by the transmission signal's power amplification due to the limitation on implementing a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and the limitation on implementing the bias modulator because of the limit and loss of switching frequency of the switching elements.

Apparatus and method for amplifying signal power in a communication system


A vice jig that can accommodate a multiplicity of similarly sized and shaped work pieces provides by a hydraulic piston mechanism an even pressure on all such work pieces upon closure of the vice, in spite of variations in the specific sizes of those work pieces and of the cavities in which the work pieces are held. the invention can accommodate a number of work pieces that is fewer than the number of cavities provided therefor, without there occurring any ejection of any such pistons or of hydraulic fluid.

For purposes of carrying out machining, polishing, buffing and other operations on items of metal or plastic or the like, it has long been known to place such a work piece in an ordinary work shop vice so that the piece may be held rigidly in place while the surface of such piece is worked upon. A vice may also be used to hold an item that has already been worked upon, e.g., items that have been glued together may be placed in a vice so as to maintain their fixed relationship while the glue hardens, or an item that has been painted may be held while the paint dries, and so on. Often, however, it is necessary to carry out machining and the other types of operations already mentioned on a large number of such items in sequence, and it then becomes tedious to place each item within a vice, tighten down the vice to hold the item in place, carry out the operation, loosen the vice so as to remove the item, and then replace that item with another similar item for a like operation.
Recognizing the inefficiency of the process just described, it has also long been known to provide a vice that has been adapted to accommodate at once a number of similar work pieces. In lieu of the usual vice that simply has two flat jaws facing one to the other, one of such jaws may be modified to include a number of cavities along the face thereof, said cavities being of a size and shape to accommodate insertion therein of a corresponding number of units of a particular type of work piece. An example of this procedure is shown in FIG. 1, wherein vice jig 10 is seen to comprise a first jaw 12 that has a simple flat surface, and facing thereon a second jaw 14, the side of which that faces onto first jaw 12 having been provided with a number of cavities 16 sized and shaped to accommodate a number of work pieces 18. Such work pieces will then be held in place upon movement of first and second jaws 12, 14 in the directions of arrows 20, 22, respectively.
(For purposes of clarity in the drawing, the top-most cavity 16 in FIG. 1 is shown without an included work piece 18. Also, although the shapes of cavities 16 and work pieces 18 are shown in FIG. 1 to be circular for ease of illustration, those shapes may be rectangular or any other such shape wherein some particular shape of cavity 16 has been designed to accommodate a particular kind of work piece 18.)
For many operations that are relatively undemanding, the apparatus of FIG. 1 as described to this point may serve quite well. However, for carrying out more precise operations such a procedure may be inadequate. For example, in the fabrication of second jaw 14 the precise dimensions of the several cavities 16 may not be identical. The individual dimensions of particular work pieces 18 may likewise not be exactly the same. In that case, the apparatus as described so far will not be able to hold a multiplicity of work pieces 18 under a pressure that is the same for each. Such an effect will come about if the combination of dimensions of cavity 16 and work piece 18 vary too much from one location to another along second jaw 14.
Thus, a particular work piece 18 may be held so loosely that it will become ejected when an attempt is made to work on it. Conversely, a pressure that would adequately hold a smaller work piece 18 within a slightly over-sized cavity 16 might inflict actual physical damage upon a neighboring and slightly larger work piece 18 that happened to have been placed within an under-sized cavity 16. Some means for equalizing the pressure on work pieces 18 of varying sizes that are to be held within cavities 16 that may also vary in sizes is required.
For that purpose, it has long been one practice to approximate such an equalizing effect by placing a strip 24 within vice jig 10 so as to face onto the interior surface of first jaw 12 and onto the facing surfaces of work pieces 18. Strip 24 may variously constitute a piece of leather, rubber, blotting paper, cloth, or any other such flexible material that is also resilient and can serve to assist in holding work pieces 18 under a pressure that may be at least somewhat more equal than would be the case in the absence of strip 24. Such a make-shift procedure can become inconvenient, however, since a worker must somehow manage to hold the several work pieces 18 in place while simultaneously installing strip 24 and closing first and second jaws 12, 14 together. The numerous ways in which strip 24 might happen to have become placed will also render it quite uncertain whether the desired effect of equalizing the strength with which the various work pieces 18 are held will actually have been produced.
With regard to single work pieces, and particularly those that may be irregular in shape, it is known to provide means by which such a piece can be held under essentially constant pressure along the full length thereof. That is, U. S. Pat. No. 1,453,176 issued Apr. 24, 1923 to Perrine describes a compensating jaw which includes a number of rods set in a row and leading through a corresponding number of channels to an elongate cavity containing an enclosed fluid. By virtue of the hydrostatic pressure exerted by such fluid, when such jaw is forced against an object of irregular shape, the respective rods each acquire an extension outwardly from the jaw for which that hydrostatic pressure will be equalized, i.e., the several rods may become extended to different distances in accordance with the shape of the object being held, but the pressure on each rod (and hence the pressure by which the work piece is held at that corresponding point) will be the same. However, no such device seems to have been developed that could accommodate a multiplicity of similar work pieces of varying size. What is needed and would be useful, therefore, is a device that could hold a multiplicity of items under such an equal pressure.

Hydraulically compensating jaw for holding multiple work pieces


Provided are a sub-carrier estimation method in a multi-carrier communication system and an apparatus. The method includes: receiving a data frame transmitted by a transmitting end, and extracting a training sequence from the data frame; performing fast Fourier transform operation on the training sequence and a preset reference sequence, respectively, to obtain frequency domain data of the training sequence and frequency domain data of the reference sequence, and conjugately multiplying the two kinds of frequency domain data; extracting real part of conjugate multiplication result; averaging values in each column of an M×N array, respectively, to obtain an output array of 1 row and N columns; and estimating, according to the value in each column of the output array of 1 row and N columns, whether valid data is transmitted over N sub-carriers corresponding to the output array of 1 row and N columns.

Multi-carrier modulation techniques have strong anti-interference ability and high spectrum utilization efficiency, which can effectively resist frequency selective fading and have been widely used in broadband communication systems. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, OFDM) is one of the multi-carrier modulation techniques. It is implemented with low complexity, and can eliminate inter-symbol interference and effectively resist multipath effect. Therefore, it is widely used in power line communication systems and wireless communication systems.
During practical use, in a multi-carrier communication system, a moderate amount of sub-carriers and frequency bands with less interference are often selected to transmit valid data, instead of frequency bands with large interference. The accuracy of the estimation on the number of sub-carriers and positions of the sub-carriers by the receiving end directly affects subsequent demodulation operations.
In the prior art, the sub-carrier estimation is usually made using an autocorrelation method, while the accuracy of the estimation on the number of sub-carriers and the positions of the sub-carriers is poor. In order to improve the accuracy of the sub-carrier estimation, a KS (Kolmogorov-Smirnov) test method or a higher-order cyclic cumulant method is introduced in some sub-carrier estimation methods, resulting in a very large computational burden for the sub-carrier estimation.

Sub-carrier estimation method and apparatus in multi-carrier communication system

SHANGHAI EASTSOFT MICROELECTRONICS CO., LTD.


A metal beam with a thermal break between opposite sides and method of making is disclosed. In a first embodiment a huck rivet extends through aligned holes in a pair of opposed beam sections having a base wall portion and a side wall portion. In a second embodiment a punch/swedge operation forms a rivet in the base wall portion of one beam section that extends through the other base wall portion of the other beam section. In a third embodiment a series of spaced, alternating tabs and recesses are formed in the beam section and the tabs overlap and are riveted at overlapping tabs only to form a gap in the formed beam. In a fourth embodiment oppositely opening hooks are formed in the inner sections of first and second beam sections that interfit and are seamed together to fasten the two beam sections with a continuous seam along the center of a composite beam.

In the past, wooden beams referred to as studs have been used as the top and bottom beams of a building frame assembly and more recently sheet metal beams or studs have been provided for this purpose.
There are thermal insulation problems inherently associated with steel or sheet metal beams. Steel or sheet metal beams in frames produce a thermal bridge between either side of a wall frame, joist, or truss member or like metal structural components. This thermal bridging readily transfers heat across metal members, which results in excessive heating/cooling costs, condensation, and accelerated thermal rot in sheeting materials like drywall and siding. Heat transfer utilizes three basic mechanisms; conduction, radiation, and convection. With typical wood framing, the wood itself is an insulator, which eliminates conduction. Effective thermal sheeting and batten insulation prevent radiation across the frame and convection within the dead space. With steel sheet metal framing, the metal conducts heat across the frame. Sheeting and batten insulation reduce radiation and convection, but no satisfactory means has been provided to prevent conduction. Several approaches to reducing conduction involved reducing the amount of material in the web of a sheet metal beam, but no method to completely eliminate conduction in a sheet metal beam has heretofore been provided.
The patents to Farmer U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,995, Larsen U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,493 and Marschak U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,602 are directed to metal beams fabricated from roll-formed beam half sections but none teach a heat insulating layer interposed between the metal of opposite beam half sections.
Blomstedt U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,700, Rutkowski U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,936, Taylor U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,619,098 and 4,638,615 and Gilmour U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,615 relate to metal beams but have a thermal reduction feature such as slits, dimples or protuberances.

Metal beams with thermal break and methods


A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode comprising a graphite as a negative electrode active material, and a nonaqueous electrolyte including at least a saturated cyclic carbonic ester and containing a cyclic carbonic ester having a carbon-carbon double bond such that, when a content of the cyclic carbonic ester having a carbon-carbon double bond is x (g), a content of the graphite in the negative electrode is B (g), a specific surface area of the graphite is A (m2/g), a size of the crystallite of the graphite in a direction of the c axis is Lc, and a size of the crystallite of the graphite in a direction of the a axis is La, a condition expressed by0.05×10−2≦x/[A×B×2Lc/(2Lc+La)]≦3×10−2 is satisfied.

A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having high electromotive force that comprises a nonaqueous electrolyte and utilizes oxidation and reduction of lithium has recently been used as one of new type high output and high energy density batteries.
In such nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, a carbon material such as graphite, coke, and the like, capable of occluding and releasing lithium ion is commonly used. When high crystalline graphite is used, a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having high energy density can be provided. Therefore, such graphite has recently been widely used.
It has been proposed that a vinylene carbonate derivative is added to the nonaqueous electrolyte in a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising a graphite as the negative electrode active material to improve cycle characteristics (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 8-45545).
It is believed that a vinylene carbonate derivative is reduced during the initial charge of the battery in which the graphite is used as the negative electrode active material to form a surface film on a surface of the negative electrode active material. The surface film prevents a side reaction, for example, decomposition of the nonaqueous electrolyte, and the like, to improve the cycle life of the battery.
However, there is a problem that the surface film formed on the surface of the negative electrode active material reduces output characteristics when the battery is discharged at high current.

Nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery


Nozzle members, such as for a micro-fluid ejection head, micro-fluid ejection heads, and a method for making the same. One such nozzle member includes a negative photoresist composition derived from a first di-functional epoxy compound, a relatively high molecular weight polyhydroxy ether, a photoacid generator devoid of aryl sulfonium salts, an adhesion enhancer, and an aliphatic ketone solvent. The nozzle member has a thickness ranging from about 10 microns to about 30 microns.

Micro-fluid ejection devices, such as ink jet printers continue to evolve as the technology for ink jet printing continues to improve to provide higher speed, higher quality printers. However, the improvement in speed and quality does not come without a price. The micro-fluid ejection heads are more costly to manufacture because of tighter alignment tolerances.
For example, some conventional micro-fluid ejection heads were made with nozzle plates (a form of a nozzle member) containing flow features. The nozzle plates were then aligned, and adhesively attached to a semiconductor substrate. However, minor imperfections in the substrate or nozzle plate components of the ejection head or improper alignment of the parts has a significant impact on the performance of the ejection heads.
One advance in providing improved micro-fluid ejection heads is the use of a photoresist layer applied to a device surface of the semiconductor substrate as a thick film layer. The thick film layer is imaged to provide flow features for the micro-fluid ejection heads. Use of the imaged thick film layer enables more accurate alignment between the flow features and ejection actuators on the device surface of the substrate.
While the use of an imaged photoresist layer improves alignment of the flow features to the ejection actuators, there still exist alignment problems and difficulties associated with a nozzle plate attached to the thick film layer. Misalignment between the ejection actuators and corresponding nozzles (e.g., holes) in a nozzle plate has a disadvantageous effect on the accuracy of fluid droplets ejected from the nozzles when the nozzles are formed in the nozzle plate before attaching the nozzle plate to the thick film layer. Ejector actuator and nozzle alignment also has an effect on the mass and velocity of the fluid droplets ejected through the nozzles.
Conventional nozzle plates were made from metal or a polyimide material that was laser ablated then adhesively attached to the thick film layer. Use of such nozzle plates require an alignment step to assure that the nozzles correspond with the fluid ejector actuators and flow features in the thick film layer. In order to eliminate such alignment steps, photoimageable nozzle plate materials may be applied to the thick film layer by spin coating or lamination techniques. Spin coating techniques may be used to apply the nozzle plate photoresist material to the thick film layer before the flow features are developed in the thick film layer. However, developing the flow features in the thick film layer after applying the nozzle plate materials to the thick film layer requires difficult processing techniques.
In the alternative, lamination techniques may be used to apply the nozzle plate materials to an imaged and developed thick film layer. However, conventional photoresist materials are available only as a relatively thick photoresist layer having a thickness of from about 35 to about 80 microns. Such relatively thick photoresist materials are too thick for use in providing a suitable photoimageable nozzle plate for a micro-fluid ejection head. If the photoresist materials are screened down to an appropriate thickness, the resulting photoresist films becomes too brittle to handle and apply by a lamination process to the thick film layer.
Accordingly, there is a need for, for example, improved photoresist or photoimageable materials that may be used as nozzle materials that may be laminated adjacent a thick film layer of a micro-fluid ejection head structure.
Amongst other embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a nozzle member for a micro-fluid ejection head, a micro-fluid ejection head containing an improved nozzle member, and a method for making a micro-fluid ejection head. One such nozzle member includes a negative photoresist composition derived from a first di-functional epoxy compound, a relatively high molecular weight polyhydroxy ether, a photoacid generator devoid of aryl sulfonium salts, an adhesion enhancer, and an aliphatic ketone solvent. The nozzle member has a thickness ranging from about 10 microns to about 30 microns.
In another embodiment, there is provided a method for making an improved micro-fluid ejection head. The method includes applying a first negative photoresist layer adjacent a device surface of a substrate. The first negative photoresist layer is derived from a composition including a multi-functional epoxy compound, a first di-functional epoxy compound, a photoacid generator devoid of aryl sulfonium salts, an adhesion enhancer, and an aryl ketone solvent. A plurality of flow features are imaged in the first photoresist layer. The imaged first photoresist layer is developed to provide the plurality of flow features therein and a substantially planar thick film layer surface. A second negative photoresist layer is applied adjacent the thick film layer. The second negative photoresist layer has a thickness ranging from about 10 to about 30 microns and is derived from a second photoresist formulations including the first di-functional epoxy compound, a relatively high molecular weight polyhydroxy ether, the photoacid generator devoid of aryl sulfonium salts, the adhesion enhancer, and an aliphatic ketone solvent. A plurality of nozzles are imaged in the second photoresist layer. The imaged second photoresist layer is developed to provide a photoresist nozzle member adjacent the thick film layer.
In yet another embodiment, there is provided a micro-fluid ejection head including a substrate having a device surface. The ejection head includes a photoimaged and developed thick film layer applied adjacent the device surface of the substrate. The thick film layer is provided by a first negative photoresist layer derived from a composition including a multi-functional epoxy compound, a first di-functional epoxy compound, a photoacid generator devoid of aryl sulfonium salts, an adhesion enhancer, and an aryl ketone solvent. A photoimaged and developed nozzle member is adjacent the imaged and developed thick film layer. The photoimaged and developed nozzle member is a second photoresist layer derived from a composition including the first di-functional epoxy compound, a second di-functional epoxy compound, a relatively high molecular weight polyhydroxy ether, the photoacid generator devoid of aryl sulfonium salts, the adhesion enhancer, and an aliphatic ketone solvent. The nozzle member has a thickness ranging from about 10 microns to about 30 microns.
An advantage of at least some of the exemplary embodiments described herein is that lamination of a dry film photoresist layer adjacent a substrate and thick film layer for a micro-fluid ejection head enables wafer level processing of the ejection head. Wafer level processing means that separate processing steps for the nozzle member and the substrate may be eliminated in favor of photoimaging and developing a composite substrate containing materials providing the flow features and nozzles. Accordingly, laser ablation steps for the nozzle member as well as alignment tolerances, adhesives, and/or thermal compression bonding techniques used to attach the nozzle member to the substrate are avoided. Other potential benefits of the disclosed embodiments include reduction in raw materials required, potential improvement in ejection head performance, improvement in adhesion and durability of the composite substrate and nozzle member structure, and significant manufacturing cost savings.
For purposes of the disclosure, "difunctional epoxy" means epoxy compounds and materials having only two epoxy functional groups in the molecule, "Multifunctional epoxy" means epoxy compounds and materials having more than two epoxy functional groups in the molecule.

Photoimageable nozzle members and methods relating thereto


A high-performance semiconductor structure and a method of fabricating such a structure are provided. The semiconductor structure includes at least one gate stack, e.g., FET, located on an upper surface of a semiconductor substrate. The structure further includes a first epitaxy semiconductor material that induces a strain upon a channel of the at least one gate stack. The first epitaxy semiconductor material is located at a footprint of the at least one gate stack substantially within a pair of recessed regions in the substrate which are present on opposite sides of the at least one gate stack. A diffused extension region is located within an upper surface of said first epitaxy semiconductor material in each of the recessed regions. The structure further includes a second epitaxy semiconductor material located on an upper surface of the diffused extension region. The second epitaxy semiconductor material has a higher dopant concentration than the first epitaxy semiconductor material.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor structure and a method of fabricating the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a high-performance semiconductor structure including a bi-layer embedded epitaxy semiconductor source region and drain region.
Mechanical stresses within a semiconductor device substrate have been widely used to modulate device performance. For example, in common silicon technology, hole mobility is enhanced when the channel is under compressive stress, while the electron mobility is enhanced when the channel is under tensile stress. Therefore, compressive and/or tensile stresses can be advantageously created in the channel regions of a p-channel field effect transistor (pFET) and/or an n-channel field effect transistor (nFET) in order to enhance the performance of such devices.
One possible approach for creating a desirable stressed silicon channel region is to form embedded silicon germanium (SiGe) or silicon carbon (Si:C) stressors within the source and drain regions of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device to induce compressive or tensile strain in the channel region located between the source region and the drain region. There are two common techniques that are employed in the semiconductor industry to form such embedded stressors. The first technique, which can be referred to as a late embedded stressor process, forms an in-situ doped stressor material after extension formation. While this late embedded stressor process provides stress conservation and lower source/drain resistance, the process provides a FET that exhibits poor short channel effects due to the formation of deep and heavily doped source and drain regions. The second technique that is commonly used is an early embedded stressor process in which an undoped epitaxy stressor material is formed prior to performing an extension ion implantation. Although this technique provides improved stress proximity to the device channel, it exhibits stress relaxation by performing the extension ion implantation at this stage of the process. Also, this technique requires complicated first spacers, and has a compatibility issue with high k/metal gate stacks.
Despite these advances in the semiconductor industry, further improvement in embedded stressor technology is needed that provides a good balance between stressor proximity and short channel effects.

High-performance FETs with embedded stressors

International Business Machines Corporation


A distance detection method and system for a wireless power transmission device are disclosed. The wireless power transmission device includes a transmitter circuit and a receiver circuit, wherein a transmitting coil of the transmitter circuit and a receiving coil of the receiver circuit form an inductive circuit via magnetic coupling. The distance detection method includes: calculating an inductance value of a magnetizing inductance of the inductive circuit according to electrical parameters of the receiver circuit and electrical parameters of the transmitter circuit; and calculating a distance between the transmitting coil and the receiving coil according to the inductance value of the magnetizing inductance of the inductive circuit.

In a wireless power transmission system, the distance between transmission coils (for example, transmitting coils and receiving coils) is an important factor and can impact on system efficiency, power capacity of the transmission system, and stability of the system operation. In conventional control method, the distance between the transmission coils is detected and the system efficiency or the power capacity of the transmission system is optimized by adjusting said distance.
Currently, however, sensors or detection devices related to optics, acoustics, magnetic field or the like are used for the distance detection. For optical or acoustic related sensors, there are shortcomings such as not easy to mount and vulnerable to obstacles; and for magnetic field related sensors, since sensors need to be mounted near the transmission coils, the volume of the transmission coil may be increased and more detection signal are required, so that the system design may be relatively complex.
FIG. 1 shows a system for detecting the distance between transmission coils according to the prior art, and FIG. 2 shows the distribution of a plurality of coil sensors. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plurality of coil sensors 110 are used to detect magnetic field intensity at different positions of secondary coil 21, and the position information of the transmission coils is determined by comparison between different magnetic field intensities. But in applications where the circuit module is separated from the transmission coils, more detection/control signal wires between the circuit module and the transmission coils are required, and the coil sensors 110 increase the volume of the transmission coil.
Therefore, there is a need of a distance detection method and system for a wireless power transmission device that can overcome one or more of the above deficiencies.

Distance detection methods and systems for wireless power transmission device


An apparatus for facilitating the fusion of adjacent bone structures includes an implant member configured for insertion within a space defined between adjacent bone structures. The implant member includes an entry end portion and a trailing end portion and defines a longitudinal axis. The implant member includes at least a longitudinal portion having a generally elliptical cross-sectional dimension with a major cross-sectional dimension greater than a minor cross-sectional dimension. The apparatus is particularly contemplated for fusion of adjacent vertebrae.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to a surgical apparatus for fusing adjacent bone structures, and, more particularly, to an apparatus and associated method for fusing adjacent vertebrae.
2. Background of the Related Art
The fusion of adjacent bone structures is commonly performed to provide for long-term replacement to compensate for degenerative or deteriorated disorders in bone. For example, an intervertebral disc, which is a ligamentous cushion disposed between adjacent vertebrae, may undergo deterioration as a result of injury, disease, tumor or other disorders. The disk shrinks or flattens leading to mechanical instability and painful disc translocations.
Conventional procedures for disc surgery include partial or total excision of the injured disc portion, e.g., discectomy, and replacement of the excised disc with biologically acceptable plugs or bone wedges. The plugs are driven between adjacent vertebrae to maintain normal intervertebral spacing and to achieve, over a period of time, bony fusion with the plug and opposed vertebrae. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,020 to Vich discloses a threaded cylindrical bone plug which is screwed into a correspondingly dimensioned cylindrical bore drilled in the intervertebral space. Other bone grafting plugs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,296.
More recently, emphasis has been placed on fusing bone structures (i.e., adjoining vertebrae) with prosthetic cage implants. One fusion cage implant is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,373 to Ray et al., the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The Ray '373 fusion cage includes a cage having a thread formed as part of its external surface and apertures extending through its wall which communicate with an internal cavity of the cage body. The fusion cage is inserted within a tapped bore or channel formed in the intervertebral space thereby stabilizing the vertebrae and maintaining a pre-defined intervertebral space. Preferably, a pair of fusion cages are implanted within the intervertebral space. The adjacent vertebral bone structures communicate through the apertures and with bone growth inducing substances which are within the internal cavity to unite and eventually form a solid fusion of the adjacent vertebrae. FIGS. 1-2 illustrate the insertion of a pair of the Ray '373 fusion cages positioned within an intervertebral space.

Apparatus for fusing adjacent bone structures


A package comprising a substrate comprising a plurality of interconnects, a first integrated device coupled to the substrate, a second integrated device coupled to the substrate, and an interconnect device coupled to the substrate. The first integrated device, the second integrated device, the interconnect device and the substrate are configured to provide an electrical path for an electrical signal between the first integrated device and the second integrated device, that extends through at least the substrate, through the interconnect device and back through the substrate. The electrical path includes at least one interconnect that extends diagonally.

FIG. 1 illustrates a package 100 that includes a substrate 102, an integrated device 104, and an integrated device 106. The substrate 102 includes at least one dielectric layer 120, a plurality of interconnects 122, and a plurality of solder interconnects 124. A plurality of solder interconnects 144 is coupled to the substrate 102 and the integrated device 104. A plurality of solder interconnects 164 is coupled to the substrate 102 and the integrated device 106. Electrically coupling the integrated device 104 and the integrated device 106 can lead to very long interconnects between the integrated devices 104 and 106, which can lead to lower package performances. There is an ongoing need to provide more compact packages and better performing packages.

Package comprising a substrate and interconnect device configured for diagonal routing


There is provided a handover control method that does not produce quality deterioration or other similar problems during handover in a mobile communication system in which a first channel shared by a plurality of mobile stations and second channels exclusively used by respective mobile are used in combination. A handover control method according to the present invention comprises: a step in which a data signal is transmitted from one base station 30A to a mobile station 10 by using a first channel; a step in which a control signal is transmitted from a plurality of base stations 30A, 30B including the base station 30A to the mobile station 10 by using a second channel; a step in which the mobile station 10 receives a plurality of control signals; a step in which, of the plurality of control signals received, information regarding reception quality of the control signal from the base station 30A that transmitted the data signal is transmitted from the mobile station 10 to the base station 30A; and a step in which information relating to reception quality is received by the base station 30A and transmission control is performed of the data signal transmitted by the base station 30A, in accordance with the received information relating to reception quality.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile station, mobile communication system, handover control method, handover control program and recording medium.
2. Related Background Art
In mobile communication systems such as those of mobile telephones which are currently commonplace, service is provided with the entire service area divided into comparatively small zones called cells. Such a system is constituted by a plurality of base stations that cover the plurality of divided wireless zones and mobile stations that perform communication by setting up wireless channels with these base stations.
Electromagnetic waves that are transmitted with a given transmission power from the base stations are attenuated as they are propagated through space until they arrive at the reception point. Since electromagnetic waves have the property that their attenuation increases as the distance between the transmission point and reception point increases, essentially pilot channels that are transmitted from distant base stations are received with a weak reception level while pilot channels that are transmitted from near base stations are received with a strong reception level. In fact, the magnitude of propagation loss depends not only on distance but also on circumstances such as topography or buildings, so the received power of the pilot channels from various base stations fluctuates considerably with movement of a mobile station. In order to receive the signal transmitted from the base stations with better quality, it is important for the mobile station to constantly monitor the pilot channels from the various base stations and to select the optimum base station. By applying such control, the base station that is evaluated as optimum successively changes every time the base station is moved, so the base station that is connected with the mobile station also successively changes. The control of successive changeover of the base stations that are connected as movement takes place is termed "handover control".
Handover control may be "hard handover" or "soft handover". In case of hard handover, the number of base stations which the base station is connected to is always one, and the base station which the mobile station is connected to is changed over as movement takes place. In contrast, soft handover is a method of control whereby the mobile station can be connected with a plurality of base stations, the mobile station being connected with at least one base station and, depending on circumstances, with a plurality of base stations. In this handover, the base station that is connected with the mobile station is added or deleted, tracking the movement of the mobile station. "Diversity handover" is a type of soft handover. Diversity handover is characterized in that signals transmitted from a plurality of base stations can be received in combined fashion by a mobile station or signals transmitted from a mobile station can be received and combined at a plurality of base stations, so reception quality can be improved by the diversity effect.
As a method of exchanging the so-called packet data between base stations and mobile stations, in particular a method of exchanging packet data by a downlink circuit from base stations in the direction of mobile stations, the method is sometimes adopted of multiplexing and transmitting data of a plurality of the mobile stations on a single or a plurality of channels shared by a plurality of mobile stations. As the method of this multiplexing, time division multiplexing or code division multiplexing or frequency division multiplexing etc may be employed and, in addition, the scheduling of data transmission to mobile stations of different types can be efficiently achieved by various types of algorithm at the base station end. When such shared channels are employed, the various base stations typically use dedicated channels as well for notification of the timing of data transmission to the mobile stations or control of transmission power, or transmitting an uplink (transmission from the mobile station to the base station) data arrival confirmation signal. Usually, for such dedicated channels, channels are prepared that are of comparatively low bit rate so that they have little effect on the overall capacity etc. For example, in the W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) system whose development is proceeding as a third generation mobile communication system and which is being provided as a service in Japan from May 2001. In the standards provided by the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project), a PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel) is specified as a channel (physical channel) shared by a plurality of users and an A-DPCH (Associated Dedicated Physical Channel) is specified as a channel for exclusive use by each user in conjunction therewith.

Mobile station, mobile communication system, handover control method, handover control program and recording medium


A seating system for an automotive vehicle includes a side airbag mounted to an outboard portion of a seatback, with the side airbag having an occupant reaction surface which is combined with deployable upper and lower reaction members attached to the airbag to define an augmented occupant reaction surface available upon inflation of the airbag.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular seating system in which a side airbag serves not only as a direct occupant reaction device, but also as a positioning device for additional occupant reaction surface members in which, when combined with the airbag provide increased occupant reaction capability.
2. Disclosure Information
Deployable side airbags typically have a central portion attached to the airbag module, which is itself mounted to a seatback of the vehicle, and upper and lower portions. With a conventional side airbag, the ability to react to the occupant is limited because the airbag may tend move out of position during an occupant reaction event. U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,464 discloses a door mounted airbag module with a tether covering the upper and lower portions of the airbag. When engaged by the occupant, the tether pulls the airbag toward the vehicle's occupant. Unfortunately, the system of the '464 patent is not suitable for use with an airbag system packaged within the seatback of a vehicle. This means that the system of the '464 patent does not track the position of the occupant seat, which tends to limit the efficiency of the airbag system.

Vehicle seating system with airbag-based occupant reaction surface


Many devices, such as a turbocharger, use an apparatus to control their functions. For example, pneumatic and electric actuators are used to provide positional control of a mechanism on the turbocharger. The actuator must connect to the vehicles electrical system to provide suitable communication and control of the actuator. They must also have internal control and interconnection of devices such as sensors, electronic control unit, external electrical connector, and internal electrical connections. The electrical connections, placement of sensor, and placement of the controller are critical to the performance, reliability, and cost of the actuator. The control and interconnection system will provide the aforementioned requirements including a “quick connect” capability for electrical connections and ease of assembly.

Many devices, such as a turbocharger, use an apparatus to control their functions. For example, pneumatic and electric actuators are used to provide positional control of mechanisms on the turbocharger to adjust and maintain the pressure within the intake manifold of an engine.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic of a system using a turbocharger and an actuator to control boost pressure within the intake manifold 8 of engine 9. The system consists of the vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU) 1, actuator controller 2, actuator 3, turbocharger 4 and turbocharger control mechanism 5. The ECU is connected to the actuator controller by a wire harness 6 having multiple conductors and connectors. The actuator controller is also connected to the actuator by a wire harness 7 having multiple conductors and connectors.
The ECU 1 will provide an electrical signal to the actuator controller 2 that will indicate a desired position of actuator 3. The actuator controller will provide the necessary electrical control to the actuator. The actuator will move the control mechanism 5 of turbocharger 4, to the desired position that will achieve a desired pressure within the intake manifold 8 of engine 9. Actuator 3 also has a means of sensing its position and will feedback this signal to the actuator controller 2. A "closed loop" control scheme is used to maintain a desired actuator position by comparing the feedback value to a desired value and adjusting the control signal, to the actuator, to maintain the position and resulting boost pressure. Other signals, such as an intake manifold pressure-sensing signal may also be monitored, by ECU 1 or actuator controller 2, and used in the "closed loop" scheme to control the intake manifold pressure. The actuator controller can also monitor the performance of the actuator and provide feedback to the ECU. For example, items such as internal actuator temperature, voltage, current, actuator resistance, response time, and number of occurrences of a fault can be monitored and communicated to another system such as the vehicle ECU. Monitoring of some items may be a legislated requirement.
The electric actuator may use a D.C. motor as a means of actuation. The motor may use brushes for commutating its rotating member or it may be a brushless type motor. The brushless motor uses a number of magnetic sensors and an electrical control circuit to commutate its rotor and control its rotation. Magnetic devices, such as Hall effect devices (HED), are commonly used. The HED sensors must be in proximity to the motor's rotor and stator to effectively sense the magnetic field and provide a signal to a control circuit. The brushless motor also has a number of coils, wound with magnet wire, which must be connected to the control circuit. This type of actuator requires a number of electrical connections in addition to the accurate placement of the sensors. Control and connection methods such as separate control circuits may be difficult to assemble, costly, and undesirable. In addition, the motor, HED sensors, and control circuit may not be in one location. For example, the motor and hall sensors may be located in the actuator housing and the control circuit may be in the cover of the housing. This could require a complex interconnection system needing a multiple wire cable that may have durability and reliability issues. The following paragraphs will describe a system that will provide the required control and minimize components and interconnections.

Control and interconnection system for an apparatus


A torque converter for translating kinetic energy between a prime mover and a transmission including a torque input member and an impeller assembly operatively coupled for rotation with the torque input member. A turbine assembly is fluidly connected in driven relationship with the impeller assembly. A clutch assembly is supported for selective operation with the turbine assembly and interposed between the turbine assembly and the torque input member. The clutch assembly may be a continuously slipping bypass clutch which is selectively movable into engagement with the torque input member to provide torque translation between the torque input member and the turbine assembly at low engine speeds. The continuously slipping bypass clutch includes annular friction clutch facings having at least one circuitous groove providing fluid communication between the high and low pressure cavity in the torque converter and wherein the groove includes at least one bridge portion spanning the groove to interconnect either side of the groove in the clutch facing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to hydrokinetic couplings used to transfer kinetic energy and, more specifically, to a torque converter having a clutch assembly which is operable to provide direct torque translation between the torque input member of a transmission through the turbine assembly at low engine speeds.
2. Description of the Related Art
In automotive applications, engine torque and speed are translated between a prime mover, such as an internal combustion engine, to one or more wheels through the transmission in accordance with the tractive power demand of the vehicle. Hydrokinetic devices, such as torque converters, are often employed between the internal combustion engine and its associated transmission for transferring kinetic energy therebetween.
As illustrated schematically in FIG. 1, torque converters 10 include impeller assemblies 12 operatively connected for rotation with the torque input from the internal combustion engine, a turbine assembly 14 fluidly connected in driven relationship with the impeller assembly and a stator or reactor assembly 16. These assemblies together form a substantially toroidal flow passage for kinetic fluid in the torque converter. Each assembly includes a plurality of blades or vanes which act to convert mechanical energy to hydrokinetic energy and back to mechanical energy. The stator assembly 16 of a conventional torque converter is locked against rotation in one direction but is free to spin about an axis in the direction of rotation of the impeller assembly 12 and turbine assembly 14. When the stator assembly 16 is locked against rotation, the torque is multiplied by the torque converter. During torque multiplication, the output torque is greater than the input torque for the torque converter.
Impeller, turbine and reactor blades may be either cast or stamped to a desired shape. Cast blades are most often employed for stators. In addition, cast blades are also employed in turbine and impeller assemblies in large industrial applications. Cast blades generally have varying thicknesses in the radial and axial directions and contoured working surfaces.
Stamped metal blades are typically cold worked in a form die such that they include ribs stamped thereon for rigidity and strength. Arcuate contours are also imparted to the stamped plate worked blades such that the blades have complex three dimensional working surfaces. For example, conventional turbine blades are curved between fluid inlet, the torroidal shell and core surfaces and the fluid outlet. This is referred to in the art as a "ruled surface" and is generated in production by the form die.
The shape and contour of the blades (blade form) are important considerations which can have significant effects on the capacity, torque ratio, efficiency and overall performance of the torque converter as well as overall powertrain efficiency. Due in part to this performance sensitivity, the contoured, stamped blades must be made with specific materials which have limited "spring back" characteristics such that there is very little or no deviation from the shape imparted to the metal in the form die.
Accordingly, the shape and contour of conventional blades in the related art must be tightly controlled during production. Such control and sensitive manufacturing procedures increase the cost of manufacturing the torque converter. Thus, there is a need in the art for simplified blades which have good performance characteristics and which can be manufactured at lower costs.
Torque converter performance characteristics can be measured by observing the relationships between torque ratio (T.sub.2 /T.sub.1), where T.sub.1 is the torque input to the converter and T.sub.2 is the torque output of the converter; speed ratio (N.sub.2 /N.sub.1), where N.sub.1 is the rotational speed input to the converter and N.sub.2 is the rotational speed output from the converter; efficiency; and K-factor curves. The K-factor is related to torque converter capacity and slip. In conventional torque converters, the K-factor typically shows a significant rise between speed ratios of 0.5-0.85 as compared to lower speed ratios of between 0-0.3. A rise in the K-factor curve has a negative effect on overall powertrain efficiency. Thus, it is highly desirable to increase or maintain powertrain efficiency by inhibiting the rise in the K-factor curve.
When the torque ratio is 1.0 or less, the stator assembly 16 will "free wheel" or spin in the direction of rotation of the impeller assembly 12 and the turbine assembly 14. The "coupling point" is a term used in the related art to describe the point where the torque ratio is 1.0. At the coupling point, there is no torque multiplication as described above. When there is no torque multiplication, the torque converter becomes a fluid coupling. Fluid couplings have inherent slip. Torque converter slip exists when the speed ratio is less than 1.0 (rpm input>rpm output of the torque converter). The inherent slip reduces the efficiency of the torque converter.
Conventional torque converters often employ clutches interposed between a torque input member and the turbine assembly which are engaged and "lock up" at high speed ratios of between 0.88-0.98. When the clutch is locked up there is a direct torque translation between the torque input member and the transmission through the turbine assembly. The locked up clutch eliminates the slip inherent with the fluid coupling and results in an efficiency gain for the torque converter. However, the transmission is usually shifted from first through second and sometimes into third and fourth gear before the clutch locks up. Depending on throttle position and shift strategy, this may occur at vehicle speeds of between 40 and 45 mph. Thus, conventional lock up clutches are generally engaged only after the torque converter has been operating as a fluid coupling limiting powertrain efficiency. Theoretically then, the earlier the clutch is engaged, significant output efficiency gains can be realized. However, as explained below, clutches in the related art are typically actuated at higher speed ratios to avoid translation of vibration noise, etc.
At lower engine speeds (and thus torque converter speed ratios) there typically exists significant drive line torsional vibration. When the clutch is disengaged, the torque converter acts as a fluid damper and absorbs, dissipates or otherwise fails to translate these vibrations.
Thus, clutches are typically only operated at higher engine speeds (and speed ratios) where the resonant vibration, noise, etc. are not as severe. Clutch assemblies of the related art also employ torsional dampers to further attenuate the vibration, noise, etc. that occur. However, torsional dampers add weight, cost and complexity to the clutch assembly and the torque converter in general.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a torque converter which includes a clutch assembly which is operable at lower engine speeds at the approximate coupling point of the torque converter which thereby avoids inherent slip and increases the efficiency of the torque converter. In addition, there is a need in the art for such a torque converter which does not translate drive line vibrations but which also does not require a torsional damper. Finally, there is a need in the art for such a torque converter which enjoys these improved operating parameters and which has reduced weight, cost and complexity as compared with such devices in the related art.
Continuously slipping bypass friction clutches are known in the related art to enhance the operating efficiency of hydrokinetic torque converters and are sometimes employed to address the problems identified above. These clutches are subjected to a continuously slipping operational mode. However, without adequate cooling by the operating hydraulic fluid in the converter, they can generate excessively elevated temperatures leading to catastrophic degradation of both the facing material and the operating hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic fluid is a special oil formulation commonly known as automatic transmission fluid or ATF.
To maintain functional design intent characteristics, two critical phenomena must be satisfied for best slipping clutch performance. One is the ability to efficiently conduct heat away from the clutch interface zone. The other is the ability to maintain a wetted interface zone avoiding potential areas of so-called "dry friction" that can produce erratic friction characteristics and excessive or uneven wear resulting in a significantly shortened clutch life. Moreover, a hydrokinetic torque converter presents specific restrictions on function that most other forms of wet clutches do not experience. For example, space limitation in the converter usually dictates a very limited number of interface zones of relatively large annular area with the most common typically having only one interface zone. A more advanced compact heat resistant design having multiple interface zones is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,867. In such converters with a continuous slip bypass clutch, the hydraulic circuit within the converter typically includes cavities that surround the outer diameter of the interface zone with high pressure hydraulic fluid and the inner diameter thereof with a low or zero pressure hydraulic fluid. This condition exists in concert with total assembly rotational velocity. The differential pressure between these cavities is modulated and utilized to apply the bypass clutch to control the slip speed in the clutch while fluid is circulated through the interface clutch zones from the high pressure cavity to the low pressure cavity to wet and cool the clutch friction surface interfaces. However, the volumetric flow of oil through the interface zones is typically restricted to very small values (e.g. not exceeding 1 gpm) because of the restrictions imposed on the hydraulic supply circuit serving the converter circuit and the slipping bypass clutch limiting the ability to both adequately wet and cool the clutch surfaces. Moreover, it is desired that the bypass clutch is capable of extended operational periods in a low velocity slip mode (e.g. 300-10 rpm relative speed) at high interface energy levels (watts/mm.sup.2) that result in extremely high heat generation at the respective clutch interface zones.
In an attempt to meet these objectives, various forms of groove or channel patterns in the clutch facing frictional liner material have been proposed such as radial grooves, cross-hatch grooves and a combination of radial and annular grooves. Examples of such prior art groove patterns are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,802 and incorporated herein by reference.
The groove patterns known in the prior art attempt to control the flow of ATF between the high pressure and low pressure cavities and across the friction liner for purposes of wetting with various degrees of success. The groove patterns are typically cut on the paper based frictional liner facing materials using a die. When some groove patterns are cut, they result in a segmentation of the friction liner material into muitiple pieces. The multiple pieces must then be assembled like a jigsaw puzzle onto the face of the friction plates. This takes time and is labor intensive, ultimately increasing the cost of the manufacturing process. Thus, there is a need in the art for a continuously slipping clutch equipped with friction liners having adequate grooving for wetting and cooling purposes but which are not segmented into multiple sections when die cut during a manufacturing process.
In addition to the efforts to maximize performance of the torque converter, there are also design considerations which dictate minimizing, to the extent possible, the space occupied by the torque converter in a transmission housing. However, these "packaging" design objectives often compete with optimum performance requirements. Torque converter packaging may be considered in relation to the ratio of the toroidal axial length L to the radial dimension of the torque converter expressed as R.sub.1 -R.sub.2, where R.sub.1 is the outer radius of the torroid and R.sub.2 is the inner radius of the torroid, measured from the axis of rotation 18 as shown schematically in FIG. 1.
This relationship, L/(R.sub.1 -R.sub.2), is known in the art as the "squash ratio". Reducing the squash ratio, i.e. minimizing toroidal axial length versus toroidal radial dimension, increases the "squash" of the torque converter and is desirable from a packaging standpoint. Conventional torque converters typically have squash ratios of approximately 1.0. However, and as a general matter, a reduction of the squash ratio has a negative effect on the K-factor curve and reduces the efficiency of the torque converter and the overall efficiency of the powertrain.
Thus, in addition to lowering the cost of manufacturing such turbine blades, there is a need in the art for a turbine blade which has less performance sensitivity, which can be employed in a torque converter having relatively more "squash" than torque converters in the related art, but which does not negatively effect the performance requirements of the torque converter.

Functionally enhanced hydrokinetic device having clutch assembly operable at low engine speeds


Disclosed is a novel process for preparing a compound, in which materials difficult to prepare at low temperature can be prepared even if the temperature is such a low temperature as room temperature. In this process, a solid catalyst is disposed in a vessel, a sub-reaction field f is formed on the surface of the solid catalyst, and materials for reaction are supplied to the sub-reaction field f whereby the reaction is progressed to synthesize an objective compound.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel process for preparing a compound, especially to a process capable of preparing, at around a normal temperature, such a compound which is difficult to produce by a conventional process or which can be produced only at a high temperature.
2. Prior Art
In conventional processes for preparing an objective compound, for example, in an organic synthetic chemical field, raw materials are introduced into a reaction vessel in a simple manner, the processing conditions such as pressure, temperature, and the like are appropriately selected, and a stirring treatment is entirely performed to proceed the synthesis. Also, when the synthetic reaction is performed with the intention of synthesizing the compound under milder condition such as at a lower temperature under a lower pressure, a catalyst having fixed activities is introduced into the reaction system.
At this time, a catalyst having specific activities on the reaction system is selected and a solid catalyst is often used as the catalyst.
Generally, the catalytic activities of these catalysts are defined by the characteristics of the catalyst, for example, physical and chemical characterization factors including the adsorbing behavior to materials composed of the reaction system, surface area, pore structure, atomic arrangement of the surface, state of crystal lattice defect, and degree of acidity or basicity. This suggests that no solid catalyst having catalytic activities to every reaction system can be prepared. Specifically, a specific catalyst having specific catalytic activities corresponds to a specific reaction system.
For example, a transition metal such as Ni, Pd, Pt, or the like is used for hydrogenation of an unsaturated hydrocarbon; transition metal oxide such as MoO.sub.3, V.sub.2 O.sub.5 is used for selective oxidation of an organic compound; and SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, zeolite, or the like is used for cracking of hydrocarbon or isomerization of a hydrocarbon as a solid catalyst.
In conventional methods for using a solid catalyst, the catalytic activities exhibiting only depending on the above physical and chemical characterization factors which the solid catalyst itself possesses is utilized. Hence there are limitations to the degree of the activities. Also, there is no guarantee that a material exhibiting high catalytic activities on a desired synthetic reaction is always available.
On the other hand, there is a case where an objective reaction does not rapidly proceed, for example, at normal temperature even if a solid catalyst is utilized in a reaction system. In this case, it is necessary to supply certain energy externally to the reaction system.
Generally, as the above energy, heat energy is conventionally used, specifically, to heat a reaction vessel externally and thereby to maintain a reaction system in a required high temperature condition. The above reaction system includes the known reaction in which stable oxides of carbon such as CO.sub.2, a carbonate ion (CO.sub.3.sup.2-), or the like are reduced to synthesize hydrocarbon or other useful organic compound. The reaction system of this type has attracted remarkable attention as a method for absorbing CO.sub.2 from an atmosphere to transform it to a useful compound by utilizing excessive energy or natural energy though it has lately been apprehended that the increase in the concentration of CO.sub.2 was a cause of the rise in the temperature of the earth.
The synthetic reaction in this reaction system is known as the reaction for producing CO according to the following formula (1) and producing a higher hydrocarbon according to the following formula (2), which are described in Catalyst Lecture Vol. 9, page 84, (edited by Catalyst Society; published by Kodan Co., Ltd.): EQU CO.sub.2 +H.sub.2 .fwdarw.CO+H.sub.2 O (1) EQU nCO+(2n+1)H.sub.2 .fwdarw.C.sub.n H.sub.2n+2 +nH.sub.2 O (2)
Here, a temperature close to 1000.degree. C. is required to progress the reaction of the formula (1) sufficiently. It is, therefore, necessary to heat a reaction vessel externally, resulting in large-scale installation.
Also, the reaction of the formula (2) is so-called "Fisher-Tropsch reaction". This reaction is progressed by method in which a catalyst is fed into a reaction vessel and CO and H.sub.2 are introduced into the reaction vessel.
The reaction of the formula (2) is an exothermic reaction so that it is fundamentally unnecessary to supply energy required for reaction. However, it is necessary for the reaction system to be controlled at 150.degree. C.--several hundreds degree .degree. C. under normal pressure--10 atms to accelerate the reaction velocity sufficiently even if a solid catalyst such as Co is fed.
However, even though the heat energy supplied externally to the reaction vessel is indispensable for activating the materials involved in the reaction, it is not always required for other materials. Even in this case, it is required to heat the entire of the reaction system uniformly in a conventional method for supplying heat energy.
In the conventional method for supplying heat energy, an excessively large amount of heat energy is supplied to the reaction system. There is the drawback of a large energy loss in relation to the supply of the heat energy to be required for the objective reaction system.
Also, the equipment for synthesis requires large-scaled installation and the system in which the heat energy is externally supplied indispensably causes high costs taking measures for heat resistance and anti-corrosion into consideration.
On the other hand, an electrolytic synthetic system is known as a peculiar synthetic system.
In this electrolytic synthetic system, a specific electrolyte is filled in a reaction vessel in which a pair of electrodes consisting of positive and negative poles are disposed. Voltage is induced between the electrodes so that an electrochemical reaction is formed on the surface of the electrodes and thereby to synthesize a target compound.
In this reaction system, the energy required for the reaction is supplied directly to the materials in the reaction vessel in the form of electric energy. Therefore, it is unnecessary to heat the reaction vessel externally to supply heat energy to the reaction system even if the reaction system is endothermic reaction system.
In this electrolytic synthetic system, the surface of the electrodes disposed in the electrolyte is the actual field in which the synthetic reaction proceeds. In this system, therefore, the electrodes act as a kind of solid catalyst.
Incidentally, it is thought that the reactions of the above formulae (1) and (2) can be processed by the electrolytic reaction system. In this case, because the energy to be supplied is electric energy, the reactions of the formulae (1) and (2) can be carried out at around normal temperature. In view of this, various electrodes as the solid catalyst have been investigated.
However, in almost all of cases, only the reaction of the formula (1) proceeds to terminate the objective reaction or the products to be prepared are limited to very simple organic compounds such as methane, formic acid, and the like (see Chemistry and Chemical Industry, Vol. 43, page 2016-2017, 1990).
Specifically, it is difficult to progress a C--C bonding reaction and a hydrogen abstracting reaction for forming a C.dbd.C bond from a C--C bond in the conventional electrolytic synthetic reaction system.
In addition, since the catalytic activities of the electrodes acting as the solid catalyst are also defined by its physical and chemical characterization factors, it is required for heat energy to be supplied externally to the reaction system if the catalytic activity in the reaction system is insufficient.


A multicolor imaging device capable of operating at higher than normal speeds when a full range of colors is not required. The imaging device includes four station groups each having a charge scorotron, a light source for exposing a photoconductive belt to a color signal, and a toner developer. When a color of a particular station is not required, the light source for that station is disabled and the charge scorotron of that station is enabled to allow a higher charging rate for the required colors, thereby allowing the belt to be propelled at a higher speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to system and method for operating a multitone imaging apparatus, and more particularly to a system and method for operating an apparatus having a photoreceptor and multiple units for depositing charge on the photoreceptor.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A typical image printer may employ a latent development system having a photoconductive surface and a charging unit for depositing charge on the photoconductive surface. After being charged by the charging unit, the photoconductor surface is selectively exposed to a light pattern to selectively discharge the photoconductive surface, thereby producing a pattern of charge corresponding to an image. Subsequently, the photoconductive surface is exposed to charged toner, which adheres to charged portions of the photoconductor surface.
When a printer is compact, the various parts of the printer tend to have a reduced size. Generally, reducing the size of the charging unit results in the charging unit being capable of depositing less charge per unit time. Reduced charge per unit time results in reduced image quality or in reduced printing speed.

System and method for operating a multitone imaging apparatus


A channel allocation method for dynamically allocating channels of a plurality of radio interfaces at each access point included in a mesh network is provided. The method includes the steps of (a) acquiring, at each access point, in-node information about the access point itself, and (b) grouping high-traffic access points in a cluster using a same channel set based on the acquired information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a channel allocation technique, and more particularly, to channel allocation for an access point in a mesh network (an adhoc network or a self-organizing network) structured by multiple access points with wireless communication abilities.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide range of applications of mesh networking is being proposed. For example, an application to a home network in which consumer electronics, such as a television set or a DVD player, are provided with functions of access points is proposed. In such a network, audio and video data are transmitted from the DVD player to the television set, in response to a request from the television set, without using cable connections or other wired connections. To push such an application to practical use, the data transmission rate between access points has to be increased.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional mesh network, in which the number of channels allocated is the same as that of the radio radio interfaces of the access point. Each of the access points AP1-AP4 has two radio radio interfaces, which radio interfaces are set to channels f1 and f2, respectively. The number of channels is not limited to this example, and channels to be allocated may be increased in accordance with the number of radio radio interfaces if many radio radio interfaces are used.
By allocating multiple channels to each access point, simultaneous communication with other access points using different channels is realized, and the transmission rate between access points is increased. In this example, since the number of radio radio interfaces is equal to that of the channels, it is unnecessary to allocate a different set of channels to each access point separately.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a conventional mesh network, in which the number of channels available in the network is more than that of the radio radio interfaces of each access point. By increasing the number of channels, the efficiency of the mesh network is temporarily improved. However, because all the channels cannot be used simultaneously at the radio radio interfaces of each access point, the access points are clustered. For example, in FIG. 2, access points AP1 and AP4 are grouped in a cluster that uses a channel set of channels f1 and f3, while access points AP3 and AP2 are grouped in a cluster that uses a channel set of channels f1 and f2. In this context, a cluster is a logical group of nodes that use the same channel set.
In this case, two channels can be used simultaneously between access points AP1 and AP4 grouped in the same cluster. Similarly, two channels are used simultaneously between access points AP3 and AP2 in the same cluster. Accordingly, high-rate transmission can be performed. For the data transmission between access points belonging to different clusters is used the common channel of frequency f1, and accordingly, the transmission rate is decreased.
FIG. 3 is an example of conventional access point clustering based on network topology, which method is designed so as to group those access points located close to each other together in the same cluster in the mesh network. Access points AP1-AP3 are grouped in the first cluster, access points AP4-AP7 are put in the second cluster, and access points AP8-AP10 are arranged in the third cluster. The criterion and the control sequence as to which range of access points are grouped in the same cluster are different among proposals. See, for example,
(1) Mizuno, et al. "An Evaluation of Self-organization Method for Multihop Wireless Networks", IEICE, Technical Report, Vol. 102 No. 281 ISSN 0913-5685 RCS 2000-137 (2002-08); and
(2) Jing Zhu, et al., "Maximizing Aggregate Throughput in 802.11 Mesh Networks with Physical Carrier Sensing and Two-Radio Multi-Channel Clustering", in Proceedings of NSF-FPI Workshop on Pervasive Computing and Networking, Apr. 29-30, 2004.
The above-described channel allocation (clustering) based on the physical position of the nodes is advantageous in that the control operation is easy.
In the conventional method, channel allocation to the access points in the mesh network is carried out based on the physical position of the nodes, and high-speed communication can be performed between access points in the same cluster because of the sufficient number of available channels. In contrast, communication between access points across clusters cannot be carried out at high rate because fewer channels are available for inter-cluster communication.
In a mesh network, communication conditions are unfixed, always changing depending on situations, and accordingly, a large amount of transmission may often occur across clusters. In such a case, the throughput falls down, and the network efficiency is degraded.

Channel allocation for access point in mesh network


A lock hole (22) in the form of a window is formed to penetrate a front end portion of a lock arm (15) resiliently displaceable like a seesaw. In a state where two housings (10, 50) are not connected yet, a movement of the detector (30) to a detection position is prevented by such engagement of a latching projection (39) with the lock hole (22) as not to move any further forward. A pair of reinforcing ribs (23) extending from the front end of the lock arm (15) to a position slightly behind inclination supporting legs (16) of the lock arm (15) and arranged at the opposite widthwise sides of the lock hole (22) are formed to project from the lock arm (15). The reinforcing ribs (23) increase the rigidity of the front end portion of the lock arm (15).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector with a connection detecting function and to a connector assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,252,530 discloses a connector with a first housing that is connectable with a second housing. A plate-like lock arm is provided on the first housing and is inclinable like a seesaw. A lock hole penetrates a front end portion of the lock arm. A detector is mounted movably relative to the lock arm between a standby position and a detection position. The detector has a latch with a latching projection that engages the lock hole to hold the detector at the standby position before the housings are connected and to prevent the detector from moving toward the detection position.
A front end portion of the lock arm moves onto a lock projection of the second housing in the process of connecting the two housings and causes the lock arm to deform resiliently. At this time, the detector inclines together with the lock arm and the latching projection remains engaged with the lock hole. Therefore the detector remains prevented from moving toward the detection position. The lock arm resiliently restores when the housings reach a properly connected state. Thus, the lock projection engages the lock hole to lock the housings together. Additionally, the latching projection moves onto the lock projection and disengages from the lock hole so that the detector can move to the detection position. Accordingly, an operator can determine whether the two housings are connected properly based on whether the detector can move to the detection position.
The front portion of the lock arm has a relatively low rigidity due to the penetration of the lock hole. Thus, a strong pressing force on the detector toward the detecting position could deform the front portion of the lock arm, and such a deformation could disengage the lock hole from the latching projection. As a result, the detector may be moved inadvertently from the standby position to the detection position.
The invention was developed in view of the above situation, and an object thereof is to reliably hold a detector at a standby position.


An apparatus includes first and second input terminals configured to be coupled to one of multiple types of input sources. The apparatus also includes a diode and a resistor coupled in series between the first and second input terminals. The apparatus further includes a plurality of switches each coupled to at least one of the diode and the resistor. The switches are configured to be opened and closed to reconfigure the apparatus depending on the type of input source. The switches could include a first switch coupled to the first input terminal, a current source, and a first side of the diode. The switches could also include a second switch coupled to the current source, a second side of the diode, and a first side of the resistor. In addition, the switches could include a third switch coupled to the second input terminal and a second side of the resistor.

A process monitoring and control system may include wireless sensors used to measure various characteristics within an industrial facility. Physical transducers coupled to or used in the wireless sensors may have any of several types of electrical characteristics, such as high-level analog inputs (HLAIs), low-level analog inputs (LLAIs), and digital (ON/OFF) contact-closure inputs. Example HLAI signal sources include 0-20 mA or 4-20 mA current sources. Example LLAI signal sources include thermocouples and other sensors with outputs ranging from ±0.01V to ±0.1V.
In conventional systems, it is typically necessary to add a current shunt resistor across input terminals of a wired or wireless sensor in order to change an input of the sensor from accepting a low-level (voltage) input to accepting a high-level (current) input. Adding or removing the current shunt resistor requires access to field wiring terminals in order to manually add or remove the resistor from the sensor. An alternate approach uses an electromechanical switch to break the circuit to the shunt resistor, but this approach still requires physical access to the sensor in order to operate the switch manually.
Physical access to a sensor may be difficult or dangerous. For example, the sensor may be located in a hazardous environment or a difficult-to-access location, such as at the top of a tower. Also, for protection from moisture or corrosive environments, electronic components in a sensor may be conformally coated, making it impractical to use a removable resistor or an electromechanical switch.

Remotely configurable analog/digital input circuit and related apparatus and method