A method of maintaining a structure includes providing a structure having a component subject to failure. A sensor, a memory and an energy harvesting device are mounted on the structure. The sensor is used and data derived from the sensor logged in the memory, wherein the memory is powered solely with energy derived from the energy harvesting device. The component is replaced if information in the memory shows that the component was subject to damaging usage.

Sensors, signal conditioners, processors, and digital wireless radio frequency (RF) links continue to become smaller, consume less power, and include higher levels of integration. The combination of these elements can provide sensing, acquisition, storage, and reporting functions in very small packages. Such sensing devices have been linked in wireless networks as described in the '127, patent and in the '9224, '194, '481, '541, '731, '637, '066, and '436 applications.
Networks of intelligent sensors have been described in a paper, "Intelligent Sensor Nodes Enable a New Generation of Machinery Diagnostics and Prognostics, New Frontiers in Integrated Diagnostics and Prognostics," by F. M. Discenzo, K. A. Loparo, D. Chung, A. Twarowsk, 55th Meeting of the Society for Machinery Failure Prevention Technology, April 2001, Virginia Beach.
Wireless sensors have the advantage of eliminating wiring installation expense and weight as well as connector reliability problems. However, wireless sensors still require power in order to operate. In some cases, sensors may be hardwired to a vehicle's power system. The wiring required for power defeats the advantages of wireless sensors and may be unacceptable for many applications. In addition, if a power outage occurs, critical data may be lost, at least during the time of the power outage.
Most prior wireless structural monitoring systems have relied on continuous power supplied by batteries. For example, a paper "An Advanced Strain Level Counter for Monitoring Aircraft Fatigue," by Weiss, Instrument Society of America, ASI 72212, 1972, pages 105-108, 1972, described a battery powered inductive strain measurement system which measured and counted strain levels for aircraft fatigue. The disadvantage of traditional batteries, however, is that they become depleted and must be periodically replaced or recharged. This additional maintenance task adds cost and limits use to accessible locations.
Given the limitations of battery power, there has been a need for systems which can operate effectively using alternative power sources. Energy harvesting from vibrating machinery and rotating structures to provide power for such sensing devices and for wireless networks of sensors and/or actuators has been described in the commonly assigned '693 patent and in the '976, '679, '632, '642, and '731 applications.
A paper, "Energy Scavenging for wireless Sensor Networks with Special Focus on Vibrations," by S. Roundy et al., Kluwer Academic Press, 2004, and a paper "Energy Scavenging for Mobile and Wireless Electronics," Pervasive Computing, by J. A. Paradiso & T. Starner, IEEE CS and IEEE ComSoc, Vol 1536-1268, pp 18-26, 2005, describe various strategies for harvesting or scavenging energy from the environment. These sensing systems can operate truly autonomously because they do not require traditional battery maintenance.
However, these energy harvesting systems have not been optimized for use on structures, such as aircraft and for use in certain networks. Thus, an improved system for monitoring is needed that harvests sufficient energy for operation and that can provide data over a network, and this solution is provided by this patent application.

Energy harvesting, wireless structural health monitoring system


A network device for selecting a port from a trunk group on which to transmit a multicast packet. The network device includes at least one trunk group including a plurality of physical ports. The network device is connected to at least one other network device by a number of the plurality of physical ports. The network device also includes a table with a plurality of entries, wherein each entry is associated with the number of the plurality of physical ports on the network device. Each entry specifies if a packet should be transmitted on one of the plurality of physical ports. The network device further includes a determiner for determining whether or not an override field is set, a hasher for hashing, based on a result from the determiner, a predefined number of bits from predefined fields in the packet to select one entry in the table, wherein the selected entry is used to identify a destination port and a transmitter for transmitting the packet to the destination port based on results from the one of the determiner or the hasher.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network device in a data network and more particularly to a system and method of logically linking multiple ports into a signal port of the network device and transmitting packets through the logical high speed ports in a trunk group.
2. Description of the Related Art
A packet switched network may include one or more network devices, such as an Ethernet switching chip, each of which includes several modules that are used to process information that is transmitted through the device. Specifically, the device includes an ingress module, a Memory Management Unit (MMU) and an egress module. The ingress module includes switching functionality for determining to which destination port a packet should be directed. The MMU is used for storing packet information and performing resource checks. The egress module is used for performing packet modification and for transmitting the packet to at least one appropriate destination port. One of the ports on the device may be a CPU port that enables the device to send and receive information to and from external switching/routing control entities or CPUs.
A current network device may support physical ports and logical/trunk ports, wherein the trunk ports are a set of physical external ports that act as a single link layer port. Ingress and destination ports on the network device may be physical external ports or trunk ports. By logically combining multiple physical ports into a trunk port, the network may provide greater bandwidth for connecting multiple devices. Furthermore, if one port in the trunk fails, information may still be sent between connected devices through other active ports of the trunk. As such, trunk ports also enable the network to provide greater redundancy between connected network devices.
In order to transmit information from one network device to another, the sending device has to determine if the packet is being transmitted to a trunk destination port. If a destination port is a trunk port, the sending network device must dynamically select a physical external port in the trunk on which to transmit the packet. The dynamic selection must account for load sharing between ports in a trunk so that outgoing packets are distributed across the trunk.
Typically, each packet entering a network device may be one of a unicast packet, a broadcast packet, a muliticast packet, or an unknown unicast packet. The unicast packet is transmitted to a specific destination address that can be determined by the receiving network device. The broadcast packet is typically sent to all ports by the ingress network device and the multicast packet is sent to multiple identifiable ports by the ingress network device. To multicast or broadcast a packet specific bits in the packet are set prior to transmission of the packet to the ingress network device. An unknown unicast packet is a unicast packet in which the ingress network device cannot determine the associated destination address. So the ingress network device broadcasts the packet which is ignored by all ports except the intended but previously unknown destination port. When the previously unknown destination port sends a response message to the ingress network device, all network devices "learn" the associated destination address. Thereafter, any unicast packet sent to the previously unknown port is transmitted as a traditional unicast packet.
When a broadcast/multicast packet is to be sent on a trunk group that includes multiple physical ports, the ingress device must send the packet to every device in the network without sending duplicate copies of the packet on a given trunk. However, the sending network device must select one port from the trunk group and adequately distribute packets across ports of the trunk group.


Provided are a method and apparatus for controlling an imaging area of a flexible display device. A method of controlling an imaging area in a display area of a flexible display device including a display unit for receiving a touch, and a display area overlapping the display unit and for displaying an image includes obtaining at least two input signals input to the display unit in response to a continuous touch in the form of a closed loop, setting an internal area of the closed loop as an imaging area based on the obtained at least two input signals, and controlling the image displayed on the display area to be moved and displayed onto the set imaging area. An area for displaying an image may be controlled appropriately for the shape of a flexible display device by using an input signal generated by a user's touch.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for controlling an imaging area of a flexible display device, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for controlling an imaging area of a flexible display device that is transformed to a different shape.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the development of display devices, flexible display devices that may be folded or rolled have been researched and developed.
Due to excellent characteristics related to viewing angle, contrast, response speed, power consumption, etc., organic light emitting display panels expand their application fields from personal portable devices, e.g., MP3 players and mobile phones, to televisions (TVs). Also, due to self-emissive characteristics, organic light emitting display panels do not need additional light sources and thus may reduce their thicknesses and weights.
An organic light emitting display panel may be formed to be flexible by using a plastic substrate, and its flexibility may be further increased by reducing its thickness. A flexible display device may be used in a planar shape or may be used in a three-dimensional shape as an advantage of its flexibility. The three-dimensional shape of a flexible display device may vary according to a user or a situation where the flexible display device is used.
In order to control an area for displaying an image in a display area of a flexible display device transformed to a three-dimensional shape, a control method different from that used to control a flat display device is required.

Method and apparatus for controlling imaging area of flexible display device

Samsung-ro, Giheung-Gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-Do


The present invention belongs to the technical field of health monitoring for civil structures, and a dynamically non-Gaussian anomaly identification method is proposed for structural monitoring data. First, define past and current observation vectors for the monitoring data and pre-whiten them; second, establish a statistical correlation model for the whitened past and current observation vectors to obtain dynamically whitened data; then, divide the dynamically whitened data into two parts, i.e., the system-related and system-unrelated parts, which are further modelled by the independent component analysis; finally, define two statistics and determine their corresponding control limits, respectively, it can be decided that there is anomaly in the monitoring data when each of the statistics exceeds its corresponding control limit. The non-Gaussian and dynamic characteristics of structural monitoring data are simultaneously taken into account, based on that the defined statistics can effectively identify anomalies in the data.

The service performance of civil structures will inevitably deteriorate due to the collective effects of long-term loadings, environmental corrosion and fatigue factors. Through in-depth analysis of structural monitoring data, the abnormal condition of structures can be discovered in time and an accurate safety early-warning can then be provided, which has important practical significance for ensuring the safe operation of civil structures. At present, the anomaly identification of structural monitoring data is mainly achieved through statistical methods, which can be generally divided into two categories: 1) the univariate control chart, such as the Shewhart control chart, the CUSUM control chart and so forth, which is used to establish separate control chart for the monitoring data at each measurement point to identify anomalies in the monitoring data; and 2) the multivariate statistical analysis, such as the principal component analysis, the independent component analysis and so forth, which employs the correlation between monitoring data at multiple measurement points to establish a statistical model, and then defines corresponding statistics to identify anomalies in the monitoring data.
Due to the deformation continuity of structures, there exists correlation between structural response data at the adjacent measurement points. In practical engineering applications, multivariate statistical analysis is more advantageous since this kind of correlation can be considered. However, due to various factors, such as the structural nonlinearity, the complexity of measurement noise and so forth, structural monitoring data often exhibits non-Gaussian properties; in addition, dynamic characteristics (i.e., autocorrelation) also exist in structural monitoring data. If non-Gaussian and dynamic characteristics can be considered simultaneously in the modeling process of structural monitoring data, the anomaly identification ability of the multivariate statistical analysis method can be improved, making it more practical in engineering applications.

Dynamically non-gaussian anomaly identification method for structural monitoring data


A TDMA-based communication method for enabling communication between a base station and a client, the base station and the client each comprising a clock for synchronizing communications, the method comprising: allocating a TDMA channel to said client; causing a transceiver of the client to operate in a communication mode during client timeslots making up said allocated channel and to operate in a sleep mode at other times; causing a transceiver of said base station to begin operating in a communication mode with said client on said channel in advance of each said client timeslot and/or to continue operating in a communication mode with said client after each said client timeslot.

In low power (e.g. wireless) communication systems using TDMA, timing is a critical parameter which significantly affects how timeslots can be effectively allocated and utilized.
Usually a timeslot is assigned by a central node or base station, and a client (e.g. a sensor node) is required to ensure its communication with the base station is within its allocated timeslot. This requirement therefore imparts constraints on the precision of clocks that can be used by the client. However, in applications where it is desirable to employ low power and/or low cost clients (e.g. as disposable sensor nodes), it is also desirable to employ simpler and cheaper clocks, which are generally less precise.
To date this problem has been overcome by ensuring that the client wakes up in advance of its allocated slot (as determined by the clock on the client) while the base station is configured to begin transmitting at the allocated start time (according to its own, usually more precise clock) so that the client will always be awake when the base station transmission begins. The disadvantage with this approach is that, typically, the client will wake up early and may have to wait some time before the base station transmission begins. This wasted time consumes power and is therefore highly undesirable in such low cost devices.
Even when a client node has a clock of the same or similar precision as the base station, it may have to wake up occasionally to synchronise its clock with the base station if it has a very long sleep period. This is particularly important when there are other clients on the same network using other timeslots. This system therefore places the onus on the client to wake up at known time intervals in order to keep in sync with the base station and this constitutes an additional power expenditure.
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a TDMA-based communication method and system that addresses the aforementioned problems.

TDMA-based communication method and system with enhanced clock drift resilience


An N-bit comparator compares two numbers A and B each consisting of N bits to each other and includes: N one-bit comparing circuits for generating a second output of a first level and a first output of a second level which is complementary to the first level if a bit ai (0.ltoreq.i.ltoreq.N-1) of the number A is equal to a bit bi (0.ltoreq.i.ltoreq.N-1) of the number B, for generating the second output of the second level and the first output of the first level if bit ai is greater than bit bi, and for generating the first output of the second level and the second output of the second level if bit ai is less than bit bi; and a final comparing circuit for receiving the first and second outputs of the one-bit comparing circuits and for generating a final comparative result of the two numbers by a comparative result of lower places when upper places of the two numbers are equal to each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to comparators and, more particularly, to a comparator for comparing two numbers with each other at high speed.
2. Detailed Description of Related Art
A digital comparator is a basic circuit constructed to compare two digital signals A and B with each other and determine whether signal A represents a value that is greater than, less than or equal to the value represented by signal B. For N-bit signals A and B, N exclusive OR gates combined with an AND gate can identify whether signal A is equal to signal B. However, if signal A differs from signal B, bits of signal A should be compared to the corresponding bits of signal B in an order from the most significant bit to the least significant bit to judge whether signal A represents a value greater than the value represented by signal B. Accordingly, the time required for the comparative operation increases as the number of bits in signals A and B increases.


A secondary battery and a secondary battery pack, the secondary battery including a case; an electrode assembly inside the case; a cap plate coupled with the case, the cap plate having an inner side facing an inside of the case and an outer side facing an outside of the case; a flexible collecting tab electrically connected with the electrode assembly and extending through the cap plate from the inner side to the outer side thereof; and, a terminal plate outside of the case and adjacent to the outer side of the cap plate, the flexible collecting tab being electrically connected with the terminal plate.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to a secondary battery and a secondary battery pack.
2. Description of the Related Art
Secondary batteries are rechargeable, unlike primary batteries. Secondary batteries may include, e.g., a low capacity battery including a battery cell in the form of a pack may be used for small portable electronic devices such as cellular phones and camcorders. A high capacity battery (including dozens of battery cells connected to one another) may be used as a motor-driving power source for electric scooters, hybrid vehicles, or electric vehicles.

Secondary battery and secondary battery pack having a flexible collecting tab extending through a cap plate


A line driver includes: a differential amplifier for amplifying an input signal to generate an output signal; first and second series resistors coupled respectively to output terminals of the differential amplifier and through which the output signal is output; first and second negative-feedback resistors each coupled between a respective input terminal and a respective output terminal of the differential amplifier; first and second positive-feedback variable resistors each coupled between a respective input terminal of the differential amplifier and a respective one of the first and second series resistors; and an adjusting unit coupled to the first and second positive-feedback variable resistors to adjust a resistance thereof with reference to the output signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a line driver, more particularly to a line driver that is capable of automatically adjusting an output impedance.
2. Description of the Related Art
A transmission line is used to transmit high-speed signals, and a line driver is used to drive the input to the transmission line with a higher than normal signal level. However, in order to reduce signal reflection, an output impedance of the line driver must be matched with a characteristic impedance of the transmission line.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional active terminal line driver which forms a part of an integrated circuit (not shown). The line driver is coupled to a load 18 that has a resistance (R1). The line driver is used to amplify an input current (Iin) to produce an output voltage for driving the load 18. The line driver comprises a differential amplifier 11, a pair of series variable resistors 12, 13, a pair of negative-feedback resistors 14, 15, and a pair of positive-feedback resistors 16, 17. Each of the series variable resistors 12, 13 includes a plurality of resistor elements (not shown), and a plurality of switches (not shown) that are controlled to vary coupling states of the resistor elements and thereby change a resistance of the respective series variable resistor 12, 13.
Referring to FIG. 2, an equivalent half circuit of the line driver may be constructed to determine an output impedance (Zout) and a transimpedance (1/Gm) thereof as follows:
            Z      out        =                            V          out                          I          out                    =                                    R            s                                1            -                                          R                f                                            R                p                                      +                                          R                s                                            R                p                                                    ≅                                            R              s                                      1              -                                                R                  f                                                  R                  p                                                                                (                                          when                                                                                R                  p                                            >>                              R                s                                      )                                          1              G        m              =                            V          out                          I          in                    =                                    R            f                                1            +                                          R                s                                                              R                  l                                //                                  R                  p                                                      -                                          R                f                                            R                p                                                    ≅                                            R              f                                      1              +                                                R                  s                                                  R                  l                                            -                                                R                  f                                                  R                  p                                                                                (                                          when                                                                                R                  p                                            >>                              R                1                                      )
where (Vout) is an amplitude of the output voltage, (Rs) is a resistance of each of the series variable resistors 12, 13, (Rf) is a resistance of each of the negative-feedback resistors 14, 15, (Rp) is a resistance of each of the positive-feedback resistors 16, 17, and (R1) is the resistance of the load 18.
Therefore, the amplitude (Vout) of the output voltage is as follows:
      V    out    =            I      in        ×                            R          f                          1          +                                    R              s                                      R              l                                -                                    R              f                                      R              p                                          .
Due to manufacturing variations in the integrated circuit (variation ratios of the resistors 12-17 are substantially the same, that is, ±20%), the output impedance (Zout) and the transimpedance (1/Gm) will be varied correspondingly, and the output impedance (Zout) is approximately directly proportional to the resistance (Rs) of each of the series variable resistors 12, 13.
The conventional technique of correcting the output impedance (Zout) so that it corresponds to its design value involves adjusting the resistance (Rs) of each of the series variable resistors 12, 13. Also, in order to fix the amplitude (Vout) of the output voltage, the conventional technique involves generating the input current (Iin) (the input current Iin may be affected by manufacturing variations) with reference to an internal resistor (not shown) of the integrated circuit so as to counterbalance a variation in the transimpedance (1/Gm).
Since correction using conventional techniques entails utilizing equations of the output impedance (Zout) and the amplitude (Vout) of the output voltage after having undergone simplification, the output impedance (Zout) and the amplitude (Vout) of the output voltage will still be varied from their intended values.
In addition, since the resistance (Rs) of each of the series variable resistors 12, 13 is extremely small (typically a few tens of ohms), the switches for the series variable resistors 12, 13 must be very large so as to reduce conduction resistances of the same. More space is required to implement such large switches. Also, conduction resistances of the switches may be influenced by the output voltage and thereby reduce the linearity of the output voltage.

Line driver capable of automatically adjusting output impedance


A labor-saving tent frame includes an upper hub, a lower hub and a drawstring structure, wherein the upper hub is articulated with inner ends of a plurality of long ribs, the lower hub is articulated with inner ends of a plurality of short ribs, and outer ends of the short ribs are articulated with middle portions of the long ribs in one-to-one correspondence; the tent frame further includes a long-short-rib articulated torsion spring provided with a first force arm of the torsion spring and a second force arm of the torsion spring, and the long rib and the short rib are fixed to the first force arm and the second force arm of the torsion spring respectively; the drawstring structure includes a drawstring with which the upper hub and the lower hub may be pulled closer, and two pulling ends of the drawstring hang down below the lower hub.

Chinese patent document CN201915685U, published on Aug. 3, 2011, discloses a portable umbrella type tent, which mainly includes a supporting tent frame and a tent cloth arranged at an inner side of the tent frame. The tent frame includes a frame body and three or more supporting rods which are distributed radially, wherein the frame body is divided into an upper hub structure and a lower hub structure, the supporting rod is divided into a long rib, a short rib and one or more folding ribs, the long and short ribs are articulated in a T shape by a middle connector, the folding rib is movably connected to the long rib by a folding connector, a long rib connector is provided at a position of the long rib movably connected to the upper hub structure, and a short rib connector is provided at a position of the short rib movably connected to the lower hub structure. The utility model provides a firm and durable umbrella type tent which is quite rapid and convenient to unfold and fold without assembly and disassembly, and saves time for a user to unfold and fold the tent. In such a technical solution, an articulated relationship exists respectively between an upper hub and the long rib, between a lower hub and the short rib, as well as between the long and short ribs to form a triangle whose three sides are the long rib, the short rib and the virtual connecting line between the upper and lower hubs respectively. When the tent is in a folded state, the virtual connecting line between upper and lower hubs becomes longest, and an included angle between the long and short ribs approaches 180 degrees. In this state, a force arm pushing the short rib to rotate is quite short. If the user is to unfold the tent, a great force is required to form a moment of force large enough to push the short rib to rotate, so as to decrease the included angle between the long and short ribs to reduce a distance between the upper and lower hubs. In view of a large size, a heavy weight and a large friction force of the tent frame, an operation of unfolding the tent requires the user to have good physical strength, thereby limiting utilization of the tent. In order to facilitate utilization, a drawstring structure is also applied to the traditional tent frame to assist the user in reducing the distance between the upper and lower hubs. However, generally, the traditional drawstring structure is designed into a pull-up type. That is, the frame may only be unfolded by pulling the drawstring upwards from the upper hub, which is a huge inconvenience to those of low height (i.e. of short stature).


A rock drilling tool for percussive drilling includes a drill bit and a drill tube cooperating by means of shoulder abutment in a threaded connection. The connection includes at least one male thread and a female thread. The male thread is provided on a shank being an integral part of the drill bit. The drill bit is provided with a shoulder at the inner end of the shank, the shoulder having an abutment surface facing towards the free end of the shank. The female thread is provided in the drill tube and the free end of the drill tube is provided with an impact surface. The threads are cylindrical. The combination of shoulder abutment with a short head provides straight energy transfer at a rock drilling tool.

The present invention relates to a rock drilling tool for percussive drilling comprising a drill bit and a drill tube. The drill bit has a head having a front surface wherefrom a number of front inserts are project and peripheral inserts provided in a peripheral row. The drill bit is provided with a first thread co-operating with a second thread provided on the drill tube. The invention further relates to a drill bit and a method of transferring percussive energy from a rock drilling tool to a bore hole.
It is previously known through U.S. Pat. No. 1,447,855 to provide a so called shoulder abutment at threaded connections between a drill rod and a rock drill bit in equipment for percussive drilling. When loosening the drill bit in the known equipment with a relatively heavy drill bit, there is a risk that the thread entrance on the bit shank will become damaged due to the substantial difference in mass on opposite sides of the shoulder abutment. Furthermore, the known drill bit is provided with chisel edges of hardened steel, which project relatively far in the radial direction. This means that the percussive energy during percussive drilling is forced to deflect towards the radially outer tip of the edge and therefore the effective coefficient of efficiency decreases, thereby resulting in impaired guiding ability and impaired drilling speed. Chisel edges give a relatively slow drilling speed. Furthermore it seems as the known tool can have abutment between the drill rod and bit, both in the radial and axial directions which during drilling create hardening of the material with subsequent crack initiation points.

Rock drilling tool, drill bit and a method of transferring percussive energy


A system for detecting coatings on a transparent or semi-transparent medium includes a conductive sensor and a light reflection sensor which are configured to determine a presence and the conductivity of the coating on the medium.

The manufacturing industries have developed several types of coatings for glass and other types of transparent and semi-transparent materials. It is also important that the location of any coated surface is known during the manufacturing process. It is especially important that there be a method to distinguish the non-conductive coatings from any type of conductive coatings.
For example, in the coating and glass industry, for example, there are numerous applications where residual coatings from the manufacturing process or spectral reflective coatings are applied to a transparent surface. In particular, for architectural applications, surface coatings are often used on glass to reduce thermal transfer through the glass. The coatings are effective for reflecting and/or absorbing certain wavelengths of solar radiation that strike it. The coatings are generally in the form of an electrically conductive transparent film on one surface of the glass. It is often difficult to visually detect the presence or absence of a solar surface coating on glass.
Further, even when the presence of a solar coating is detected, it is almost impossible to visually detect which side of the glass sheet is coated. It may be desirable to have the coated surface on the interior of the building to protect the coating from the outside environment. The problem may become even more important where a window pane assembly is formed from two spaced sheets of glass. Preferably, a solar coating is placed on the interior surface, i.e., the surface between the two panes, of the outer glass pane. If the coating is located on the inner glass pane, there may be excessive heat buildup between the spaced window panes which could lead to premature failure of the seal between the panes.
Currently, one method for detecting a non-conductive coating uses an optical reflection method where light is emitted onto and reflected from the coated surface. The amount of light energy reflected from a non-conductive coated surface is different from a clear or uncoated surface. However, there is a need to improve this reflection method since there is a vast proliferation of new types of non-conductive coatings. Many of the new non-conductive coating have the same reflection characteristics when exposed to light from a limited spectrum light source (i.e., monochrome light source, Laser, LED, etc.) as the reflection characteristics of conductive LOW E (Low Emissivity) coatings. This inability to easily determine the presence and location (i.e., on which side of glass is which coating) causes a concern since LOW E coating must be on the inside of a sealed window, while many non-conductive coatings are designed for the outside surface of a sealed window assembly. It is thus important that those installing the glass install the glass in the proper orientation.
While there is a currently used method for detecting a conductive coating using a capacitance method, such method does not reliably detect the surface location of the conductive coating and cannot detect the presence or location of non-conductive coatings.
Further, another detection method involves a continuity test device in which a device must touch the coating on the medium. However, this device can damage the coating which is unacceptable.
Therefore, there is a continuing need for an improved, reliable and efficient method and device to detect the presence, location and type of coating applied to various transparent or semi-transparent mediums, or materials deposited directly to the surface or left on the transparent mediums.

System for detecting coatings on transparent or semi-transparent materials


Disclosed is a shaped container bottom for containing a plurality of curved snack pieces where the container bottom comprises a bottom panel. The bottom panel has a concave-shape about a major axis of the container. The concave bottom panel conforms to the shape the snack piece without the snack piece resting upon the bottom panel.

Packaged snack pieces are a very popular food item. These snack pieces include but are not limited to potato chips or crisps, tortilla chips, etc. Commonly, snacks such as potato chips are packaged at random in a bag. This leads to low bulk density in the bag and therefore the package takes up valuable space during storage, shipping and displaying of the package and product. The snacks are also easily broken or crushed during packaging, shipping and other handling.
Some of the snack pieces available are substantially the same size and shape and are generally non-planar in shape, i.e., they have a substantially concave shape. This concave shape may be in the form of a single curvature or a compound curvature such as the Pringles® potato crisps sold by The Procter & Gamble Company of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Due to the snack pieces similar shape and size, they are typically stacked together and therefore allow high bulk density in a container. This leads to both decreased packaging per net weight of product and improvement of the product because the stacking creates less of a risk of chips being broken or sliding up the side of the container. These snack pieces are generally packaged into a foil fiber canister having a flat metal bottom panel. This flat bottom panel does not conform to the shape of the chip and thus does not identify to the consumer the type of product contained within the package. It is desirable to have the package itself identify the type of product contained within the package because it will reduce the need for labeling. One such way would be to shape the container bottom to conform to the shape of the curved snack pieces within the container. However, if the shape of the container bottom too closely conforms to the chip's shape such that the chip's surface rests upon the surface of the container bottom's end panel, the chips will experience increased breakage due to forces during handling and shipping of the containers. In addition, the snack pieces do not self-center or self-nest properly in the bottom of the canister, thus causing "slip" or "denested" chips.
It is desired to have a minimal clearance between the chip and the container bottom end panel such that the chip will not rest upon the bottom's surface.
Accordingly, there is a need for an inexpensive plastic container for packaging frangible snack pieces such as potato chips or crisps, which reflects the shape of the chip for purposes of identifying the product to the user and yet reduces article breakage resulting from typical packaging, shipping and handling.

Abstract: Also disclosed is a shaped container bottom for containing a plurality of curved snack pieces where the container bottom comprises a bottom panel. The bottom panel further comprises a plurality of flat portions and a bottom panel center disposed between the flat portions. The bottom panel center conforms to the shape of the snack pieces.


An apparatus for measuring the height and cross-track offset of a surface location from a moving platform is defined. First and second antennas positioned on an underside of the platform are directed downwardly toward the surface. A transmitter associated with one of the antennas transmits a signal toward the surface. A first coherent detector associated with the first antenna detects a received signal corresponding to the transmitted signal as reflected by the surface and generates in-phase and quadrature components of the detected signal relative to the transmitted signal. A second coherent detector associated with the second antenna detects a received signal corresponding to the transmitted signal as reflected by the surface and generates a second set of in-phase and quadrature components of the detected signal relative to the transmitted signal. An analog to digital (A/D) converter converts the in-phase and quadrature components into digital information stored in a memory. A digital signal processor processing the digital information stored in the memory determines the height and cross-track offset of the surface location.

Systems which provide terrain contour mapping (TERCOM) have been used in the past to provide position location information for moving platforms such as aircraft and missiles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,171, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a system for three-dimensional interferometric synthetic aperture radar terrain mapping employing altitude measurement. In such systems, synthetic aperture radar data is used in combination with separately generated altimeter data to produce a terrain map corrected for platform roll angle. In general, such systems use two synthetic radar antennas and a ranging altimeter located on the aircraft.
Another system which is able to provide a terrain map is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,708, also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In this system, a three-dimensional interferometric synthetic aperture radar terrain mapping is described in which unambiguous phase unwrapping employing subset bandwidth processing is used. As with the former system, this system employs two radar receivers which process echo signals conventionally to yield slant range and doppler frequency data for plural resolution cells. The measured phase difference for each resolution cell provides an ambiguous measure of slant range difference to the two antennas needed to determine terrain evaluation and correct ground range. The received echo data is reprocessed using less than the entire bandwidth of the radar transmission to achieve additional center wave lengths. This produces a differing ambiguity interval and permits unambiguous determination of the slant range difference. The average altitude is separately determined by a ranging altimeter.
Other topographical mapping radar systems, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,732, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, use two vertically spaced fan beam antennas to provide terrain contour mapping. This radar transmission is normal to the flight path and to the side of the aircraft.
Although such systems have been effective in mapping terrain, their accuracy is somewhat limited by the accuracy of the separately generated altimeter information. With the advent of real time digital signal processing, there is a need for an improved system which can accurately determine the height of a platform above the surface so that this information can be used to more accurately provide contour mapping.


An optical fiber connector includes a ferrule, a fastening tube, and a cover plate. The ferrule includes a through hole and a breach. Front and rear parts of the through hole respectively include a pre-embedded optical fiber and a field optical fiber. A joint of the two optical fibers is located at the breach. A part of the through hole is exposed in the breach. The fastening tube includes a ferrule accommodating portion accommodating a part of the ferrule on which the breach is disposed, and an opening disposed thereon. The opening connects the ferrule accommodating portion, and is positionally corresponding to the breach. The cover plate passes through the opening, is disposed in the breach, and presses the joint. The ferrule is easily machined and can adopt a material hardly influenced by environment temperature. The joint is fixed, and an amount of joint loss is stable.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical fiber connector and, more particularly, to an optical fiber connector utilized for quickly joining optical fibers in the field, which is also known as an optical fiber quick connector or field installable/mountable optical fiber connector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Referring to FIG. 8, a Chinese patent application whose application number is 200920036423.3 discloses a traditional optical fiber quick connector which adopts a V-shape trough served as a positioning structure for joining optical fibers. The optical fiber quick connector includes a press block 12 and a press cover 13. The press block 12 includes a bump 12-1 disposed on an upper side thereof. The press cover 13 includes a V-shape trough 13-1 along an axis thereof. In order to join two optical fibers, the first step is positioning the two optical fibers requiring to be joined in the V-shape trough 13-1 of the press cover 13, the second step is positioning the press block 12 on the press cover 13, and, then, the third step is making a sleeve (not shown in the figure) enclose the press block 12 and the press cover 13. The sleeve presses the bump 12-1 of the press block 12 to tightly press and fasten the two joined optical fibers in the V-shape trough 13-1. However, the V-shape trough 13-1 that the optical fiber quick connector adopts requires a high degree of machining accuracy. If the press cover 13 is ceramic, it is difficult to have the V-shape trough 13-1 properly machined. If the press cover 13 is of plastic or of metal, the V-shape trough 13-1 is easily influenced by environment temperature and has poor stability.
Referring to FIG. 9, a Chinese patent application whose application number is 201210259726.8 discloses another traditional optical fiber quick connector which adopts a ferrule served as a positioning structure for joining optical fibers. The ferrule is usually ceramic. Therefore, the ferrule is hardly influenced by environment temperature and has high stability. The optical fiber quick connector includes a ferrule 14. The ferrule 14 includes a through hole 14-1. A pre-embedded optical fiber 15 is pre-embedded in a front part of the through hole 14-1. A field optical fiber 16 is inserted into a rear part of the through hole 14-1 in the field. The pre-embedded optical fiber 15 and the field optical fiber 16 are joined at a predetermined joint position in the through hole 14-1 of the ferrule 14. The ferrule 14 further includes an exhaust passage 14-2 which is disposed on a wall thereof and is corresponding to the predetermined joint position. A part of the through hole 14-1 of the ferrule 14 is exposed in the exhaust passage 14-2, so that compressed air from the through hole 14-1 when the pre-embedded optical fiber 15 and the field optical fiber 16 are joined can be exhausted through the exhaust passage 14-2. In addition, matching liquid can be added through the exhaust passage 14-2 before joining the optical fibers. After the pre-embedded optical fiber 15 and the field optical fiber 16 are joined, however, a joint of the two joined optical fibers is not fixed due to the existence of the exhaust passage 14-2, and, as a result, an amount of joint loss is unstable.


In a lithium ion secondary battery having a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a non-aqueous electrolyte, and a container, the positive electrode is made of a positive electrode active material having a spinel structure and the formula: EQU Li.sub.x Mn.sub.2-a M.sub.a/c O.sub.4+b. wherein M is cation of a metal other than Li and Mn; x, a and b are 0.1<x.ltoreq.1.2, 0.ltoreq.a<2.0 (preferably 0<a<2.0), 1.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.3, and 0.ltoreq.b<0.3, during its charge-discharge cycle;. the positive electrode is coated with a non-electron conductive protective layer; and. the negative electrode is made of a negative electrode active material of a lithium alloy or an alloy into which a lithium ion can be intercalated.

A lithium ion secondary battery is known as an advantageous secondary battery which is able to give a high voltage of about 4 volts and a high discharge capacity. As the positive electrode active material of the lithium ion secondary battery, LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 having a spinel crystal structure, as well as LiMnO.sub.2, LiCoO.sub.2, LiCo.sub.1-x Ni.sub.x O.sub.2 or LiNiO.sub.2 which has a rock salt crystal structure have been generally employed. The LiCoO.sub.2 having the rock salt crystal structure shows higher voltage and higher discharge capacity than other oxides and therefore is advantageous. However, the LiCoO.sub.2 has such drawbacks that cobalt is economically disadvantageous and less available than other metals, and moreover may cause environmental pollution if battery wastes containing the lithium cobalt oxide are left outside.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication H3(1991)-147276 proposes a lithium ion secondary battery using LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 of the spinel crystal structure as the material for its positive electrode, that is, cathode. Manganese is economically advantageous and easily available, and moreover scarcely causes environmental pollution. However, LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 gives a charge capacity (corresponding to amount of releasable lithium ions) per unit volume less than LiCoO.sub.2 by 10 to 20%. This means that if the LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 is combined with a negative electrode active material of high capacity to prepare a secondary battery, the volume of the LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 (namely, positive electrode active material) to be used should be increased so as to balance its capacity with the high capacity of the negative electrode active material. As a result, the amount of the negative electrode active material encased in a container of a battery should be reduced, and then the battery capacity lowers.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication H4(1992)-147573 describes a lithium ion secondary battery using Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2 O.sub.4 (x>0) as the positive electrode active material precursor in combination with a negative electrode active material precursor such as carbonaceous material. The combination of a positive electrode active material precursor and a negative electrode active material precursor in a container of a battery is electrochemically converted into a positive electrode active material-negative electrode active material combination by electrically charging thus prepared battery so as to release a lithium ion from the positive electrode active material precursor and intercalate the released lithium ion into the negative electrode active material precursor in the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,492 describes a lithium alloy as a negative electrode active material showing an increased electric capacity per unit volume. The use of a lithium alloy as a negative electrode active material, however, may cause a specific trouble, that is, production of lithium metal dendrite on the surface of the lithium alloy (i.e., negative electrode active material) in the course of charge-discharge cycle (namely, intercalation and release of lithium) with a high current density. The produced lithium metal dendrite may be in contact with a positive electrode and may produce an internal short circuit. Otherwise, the lithium metal dendrite may react with an electrolytic solution to deteriorate the cycle characteristics of the battery.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 60-86760 describes that the production of lithium metal dendrite can be obviated by replacing aluminum which is used as a binder of lithium metal with an alloy of aluminum and such other metal as magnesium, boron or gallium.
Japanese Patent Publication (examined) No. H7-114124 describes that a metal alloy negative electrode giving less lithium metal dendrite can be produced by forming an alloy of lithium metal with other metal fusible with lithium metal in the presence of a sub-metal which does not form an alloy with lithium.
The lithium metal alloy of the prior art, however, still is not completely free from the production of lithium metal dendrite on the negative electrode. Particularly, when the charge-discharge cycle undergoes with a high electric current density or reaches overcharge, the lithium metal dendrite is apt to appear.


A technique includes generating a first signal that has a fundamental frequency and modulating an input signal with the first signal. The modulation is tuned to a harmonic of the fundamental frequency to produce a modulated signal that has a carrier frequency near the harmonic.

The invention generally relates to combining frequency multiplication and modulation (linear modulation, for example).
The generation of high frequency carrier signals (microwave carrier signals, for example) for use in communication systems (wireless communication systems, for example) presents challenges. For example, the implementations of microwave voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs) in integrated circuits makes its increasingly difficult to make these VCOs stable and able to produce clean carrier signals, especially in view of the trend to make these VCOs operate at ever-increasing frequencies. Furthermore, it is more difficult to design the phase locked loops of these VCOs for such high frequencies.
For these reasons, a modulation system 10 that is depicted in FIG. 1 may be used. In the system 10, a local oscillator 12 (a VCO, for example) generates a signal (a sinusoidal signal, for example) that has a fundamental frequency that is a fraction (one third, for example) of the frequency of the carrier signal. This signal from the oscillator 12 is received by a frequency multiplier 14 that multiplies (multiplies by three, for example) the frequency of this signal to produce the carrier signal, a signal that has a fundamental frequency that is three times the fundamental frequency of the signal from the oscillator 12. This carrier signal may be used by a modulator 16 to modulate an input signal at the carrier frequency to produce a modulated signal. Thus, the design of the oscillator 12 is simplified due to its lower frequency of operation, as compared to an oscillator that directly generates the carrier signal.
However, a difficulty with the modulation system 10 is that the frequency multiplier 14 may introduce a significant amount of spectral energy into the carrier signal at frequencies other than the carrier frequency. This distortion of the carrier signal may, in turn, expand or distort the modulated signal. Although it may be possible to pre-distort the original modulation to compensate for the distortion that is introduced by the frequency multiplier 14, this pre-distortion may not always be desirable for various reasons.
Thus, there is a continuing need for a technique and/or arrangement to address one or more of the problems that are stated above.

Combining frequency multiplication and modulation


A radially expandible intra vascular stent 20 is provided with improved radially expandible strength due to increased amounts of metal surface area while flexibility is increased due to the unique stent wall surface pattern. In the un-expanded form, the stent wall surface pattern 58 resembles a series of linked S-shapes 22 formed radially about the tube with interconnections 21 between the radial rows of S""s 22 with alternating adjacent S""s. Longitudinally, the un-expanded stent resembles longitudinal rows of pattern series of an S 24, S 24, reverse S 26, reverse S 26 shapes. This series repeats itself along the longitudinal surface of the stent. The longitudinal pattern is interconnected by the radial S""s 21. When expanded for implantation within a lumen wall, the stent 20 unfolds to wall surface pattern 60 having linked parallelograms 52 along its longitudinal axis 40 while radially having alternating connected and disjoined struts forming a pattern similar to a butterfly shape 56, along its radial axis 50. The stent 20 can be non-uniform when expanded to accommodate the unique size and shape of the lumen into which it is implanted. The narrow outside diameter of the un-expanded stent eliminates the usual preliminary lumen expansion step. A multi-layer stent 70 is also provided. A method of implantation and a method of manufacture are also provided.

Angioplasty is used to increase the lumen diameter of an artery where the artery has become narrowed, or stenosed, for a variety of reasons. Balloon angioplasty has been successfully used in the placement of stents to permanently enlarge such a stenosis, especially in coronary arteries. Numerous coronary stents have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to provide a uniform expansion of the stent in a lumen wall. One example of a type of prior art include stents formed of wire wound around a mandrel. Another type of prior art includes stents formed of thin-walled metal tubes cut to permit compression for delivery . These prior art tubular stents have limited longitudinal stability when expanded. Both of these types of prior art stents require a preliminary step to expand the diameter of the lumen to be stented. These stents also, when implanted, expand to a uniform diameter without regard to the twists and turns of the lumen wall.
While these stents may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as hereafter described. Therefore, a need exists for a stent that provides longitudinal flexibility in combination with increased hoop strength, torsional stability, longitudinal stability and radial flexibility. The stent of the present invention provides these attributes by being formed of a relatively high percentage of metal material providing a high hoop strength to the stent while the stent wall surface pattern delivers a high degree of flexibility while permitting a small amount of longitudinal foreshortening. The stent of the present invention can be applied in a one-step process eliminating the need for a preliminary step dilating the lumen into which the stent is to be placed. It should be noted that the invention is not limited to the applications mentioned which must be considered as solely exemplifying.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a stent for use in human blood vessels, primarily coronary arteries.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a stent having the flexibility to present a small cross-section for ease of positioning for implantation while being radially expandable for implantation with a relatively high xe2x80x9choopxe2x80x9d strength as a result of a relatively high percent metal stent surface providing a relatively large metal surface area to free space ratio.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a radially expandible stent with a unique stent wall surface pattern.
I it is an object of the present invention to provide a stent having a relatively small diameter eliminating the need for the preliminary step of expanding the lumen into which the stent is to be placed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a stent with minimal longitudinal foreshortening upon expansion in situ.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a stent with the flexibility to be placed in a curved, narrow lumen in combination with the ability to be expanded in a non-uniform manner to fit the particular lumen size and shape.
The present invention is directed to a stent that satisfies these needs to provide both flexibility and strength in a radially expandable stent. Both are provided as a result of a relatively large metallic surface area, compared to free space, and because of the unique stent wall surface pattern. The un-expended stent has a small cross-section, for case of implantation with balloon angioplasty, and yet offers, increased hoop strength when expanded at the time it is implanted or embedded into the lumen wall. In the un-expanded form immediately after laser cutting, the surface wall pattern resembles a series of continuous S-shapes formed radially about the tube with interconnections between the radial rows of S""s with alternating adjacent S""s. Longitudinally, the un-expanded stent resembles longitudinal rows of pattern series of an S, S, reverse S, reverse S shapes. This series repeats itself along the longitudinal surface of the stent. The longitudinal pattern is interconnected by the radial S""s. In the expanded form, the stent wall surface pattern resembles a connected line of parallelograms along its longitudinal axis while interconnected radially to diamond shapes with alternating connected and disjointed struts form a pattern similar to a butterfly shape, along its radial axis. Because the stent of the present invention is so flexible, the stent can be used in a variety of vessel sizes for repair of fistula, lesions, stenosises, and aneurism . Because a relatively high percentage of metal is used in the present invention, as compared to prior stents, the pattern of the stent delivers a very high hoop strength that is required to prevent re-stenosis. It is planned that the stent will not routinely be expanded to its maximum size. This enables the stent to be formed to fit the lumen into which it is implanted, be it twisted, curved or the like. The expanded outside edges of the stent are, upon expansion of the stent, received into the lumen wall preventing formation of blood clots at the site of the stent.
Another aspect of the stent provides an alternative embodiment with a multi-layer stent that further increases the metal surface area increasing the radial hoop strength of the stent without sacrificing flexibility.
Another aspect of the stent provides a method of implantation of the stent wherein the stent is crimped onto the balloon for balloon angioplasty placement without the preliminary lumen expansion step.
Another aspect of the stent of the present invention also provides a method of manufacturing such a stent.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.


A transmitted high definition television signal is represented by a packetized datastream configured as a sequence of data fields with a non-uniform data rate due to different types of different duration non-data overhead information. Each data field is prefaced by a Field Sync overhead segment followed by 312 packetized data segments each with associated overhead information. At a transmitter, a transport processor forms data packets with associated headers and exhibits uninterrupted operation at a constant uniform data rate, while supplying a packetized datastream to a network which constructs sequential data fields by inserting the non-data overhead information into the datastream. The transport processor is advantageously operated at a constant uniform data rate without having to modify the original data field structure to accommodate the needs of the data field construction network. This result is facilitated by transferring data from the transport processor to an associated interface/buffer network in response to a 3/8 symbol clock, in combination with a predetermined buffer fullness level. A counterpart transport processor/decoder at a receiver coacts with a data field processor and similarly exhibits uninterrupted operation at a constant uniform data rate.

Recent developments in the field of video signal processing have produced digital high definition television signal processing and transmission systems. One such system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,356 Acampora et al. In that system, a codeword datastream, including codewords compatible with the known MPEG data compression standard, is conveyed to a transport processor. A major function of the transport processor is to pack variable length codeword data into packed data words. An accumulation of packed data words, called a data packet or data cell, is prefaced by a header containing information identifying the associated data words, among other information. Thus an output from the tranport processor is a packetized datastream comprising a sequence of transport packets. The transport packet format enhances the prospects of resynchronization and signal recovery at a receiver, e.g., after a signal disruption which may result from a transmission channel disturbance. This is accomplished by providing header data from which a receiver can determine re-entry points into the datastream upon a loss or corruption of transmitted data.
A high definition television (HDTV) terrestrial broadcast system recently proposed as the Grand Alliance HDTV system in the United States employs a vestigial sideband (VSB) digital transmission format for transmitting a packetized datastream with a prescribed data field structure. The Grand Alliance HDTV system is a proposed transmission standard that is under consideration in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) through its Advisory Committee of Advanced Television Service (ACATS). A description of the Grand Alliance HDTV system as submitted to the ACATS Technical Subgroup Feb. 22, 1994 (draft document) is found in the 1994 Proceedings of the National Association of Broadcasters, 48th Annual Broadcast Engineering Conference Proceedings, March 20-24, 1994.
In the Grand Alliance system, data is arranged as a sequence of data fields. Each field structure includes 313 segments: a field sync segment (which does not contain payload data) followed by 312 data segments. Each data segment includes a data component and a forward error correction (FEC) component. A synchronizing (sync) component prefaces each data segment. A transport processor provides fixed length 188 byte packets to a transmission processor, which performs various coding functions on each packet to produce output symbol segments to be conveyed to an output transmission channel. Each byte comprises a predetermined number of symbols, e.g., 4 symbols. The data packets contain data in conformance with the ISO-MPEG (International Standards Organization-Moving Pictures Experts Group) MPEG-2 data compression standard. The transport processor provides only the data packets to the transmission processor, which adds an overhead FEC error detection and correction component to each segment, and an overhead field sync segment at the beginning of each data field, i.e., between each group of data field segments. The rate of data flow must be regulated to perform these operations since, as will be seen, the overhead FEC components and the overhead field sync segment occur at different times and exhibit different durations.
The packets are separated by an interval which permits overhead required by each data segment (e.g., FEC data) to be inserted into the datastream by the transmission processor. However, the packet datastream must be interrupted and delayed for a period of time equal to a segment interval when the longer duration field sync segment, which does not contain a data payload like the other packets, is to be inserted into the datastream. A datastream created by the need to interrupt and insert different duration overhead information (FEC and Field sync) at different times is illustrated by FIG. 3. This datastream comprises 312 packet byte plus FEC intervals between Field sync intervals, as will be discussed.

Transport processor interface for a digital television system


A paint striping cart is provided with a parallelogram linkage oscillatable in a horizontal plane. The forward arm of the linkage carries a downwardly directed nozzle which sprays paint in a fan or web, i.e., in a plane. The parallelogram linkage is actuated by a handle and linkage assembly on the cart, the action being such that the nozzle may be swung to any lateral position, within a range of about 60 degrees with respect to the cart longitudinal axis (being its direction of travel) on either side of the cart. In operation, the cart is positioned between a pair of parked cars on a parking lot. So long as neither of the two cars overlies a worn or faded paint line between the cars, the nozzle can be positioned over the worn line and fresh paint discharged from the nozzle to renew the line as the cart is pushed or pulled along a straight path. The parallelogram linkage insures that the angle which the plane of the sprayed paint fan makes with the direction of motion of the cart is independent of the amount or extent of swing of the parallelogram.

This invention relates to a striping mechanism and more particularly to a cart adapted to spray paint lines on parking lots between parked cars.
The spraying art is aware of constructions for mounting paint spray nozzles or heads to an apparatus for spraying paint to form marking lines on tennis courts, ball fields, parking lots, and the like. Such a device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,326,726 issued to Halsey. The art is also aware of adjustable linkage supports for paint spray nozzles. Such a construction is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,043,329 issued to Heard.
While these and other known devices are apparently satisfactory for their respective purposes, they are not suitable for renewing faded or worn lines for many parking lots, such as those in the vicinity of airports, where cars are parked at all times. The current practice of spraying paint lines utilizes a paint spray nozzle having a fan pattern discharge. If the nozzle rotates during spraying, the plane of the fan or web of paint will also rotate. This will cause the paint stripe to vary in width. Hence there exists a need for a line marking mechanism or cart capable of painting fresh lines over existing lines between parked cars, taking into account the fact that parked cars are not uniformly spaced from the painted lines which define the parking slots, and that the paint nozzle will be rotated varying amounts, to overlay the existing stripe.


One or more heating elements comprise a heating element. One or more elongated beams comprise an elongated beam. The heating element is coupled with the elongated beam and induces a time-varying thermal gradient in the elongated beam to cause one or more oscillations of one or more of the one or more elongated beams.

Electromechanical devices are often used in systems to measure a parameter. For example, one system employs an array of elongated beams to measure an angular velocity. Drive components coupled with the array of elongated beams cause a first oscillation of the array of elongated beams. An angular velocity of the elongated beam and the first oscillation induce a Coriolis force on the array of elongated beams. The Coriolis force causes a second oscillation of the array of elongated beams. The second oscillation is substantially orthogonal to the first oscillation. Feedback components provide feedback on a magnitude of the first oscillation to the drive components for regulation of the first oscillation. Pickoff components sense the second oscillations to measure a magnitude of the angular velocity of the array of elongated beams.
The drive components, the feedback components, and the pickoff components in one example comprise piezoelectric films. As one shortcoming, the construction process of piezoelectric films for drive elements, feedback components, and pickoff components of an electromechanical device is costly and complex. The construction process requires the piezoelectric film to be deposited, patterned, and poled. As another shortcoming, piezoelectric films are sensitive to changes in temperature. As yet another shortcoming, the performance quality of piezoelectric films decreases over time.
Thus, a need exists for a promotion of a decrease in complexity of a construction process of systems that cause oscillations in elongated beams.

Heating element induction of time-varying thermal gradient in elongated beam to cause one or more elongated beam oscillations


Compression/traction device for use with internal imaging devices including a stabilizing member for engaging a portion of the thorax of a patient's body and a force generating device to apply a force to the patient's body remote from the thorax. A load simulation table for imaging devices such as X-ray, CAT scan, MRI or tomography instruments is also disclosed, which includes a thorax engaging member and a force generating device to apply a force to the patient's body remote from the thorax portion. A method for simulating a load on a patient's body during imaging procedures is also disclosed and includes the steps of positioning a patient on a flat surface to subject the patient to an imaging procedure, engaging a portion of the thorax of the patient's body, applying a force to a portion of the patient's body at a location remote from the thorax and performing an imaging procedure while applying the force to the patient.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a device for use with internal imaging machines such as X-ray machines, ultrasound MRI machines, CAT scans and tomography machines, and in particular relates to a compression/traction device for simulating a positive or negative load on a person's body, in particular the person's spine.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In recent years, diagnostic instrumentation for creating images of tissue, organs, and bone structure beneath the surface of the skin has been vastly improved, providing detailed and very precise images to enable doctors to determine the cause of internal problems. Accurate diagnosis will of course lead to better care for the patient and in most cases quicker recovery.
Traditional X-ray machines have been supplemented by more complex, and consequently more expensive, diagnostic procedures involving instrumentation such as tomography, which is the recordation of internal body images at a predetermined plane by means of a tomograph. A tomograph is an apparatus for moving an X-ray source in one direction as the film is moved in the opposite direction, thus showing in detail a predetermined plane of tissue. The most well known tomographic procedure is the computerized axial tomography device, typically known as a CAT scan. The CAT scan measures the X-ray beam using a scintillation counter, and the electronic impulses are recorded on a magnetic disc and processed by a mini computer for reconstruction display of the body in cross-section on a cathode ray tube, or television screen. Other popular and frequently used diagnostic imaging machines include nuclear magnetic resonance imaging machines, commonly known as an MRI machine. During an MRI procedure, the body is placed in a spatially varying magnetic field and is subjected to a pulse of radiofrequency radiation, and the resulting nuclear magnetic resonance spectra are combined to give cross-sectional images. Both the CAT scan and MRI techniques provide a very accurate and detailed image of internal body parts to enable the physician to accurately access internal damage to the patient.
However, a problem associated with any internal imaging device, whether it is the traditional X-ray, CAT scan or MRI procedure, is that many times injuries that are apparent to the patient, i.e., cause pain, loss of function, etc., may not be apparent during some imaging procedures since typically the patient is immobilized by placing the patient on a table and his movement is restricted. While providing for an accurate image, many times the injury is "masked" since the person's body weight has been removed from the affected area thus decompressing the joint, disc, cartridge, etc. This is typical with injuries to the spine and to soft tissue in joints, such as the knee, elbow or shoulder. Once the weight ("load") has been removed, many times the severity of the injury may not show up on the image, and in some cases the pain to the patient disappears during the procedure because the causative factor has been reduced enough to decrease irritation and pain production.
In some instances, particularly with soft tissue injuries to joints such as the knee, it may be beneficial to remove the load completely and traction the joint to provide for better imaging, particularly when there is swelling involved or if there is a need to use contrast medium for enhancement. Imaging machines currently available do not provide for either compression (placing a load on the affected area) or traction to enhance the internal image.
Therefore, a need exists for a device which enhances internal imaging utilizing such procedures as CAT scans, MRIs and traditional X-ray devices. The need further exists for a device which will simulate a load on a patient's body when the person is immobilized and laying prone or supine on a table during the imaging procedure. A further need exists for a device which may provide for traction to relieve pressure on the body during the imaging procedure.

Compression/traction method for use with imaging machines


The invention discloses an analytical strip reading apparatus and the analytical strip used therein. The analytical strip reading apparatus comprises a housing, a monitor, a delivering device, an optical reader, a reaction signal reader and a control module. The analytical strip comprises at least one optically readable pattern which comprises identification information of the analytical strip.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a reading apparatus, and more particularly, to a reading apparatus for biological analytical strips.
2. Description of Related Art
With the progress of the medical industry and the electronic industry, a variety of detecting apparatuses, such as electronic ear thermometers and electronic sphygmomanometers, have been developed for family medical care. Among all biochemical or immunological detecting apparatuses, the more common ones are those for detecting blood glucose, uric acid or total cholesterol. Such kinds of detecting systems can be divided into optical systems and electrochemical systems, as distinguished by the reaction signals involved. The electrochemical systems are more frequently used.
Since detection of different test samples requires the use of different substances as reagents, it is necessary to use different analytical strips in different types of tests. For example, blood glucose analytical strips are needed in blood glucose tests while uric acid analytical strips are called for in uric acid tests. In addition, in order to ensure the reliability of test results, only analytical strips that have not passed their expiration dates can be used. On the other hand, a conventional detecting machine typically uses an additional calibration chip to store such calibration information as the types, lot numbers and expiration dates of analytical strips. Prior to testing, a calibration chip corresponding to the type and lot number of the analytical strip to be used is inserted into the socket of the detecting machine, allowing the detecting machine to not only read the calibration information from the calibration chip, but also display the type, the lot number and the expiration date of the analytical strip, so that a user can confirm for himself/herself whether or not the calibration information displayed on the machine, such as the type and the lot number, belongs to the analytical strip intended to be used, and whether or not the analytical strip has passed the expiration date. In addition, the calibration chip may also contain calibration information regarding detection values of analytical strips bearing the same lot number. Therefore, to ensure accurate test results, the analytical strip in use must have the same lot number as that of the calibration chip. While using the detecting machine described above, the user has to verify the type, the lot number and the expiration date of analytical strips on his/her own. Hence, in case of an inadvertent mistake, the user may erroneously use analytical strips that belong to a wrong type, have passed their expiration dates or bear a different lot number from that of the calibration ship, thereby compromising the accuracy of test results.
Furthermore, most of the commercially available analytical strips need to be inserted into or removed from the detecting machine manually. However, it usually happened that the user may accidentally come into contact with the analytical strips during the manual operation, thereby contaminate the specimen and ruin the detection.

Analytical strip reading apparatus and the analyical strip used therein


A composition of matter comprising: (a) 5 to 40 weight percent inclusive of a low molecular weight ethylene resin made using a titanium catalyst system said resin having a density greater than 0.955 grams per cubic centimeter, a melt index greater than 25 grams per 10 minutes, and a heterogeneity index between 2 and 8 inclusive; and (b) 60 to 95 weight percent inclusive of a high molecular weight ethylene copolymer resin made using a chromium catalyst system said resin having a density of at least 0.93 grams per cubic centimeter, a high load melt index between 1.5 and 15 grams per 10 minutes, and a heterogeneity index between 6 and 100 inclusive; wherein said composition of matter has a melt index greater than 0.05 grams per 10 minutes.

This invention relates to polyethylene blends.
It is known in the art to blend components with dissimilar characteristics to achieve a blend with superior performance properties. However, this task is not easy to accomplish. For example, the components of a blend can interact antagonistically resulting in a lowering of the expected performance of the blend, or the components can interact producing a blend that is only the mere aggregation of the separate component parts.
Thermoplastic blends are very desirable for applications such as pipes, films, and bottles. However, each application requires a resin tailored for that particular application. Furthermore, each of these tailored resins are judged by many performance attributes. While it is possible to improve one attribute it is often necessary to find a compromise of the various attributes in order to find a resin which fulfills the customers requirements.
This invention provides an improved compromise of characteristics thereby increasing the availability of possible solutions to consumer demands.


An organic electroluminescent element includes a support substrate having thereon at least two light emitting units each containing one or a plurality of organic functional layers and at least one intermediate metal layer having a light-transmitting property. The intermediate metal layer is arranged between the light emitting units. At least one organic functional layer in each light emitting unit has a region wherein a light emission function is modulated and another region wherein the light emission function is not modulated by being patterned with a mask during the step of forming the organic functional layer, and by being additionally patterned by light irradiation after formation of the organic functional layer. The at least two light emitting units are able to be electrically driven independently or simultaneously.

In recent years, a light emitting diode (LED) using a light guide panel and an organic light emitting diode (OLED, hereafter, it is also called as an organic electroluminescent element) have been attracted attentions as a flat panel light source. An LED with a light guide panel has been used not only for a general illumination, but for various situations and purposes such as a backlight for a liquid crystal display (LCD) (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
In particular, the production volume of smart devices (smart phones and tablets) has been increased since around the year of 2008. An LED with a light guide panel is used for them. A main use thereof is for a backlight. As other use, an LED with a light guide panel has been incorporated in many cases as a backlight for common function key buttons located in the lower portion of a device.
In many cases, three kinds of marks: home (indicated by a square mark); return (indicated by an arrow mark); and search (indicated by a magnifier mark), are mainly used for common function key buttons.
These common function key buttons have a composition as follows. Generally, a pattern of a required mark is printed on a cover glass. Then, the above-described LED with a light guide panel is placed inside of the cover glass. An LED emits light according to the required situation and the emitted light is guided through the light guide panel (film). The light is taken out to the display side through the light diffusing member having a dot shape and printed on a patterned portion.
However, there are several problems to realize emission of light of the above-described common function key buttons by using an LED light guide panel system.
One of the problems is as follows. The light guide panel (film) is required to be thin since the location space of an LED is limited. When the light guide panel becomes thin, the efficiency of the device with respect to the emission efficiency of the LED light source becomes low.
Another one of the problems is as follows. Since the light is guided from the side of key display, it may produce unevenness of luminance depending on a design or a shape of a key button. When it is intended to solve this unevenness of luminance, it is required to increase the number of the LED sources. This will lead to an increase of cost and an increase of electric power consumption.
Another one of the problems is as follows. It cannot achieve the change of key display corresponding to the situations. When it is intended to realize this, it will result in the composition of laminating a plurality of LED light guide units. This will lead to an increase of thickness and an increase of cost.
Therefore, at present situation, the display of common function key buttons is limited to one kind regardless of the situations. Moreover, it is limited to the key units having pronounced emission unevenness and easily observed the dot shape for guiding light.
There are user's needs of a new common function key unit which enables to solve the above-described three problems. For example, it can suitably change the direction of an arrow mark, it can obtain a uniform light emission without emission unevenness, and it cannot observe the shape of the arrow mark when unlighted. At the present time, these cannot be achieved with an LED having a light guide panel system.
It is possible to form a shape corresponding to the key display by making pattering with a mask during the film forming process of an organic electroluminescent element (organic EL element). However, it was not possible to produce a light-emitting pattern which enables to change an arbitral mark shape at the identical place according to the situation display.
Further, there was a problem that the resolution was insufficient only by making pattering with a mask during the film forming process.

Organic electroluminescent element, method for manufacturing organic electroluminescent element, and organic electroluminescent module


A multipurpose combination pliers includes a first and second insulated handles alternately and movably joined together by a rivet, a toothed jaw at the fore end of each of the handles, a rectangular connector at the rear end of the first insulated handle for engaging a cylindrical box wrench thereon and a U-shaped connector on the rear end of the second insulated handle for rotatably engaged with a rectangular adapter which is able to engage a smaller box wrench and can be laterally rotated for about 180 degrees relative to the U-shaped connector, an arcuate electric cords stripper communicated with a internally threaded through hole at front portion of the pliers. The feature is that this disclosure not only performs clamping and stripping functions but also conducts as a box wrench to drive addition object.

The present invention relates to household tools and more particularly to a multipurpose combination pliers which can or to unfasten be able to clamp object, to strip electric cords, to fasten a bolt and to be adapted as a wrench to drive things.
As shown in FIG. 1, a prior art combination pliers 10 comprises a pair of insulated handles 11 and 12 alternately and movably joined with a pivot 13 and each having a toothed jaw 111 and 121 at fore end which is usually to clamp object, to cut wire and/or to extract the nails. But it couldn't to be used to unfasten a bolt, to drive things and/or to strip electric cords do which other suitable tool are required. That is uneconomic and inconvenient.


Automated software loading into a battery-less mobile phone is accomplished through attachment of a special non-standard USB On-The-Go cable to a serial connector of the mobile phone, thereby delivering power supply and unique signals for placing the phone in a special mode of operation used for production or distribution. In operation, when a unique non-standard voltage is asserted on the identification (ID) pin of the USB connector interface, it is detected by special circuitry in the serial connector. The circuitry then enables power supply to the battery-less phone and generates a turn-on signal directing the mobile phone to automatically power-on and enter into a particular state of operation, for example a test or software loading mode. Because this process is automatic, the efficiency of software loading or testing during production or distribution of the mobile device is improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to placing electronic devices into a special mode of operation during production or distribution. More particularly, the present invention relates to testing or loading software in a battery-powered electronic device such as a mobile wireless communication device during production or distribution, particularly prior to the device being attached to a battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern electronic devices such as mobile wireless phones, portable digital assistants, digital cameras, portable storage devices, audio players and portable gaming devices often include sophisticated processing elements and memory devices for executing and storing software and data. For example, wireless mobile communication devices such as cellular phones often contain flash memory, processors and digital signal processors (DSPs) to implement their wireless communication functionality. During production, software for instructing these elements must be loaded into the electronic devices. It is also sometimes necessary to reload or update software to correct errors or provide additional features on the devices.
To permit software loading, the electronic device's communication ports, processing elements and memory devices must be powered and placed in a special mode of operation to actuate the load process. However, a battery is commonly not attached to the device at the stage of production or distribution when software loading must occur. As a consequence, current production methodologies rely on a time-consuming manual process of attaching a battery pack to the device, manually actuating a power-on button sequence to bring the device into operation in a special programming mode, and connecting the device to a personal computer (PC) or other production equipment to permit the software download.
As will be appreciated, it is not desirable to require a manual power-on process or to install a battery for the short time required to load software in a mass production environment. What is needed is a method and apparatus that provides battery-less power and automatic power-on of an electronic device during mass production software downloading.
In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Some embodiments include an integrated assembly having an array of vertically-extending active regions. Each of the active regions is contained within a four-sided area. Conductive gate material is configured as first conductive structures. Each of the first conductive structures extends along a row of the array. The first conductive structures include segments along three of the four sides of each of the four-sided areas. Second conductive structures are under the active regions and extend along columns of the array. Third conductive structures extend along the rows of the array and are adjacent the fourth sides of the four-sided areas. Storage-elements are coupled with the active regions. Some embodiments include methods of forming integrated assemblies.

Memory may utilize memory cells which individually comprise an access transistor in combination with a capacitor. The capacitor may be a ferroelectric capacitor if the memory is ferroelectric random-access memory (FeRAM), or may be a non-ferroelectric capacitor if the memory is traditional dynamic random-access memory (DRAM).
It would be desirable to develop improved memory architecture, and improved methods of forming memory architecture. It would also be desirable for such methods to be applicable for fabrication of FeRAM and DRAM.

Integrated assemblies having conductive material along three of four sides around active regions, and methods of forming integrated assemblies