This document describes a user interface mechanism to relate information from multiple heterogeneous data sources. Data displayed in different regions on a user interface can be related by selection of an element in one region and pinning it. The pinned element acts as a filter for the information in the other regions on the user interface. Successive pinning of elements in other regions allows further filtering of the information in unpinned regions using the context of previously pinned elements.

Information systems frequently consist of multiple heterogeneous data sources such as information repositories, financial and human resources systems, customer and sales tracking applications and the like. In this regard, enterprise decision makers often have to relate information from these multiple heterogeneous data sources in order to analyze a business situation and to act upon it. For example, a decision maker might wish to quickly know which of a set of employees not only has a background in aeronautical engineering but also has experience with aeronautical engineering company projects for the purpose of making a staffing decision for an important research and development project. Even with access to a multi-dimensional database of human resources information, a decision-maker may not know how to isolate such a subset of employees. For another example, a decision maker may wish to see a list of distributors that are distributing a particular enterprise product. In this case, with access to merely a database list of distributors and associated products, it may be difficult for a decision-maker to quickly isolate the distributors for a particular product.
Currently, to perform these types of data inquiries to display desired information, most decision support tools are based on a relational, multi-dimensional or similar representation. The analysis of information is performed through query execution with successive visualization of the results. However, this approach requires a deep understanding by the user of the operations that can be applied including an understanding of how data can be filtered and joined and an understanding of how to interpret the visualized results. For example, this type of process might include forming and typing queries with join and filter criteria in order to retrieve data from one or more data sources. This in turn requires a specialist to form the query, who understands the nature of the data source(s) and the nature of the query syntax. With respect to the examples given above, it may be necessary to employ a software engineer that understands database programming languages in order to isolate the list of employees for the aeronautical engineering staffing project or the list of distributors that distribute a particular product.
However, because analysis of business data and making decisions based on such an analysis is becoming more and more of a mainstream task in organizations, it is no longer desirable to restrict the performance of these types of tasks to a class of specialists with the technical skills necessary to perform the queries. Hence, there is a strong need for an easy and flexible way for decision makers to join and filter information from multiple data sources and to visualize the results without having to learn complex tools or query languages.
Computer systems that interact with the user commonly offer a user interface based on multiple windows that can represent applications or data. Windows can be opened, closed, moved, sized, juxtaposed and/or overlapped. Each window represents a region where information can be displayed.
The World Wide Web and hypertext pages have made the browser an important part of a user experience. A browser displays hypertext pages in a window most commonly written in HTML. Pages may include embedded components (regions) such as HTML frames, ActiveX controls, or Java applets, each of which occupy a part of the visible page and are able to display information independently.
Current browser-based user interfaces, such as Microsoft®'s Digital Dashboard, have taken this approach further by defining Web Parts in browser pages (Dashboards) in which information can be streamed independently. The user is able to arrange such Web Parts (regions) in a preferred layout. Essentially, instead of opening multiple instances of a browser, which a user may toggle among for viewing purposes, the Digital Dashboard enables the user to interact with multiple Web parts, browser windows or the like simultaneously as part of a unified user experience.
The user interface paradigms described above and similar approaches are based on defining individual regions on a user screen, each of which can display information. Each region can represent information from a different data source in a different format. FIG. 1A, for example, shows an example of the visualization of data from heterogeneous sources in different regions of a user interface. Region2, labeled "Customer," displays information from a database with customer related information. In a similar way, Region4, labeled "Geography," displays information about the geographical regions in which customers may reside. Region1 and Region3, labeled "Sales Cube" and "Sales Chart" respectively, display information coming from a multi-dimensional database. These regions may display information in different textual, multimedia or graphical representations. These regions may also be positioned fixed relative to each other or positioned individually by the user.
Thus, regions represent sets of information that can either be independent of each other or in a pre-computed relationship. In order for the user to easily join and filter information and to influence the relationship of information in the different regions in such a computer system, a user interface mechanism is needed.
One prior art system that addresses this need is U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,424, to Scheinkman et al. (the '424 patent). The '424 patent teaches an improved hypertext navigation system. A browser displays hypertext pages and indicates draggable elements on the page being viewed. The browser also displays drop targets and detects when a user selects a draggable element and drops the draggable element over a drop target. The browser and/or server to which it is connected examine a class relation matrix having entries for intersections of draggable element references and drop target references in which a matrix entry at an intersection of the draggable element and drop target is identified and used for performing an action which is a function of the matrix entry.
FIG. 1B generally illustrates the dragging aspect of the technique of the '424 patent in the context of the multiple data sources of FIG. 1A. In the example, draggable element DE1, labeled "Southern," can be dragged to drop target DT2, thereby causing the class relation matrix to be examined, and causing only Southern customer names (not shown) to be displayed in drop target zone DT2. However, this prior art technique suffers from a number of failings. For example, once draggable element DE1 is dropped into drop target DT2, it is impossible to tell from the information presented which draggable element(s) have been dropped into any particular drop target, such as DT2. Thus, in the example, it is not apparent from the information presented that DE1 was dropped into DT2, unless the user remembers which draggable element(s) were dragged to which drop target(s). While it might be simple enough to remember the dragging of a single draggable element DE1 to a single drop target DT2, the situation becomes much more complex when multiple draggable element(s) and/or multiple drop target(s) are considered. Thus, the '424 patent does not teach to convey the context of the information being presented, and thus after awhile, a user may no longer fully appreciate the context of the information being presented.
Furthermore, with the system taught by the '424 patent, there is no way to undrag a draggable element DE1 from a drop target DT2, once it has been dropped. While a user may reset the information being presented to its original state, to a time before any draggable elements were dragged, this is wholly inadequate as a solution to the inability to undrag a draggable element, except in the case of a single draggable element. It is wholly inadequate because in the case of multiple draggable elements having been dragged, the user may not undrag each draggable element one by one, for example, to 'zoom out' from the specificity of information shown.
Additionally, with the system taught by the '424 patent, there is no way to simultaneously affect all of the regions or drop targets with a single draggable element. To the contrary, only a single drop target may be affected by a dragged draggable element at a time. In other words, to affect all of the drop targets represented by a display, a user would be required to drag a draggable element to all of the drop targets, separately. In the example of FIG. 4B, a user would be required to drag draggable element DE1 to each of DT1, DT2 and DT3 in Region1, Region2 and Region3, respectively, with separate dragging actions in order to affect all of the available information with the draggable element DE1.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a system in which a user can easily join and filter information, to influence the relationship of information in different regions of a display in a computer system. It would be further desirable to provide a simple and flexible user interface that achieves these goals. It would be still further desirable to provide a user interface mechanism that indicates the context of the information being joined and filtered on display. It would be advantageous to provide a user interface mechanism that allows a user to selectively join and unjoin and filter and unfilter the information being displayed. It would be further advantageous to provide a user interface mechanism that allows a user to simultaneously affect the information being displayed in all of the regions of the display, as opposed to a single region. It would be still further advantageous to provide a user interface mechanism that enables a user to select and/or pin an element contained in the region for the purpose of performing joining and/or filtering operations upon the information contained in the other regions of the display based upon the element selected and/or pinned.

Method for flagging and relating information in a computing system


Detectors determine the presence of valid sinusoids for DTMF, MF-R1 and MF-R2 protocols for encoding dialed digits. The detectors split electrical signals into subbands. Energies within the subbands are analyzed to determine a presence of sinusoids corresponding to frequencies of dialed digits. In one embodiment, the detectors comprise a PS-IIR filter to split the electrical signal into the subbands. The detectors further comprise at least one bank of filters, such as notch filters, corresponding to the number of possible relevant frequencies within the respective subbands. The detectors further comprise detection logic comprising tests, which may include analyzing the output(s) from the bank of filters. Optionally, a preclassifier is employed to predetermine which filters in the banks of filters are to be executed. The detectors, typically deployed in digital signal processors, allow for an increase in the density of detectors and provide robust performance in talk-off situations.

The information age has increased the number of users using data communication systems. Initially, voice was the primary signal carried by phone lines. Next, facsimile (i.e., fax) machines became a popular means for transferring information, though typically restricted to business environments. Recently, with the advent of the Internet, data communications between and among electronic devices has become a common mode of communications for both businesses and individuals. The increase in mode, user group, and usage has driven the telecommunications industry in general, and service providers in particular, to expand capacity. One of the limiting factors of service capacity is the size of detectors for determining dialed digits by various dialing protocols, such as DTMF.
Detection of the dialed digits at the beginning of a phone connection is as old as the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) itself. The requirements are well defined and understood. A current interest is in maximizing the density of DTMF/MF-R1/MF-R2 detection and maintain a high degree of reliability.
In DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency) detection, the dialed digits correspond to a row-frequency and a column-frequency, as shown in Table 1. In MF-R1 (Multi-Frequency, One Row) and MF-R2 (Multi-Frequency, Two Rows) detection, two valid frequencies correspond to a dialed digit, although there are no row or column frequencies as in DTMF. Also note that, in MF-R2, two sets of the frequencies are used depending upon the signaling direction. The MF-R1 and MF-R2 frequencies are respectively shown in Tables 2 and 3.
TABLE 1Hz1209133614471633697123A770456B852789C94100#D
TABLE 2Hz7009001100130015001700
TABLE 3FWD138015001620174018601980BWD54066078090010201140
In each case, a bandwidth-test and a twist-test must be passed. In the bandwidth-test, frequency deviations greater than 3.5% must be rejected, and frequency deviations less than 1.5% must be declared as valid digits. In the twist-test, powers at the frequencies of interest must be within certain limits with respect to each other. Furthermore, signals from the line that have power levels less than −40 dBm0 must be rejected. A condition that is particular to DTMF is falsely detecting digits when there is speech activity on the line. This condition is known as talk-off.
One way to increase the density of detectors to allow service providers to support more users is to change (i.e., reduce) the sampling rate of the incoming analog signal. Changing the sampling rate of the incoming signal for detection is not a new idea, and there are numerous patents on the subject. However, this concept is poorly applied in many cases and there is a great loss of efficiency. For example, the sampling rate of conversion is often implemented through finite impulse response (FIR) multi-rate filters (MRF), which are inefficient in terms of memory and complexity. These are usually implemented by filtering followed by a switch for straight decimation operations. Therefore, the filtering is performed at the higher sampling frequency. A better scheme would be the polyphase implementation of an FIR MRF filter. See P. P. Vaidyanathan, Multi-Rate Systems and Filter Banks, Prentice-Hall, 1993. In this representation, the switching comes first and the FIR coefficients are distributed after the switch. In this way, the filtering is performed at the lower sampling rate.

Method and apparatus for performing high-density DTMF, MF-R1, MF-R2 detection


The present invention includes systems and methods for retrieving information via a flexible and consistent targeted search model that employs interactive multi-prefix, multi-tier and dynamic menu information retrieval techniques (including predictive text techniques to facilitate the generation of targeted ads) that provide context-specific functionality tailored to particular information channels, as well as to records within or across such channels, and other known state information. Users are presented with a consistent search interface among multiple tiers across and within a large domain of information sources, and need not learn different or special search syntax. A thin-client server-controlled architecture enables users of resource-constrained mobile communications devices to locate targeted information more quickly by entering fewer keystrokes and performing fewer query iterations and web page refreshes, which in turn reduces required network bandwidth. Applications are built by leveraging existing collaborative cloud services that enable the maintenance and sharing of user content.

1. Field of Art
This application relates generally to the field of information retrieval and, in particular, to multi-prefix, multi-tier, dynamic menu and related interactive search techniques that facilitate the retrieval of information within a mobile communications environment, including the leveraging of collaborative "cloud" services that enable the maintenance and sharing of such information.
2. Description of Related Art
In the last few years, web-enabled mobile telephones have become enormously popular. More web-enabled mobile phones ship each year than do desktop and notebook computers combined. Such mobile phones are similar to desktop and mobile computers in that they offer display screens, a keyboard, and, sometimes, a pointing device. However, because of portability requirements, the capabilities of the displays, keyboards, and pointers on mobile phones are significantly reduced. Displays are relatively small with little area to display content as well as menus, toolbars, and other navigation and status information. The keyboards are often telephone keypads or thumb keyboards. The pointer, when provided, is often a scroll wheel or joystick that can be used to indicate a direction of movement or pressed to indicate a click. Sometimes, the pointer is simply a set of arrow keys on the keyboard. Furthermore, because of speed and latency issues, navigation among web pages is typically much slower on mobile phones than on desktop and notebook computers.
The human interface limitations of mobile phones, combined with slower navigation, significantly constrain a user's ability to interact with web pages. Additionally, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) forms are difficult to use on mobile phones due to data input and related limitations. These difficulties arise in many ways. For example, the mobile keyboard and pointer are less effective than their counterparts on desktop and personal computers.
Keyboards are less effective because their small form factor makes it more difficult to type characters. In some case, the keyboard is smaller and has fewer keys. The smaller keyboards usually require thumbing: typing with one's thumbs rather than using ten fingers. The reduction in keys makes it more difficult to key in digits and special characters. Some keyboards are telephone dial pads with multiple letters on each key. Various technologies, including triple tap (pressing the same key until the desired letter appears) and predictive text, help to improve the effectiveness of such keyboards, but the effectiveness is still far below that of a full-size keyboard.
The pointer is also less effective. HTML forms often contain multiple input fields and the pointer is used to navigate among them. Pointers on mobile phones, when available, are less effective than pointers or mice used with desktop computers for navigating among input fields, as well as hyperlinks and other screen objects. For example, tabbing between fields using a full-size keyboard enables the field for typing when it has received focus. On a mobile phone, the tabbing is typically done via a directional pad and the field often has to subsequently be selected to be enabled for typing. Additionally, on desktop computers, mice can be used to move from one field to another without having to move through the fields in between. On mobile phones, moving from one field to another is typically done sequentially from one field to the next, without the ability to skip any fields along the way.
However, some web-enabled mobile phones have touchscreens that provide for direct interaction with objects on the display screen. For example, users can touch a screen object directly with their fingertip or a stylus, rather than indirectly navigate to that object via a pointing device. Yet, even this "improved" user interface technique raises usability issues, as the distinction between "selecting" and "activating" an object becomes blurred. Potential solutions for distinguishing the two include providing an icon or other visible identifier on a portion of the object, or discerning the number of times a user clicks or taps it, or the amount of time a user "presses down" on the object.
In any event, the ability to select an object without also activating it becomes particularly important in systems that provide alternative functionality specific to a particular object. For example, when a user activates an HTML hyperlink in a web browser, the program typically navigates to a new web page corresponding to the URL embedded within that hyperlink object. The user, however, might want to examine the URL before making the decision to activate the hyperlink.
A common mechanism for offering a user alternative functionality specific to a selected object is a "context menu." Context menus provide a user with one or more alternative functions available within a particular "context" or state of a program or device, such as the selection of a particular object. Context menu items can change dynamically as the context changes, as different objects are selected and as a program enters a different state.
In a mobile communications environment, however, providing context menus with which users can quickly interact is easier said than done. The state of an information retrieval system can change frequently, for example, as new search results are received from remote servers (or as information becomes known to the system, such as the time of day or a user's location as indicated by a mobile phone's GPS equipment). In addition to the problem noted above of distinguishing the selection from the activation of an object, other constraints include processing speed and memory limitations on mobile devices, as well as bandwidth and latency limitations inherent in mobile communications networks. These constraints, coupled with the many different types of information that can be retrieved from remote web sites, for example, make it even more difficult to provide context menu items that are customized to particular objects or categories of objects.
In contrast to the "random" full-text searches users often perform on desktop computers in home and office environments (in which multiple iterative searches and analyses of resulting web pages can be completed relatively quickly due to greater bandwidth and local computing resources), users in a mobile communications environment often perform more "targeted" searches for lists, schedules and other information the existence and perhaps even the location of which is often known in advance. Such information must nevertheless be retrieved relatively quickly in order to be useful. For example, common mobile searches include requests for stock quotes, sports scores, movie times and nearby restaurants or coffee shops, to name a few.
Targeted searches are less amenable to the random keyword search techniques commonly employed on existing desktop and mobile devices, in which users enter complete keywords and navigate through results and web pages across a large domain of web sites. Mobile devices, in particular, are in need of solutions in which targeted information can be found relatively quickly with minimal user interaction. Such solutions ideally would still afford users access to both the breadth of a large domain of information (such as the web with its diverse collection of web sites, or a large enterprise database) and the depth of any particular "channel" or information category (which may lend itself to unique functionality, whether within or across one or more web sites or databases).
Some mobile devices support applications that have been customized for highly targeted information retrieval, such as the "Pocket Express" application from Handmark Inc. (http://express.handmark.com) which provides discrete modules for retrieving news, stock quotes, sports scores and various other specific types of information. Though useful for rapid retrieval of certain specific data, the domain of available information is inherently very limited, in part because each desired category of information requires its own custom module. Such an approach is not very scalable, given the vast array of information channels available via the web. Moreover, without a generic mechanism to locate information by searching within a particular module, users typically are limited to browsing or selecting items from within each module's predefined data structure. For example, users can browse news headlines and select one to retrieve the full story, but they cannot search for particular news stories, much less headlines.
Other products have attempted to reduce user interaction to perform targeted searches by enabling users to enter only word prefixes or word fragments, and providing results interactively as a user types characters. See, for example, a presentation at Google (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7012265262667474421&q=type%3Agoogle+engEDU) in this area, or the "vTap" program from Veveo, Inc. (http://www.vtap.com), as well as Veveo's various published patent applications, including both PCT publications (WO/2007/062035) and US publications (2008011473, 20080086704, 20070255693, 20070130128, 20070088681, 200701754, 20070050337, 20070005563 and 20060101499). While providing an information retrieval mechanism that is more suitable to targeted searches, such approaches nevertheless lack a generic search mechanism that can be utilized to narrow a search request within a broad domain of information channels (to provide a more focused or targeted search), as well as provide additional functionality specific to particular channels.
Google, in a recent talk (http://jhtc.org/meeting.php?meeting=march08), discussed a "multi-tier" search technique in which a user first searches for a web site (for example, "Wikipedia"), the result of which contains not only a link to that site, but also a search box in which a "second-tier" search can be typed (thus saving the step of clicking on the link and then typing in the second-tier search). Other similar solutions include special search keywords that identify the second-tier site within the search query itself. Such solutions rely, however, on the differing search engines available across various second-tier sites, which not only force users to adapt to different search query formats, but also may provide inferior results when compared to more powerful search engines such as the one provided by Google. A more integrated multi-tier approach could avoid such anomalies by providing a consistent search mechanism among various tiers (within as well as across particular information channels), particularly one which also offered additional context-specific functionality.
As alluded to above, another search technique that has been employed to minimize user interaction (whether relating to single or multiple prefix queries, or full keywords) involves the display of "predictive text" while the user is entering a query. For example, a system might display multiple suggested phrases or keywords matching the keywords (or letters) typed thus far by the user, enabling the user to select from among these desired phrases or keywords without having to complete the full query. It should be noted, however, that such systems could reduce user interaction even further by displaying suggested query results (based upon implicit or explicit suggested query phrases or keywords), rather than merely displaying suggested queries.
Such an approach of providing "predictive results" could prove even more useful in the context of specific information domains or channels, not to mention the burgeoning field of interactive advertising in which targeted search results become opportunities ("ad inventory") for displaying targeted ads (which can be further targeted via additional contextual information, such as a user's demographics, geographic location, viewing history, etc). Here too, a more integrated multi-tier approach could provide not only a consistent search mechanism among various tiers (within as well as across particular information channels), but also an improved targeted ad mechanism with increased ad inventory.
Apart from the need for a more integrated and consistent search mechanism, there is also a need for applications to obtain access to content in a usable form, as well as to enable users to share and retrieve such content. Whether hosted on the desktop, or in web-based or mobile environments, applications often need to provide mechanisms for users to enter or import content in a format that will facilitate the functionality provided by such applications. Typically, applications (or "apps") maintain such content in their own proprietary internal format, perhaps allowing for the importing or exporting of data in one or more standard data formats.
If users need to update their content over time, apps must then provide a mechanism for users to access and update their content. Moreover, if designated groups of users require shared access to their content, apps must further provide a sharing mechanism, typically including user authentication and access control for particular activities (e.g., viewing and modifying all or certain portions of the content).
This need for shared content that users can update and access (preferably from multiple different devices, e.g., via a web browser or mobile app) has become quite common, and has spawned a trend frequently referred to as "cloud computing," The content might be stored on a networked storage device or server computer (typically connected to the Internet), or on users' individual devices (networked hard disk, desktop or laptop computer, mobile phone, etc.) that are accessible to a remote app (or local "distributed" app) that synchronizes such content.
While many such collaborative "cloud" apps exist (e.g., "TeamSnap" at www.teamsnap.com for sharing team rosters, schedules, statistics and other related content among members of a sports team), each such app still must "reinvent the wheel" by implementing its own set of "cloud services"—e.g., collaborative features and user interfaces for maintaining and sharing content, including data acquisition, formatting, updating and presentation. As a result, there is a need for a mechanism to enable app developers to leverage existing cloud services, allowing them to focus their efforts on the "vertical" features specific to their particular content domain (e.g., team sports, trade shows, libraries, etc.), as opposed to the collaborative cloud services common across virtually all domains.
While some existing cloud apps have been designed as "platforms" that provide app developers with access (e.g., via a published API) to their cloud services and to user content, such platforms typically are designed to enable app developers to enhance the core capabilities of the cloud apps, rather than to repurpose user content to a particular "vertical" content domain.
For example, "social networks" such as Facebook were designed to facilitate the creation of user communities and the selective sharing of personal information among those communities. Because Facebook emphasizes the sharing of personal information, its focus is not on the creation and acquisition of structured content, much less "group content" compiled by one or more users. It is thus not surprising that most Facebook Apps developed on the Facebook platform leverage this core "sharing" functionality by providing shared access to external content (e.g., from other websites) and activities (e.g., games), rather than repurposing existing Facebook content.
While some Facebook Apps manipulate existing Facebook user content (e.g., to compile birthdays of a group of friends), they do not repurpose such content to a new content domain. It would be difficult, for example, for members of a sports team to maintain "team content" on Facebook, and for a Facebook App to access and repurpose such content to enable team members to share team rosters, statistics, etc.
Instead of providing all such functionality in a dedicated app, such as TeamSnap, it would be desirable to leverage existing cloud services to facilitate the maintenance and sharing of such "team content." In this regard, various collaborative tools have implemented cloud services with respect to the acquisition and maintenance of general-purpose documents. Examples include "Google Docs" and "Google "Spreadsheets" (and various other apps from Google, Inc.), "Microsoft Office Live" from Microsoft Corp. and "Zoho Docs" from Zoho Corp. Other cloud apps are targeted at different types of documents, such as photo-sharing sites (e.g., "Flickr"), wikis (e.g., "Wikipedia"), etc.
The cloud services provided for a collaborative app such as "Google Docs" enable groups of users to maintain and share general-purpose documents. Users can create and edit such documents using many of the features found in standard word processors. Moreover, the Google Docs platform (via "Google APIs") enables app developers to access user documents and leverage its cloud services.
Yet, as noted generally above, the primary purpose of this platform is to enhance the core capabilities provided by apps such as Google Docs (e.g., to provide additional functionality with respect to these general-purpose documents), rather than to repurpose user content to a particular "vertical" content domain. For example, an app might add a word-processing or other feature not found in Google Docs.
Perhaps due to the general-purpose nature of Google Docs documents, apps created for its platform tend to treat a user's Google Docs documents as "atomic" objects (independent of their content). For example, some apps generate filtered lists of documents, while others provide for remote storage or backup of documents.
Yet, because Google Docs allows for the maintenance of general-purpose documents that are not restricted to particular vertical applications, its appeal is universal, justifying the resources necessary to develop features and user interfaces that greatly simplify the collaborative process of creating, maintaining, presenting and sharing documents (much as social networks have done for the creation of user communities and the sharing of personal information generally).
A sports team could easily utilize Google Docs to facilitate the maintenance and sharing of its "team content," as could groups of users across a vast array of content domains (such as trade show participants, a corporate sales force, users of a public library, etc.). Yet, the content maintained by Google Docs is only a set of general-purpose documents that users can view and edit. An external app would be necessary to provide additional "vertical" features that interpret and manipulate this content so as to enable users to interact with the content in a meaningful way in the context of a particular content domain. For example, an app could provide sports-related features akin to those found in TeamSnap (rosters, statistics, schedules, etc.), while leveraging Google Docs to provide the cloud services relating to the acquisition, maintenance and sharing of the content.
If one were to separate the acquisition, maintenance and sharing of the content (performed in a cloud app) from the interpretation and repurposing of the content to a particular content domain (performed in an external "vertical" app), then the tasks performed by users and app developers would be greatly simplified.
Existing technologies have not adequately addressed the problems intrinsic to targeted searching and the development of cloud apps, particularly given the unique demands of a mobile communications environment. Information must be retrieved more quickly, but with less user interaction, in light of the hardware, user interface, network bandwidth and latency limitations inherent in such an environment. In addition, a more integrated and scalable search mechanism is needed to allow users to request information from a broad domain of information channels and quickly locate desired information within one or more of those channels (including targeted ads), preferably with the availability of additional functionality that is tailored to those channels within the context of user requests and other available state information. Finally, mechanisms are needed for developing cloud applications, without sacrificing the consistency and simplicity offered by existing cloud services.

Leveraging collaborative cloud services to build and share apps


A shovel device is arranged to include a shovel blade having first and second ends, including a concave front wall coextensive with a convex rear wall, with spaced parallel ribs extending in a parallel relationship parallel to themselves and to the side walls of the shovel blade, with a mesh screen positioned over the ribs permitting sifting of soil enhancing its aeration during a shoveling procedure.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to shovel structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved shovel device wherein the same is directed to the sifting and aerating of soil.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Shovel devices of various types are utilized throughout the prior art, but wherein the instant invention is directed to enhancement thereover to permit in a gardening environment, the sifting action to employ a mesh screen extending over openings within the shovel blade to permit such sifting and turning of soil and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


The invention relates to a method for operating a power plant, wherein in partial load operation the increase of temperature results at the outlet of the high-pressure turbine section as a consequence of a throttling by means of the intermediate pressure valve.

Power plant installations, in which large-volume steam turbines are used, are used inter alia for the local supply of power. The steam turbines used in such power plants have relatively high masses and are generally configured for a predefined rated power. These power plants, which may also be termed conventional power plants, may in a first approximation be split into pure steam power plants on one hand and gas and steam power plants on the other. Both share the fact that fossil fuels are required in order to generate electrical energy. Such power plants were hitherto conceived and configured for a base load. As a consequence of the increasing proportion of renewable energy sources—such as wind energy—which are largely impossible to control, the abovementioned conventional power plants must ever more frequently be operated at partial load. This means that the power plants do not supply the rated power for long periods, but rather supply a percentage of the rated power as partial load. The partial loads may, in some cases, be for example 25% of the full load.
This means that these power plants must be operated flexibly, wherein the change from comparatively low partial load to full load should occur as quickly as possible and without there being a limit on the number of load changes. The problem with that is that the temperature of the steam leaving the reheater unit drops markedly under extreme partial load, such as 25%, due to the lower availability of heat from the cooler flue gas. This temperature drop can be up to 60° Kelvin. However, these temperature variations are also transmitted to the components. This means that, in less-than-ideal cases, the voluminous and massive components have to be constantly heated and cooled. Thick-walled components in particular, such as an intermediate-pressure turbine section shaft, may be heated only comparatively slowly while observing desired changes in load. However, this runs counter to the requirement of switching the power plant from extreme partial load to full load in the shortest possible time.
For this reason, the reheater heating surfaces have hitherto been oversized and the hot reheater temperature in the upper load region, for example between 70% and 100%, has been controlled taking into account the thermodynamic efficiency losses resulting therefrom. The hot reheater temperature, which prevails downstream of the reheater unit, is referred to as "hRH". A further approach consists in imposing appropriate limits on the load gradients in the lower load region, or in reducing the permissible load changes, wherein increased wear is also taken into account, such that the thick-walled components have to be exchanged early.

Method for operating a power plant installation


A riser tree controls adapter comprises an outer riser tree controls adapter, placed outside a first tubular, and an inner riser tree controls adapter placed outside a second tubular and configured to be received into the outer riser tree controls adapter. Once inserted into the outer riser tree controls adapter, one or more control signal pathways are provided between a junction plate control connection receiver and a corresponding set of inner connection interfaces.

Tubing hangers for subsea trees are deployed inside a marine riser and require hydraulic and/or electrical controls. In some cases, a subsea test tree or subsea safe tree is utilized above a tubing hanger running tool and also requires hydraulic and/or electrical controls. These controls are supplied through an umbilical that is clamped to the drill pipe during deployment every two to three joints. Deploying the umbilical and clamping it to the drill pipe while the rig is deploying a subsea device such as a tubing hanger and/or subsea test tree is time consuming due to the speed of the reel, clamping efforts, and mitigating the risks of damaging the controls umbilical.

Inside riser tree controls adapter and method of use


Data characterizing a load on a rod of a down-hole pump at different positions of a stroke of the rod can be received. An image characterizing the load of the rod at the different positions of the stroke can be determined. A defect in operating conditions of the down-hole pump can be determined. The determining can include comparing the image to a set of predetermined images with associated defects. The determined defect can be provided.

A rod pump is a device that can be used to pump for oil on land. A hole can be drilled into the ground and cemented with a well casing, resulting in a vertical cavity. An assembled series of rods, referred to as a rod string, can be inserted into the vertical cavity and moved up and down using the rod pump. A plunger can be attached to the bottom of the rod string for transporting the oil out of the bottom of the well. On the downward stroke, the plunger can be filled with oil, and on the upward stroke the oil can be transported to the surface, where it can be extracted and put into barrels.
Unsatisfactory operation and performance can result from defects in the rod pump. These defects can include incomplete pump fillage, gas interference, tubing movement, excessive fluid slippage (e.g., indicating a worn rod pump), bottom pump tagging, top pump tagging, erratic valve action (e.g., due to solids in the well, a worn ball, a warn seat, a pitted ball, a pitted seat, and/or the like), plunger sticking or excessive friction (e.g., due to solids in between the plunger and the barrel), amongst others. Thus, it can be desirable to monitor rod pumps in order to identify when unsatisfactory operation is occurring so that corrective maintenance can be performed.

Pattern matching to detect defects in rod lift downhole cards


An apparatus and method for calibrating an envelope tracking (ET) lookup table (LUT) are provided. An ET power management apparatus includes a power amplifier configured to amplify a radio frequency (RF) signal from a time-variant input power to a time-variant output power linearly related to the time-variant input power. A calibration circuit is employed to receive a time-variant output power feedback nonlinearly related to the time-variant input power, determine a linear relationship between the time-variant input power and the time-variant output power based on the time-variant output power feedback, and calibrate the ET LUT based on the determined linear relationship. As a result, it is possible to improve accuracy of the ET LUT to thereby improve operating efficiency and linearity of the power amplifier.

Mobile communication devices have become increasingly common in current society. The prevalence of these mobile communication devices is driven in part by the many functions that are now enabled on such devices. Increased processing capabilities in such devices means that mobile communication devices have evolved from being pure communication tools into sophisticated mobile multimedia centers that enable enhanced user experiences.
The redefined user experience requires higher data rates offered by wireless communication technologies, such as long-term evolution (LTE). To achieve the higher data rates in mobile communication devices, sophisticated power amplifiers (PAs) may be employed to increase output power of radio frequency (RF) signals (e.g., maintaining sufficient energy per bit) communicated by mobile communication devices. However, the increased output power of RF signals can lead to increased power consumption and thermal dissipation in mobile communication devices, thus compromising overall performance and user experiences.
Envelope tracking is a power management technology designed to improve operating efficiency and linearity of PAs to help reduce power consumption and thermal dissipation. As the name suggests, an envelope tracking system keeps track of an input power envelope of the RF signals and continuously adjusts a supply voltage applied to the PAs based on the input power envelope. Typically, the envelope tracking system relies on a lookup table (LUT) to correlate the input power envelope with the supply voltage. In this regard, the LUT determines how well the supply voltage tracks the input power envelope and how efficient the PAs can operate. As such, it is desirable to improve accuracy of the LUT to thereby improve operating efficiency and linearity of PAs.

Apparatus and method for calibrating an envelope tracking lookup table


The present disclosure relates to detergent compositions comprising xanthan lyase variants and methods for use of said compositions.

Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide derived from the bacterial coat of Xanthomonas campestris. It is produced by the fermentation of glucose, sucrose, or lactose by the Xanthomonas campestris bacterium. After a fermentation period, the polysaccharide is precipitated from a growth medium with isopropyl alcohol, dried, and ground into a fine powder. Later, it is added to a liquid medium to form the gum. Xanthan gum is a natural polysaccharide consisting of different sugars which are connected by several different bonds, such as β-D-mannosyl-β-D-1,4-glucuronosyl bonds and β-D-glucosyl-β-D-1,4-glucosyl bonds. Xanthan gum is at least partly soluble in water and forms highly viscous solutions or gels. Complete enzymatic degradation of xanthan gum requires several enzymatic activities including xanthan lyase activity and endo-β-1,4-glucanase activity. Xanthan lyases are enzymes that cleave the β-D-mannosyl-β-D-1,4-glucuronosyl bond of xanthan and have been described in the literature. Xanthan lyases are known in the art, e.g. two xanthan lyases have been isolated from Paenibacillus alginolyticus XL-1 (e.g. Ruijssenaars et al. (1999) 'A pyruvated mannose-specific xanthan lyase involved in xanthan degradation by Paenibacillus alginolyticus XL-1', Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65(6): 2446-2452, and Ruijssenaars et al. (2000), 'A novel gene encoding xanthan lyase of Paenibacillus alginolyticus strain XL-1', Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66(9): 3945-3950). Glycoside hydrolases are enzymes that catalyse the hydrolysis of the glycosyl bond to release smaller sugars. There are over 100 classes of glycoside hydrolases which have been classified, see Henrissat et al. (1991) 'A classification of glycosyl hydrolases based on amino-acid sequence similarities', J. Biochem. 280: 309-316 and the Uniprot website at www.cazy.org. The glycoside hydrolase family 9 (GH9) includes over 70 different enzymes that are mostly endo-glucanases (EC 22.214.171.124), cellobiohydrolases (EC 184.108.40.206), β-glucosidases (EC 184.108.40.206) and exo-β-glucosaminidase (EC 126.96.36.199). In recent years xanthan gum has been used as an ingredient in many consumer products including foods (e.g. as thickening agent in salad dressings and dairy products) and cosmetics (e.g. as stabilizer and thickener in toothpaste and make-up, creams and lotions to prevent ingredients from separating and to provide the right texture of the product). Further, xanthan gum has found use in the oil industry as an additive to regulate the viscosity of drilling fluids etc. The widespread use of xanthan gum has led to a desire to degrade solutions, gels or mixtures containing xanthan gum thereby allowing easier removal of the by-products. Xanthan lyases and endoglucanases for the degradation of xanthan gum and the use of such enzymes for cleaning purposes, such as the removal of xanthan gum containing stains, and in the drilling and oil industries are known in the art, e.g. WO2013167581A1.
The known xanthan lyase having SEQ ID NO: 2 was found to be sensitive to the presence of detergents with chelators. To improve applicability and/or cost and/or the performance of such enzymes there is an ongoing search for variants with altered properties, such as increased stability, e.g. improved stability in a detergent composition, e.g. in the presence of a chelator, e.g. EDTA or citrate, etc. However, mutagenesis of large enzymes followed by purification and functional analysis of mutant libraries can be very expensive and laborious.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Detergent compositions comprising xanthan lyase variants I


A gaming device including a plurality of symbol generators adapted to generate a plurality of symbols at a plurality of symbol positions. In one embodiment, a player selects a first symbol position, the selected symbol position is activated and the gaming device reveals whether a terminator is associated with the selected symbol position. In this embodiment, the player continues selecting symbol positions (and the gaming device continues activating the selected symbol positions) until a terminator is revealed to be associated with a selected symbol position. After a terminator is revealed, the gaming device randomly generating a symbol at each of the activated symbol positions. The gaming device determines an outcome based on the symbols or combinations of symbols generated at the activated symbol positions and provides the player the determined outcome.

Gaming device manufacturers strive to make gaming devices that provide as much enjoyment and excitement as possible. Providing a game in which a player has an opportunity to win multiple awards and potentially large awards or credits are ways to enhance player enjoyment and excitement. Currently, gaming machines or devices provide games, such as slot games, wherein a player has one or more opportunities to obtain a winning symbol combination on mechanical or video reels. In these gaming devices, the player initiates the spin of the reels by making a wager and an award is provided based on the combinations of symbols generated along one or more paylines. Traditional paylines include fixed predetermined symbol display areas arranged adjacently along lines which are horizontal, vertical, diagonal and combinations thereof. The player is able to choose which of the predetermined combinations of symbol display areas will be evaluated for winning combinations of symbols generated in those symbol display areas by activating or wagering on one or more of the predetermined paylines. The player activates a payline based on the amount of the wager made by the player. In other gaming devices, a payout is provided based on a "scatter pay." A scatter pay includes a pay for the occurrence of designated symbols anywhere on the symbol display. Symbols generated on the symbol display are evaluated for winning combinations as if the symbols were generated along a traditional payline of adjacently arranged symbols.
These gaming machines typically have certain features designated for outcomes such as when a player wins a value, when the player advances to a bonus round or when the game terminates. For example, these gaming machines often display the amount of credits earned, flash lights, make sounds or have other features designed to draw attention to the outcome and entertain the player.
Certain known gaming devices have one or more free spin modes or sequences which are provided to the player after a triggering event in a primary game. The triggering event temporarily halts the primary game play and enables a player to enter a free spin mode or sequence wherein one or more free spins are provided to the player. The player plays the free spin mode or sequence, likely receives an award during one or more of the free spins and returns to the base game. Free spin mode or sequences that provide players with large awards or the potential to win large awards are attractive to players.
To increase player enjoyment and excitement, it is desirable to provide players with increased player interaction and control of a gaming feature in a slot machine.

Gaming system and method having a partial selectable symbol matrix


A method for calibrating at least two sensors for sensing a variable characterizing the combustion process in an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, operated in individual-cylinder fashion and having at least two cylinders, is provided. According to the present invention, at least one operating point of the internal combustion engine, at which an equalization of the at least two cylinders by at least one fuel quantity equalization method is performable with high accuracy, is determined. At the at least one operating point of the internal combustion engine, an equalization of the at least two cylinders is performed by the at least one fuel quantity equalization method. After the equalization of the at least two cylinders has been accomplished, at least one sensor parameter of the at least two sensors is mutually adjusted.

Internal combustion engines operated in individual-cylinder fashion often have a so-called fuel quantity compensation control system (FQCC) or smooth-running control system (SRC) which is described, for example, in published German patent document DE 199 45 618. For this, a controller is associated with each cylinder of the internal combustion engine. The background for this action is that in the event of any quantity errors during fuel metering, an inherently undesirable torque nonuniformity occurs. If an increased quantity of fuel is metered to a cylinder as a result of tolerances, the FQCC causes a negative fuel quantity to be added to the operator-commanded quantity for that cylinder. Conversely, a positive fuel quantity is added when too small a fuel quantity is metered to a cylinder.
During operation of a diesel engine, by means of the two control systems (FQCC and SRC) any injection quantity errors that result in torque differences, and thus in nonuniform engine rotation speeds, can be corrected, and engine smoothness at low rotation speeds—which is known to be critical in diesel engines—can be substantially improved. In addition, the equalization of the cylinders caused by the correction allows emissions improvements to be achieved not only in the lower rotation-speed range relevant to smoothness, but also at higher engine speeds.
A fuel quantity equalization by means of an FQCC or SRC is not efficient in all operating ranges of a diesel engine, however, since depending on the type of engine, additional effects occur, such as torsional vibrations at the crankshaft, which moreover are highly dependent on rotation speed. Methods for individual-cylinder operation of an internal combustion engine have therefore also been proposed in which a direct evaluation is made of a signal (for example of the cylinder pressure) that is directly correlated with combustion. These methods allows cylinder equalization even at higher rotation speeds. In these methods, operating parameters of the combustion process, for example the mean pressure indicated in the individual cylinders or the torque corresponding thereto, or the center point of the pressure difference between the individual cylinders, are calculated from the cylinder pressure profile. By regulating the indicated mean pressure, it is thus possible to achieve a more precise individual-cylinder regulation of the setpoint torques, and thus a better equalization of the cylinders in all operating ranges.
In cylinder-pressure-based engine control systems, the cylinder pressures occurring during operation of the engine are measured by means of pressure sensors over time, or as a function of crank angle, and made available to an engine control system. A pressure sensor of this kind is described, for example, in published German patent document DE 197 49 814. Also known are methods with which parameters can be ascertained during engine operation from a high-resolution pressure signal and are in turn used for individual-cylinder optimization of the engine process in terms of the target variables of fuel economy, emissions, and smoothness. The parameters used are, for example, the pressure or pressure difference integrals, the indicated work, or the indicated torque.
Also disclosed, in the German patent application 101 59 017, is a similar method in which open-and/or closed-loop control of engine operating parameters is accomplished as a function of a variable derived from the actual pressure signal. This derived variable characterizes, for example, the change in the pressure signal or the combustion profile. This enables a very accurate correction of preinjection during engine operation.
The aforesaid individual-cylinder control operation is usually accomplished by means of positioners, disposed in or on the cylinders, that are triggered by way of individual-cylinder control variables. These control variables are, for example, the triggering durations and/or triggering onsets of an injection.
The cylinder-pressure-based methods have the disadvantage that the measured values supplied by the pressure sensors are often erroneous as a result of tolerances related to manufacture and/or operation. If these measurement errors are not corrected, they distort the calculated cylinder pressure values and, because of the aforesaid control operation, result in mistuning among the individual cylinders.
The aforesaid measurement errors are expressed in differing sensor parameters that are incorporated into sensor characteristic curves both as an erroneous offset and as an erroneous gain factor. Suggested solutions for calibrating or correcting the offset already exist, in which the pressure rise at the beginning of a compression phase of the internal combustion engine is evaluated. No methods so far exist, however, for calibrating or correcting any erroneous gain factors. The individual gain factors moreover play a higher-order role in the overall operation of an internal combustion engine, since they are directly involved in the calculation of many other cylinder pressure features as well.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for the calibration of sensors, disposed in at least two cylinders of an internal combustion engine operating in individual-cylinder fashion, for sensing a variable characterizing the combustion process in the respective cylinder, that makes possible adjustment of the at least two sensors with greater precision.

Method for calibration of the cylinder sensors suite on an internal combustion engine with individual cylinder operation in particular in a motor vehicle


A method of manufacturing a TFT array panel for a LCD disclosers that the gate electrode wiring, transparent conducting electrode, and the first electrode of the storage capacity are formed while the first mask is processing. Then, the selective deposition method is used to process the growth of the first metal wiring. This, therefore, can reduce the numbers of the mask processes. Further, the metal deposition with photo-resist lift-off step is used to implement the layout of the second metal wiring for the consequent transmission lines in the manufacturing process. Finally, the process of the passivation layer deposition is used to implement associated circuits of a TFT array panel for a LCD. The TFT array panel for a LCD for manufacturing circuits can simplify the manufacturing process and reduce the cost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a TFT array panel for a LCD. More particularly, the selective deposition and photo-resist lift-off techniques are used to implement the method of manufacturing a TFT-LCD array panel. By using the method for manufacturing a TFT-LCD array panel according to present invention, it can reduce and shorten the manufacturing process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal displays have the advantages of small volume, light weight, low power consumption, low radiation, excellent image quality, broad applications, and are widely applied in the consumer electronic products or computer products, such as medium to small portable TVs, mobile phones, camcorders, notebook computers, desktop computers and projection TVs, etc. However, the mass cost causing from manufacturing LCDs is a key for the development in the LCD field. In order to overcome the cost problem, most companies and producers focus on the issue of reducing manufacturing cost. The biggest portion of the total cost in a LCD is on the manufacturing process of the TFT-LCD array panel. According to above description, the present invention is to provide a method for simplifying the TFT-LCD array panel manufacturing process. Further, it can achieve the cost reduction thereto shorten the manufacturing process.
According to the conventional method for manufacturing a TFT-LCD array panel, the layout of the panel circuit has to be implemented through at least four masking processes. However, the more masking processes, the more manufacturing costs. In other words, it means the more exposing lithography and etching processes need to be processed. The steps can cause serious effect on the reliability of the components. Therefore, the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a TFT-LCD array panel. More particularly, the method uses a selective deposition process to implement. The metal wire can be formed by using the selective deposition process. The process with circuit layout can alternate the conventional technique which of using more masking process to form the metal wire with multi-layer. It, therefore, can simplify and shorten the manufacturing process.
Besides, the metal deposition and photo-resist lift-off steps are further used in the consequent process of the transmission line. By using the present invention, it provides a method of manufacturing a TFT-LCD array panel. Further, it can avoid the damage risk in the operational channel while performing an etching process.

Method of manufacturing a TFT array panel for a LCD

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A laser light generating apparatus in which the laser light from a laser light source is intensified by an optical resonator arranged outside the laser light source and outputted after wavelength conversion by a non-linear optical crystal element arranged within the optical resonator. The laser light generating apparatus includes a laser light source for radiating the laser light, an optical resonator for resonating the laser light radiated from the laser light source, a non-linear optical crystal element having an anti-reflection film formed on its laser light incident surface and an aperture for interrupting the light reflected by the non-linear optical crystal element within the optical resonator. The non-linear optical crystal element is arranged in the optical resonator so that a line drawn normal to the laser light incident surface will be obliquely inclined relative to the optical axis of the laser optical resonated within the optical resonator. With the present laser light generating apparatus, the reflected light from the non-linear optical crystal element responsible for reverse traveling wave is interrupted by the aperture for suppressing generation of the reverse traveling wave in the light resonator, so that return optical to the laser light source is suppressed to eliminate the necessity for providing an optical isolator.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a laser light generating apparatus in which the laser light from a laser light source is intensified by a optical resonator located outside the laser light source and output after waveform conversion by a non-linear optical crystal element arranged within the optical resonator.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a high-efficiency laser light generating apparatus, there is proposed in e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,531 such a laser light generating apparatus in which the laser light from a laser light source is intensified by an optical resonator located outside the laser light source and output after wavelength conversion by a non-linear optical crystal element arranged within the light resonator.
With such laser light generating apparatus, it is necessary to control the wavelength of the laser light radiated from the laser light source and the length of an optical path within the light resonator to satisfy the conditions for resonation. It is therefore necessary for the output of the laser light radiated from the laser light source to be kept stable. In general, if there is any return light from the optical resonator to the laser light source, the laser light oscillation tends to be unstable. Thus it is crucial in the above-described laser light generating apparatus to suppress the return light from the light resonator to the laser light source.
Heretofore, an optical isolator is arranged between the laser light source and the light resonator for suppressing the return light to the laser light source by this optical isolator. However, this optical isolator is extremely expensive and prevents the cost reduction of laser light generating apparatus.
As a conventional laser light generating apparatus, such apparatus employing a so called ring type resonator is proposed for an optical resonator for preventing the above-described return light. With this ring type optical resonator, a light resonator 110 is constituted by four reflective mirrors 101, 102, 103 and 104, as shown in FIG. 1, for suppressing the return light to the laser an light source. With such optical resonator 110, the laser light in the laser light source is theoretically only the traveling wave proceeding in the light incident direction of the laser light from the laser light source L1, while the traveling wave proceeding in the opposite direction to the light incident direction of the laser light L2 is not generated such that no laser light is returned to the laser light source. The traveling waves L1 and L2 are referred to hereinafter as the forward traveling wave and the reverse traveling wave, respectively.
With the above-described laser light generating apparatus, it is generally presupposed that the laser light falls vertically on a non-linear optical crystal element used for wavelength conversion. With such a non-linear optical crystal element, an antireflection film is formed on the laser light incident surface for diminishing optical loss. The anti-reflection film should ideally eliminate the reflection completely. However, it is in fact extremely difficult to eliminate refection completely, such that reflection of on the order of 0.1 to 0.5% remains.
Therefore, if a non-linear optical crystal element 111 is arranged within the optical resonator 110 having the first to fourth reflective mirrors 101 to 104, as shown in FIG. 2, the forward traveling wave L1 is reflected by a laser light incident surface of the non-linear optical crystal element 111. The resonant frequency of the reflected light R1 by the non-linear optical crystal element 111 is equal to the resonant frequency of the forward traveling wave L1, due to the reversibility of light, unless a Faraday element or the like is present within the optical resonator 110. Therefore, if there is the slightest residual reflection, the reflected light R1 is in resonation with the forward traveling wave L1, thus generating a reverse traveling wave in the light resonator 110. That is, the reflected light R1 from the non-linear optical crystal element 111 traveling the closed light path in the light resonator 110 in a direction opposite to the forward traveling wave L1 for exciting the reverse traveling wave in the light resonator 110. The reverse traveling wave, thus generated in the inside of the light resonator 110, becomes a mode-matched return light R2 to the laser light source 112, thus making the laser light oscillation unstable.
In such a laser light generating apparatus, employing the ring-type light resonator, return light is produced by reflection from the non-linear optical crystal element, so that an optical isolator needs to be provided between the laser light source and the light resonator, thus making it difficult to lower the production cost.
For preventing reflection from the non-linear optical crystal element, it has also been proposed to cut the surface of the non-linear optical crystal element at a Brewster angle.
However, limitations are imposed on this method since the light handled in non-linear wavelength conversion is not necessarily the light less susceptible to reflection at the Brewster angle.
That is, if type 2 phase matching is used, the input light has different directions of light polarization. Therefore, if reflection of one of the polarized light beams can be prohibited by cutting the surface of the non-linear optical crystal element at the Brewster angle, typically not less than 20% of reflection loss is incurred for the other polarized light.
On the other hand, if the type 1 phase matching is used, the directions of light polarization of two input light beams are the same. Therefore, the reflection loss can be diminished by cutting the surface of the non-linear optical crystal element at the Brewster angle, insofar as these light beams are concerned. However, since the generated third light beam is generally in a direction of polarized light extending normal to the direction of the polarization of the input light, not less than 20% of the reflection loss is incurred insofar as this third light beam is concerned.
The method of cutting the surface of the non-linear optical crystal element at the Brewster angle is not practical since the reflection loss then is increased significantly.
Thus, in the laser light generating apparatus employing the non-linear optical crystal element, the method generally used is to form an anti-reflection film on the surface of the non-linear optical crystal element and to cause the forward traveling wave to be incident perpendicularly on this surface for realizing high efficiency wavelength conversion.
With the conventional laser light generating apparatus, as described above, an optical isolator for suppressing the return light from the optical resonator to the laser light source is indispensable, such that it has been difficult to lower the production cost of the apparatus.


A bicycle shirt or similar garment having a relatively large pocket positioned on the back of the top, the top further comprising a torso-encircling elastic band, which is incorporated within the bottom opening of a shelf bra in the main embodiment, wherein the pocket is provided with an elastic band that is connected to the torso-encircling elastic band such that stress on the pocket elastic band is transferred or shared by the torso-encircling elastic band.

This invention relates generally to the field of clothing shirts or tops, and more particularly to such tops composed completely or primarily of elastic material of the type worn during sports competitions or exercising, and most particularly relates to such tops designed and adapted to be worn during bicycling.
Specially designed shirts or tops composed of elastic fabric materials, such as Lycra or Spandex, usually referred to as bicycle tops, are often worn by serious riders. These bicycle tops are designed to fit snuggly for purposes of comfort and aerodynamics, and typically possess wicking or cooling characteristics that exceed those of other fabrics.
Bicycles used for racing or long distance riding are not equipped with baskets, pouches, bags or the like, as these would interfere with the aerodynamics of the bicycle by causing undesirable drag or wind resistance. However, it is usually desirable, especially on long rides, to bring bottled water, food or other supplies on the journey, and therefore bicycle tops have been designed with one or more pockets to retain these items. These pockets are almost always disposed on the back of the bicycle top, since the rider bends forward during the ride and placement of the pockets on the front or side would not provide optimum accessibility or comfort. Several problems result from locating the pockets on the rear of the bicycle top. For example, the pockets can trap air as the bicycle moves forward, thus acting like a sail and slowing the rider. A pocket with an unsecured opening may not adequately secure the items stored in the pocket. Over time, and especially if the pockets are loaded with heavy items or multiple items whose volume stretches the pocket, the pockets or the garment may become misshapen. Also, if the pocket is overloaded, the fit and comfort of the garment may be adversely affected.
To address these problems, it is known to incorporate an elastic band on the exposed edge or top hem of the pocket flap. The ends of elastic band may be sewn directly to the fabric comprising the bicycle top. The strength of the elastic band must be limited so that it does not damage the fabric material to which it is attached, meaning that relatively weak elastic bands must be utilized, thereby decreasing the ability of the pocket to retain the items. This structure results in undesirable stress points on the fabric, a misshaping of the garment, and can become uncomfortable over long time periods. This is especially true for women's bicycle tops that incorporate shelf bras within the interior of the garment. A shelf bra is typically constructed from an elastic fabric material and is attached to the fabric of the bicycle top along its upper hem. The bottom of the shelf bra is usually not directly attached to the top and is provided with a torso-encircling elastic band to properly position and retain the shelf bra on the wearer's torso.
It is an object of this invention to provide a novel construction for a bicycle top that addresses the above referenced problems. It is a further object to provide such a bicycle top wherein elastic bands of relatively high strength can be incorporated in the top without detrimental effect to the fabric material, the look of the top or the comfort of the wearer. It is a further object to provide such a bicycle top wherein stress on the pocket hem is transferred or shared with a body encircling elastic band.


The present invention discloses a method for ultra-low temperature forming an ultra-thin curved part of a high-strength aluminum alloy. The method includes the following steps: step 1: selecting a cladding with a suitable thickness according to a wrinkle limit of a sheet; step 2: stacking the sheet and the cladding, then putting into a die, and closing a blank holder; step 3: filling a cavity of a female die with an ultra-low temperature medium to cool the sheet to below −160° C.; step 4: applying a set blank holding force by the blank holder, and enabling a male die to go down to form a thin-walled curved part; and step 5: opening the die and taking out the formed thin-walled curved part. The present invention utilizes the favorable formability of the high-strength aluminum alloy at the ultra-low temperature and the instability resistance of the thick sheet.

The aluminum alloy is widely used as the main structural material in the aerospace, aviation and automotive fields due to its high specific strength and good corrosion resistance. It accounts for more than 50% of the structural mass of the launch vehicle and aircraft. As the new generation of transport equipment has increasingly higher requirements for light weight and reliability, there is an urgent need for a lightweight integral structure of high-strength aluminum alloy to replace the traditional multi-piece tailor-welded structure. In terms of material, the aluminum-lithium (Al—Li) alloy has higher strength and lighter weight than the existing aluminum alloy, and can reduce the structural weight by more than 15%. Therefore, the Al—Li alloy is very appropriate as the lightweight material for the aerospace equipment. In terms of structure, taking the dome of the carrier rocket tank as an example, the existing manufacturing process is still to weld multiple scalloped segments and the top cover into the tank dome. The process requires that each part is precisely formed to ensure high-precision assembly. However, the tailored welding will increase the thickness of the welding zone, causing problems such as heavy structure and welding deformation, which cannot meet the requirements of light weight and high reliability. To solve the problems, a series of high-strength aluminum alloy thin-walled curved parts, for example, Al—Li alloy thin-walled curved parts, are developed to form the integral tank dome.
These thin-walled curved parts have an ultra-small wall thickness. The thickness of the dome of the 2-meter-diameter tank is only 4-5 millimeters, and the thickness of the dome of the 5-meter-diameter tank is only a dozen millimeters. The ratio of the thickness to the diameter is less than 3‰, which is far less than the wrinkle formation limit. However, there are serious wrinkling defects in the integral forming process of the ultra-thin curved parts. At present, hydroforming is an advanced integral forming process for the thin-walled curved parts. The stress state of the suspended area is controlled by fluid pressure to prevent the wrinkling defects. However, the high-strength aluminum alloy has poor formability at room temperature, and cracking defects are prone to occur when wrinkling is controlled by the fluid pressure, so that such ultra-thin curved parts cannot be manufactured by the hydroforming process. In order to improve the formability of the high-strength aluminum alloy, a hot drawing process is developed to form deep-cavity curved parts with a relatively large depth/diameter ratio. Because the aluminum alloy will be severely softened under heating conditions, if the blank holding force is increased or a draw bead is set to control wrinkling, it is easy to cause concentrated deformation or even cracking in the suspended area (force transmission area). Overall, the prior art cannot solve the coexisting problems of wrinkling and cracking in the integral forming of the high-strength aluminum alloy ultra-thin curved parts.

Ultra-low temperature forming method for ultra-thin curved part of high-strength aluminum alloy


Engine deposits are reduced by adding an effective deposit-controlling amount of an esteramine to hydrocarbon fuel.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to fuel compositions containing deposit control additives and methods for reducing deposits on the surface of engine components and within the combustion chamber. More specifically, this disclosure relates to fuel compositions containing a deposit-controlling amount of esteramines to inhibit and control engine deposits.
2. Background of Related Art
It is well known that automobile engines tend to form deposits within the combustion chamber and on the surface of engine components, such as carburetor ports, throttle bodies, fuel injectors, intake ports, intake valves, piston tops, and cylinder heads due to the evaporation, oxidation and polymerization of hydrocarbon fuel. These deposits, even when present in relatively minor amounts, often cause noticeable driveability problems, such as stalling and poor acceleration. Moreover, engine deposits can significantly increase an automobile's fuel consumption and production of exhaust pollutants. Therefore, the development of effective fuel detergents or "deposit control" additives to prevent or control such deposits is of considerable importance.
It has now been discovered that certain esteramines are surprisingly useful for reducing engine deposits when employed as fuel additives in fuel compositions.

Fuel compositions containing esteramines


A clutch that has a synchronizer for matching a rotational velocity of a drive input with a rotational velocity of a driven output prior to engagement of a locking mechanism.

Fixed-wing aircraft, such as airplanes, are capable of flight using wings that generate lift responsive to the forward airspeed of the aircraft, which is generated by thrust from one or more jet engines or propellers. The wings generally have an airfoil cross section that generates the lift force to support the aircraft in flight. Fixed-wing aircraft, however, typically require a runway that is hundreds or thousands of feet long for takeoff and landing.
Unlike fixed-wing aircraft, vertical takeoff and landing ("VTOL") aircraft do not require runways. Instead, VTOL aircraft are capable of taking off, hovering and landing vertically. One example of a VTOL aircraft is a helicopter, which is a rotorcraft having one or more rotors that provide lift and thrust to the aircraft. The rotors not only enable hovering and vertical takeoff and landing, but also enable forward, backward, and lateral flight. These attributes make helicopters highly versatile for use in congested, isolated, or remote areas. Helicopters, however, typically lack the forward airspeed of fixed-wing aircraft due to the phenomena of retreating blade stall and advancing blade compression.
Tiltrotor aircraft attempt to overcome this drawback by utilizing proprotors that can change their plane of rotation based on the operation being performed. Tiltrotor aircraft typically have a pair of nacelles mounted near the outboard ends of a fixed wing, with each nacelle housing a propulsion system that provides torque and rotational energy to a proprotor. The nacelles are rotatable relative to the fixed wing such that the proprotors have a generally horizontal plane of rotation providing vertical thrust for takeoff, hovering, and landing, much like a conventional helicopter, and a generally vertical plane of rotation providing forward thrust for cruising in forward flight with the fixed wing providing lift, much like a conventional propeller-driven airplane. It has been found, however, that forward airspeed-induced proprotor aeroelastic instability is a limiting factor relating to the maximum airspeed of tiltrotor aircraft in forward flight.
In order to provide an aircraft with the versatility of a VTOL aircraft with the range and speed of a conventional airplane, a tiltrotor aircraft having rotary and non-rotary flight modes has been disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/428,687, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The aircraft described therein is operable in three different modes: (1) helicopter mode, (2) proprotor-driven airplane mode, and (3) jet-powered airplane mode. Both helicopter mode and proprotor-driven airplane mode are rotary flight modes which are powered by an engine in a turboshaft mode, wherein the engine provides torque and rotational energy to the masts of the proprotors. In a non-rotary flight mode, i.e. jet-powered airplane mode, the engine operates in a turbofan mode, wherein the engine does not provide torque of rotational energy to the masts. Instead, in the turbofan mode the engine provides forward thrust. When transitioning between proprotor-driven airplane mode and jet-powered airplane mode, a clutch is required to engage and disengage torque provided to the masts.

Clutch with synchronizer and locking mechanism


Embodiments of the present invention can be used to generate a family of core training sequences having desired cross-correlation and out-of-phase auto-correlation properties for a communications system. The family can be generated by selecting seed sequences, so that the worst-case cross-correlation of the seed sequences is below a first initial threshold and the worst-case out-of-phase auto-correlation of the seed sequences is below a second initial threshold. Then, sequence families can be generated by inserting additional symbols into a corresponding seed sequence. Then, reduced sequence families can be generated by eliminating those sequences from the sequence families that have a worst-case out-of-phase auto-correlation above a third threshold. A sequence is selected from each reduced sequence family, so that the worst-case cross-correlation of the selected sequences is below a fourth threshold.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention applies to the field of communications systems and, in particular, to training sequences and training signals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical radio communications systems, such as cellular voice and data communications systems, have several base stations in different locations available for use by mobile or fixed user terminals, such as cellular telephones or wireless web devices. Each base station communicates with a user terminal using a communications channel. For example, a communications channel may consist of a time slot in a TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) frame on a physical carrier frequency. A TDMA frame may contain, for example, three uplink receive time slots followed by three downlink transmit time slots, or vice-versa. The time slots may be used to transmit communication bursts, or they may be delineated on a continuous signal.
A physical carrier frequency may be a 625 kHz band around a central frequency, such as 800 MHz or 1.9 GHz. Thus, a base station transmits to a given user terminal, for example, on the second transmit and receive time slots on this carrier frequency in a given frame. Furthermore, the communications channel may be organized using common duplexing techniques, such as FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) and TDD (Time Division Duplex), and common multiple access techniques such as FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access) and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). The channel may further be organized according to a hopping function indicating alternating resources over time.
The communications channel can be used for sending signals that communicate information, such as user data and control data. The communications channel may also be used for sending signals that are known at the receiver. Such signals are known as training or pilot signals. A training signal can be generated in many ways, such as sending a known symbol sequence, typically called a training sequence. In portions of the description below, the terms training signal and training sequence may be used interchangeably.
Training signals and training sequences can be used for measuring channel parameters and characteristics, such as SNR (signal to noise ratio), spatial parameters, timing, and frequency offset. They can also be used for synchronizing symbols and frames, calibrating transceivers and equalizers, and calculating spatial and temporal filter weights. One reason training sequences are useful, is that the received signal can be compared with the known sent signal, e.g., the known training sequence. Training sequences are used for "training," which generally means performing some operation including comparing a received signal to a known reference signal. Thus, the above example uses of training signals and training sequences all constitute training.
A well-designed family of training sequences may have some useful or desirable properties. For example, one useful property that a family of training sequences can have is that two different training sequences from the family are as different as possible for all or most shifts. Another useful property that a family of training sequences can have is that a delayed, or shifted, training sequence in the family should be different from the same training sequence without shift. The first property is enhanced if the absolute value of the cross-correlations of any two training sequences is kept small. The second property is enhanced if the out-of-phase auto-correlations of the training sequences are kept small. Different systems may be enhanced by using different tradeoffs between various properties of training sequences, including the size of the sequences and the correlation properties described above.

Generating training sequences in a communications system


A new cultivar of Cuphea named ‘FLAMENCO SAMBA’ that is characterized by dense upright habit, dark yellow-green foliage, and large dark red flowers that bloom continuously throughout spring, summer and fall. In combination these traits set ‘FLAMENCO SAMBA’ apart from all other existing varieties of Cuphea known to the inventor.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Cuphea that is grown for use as an annual plant for container or for use as a perennial plant for the landscape in frost-free regions. The new cultivar is known botanically as Cuphea llavea×procumbens and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name 'FLAMENCO SAMBA'.
The new Cuphea cultivar 'FLAMENCO SAMBA' is a hybrid plant that resulted from the induced cross-pollination conducted by the inventor in June 2001 at the inventor's nursery in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 'FLAMENCO SAMBA' was selected by the inventor in December 2003 based on upright habit, and dark red flowers with six lobes per individual flower.
The inventor cross-pollinated an individual plant of the seed parent, Cuphea llavea 'Tiny Mice' (unpatented) and an individual plant of the pollen parent Cuphea procumbens (species, not a cultivar, unpatented). Observing that the resulting seedlings exhibited a range of flower colors and flower shapes, the inventor set aside several hundred of these seedlings for further growth trials in order to select the most promising combination of unique flower shape, flower color, and compactness, of plant habit. Three, individual clones, from the seedling population were seleted by the inventor in 2003. One selection constitutes the present invention, 'FLAMENCO SAMBA'. The other two selections are the subject of the inventor's co-pending applications, 'FLAMENCO RUMBA' U.S. application Ser. No. 11/334,122 and 'FLAMENCO TANGO' U.S. application Ser. No. 11/334,620.
'FLAMENCO SAMBA' exhibits dense upright habit, large hairy flower buds, large dark red flowers and dark yellow-green foliage. Propagation is accomplished using vegetative cuttings. The closest comparison plant known to the inventor is the inventor's co-pending variety 'FLAMENCO RUMBA', which exhibits light red flowers and an open upright habit. 'FLAMENCO SAMBA' is distinguishable from the comparison plant by dark red flowers and dense upright habit.
The new cultivar 'FLAMENCO SAMBA' is distinguishable from the seed parent by flower color and number of lobes on an individual flower. The seed parent 'Tiny Mice' bears small orange flowers that individually exhibit two identical, fused lobes, whereas 'FLAMENCO SAMBA' exhibits dark red flowers with six sub-equal lobes on an individual flower. 'FLAMENCO SAMBA' is distinguishable from the pollen parent by flower color and plant habit. Cuphea procumbens exhibits spreading habit and bears purple flowers, whereas 'FLAMENCO SAMBA' exhibits dense upright habit and dark red flowers.
The first asexual propagation was conducted by the inventor in 2003 at the inventor's nursery in Brisbane, Australia. The method of propagation used for asexual propagation was vegetative cuttings. Since that time, the distinguishing characteristics of 'FLAMENCO SAMBA' have been determined stable and have been determined stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.


Disclosed is a canvas cleaning apparatus for use in a paper mill. The apparatus includes a main injection unit for injecting cleaning water having an injection head moved from side to side, an auxiliary injection unit for injecting the cleaning water enclosing the injection head of the main injection unit and having a permanent magnetic fixed to one end thereof, an auxiliary suction unit for sucking cleaning water and wastes installed at a position opposed to the main injection unit and having a permanent magnet fixed to one end thereof, and a main suction unit for sucking cleaning water and wastes fixed to the auxiliary suction unit.

In general, a canvas and a felt are necessary units to be used in a process of making paper in a paper mill. The canvas is constructed in shape of sheet or conveyer made of a fiber, a mesh or the like.
In the canvas, pulp particles are held in holes formed by warps and wefts. Since the particles are stuck to the holes after lapse of some times, it impedes the manufacture of a high quality of paper.
In order to solve the above problem, a cleaning system has been proposed to detach the pulp particles from the canvas by injecting pressurized water into a surface of the rotating canvas by use of a conventional cleaning water injecting unit with an injection head install thereto.
A rectangular container is disposed on the left of the canvas for collecting and discharging the wastes detached from the canvas and the cleaning water.
With such a conventional cleaning system, the pressurized water injected at high pressure from the injection head collides with the surface of the canvas and thus is scattered together with wastes in the air. Further, the wastes detached from the canvas collide with the container and thus is scattered in all directions. Accordingly, a main roller and an auxiliary roller are secondarily contaminated, as well as the canvas, thereby impeding the manufacture of a high quality of paper.
Specifically, the conventional cleaning system has a disadvantage in that the wastes mixed with the waterdrops are scattered in the air by the pressure of the cleaning water injected at high pressure from the injection head to degrade a cleaning function of the canvas and to contaminate peripheral equipments.
In addition, the conventional injection head has the following problems. First, a construction of the conventional injection head will now be described in brief.
The conventional injection head includes a coupler connected to a pressurized water supplying pipe, an adaptor for assembling the coupler and a shaft, and a rotator adapted to rotate in one direction on the shaft. A pressurized water supplying passage and holes are formed in an interior of the shaft, and the rotator is mounted on the shaft.
Since the rotator is adapted to rotate in one direction only, there is a disadvantage that the entire surface of the canvas does not uniformly cleaned. It should increase or decrease a revolution of the rotator injecting the cleaning water so as to insure maximum cleaning of the canvas. At that time, the conventional injection head controls the revolution of the rotator of the injection head by increasing or decreasing the pressure of the pump supplying the pressurized water to adjust the supplying pressure of the pressurized water. Such a system deteriorates the durability of the pump since the pump is loaded. In addition, in the case the revolution of the rotator is accelerated by increasing the pressure of the pump, the pressure of the pressurized water injected through injection nozzles 7d is decreased, thereby adversely affecting the system. When the conventional injection head is used, it is very difficult to easily adjust the revolution of the rotator.

Canvas cleaning apparatus for use in paper mill


A retainer for a gas turbine engine includes a center body, a plurality of struts, and a ring. The plurality of struts are connected to and extend outward from the center body. The ring is connected to the plurality of struts and is positioned aft of the center body with respect to a direction of airflow through the gas turbine engine.

The invention relates generally to turbomachinery, and more particularly to a containment structure for a gas turbine engine.
Auxiliary power units ("APUs") are gas turbine engines, and therefore, typically include multiple sections that are used to extract energy. These sections include an inlet section, a compression section, a combustor section, a turbine section, and an exhaust nozzle section. The inlet section moves air into the engine. The air is compressed in the compression section. The compressed air is mixed with fuel and is combusted in combustion areas within the combustor section. The products of the combustion expand in the turbine section to rotatably drive the engine. The products of the combustion are exhausted from the APU via an exhaust housing of the exhaust nozzle section.
It is desirable for APU manufacturers to demonstrate that the cases and other structures of the APU are able to limit damage caused by a catastrophic failure of a high energy rotor and blades. One such rotor failure can occur if the turbine hub breaks into pieces or breaks loose from a bearing capsule and compressor impeller. Such a failure can result in the turbine hub (or pieces of the turbine hub) being ejected aft through the exhaust housing of the exhaust nozzle section. Typically, a containment structure is positioned aft of the rotor in order to absorb at least some of the energy of the turbine hub (or pieces of the turbine hub) when it fails. However, to date containment structures have been susceptible to vibratory excitation and have other characteristics that can negatively impact APU performance.