A syringe configured to deliver viscous compositions is described, in which the syringe may include an elongate chamber having side port(s) extending therefrom. Various viscous compositions may be inserted through the side port(s) and into the elongate chamber, which may further house a plunger for ejecting the composition. One portion of the plunger may interact with a restricted opening on the chamber to inhibit removal of the plunger from the chamber; and another portion of the plunger may have a locking structure, which cooperates with a locking structure on the chamber to selectively fix the plunger with respect to the chamber. The plunger may also be fully slidable within the chamber when the locking structures of the plunger and the elongate chamber are not engaged. Related methods of using the aforementioned syringe, as well as kits including further instruments that interact with the syringe, are also disclosed.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is a therapeutic procedure that involves injection of bone cement into a vertebral body to confer strength and stability to the vertebra. Kyphoplasty is a related therapeutic procedure. Both procedures are performed minimally invasively and are established techniques for treatment of painful, osteoporotic compression fractures. See, e.g., Gangi, A., et al. Percutaneous Vertebroplasty Guided by a Combination of CT and Fluoroscopy, AJNR 15:83-86, January 1994; Deramond, H., et al., Percutaneous Vertebroplasty, Seminars In Musculoskeletal Radiology, Vol. 1, No. 2, 1997: 285-295; Resnick, D. K. and Garfin, S. R., Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty, 2005, each incorporated herein by reference its entirety.
Both procedures have been developed for use with bone cements, for example polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Exemplary bone cements include: Confidence Cement System® (Disc-O-Tech, Monroe Township, N.J.), Palacos® Bone Cement (Zimmer, Inc., Warsaw, Ind.), Surgical Simplex®, Spineplex™ (Styker Corp., Kalamazoo, Mich.), KyphX® HV-R™ (Kyphon, Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif.), and Cortoss® (Orthovita, Inc., Malvern, Pa.). (See also, Lewis, G., Injectable Bone Cements for Use in Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplastry: State-of-the-Art Review, J. Biomed. Mater. Res. B. Appl. Biomater., 2006 February; 76(2): 456-68). These cements are generally available as two-component systems that, upon mixing, polymerize and harden. As the components polymerize, the viscosity of the resulting composition increases dramatically over a period of a few minutes. Typically, the medical professional has a limited amount of time, once the components are mixed, to load the resulting composition into a syringe, and deliver the composition to the surgical situs, before the composition becomes too viscous to administer. At the same time, the medical professional must be vigilant and avoid leakage of the cement outside of the surgical situs, as such leakage can cause patient injury or fatality.
Devices that reduce the number of steps required to prepare and deliver these cements into the surgical site are needed in order to decrease procedure time and minimize surgical risks to the patient. Reducing the number of steps also provides additional assurances of sterility. In addition, because the procedures are typically carried out under fluoroscopy, devices that remove the physician's hands from the imaging field are needed. Also desirable is an ergonomic device that facilitates hand operation, so that physicians can devote their attention to monitoring the flow of the material into bone.

Syringe for the delivery of viscous compositions


A system for authorizing access to a service by a mobile computing device. The mobile computing device, which is identified by a mobile device identifier, requests authorization to access the service from an application, which has an application instance identifier. A telephone call setup message, which signals a voice call request, is received by the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device disables user interface or notification features of the device prior to receiving the telephone call setup message, and the telephone call setup message is terminated before a voice connection is established with the device. After receiving the telephone call setup message, the mobile computing device sends a communication that causes an association to be made between the mobile device identifier and application instance identifier, enabling authorized access to the service by the device. The mobile computing device then re-enables the user interface or notification features.

Systems for mobile telecommunications are typically deployed in a certain geographic area. Service is provided using cellular communication towers with antennas communicatively connected to a central office. In the central office there are core components that enable the different features of the network. For example, in GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), one of these components is a Home Location Register (HLR). The HLR stores for each user a directory number also commonly known as Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network-Number (MSISDN), or commonly referred to as a phone number. People call each other by dialing the MSISDN for the destination. During an incoming call or message there is a component in the mobile network that translates the dialed MSISDN to an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) which is the identity that is used within the mobile network to reach the subscriber.
Each subscriber is identified in and authenticated to the network using a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. This SIM card holds a secret number Ki (typically 128-bit), which is stored securely on the SIM card and cannot be read from the card. The same Ki is stored for the user in the network Authentication Center (AuC), which is usually deployed together with the HLR. The SIM card also stores the IMSI, though the IMSI is read from the card by the mobile phone. A mobile network can authenticate a mobile phone asking for services from the network by verifying that the mobile phone has a SIM card that contains the secret Ki for that user. The authentication protocol between the mobile phone and the network typically involves sending a message in which the phone identifies itself, initially with its IMSI that the mobile phone reads from the SIM card. In response, the network challenges the mobile phone with a challenge C. The mobile phone transfers this challenge C to the SIM card, which uses its secret Ki to compute a response F(C,Ki). F is a cryptographically designed function such that from knowing (or even choosing C), and obtaining F(C,Ki) it is practically impossible to find the secret Ki, hence for a given IMSI, only the authentic SIM card can compute F(C,Ki) as only the authentic SIM has Ki. The Authentication Center also stores the secret Ki for that IMSI and can thus compute F(C,Ki) and verify the response by the mobile phone, thereby verifying that the authentic SIM card is in the phone. Some variations of this general protocol can also be implemented. For example, the mobile phone can authenticate the network to verify that the mobile phone is not being connected to a fake network.
The network can initiate authentication for every service it provides to the mobile phone including for incoming services such as receiving a call or a Short Message Service (SMS). The network can also ask the phone to encrypt the conversation between the network and the phone, where the encryption keys are derived from C and Ki in a similar way to the authentication and typically as part of the authentication process. For example, some of the bits of F(C,Ki) can be returned to the network as a proof of holding Ki, and some of the bits can be kept by the phone as encryption and/or integrity keys. The HLR also stores the last known location for each user. Each cell tower is typically associated with a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) that routes calls and handles needed mobility management to keep calls, data, SMS, and other mobile services working even when users are moving between cell towers and even if the cell towers belong to different MSCs.
Each MSC has an associated Visitor Location Register (VLR). A VLR is a network component that keeps track of the cell location of each user in the coverage area of the MSC and associated VLR. The VLR reports the location of the mobile phone to the HLR associated with the mobile phone. Depending on the network configuration, a VLR can update the HLR when a user first enters the coverage of that specific VLR, but not update for every cell change in that VLR. In other cases, more detailed reporting is carried between the VLR to the HLR. For instance, the VLR can notify the HLR once a certain time-period has passed since receiving the current location of a mobile device. Alternatively, the VLR can update the HLR of every instance when the user changes cell towers, or with every location area change (e.g., where a location area is defined as one or more cells indicated as belonging to a location area. Each cell can belong to one location area, and each location area can belong to one VLR).
In addition to voice services, cellular service providers have deployed other services such as the ability to send and receive text messages to and from other users, a service commonly referred to as SMS (short message service).
A need often arises for users to travel with their mobile phone outside the coverage area of their home network, i.e., out of the coverage area of their mobile service provider that provides the user with a mobile subscription. To address such situations, mobile operators are typically connected in a series of roaming agreements with other operators or roaming brokers to provide roaming services to their subscribers. Such agreements allow users to obtain mobile service even when they are outside of their home network, although such roaming services are typically expensive relative to service within the user's home network.
Most signaling communication, as well as some of the data communication (such as SMS) is carried over a signaling network called Signaling System No. 7 (SS#7 or SS7). This network is used for communication inside a provider's network, and operators that have roaming agreements are typically also connected over SS7 networks. As networks are transitioning to an all-IP network, the SS7 is being complemented and replaced with other standards such as the Diameter protocol.
As telecommunication evolved, new types of communications also emerged, such as Voice over IP (VoIP), where users can receive and make phone calls over the Internet. Applications that allow receiving and sending short messages also emerged. These services sometimes communicate over a data network, typically carrying data over IP (Internet Protocol). As users consume these services on various devices such as personal computers, laptop devices, tablet devices, handheld phones, PDAs and the like, although such services generally are distinct from conventional cellular communications and require use of an application on the device or accessed through a web page.

Authorizing mobile application access to a service through a telecommunication network


An image forming apparatus for use in a printer for computers and the like includes an image forming head (7) between a developing sleeve (2) and an opposing electrode. (6). Control electrodes (19) are provided around respective openings (16) of the head (7), so that the openings (16) are electrostatically opened and closed by controlling a voltage applied to the respective control electrodes (19). In order to prevent the openings (16) of the head (7) from being clogged with toner (5), the percentage of the area of the opening (16) to the sum of the area of the extent of the control electrode (19) around the opening (16) and the area of the opening (16) is set to 8% or more.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming head for use in, e.g., a printer for computers, facsimiles, copying machines and the like, for driving charged particles from a charged-particle supporting element onto an image receiving medium according to an image signal.
In this type of image forming apparatuses, an insulating member having a plurality of openings for passing charged particles therethrough is provided between a supporting element for supporting and carrying the charged particles and an opposing electrode, an image receiving medium is provided between the opposing electrode and the insulating member, and a control electrode is provided around each opening. For image formation, a potential difference is provided in advance between the supporting element and the opposing electrode so as to form an electrostatic field for transferring the charged particles from the supporting element toward the opposing electrode. A voltage applied to the control electrodes is controlled to electrostatically open and close the openings, whereby the charged particles are separated from the supporting element onto the image receiving medium through the openings, according to an image signal.
Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 58-122882 describes that, upon detecting absence of an image receiving medium, spark discharge is generated between control electrodes and an opposing electrode or the like by application of a high voltage to the control electrodes, so as to blow off the toner stuck in openings.
Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 58-104769 describes that, when image formation is not conducted, an electric field between control electrodes and an image receiving medium is increased so as to remove the toner stagnant in openings toward the image receiving medium.
Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 58-104771 describes that, during image recording, an electric field between a supporting element and an image receiving medium as well as an electric field in openings are produced in the traveling direction of charged particles toward the image receiving medium, and during non-recording, respective electric fields between the supporting element and a control member and between the control member and the image receiving medium are produced in the opposite direction to that during recording, whereby clogging of the openings with the toner is prevented.
However, in the aforementioned method for removing the charged particles in the openings by spark discharge, an insulating member having the openings may be damaged by the spark discharge if it is formed from a synthetic resin. Moreover, an additional power supply is required to generate the spark discharge, and the charged particles may possibly be fusion-bonded on the insulating member due to heating by the spark discharge.
Moreover, in the method for removing the charged particles in the openings when no image is formed (during non-recording), the charged particles stuck in the openings cannot be removed, if any, during the image formation, i.e., while the charged particles are being sequentially attached to, e.g., a sheet of recording paper according to an image signal. Moreover, the aforementioned methods all require a special voltage-application mode to remove the charged particles in the openings, and also require a special power supply, thereby often increasing the costs.
In other words, it is an object of the present invention to prevent clogging of the openings without voltage control of the control electrodes.
The present invention solves the aforementioned problems by applying ideas to the area of the opening.
More specifically, according to the present invention, an image forming apparatus for forming an image by attaching charged particles to an image receiving medium includes:
a charging means for applying charges to particles for forming an image;
a supporting element for supporting and carrying the charged particles having the charges applied thereto by the charging means;
an opposing electrode provided at a position facing a position on the supporting element to which the charged particles are carried;
an insulating member provided between the supporting element and the opposing electrode and having a plurality of openings for passing the charged particles therethrough;
a control electrode provided around each opening of the insulating member;
a transfer-electrostatic-field forming means for providing a potential difference so as to form between the supporting element and the opposing electrode a transfer electrostatic field for transferring the charged particles on the supporting element toward the opposing electrode; and
a voltage control means for applying a voltage to the control electrodes around the respective openings according to an image signal so as to control passage of the charged particles through the respective openings that is caused by the transfer electrostatic field, wherein
a percentage of an area of the opening to a sum of an area of an extent of the control electrode around the opening and the area of the opening is 8% or more.
The present invention will be specifically described. The inventor arranged ring-shaped control electrodes surrounding respective circular openings, and applied a pulsed driving voltage to the control electrodes so that the control electrodes each have, at a respective opening position, an intermediate potential of the voltage difference between an opposing electrode and a developing sleeve (supporting element), thereby causing charged particles on the developing sleeve to be intermittently driven onto an image receiving medium through the openings. The inventor then observed the resultant driving trace on the developing sleeve (the trace where the charged particles have gone away). This driving trace did not have a circular shape corresponding to the shape of the opening, but a large circular shape corresponding to the outer shape of the control electrode. In other words, dots are not only formed from the charged particles present on a location of the developing sleeve that corresponds to the opening, but the charged particles present on a location of the developing sleeve that corresponds to the control electrode also contributes to the dot formation. This means that not only the charged particles present on the location of the developing sleeve that corresponds to the opening, but also the charged particles present on the location of the developing sleeve that corresponds to the control electrode are separated away from the developing sleeve toward the opening and pass therethrough, in response to application of the driving voltage to the control electrode.
The reason why the charged particles present on the location of the developing sleeve that corresponds to the control electrode move toward the opening is as follows: in response to application of the driving voltage, the charged particles present in the space right above the opening (the space between the location of the developing sleeve corresponding to the opening and the opening location of the insulating member) are discharged through the opening, whereby the charged-particle concentration in the space is reduced. However, as can be seen from the equipotential lines shown in FIG. 4, an electrostatic field surrounding the control electrode 19 is produced with its potential progressively increased toward the control electrode 19. Accordingly, with the reduction in charged-particle concentration right above the opening 16, the electrostatic field moves the charged particles from a position around the space right above the opening 16 toward the opening 16.
Thus, not only the charged particles on the location of the developing sleeve that corresponds to the opening 16, but also the charged particles on the location of the developing sleeve that corresponds to the control electrode 19 are going to pass through the opening 16. Therefore, when the area of the control electrode 19 is too large as compared to the area of the opening 16, not all of these charged particles smoothly pass through the opening 16, resulting in clogging of the opening 16.
Then, paying attention to the area of the opening 16 and the area of the extent of the control electrode 19 around the opening, the inventor defined that the percentage of the opening area to the sum of the area of the extent of the control electrode around the opening and the opening area is set to 8% or more. Herein, the area of the extent of the control electrode around the opening is the projected area of the control electrode onto the plane orthogonal to the shortest line connecting the supporting element and the opposing electrode through the opening, or the projected area of the control electrode onto the supporting element.
Since the aforementioned percentage is 8% or more in the present invention, the opening can be prevented from being clogged with the charged particles. This will become apparent from the embodiments described below.
Moreover, according to the present invention, an image forming apparatus for forming an image by attaching charged particles to an image receiving medium includes:
a charging means for applying charges to particles for forming an image;
a supporting element for supporting and carrying the charged particles having the charges applied thereto by the charging means;
an opposing electrode provided at a position facing a position on the supporting element to which the charged particles are carried;
an insulating member provided between the supporting element and the opposing electrode and having a plurality of openings for passing the charged particles therethrough;
a control electrode provided around each opening of the insulating member;
a transfer-electrostatic-field forming means for providing a potential difference so as to form between the supporting element and the opposing electrode a transfer electrostatic field for transferring the charged particles on the supporting element toward the opposing electrode; and
a voltage control means for applying a voltage to the control electrodes around the respective openings according to an image signal so as to control passage of the charged particles through the respective openings that is caused by the transfer electrostatic field, wherein
a percentage of an area of the opening to an area of a portion of the supporting element that is affected by the control electrode so as to drive the charged particles into the opening in response to application of the voltage from the voltage control means to the control electrode is 8% or more.
More specifically, as described above, not only the charged particles present on a location of the supporting element that corresponds to the opening, but also the charged particles present on a location of the supporting element that corresponds to the control electrode are driven toward the opening in response to application of a voltage to the control electrode around the opening. However, if the control electrode extends widely around the opening, or a part of the control electrode widely stretches out, not all of the charged particles present on the location of the supporting element that corresponds to the control electrode are driven toward the opening, but only the charged particles on the location of the supporting element that is affected by the control electrode are driven toward the opening.
In other words, when the control electrode extends widely around the opening, the charged particles on a location of the supporting element that corresponds to the peripheral portion of the control electrode are less likely to be driven toward the opening. When a part of the control electrode widely stretches out, the charged particles on a location of the supporting element that corresponds to the stretch-out portion are less likely to be driven toward the opening.
Accordingly, the opening area is preferably determined such that the percentage of the area of the opening to the area of the portion of the supporting element that is affected by the control electrode so as to drive the charged particles into the opening in response to application of the voltage from the voltage control means to the control electrode is 8% or more.
When the supporting element has a cylindrical shape with the charged particles supported on its peripheral surface, the portion of the supporting element that is affected by the control electrode is present within a distance of 50 xcexcm or less from a tangent line passing through a point on the supporting element that corresponds to the center of the opening. More specifically, it is now assumed that the supporting element is curved with a prescribed radius of curvature (e.g., a radius of 15 to 20 mm). When the radius of curvature is large, a location beyond the distance of 50 xcexcm is so far from the opening that it is less likely to be affected by the control electrode. When the radius of curvature is small, an angle between the normal line of a location beyond the distance of 50 xcexcm and the line connecting that location and the opening is so large that the charged particles are less likely to be driven toward the opening. Accordingly, the distance is preferably 50 xcexcm or less.
Moreover, the upper limit of the aforementioned percentage is as close to 100% as possible, if the dot density resulting from the charged particles driven onto the image receiving medium through the opening is not concerned. However, in order to improve the dot density while increasing the opening diameter so as to prevent clogging with the charged particles, the width of the control electrode surrounding the opening must be reduced as much as possible. Thus, the upper limit of the percentage is determined from the minimum possible width of the control electrode to be manufactured. More specifically, the minimum possible width of the control electrode produced by, e.g., a current etching method is about 20 xcexcm. In this case, the upper limit of the percentage is about 52%. A laser processing method can reduce the minimum possible width to about 10 xcexcm, and therefore the upper limit of the percentage is about 70%. Note that, for example, the minimum electrode width corresponds to the width W of the control electrode 19 shown in FIG. 5.
When a ring-shaped electrode surrounding the opening is used as the control electrode, the percentage of the area of the opening to the area enclosed by the outer periphery of the control electrode may be set to 8% or more, and the upper limit thereof may be set to about 52% or about 72%.
The opening area is preferably 900xcfx80 (unit: xcexcm2) or more. This can prevent clogging of the opening with the charged particles. It should be noted that whether or not the opening is likely to be clogged with the charged particles largely depends on the particle size of the charged particles. As the particle size decreases, the lower limit of the opening area is reduced. Note that xcfx80 indicates the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.
For example, the upper limit of the opening area may be 10,000xcfx80 (unit: xcexcm2)
Moreover, particles having a volume-average diameter of 5 to 15 xcexcm may be used as the charged particles.
According to the present invention, an image forming head provided in front of a supporting element having charged particles for forming an image supported thereon, for controlling driving of the charged particles toward an image receiving medium includes:
an insulating member having a plurality of openings for passing the charged particles therethrough; and
a control electrode provided around each opening of the insulating member, and receiving a voltage for controlling passage of the charged particles through the respective opening, wherein
a percentage of an area of the opening to a sum of the area of the opening and an area of a portion of the control electrode that extends around the opening and causes the charged particles on the supporting element to be driven toward the opening in response to application of the voltage to the control electrode is 8% or more.
More specifically, as described above, when the control electrode extends widely around the opening, the peripheral portion of the control electrode does not act on substantial image formation (does not serve to drive the charged particles on the supporting element toward the opening). In addition, when a part of the control electrode widely stretches out, the stretch-out portion does not act on substantial image formation.
Accordingly, in the case of forming the image forming head, the area of the opening may be determined based on the sum of the area of the opening and the area of the portion of the control electrode that extends around the opening and causes the charged particles on the supporting element to be driven toward the opening.
In the case of such an image forming head as well, the control electrode preferably has a ring shape surrounding the respective opening. For example, the upper limit of the percentage of the area of the opening may be set to 70%. The area of the opening may be set in the range of 900xcfx80 to 10,000xcfx80 (unit: xcexcm2). Particles having a volume-average diameter of 5 to 15 xcexcm may be used as the charged particles.
As has been described above, according to the present invention, the percentage of the area of the opening to the sum of the area of the extent of the control electrode around the opening and the area of the opening is 8% or more, or the percentage of the area of the opening to the area of the portion of the supporting element that is affected by the control electrode so as to drive the charged particles into the opening is 8% or more, or the percentage of the area of the opening to the sum of the area of the opening and the area of the portion of the control electrode that extends around the opening and causes the charged particles on the supporting element to be driven toward the opening is 8% or more. Therefore, the openings can be prevented from being clogged during image formation without applying to the control electrodes a special voltage for preventing clogging of the openings. This is advantageous to prevention of damages to components of the image forming apparatus, cost reduction, and reliable image formation (dot formation).

Image forming apparatus and image forming head

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A vehicle headlamp has a reflector coupled to a lamp housing via a pivotal connection and two aiming mechanisms for tilting the reflector relative to the lamp housing about horizontal and vertical axes intersecting at the pivotal connection. One such aiming mechanism comprises an aiming screw rotatably mounted to the lamp housing, a socket member affixed to the back of the reflector, and a ball with a tapped hole extending therethrough to fit over the aiming screw. The socket member has a hollow extending therethrough for receiving the aiming screw with clearance. Part of the hollow in the socket member is formed into a socket for rotatably receiving the ball on the aiming screw. A lockpin on the ball is engaged in a slot in the socket member thereby locking the ball against rotation relative to the socket member about the axis of the hole therein. The bidirectional rotation of the aiming screw is therefore translated into the linear reciprocation of the ball together with the socket member, which member is additionally free to undergo angular displacement relative to the ball for smoother tilting of the reflector.

This invention relates generally to electric lamps, and particularly to those for use on motor vehicles such as, typically, headlamps. Still more particularly, the invention pertains to improvements in or relating to aiming mechanisms for aiming and retaining the beams of headlamps or the like in proper angular positions with respect to the vehicle.
Aimable headlamps may be divided into two broad categories according to the member to be tilted, both vertically and horizontally, for aiming the beam. In one such design the complete headlamp unit, comprising an electric lighting bulb or bulbs, a reflector or reflectors and a lens, is tilted relative to the vehicle or to the lamp housing fixed to the vehicle. The other design is such that only the reflector is tilted relative to the lamp body or the like which is fixed to the vehicle.
In either case, a typical aiming mechanism comprises a pivotal connection such as a ball-and-socket joint between a tiltable member and a fixed member, and two aiming screws extending between the two members. The relative placement of the pivotal connection and the aiming screws is such that the first of the two aiming screws is displaced horizontally, and the second vertically, from the pivotal connection. The tightening or loosening of the first aiming screw results, therefore, in the tilting of the tiltable member about a vertical axis passing through the pivotal connection and the second aiming screw. Similarly, the manipulation of the second aiming screw results in the tilting of the tiltable member about a horizontal axis passing through the pivotal connection and the first aiming screw.
A problem has been encountered with aiming mechanisms of the foregoing general construction. Conventionally, each aiming screw was rotatably supported by the fixed member and screw-threadedly engaged with a nut affixed to the tiltable member. When each aiming screw was turned in either direction, the nut engaged therewith had to travel arcuately with the tiltable member about either of the two axes but was nevertheless constrained to rectilinear displacement on the aiming screw. The resulting conflict between the circular and the linear motions impeded the smooth tilting of the tiltable member.
This drawback of the prior art became even more pronounced when a leveling actuator was employed in substitution for one of the aiming screws. As the name implies, the leveling actuator is intended for automatic readjustment of the beam angle in a vertical plane in response not only to changes in the load on the vehicle but also to the pitching of the vehicle during travel. The leveling actuator is required to act very quickly in order to readjust the beam angle in compensation for vehicle pitching. The conventional aiming mechanisms with their conflicting motions have presented a serious bar to the advent of automatically leveling headlamps of truly satisfactory performance.


The invention relates to a printing process, such as lithographic printing, that requires a printing press and a colorant vehicle. To enable constituting and rapidly removing motifs to be transferred to a printing medium, a hardenable material having good affinity for the colorant vehicle is deposited automatically and directly onto a device that cannot be dismantled or detached from the press, i.e., is part of the press, and that is constituted of a material having an opposite affinity, so as to constitute the motifs to be transferred to the medium. The material constituting the device is such that the material can be removed rapidly when the motifs are to be changed, and is such that new motifs can be constituted there immediately after the removal of those preceding them.

Printing techniques using a press, such as lithographic printing, allow high printing speeds, associated with excellent image quality.
In lithographic printing, accordingly, an image made up of a text or texts or a design or designs on paper or on any other usable printing medium is obtained with the aid of a printing press, which makes it possible to apply to the medium the inked image, reproducing motif previously carried on at least one printing plate. The printing plate is made outside the press from a flexible material, such as a sheet of aluminum, employing a photoengraving process, for instance. This operation consists on the one hand of making zones on the plate outside the press corresponding to an image that is to be obtained on the paper these zones having an affinity for the liquid colorant vehicle (printing ink) that will be used for printing, and on the other hand, zones that have no affinity whatever with the colorant vehicle.
A printing press generally includes the following:
one or more plate cylinders, around each of which a printing plate is mounted and fixed after it has been engraved;
in proximity with each plate cylinder, a blanket, constituted by a cylinder encompassed by a material having an affinity for the ink used, and arranged to be capable of being put in contact with the motif of the plate during the printing operation, enabling the rotational motion of the plate to be transmitted to the blanket, causing a transfer of the ink from the image zones of the plate to the blanket and;
means for putting the printing medium into contact with each blanket and driving this medium at the same speed as the peripheral speed of the blanket.
The printing phase per se consists of inking the plate, with the ink remaining solely on the zones with which it has an affinity, and setting the assembly into motion.
The ink is then transferred from the image zones of the plate to the blanket, and then from the blanket to the printing medium.
The plate thus constitutes an intermediate transfer element. Known techniques use oleaginous inks: The image zones of the plate are oleophilic and hence hydrophobic; the non-image zones of the plate are hydrophilic and hence oleophobic; finally, the material encompassing the blanket is hydrophobic. In the case where an oleaginous ink is used, water or a wetting solution is also placed on the plate and spreads over the hydrophilic zones, preventing the ink from spreading there. As a consequence of the hydrophobia of the blanket, only the ink is transferred from the plate to the blanket and hence to the printing medium.
This technique also enables polychrome printing on the same medium, by using for example inks that lend themselves to subtractive synthesis of the colors (yellow, cyan, magenta).
Nevertheless, this technique is expensive, time-consuming, and troublesome; accordingly, it can be applied only to very long printing runs.
Making a plate is relatively time-consuming and requires a set of complex tools that must be employed prior to the printing phase.
Moreover, printing a monochrome, multi-page piece of work requires the preparation of as many plates as there are pages in the work. Finally, producing a polychrome piece of work is even more complex, because for each polychrome page a plurality of plates must be prepared in order to obtain all the shades desired on this page, with each plate including different motifs each corresponding to one different basic shade of the image. Hence using inks that lend themselves to subtractive synthesis of colors (yellow, cyan, magenta) requires that at least three plates be prepared: one for yellow, one for cyan, one for magenta, and even a fourth for black, which is very difficult to obtain by subtractive synthesis.
The technique using four plates is known as quadricolor printing. The motifs on each plate are determined for instance by a colorimetric analysis of the original, when the process involves a reproduction.
Once each plate is ready, each one has to be mounted and fixed with extreme precision on a different plate cylinder, so that the successive passage of the medium past each one, after inking, makes it possible to obtain a perfect image without misregistration of the colors. The finer the details of the definitive image, the more complicated and time-consuming it is to achieve proper registration.
Once the definitive printing run of a page has been completed, the corresponding plate or plates must be unmounted, and then the process has to start again for the other pages. Otherwise, a printing system must be available that has as many presses as necessary, which considerably increases the costs and does not obviate the necessity of mounting and fixing all the necessary plates beforehand.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,321, assigned to Rockwell International Corporation, a lithographic printing system is described and claimed that makes it possible to use one less plate and hence dispense with its positioning and fixing, but nevertheless this system has the disadvantage of not being perfectly adapted to long printing runs.
The invention described in the aforementioned patent, for printing with the aid of a conventional (oleaginous) ink, consists of replacing the assembly constituted by the engraved plate and the plate cylinder by a simple cylinder on whose periphery a layer forming a substrate of powdered oleophobic material is deposited each time a new motif is to be printed; an image corresponding to the motifs to be printed is formed on this layer with the aid of a hardenable oleophilic material. The intermediate transfer element is accordingly constituted by the substrate of oleophobic material and the zones of oleophilic material carried by this layer.
The oleophobic material is preferably magnetic, and the cylinder is magnetizable, such that the layer of this material is held on the periphery of the cylinder, magnetizing the cylinder.
Depositing the oleophilic material, in a configuration corresponding to the motifs to be printed, is done with the aid of an electronic, electromechanical or electromagnetic transfer device. Data representing the motifs to be carried on the layer of oleophobic material are contained in an electronic memory and are utilized so that the transfer device deposits the oleophilic material solely at the required locations on the layer of oleophobic material. In one embodiment described in the aforementioned patent, the oleophilic material used is a magnetic meltable material; its deposition onto the substrate of oleophobic material is done by magnetodeposition on the cylinder, in a manner like the deposition of magnetic toner in magnetographic printers. To that end, magnetic heads are located in proximity with the cylinder, which makes it possible to create zones on the substrate that have a magnetization enabling them to attract the particles of oleophilic material.
After its deposition, the oleophilic material is melted, which makes it possible to harden it, so as on the one hand to prevent the motifs from becoming deformed and on the other to lend it a certain cohesion with the substrate of oleophobic material; the particles of oleophilic material attach to the particles of oleophobic material. To that end, the system described in the aforementioned pattern further includes, in proximity with the periphery of the cylinder, a melting device for fixing the oleophilic material.
The printing is done as on a conventional press: The cylinder, after having been coated with the layer forming the substrate and the motifs, is set into rotation, then wetted and inked, in such a way that the ink spreads over the motifs and the wetting product spreads over the oleophobic zones, and then the ink is transferred to the printing medium (paper or other) by way of a blanket.
Once the desired printing run of an image has been completed, the cylinder is demagnetized, causing the layer forming the substrate to detach spontaneously from the cylinder, carrying with it the hardened motifs of oleophilic material that it carries. If printing of a different image is desired, then a new substrate is made, on which new motifs are carried and hardened. It is accordingly very fast and less expensive than with conventional presses to make up the motifs corresponding to an image and remove them again.
This apparatus lends itself to polychrome printing, to the extent that positioning of the motifs is done automatically, by an electronic device.
However, it requires the deposition of two types of materials: that constituting a substrate and that constituting the motifs. Depositing the substrate has no other function than that of allowing the easy later removal of the motifs by forced detachment from this substrate.
Moreover, it is not entirely well-suited to long printing runs, because the substrate has a tendency to detach spontaneously, at least in certain regions, during the rotation of the carrier cylinder during the printing phases, since it is held merely magnetically. This means that the copies that leave the press must be checked, and the image (substrate and motifs) must be sometimes reconstituted on the periphery of the cylinder during the printing run.

Printing process employing removable erasable image portions


An OLED array substrate, a manufacturing method thereof and a touch display device. The OLED array substrate includes a base substrate, a transistor on the base substrate, and a planarization layer covering the transistor. The OLED array substrate further includes a touch sensor integrated in the OLED array substrate, wherein the touch sensor is located on a side of the planarization layer facing away from the transistor, and the touch sensor includes first touch electrodes and second touch electrodes insulated from each other.

Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLEDs) displays have advantages such as low manufacture costs, a fast response speed, low power consumption, a wide range of operation temperatures and adaptiveness to DC driving of a portable device, and hence are expected to be the next generation of new type displays replacing liquid crystal displays (LCDs). In particular, flexible AMOLEDs are attracting more and more attention on the market, as they are light and thin, bendable or collapsible, and arbitrarily variable in shape.
A typical AMOLED usually needs an encapsulation cover plate as a barrier to water and oxygen. The encapsulation cover plate can be a glass cover plate. In this case, when a touch structure is integrated in the AMOLED, the touch structure can be arranged on an outer surface of the glass cover plate by an On Cell process. However, for a flexible AMOLED, a Thin Film Encapsulation (TFE) process is usually used. Since the TFE process adopts an encapsulation thin film layer with a soft texture, on which the touch structure cannot be integrated by the On Cell process, the applicable range of flexible AMOLEDs is reduced.

OLED array substrate, manufacturing method thereof and touch display device

CHENGDU BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A method of operation for a voice assistant includes detecting the presence of a person and sound in a general location, detecting whether the person is in a specific location of the general location, and if the person is in the specific location, initiating operation of the voice assistant with a predefined specific command other than a global keyword.

Voice assistants interact with a user's voice commands to create calendar entries, create shopping lists, provide requested information, and to perform numerous other tasks such as activating smart appliances or playing music. However, voice assistants typically only process a user's voice commands after the receipt of a predefined wakeup keyword. Although the use of a predefined wakeup keyword is an effective approach for ensuring that a command is actually being given by the user, what is desired by some users is to eliminate the use of a spoken keyword in order to enable a more natural conversation and interaction with the voice assistant.

Radar enabled location based keyword activation for voice assistants


Preparing a stencil mask comprising a silicon thin film in which an opening for selectively irradiating charged particles to a semiconductor substrate is provided and whose irradiation surface on which the charged particles are irradiated is implanted with an impurity, and selectively irradiating charged particles to the semiconductor substrate using the stencil mask which is opposingly arranged on the semiconductor substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using a stencil mask, a stencil mask used the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and method for manufacturing the stencil mask.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a method in which a stencil mask (or an aperture) having an opening is set at a certain distance on a substrate and an ion implantation is carried out, in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, in a process where a MOSFET in which its electrically conductive types of a channel within the same substrate are different or a MOSFET in which its threshold voltages are different is manufactured, when an ion implantation of an impurity is carried out into a well, a channel or Poly-Si.
In the case where a stencil mask is used in the ion implantation process in the manufacturing for a semiconductor device, it is carried out by employing a stencil mask having an opening limited to a region for ion implantation of the object of a substrate to be processed. Specifically, in the desired ion implantation region, ions are implanted through the opening of a stencil mask, and in a region for non-ion implantation, ions are shielded by a stencil mask shielding portion. However, on the stencil mask for shielding an ion, shielded ions are accumulated by repetitive ion implantations. Damages are also accumulated by shielded ions repeatedly crushing. As a result, after a plurality of ion implantation processes, the stencil mask is deformed and the ion implantation cannot be carried out with a high precision for positions.
For example, as shown in FIG. 39, when an impurity ion 4204 is implanted into a Si substrate 4201 on which an isolation region 4202 is formed through the opening of a stencil mask 4203 interspatially installed, if a distortion is generated on the stencil mask 4203, since the position of the opening is displaced, an ion implantation region 4205 is not formed over the whole desired region, and a non-ion implantation region 4206 is formed. Moreover, depending on the shape of rough coating pattern, a problem is occurred that an n-type impurity is implanted over to a region in which a p-type region is to be formed.
As a result, the electric characteristics of a manufactured semiconductor product are varied, or the product poorly operates. Therefore, a stencil mask becomes unusable after it is used in the process of a plurality of ion implantations. The cost of manufacturing a stencil mask is converted to the cost of a manufacturing a semiconductor device, it leads to the rise of the manufacturing cost of the semiconductor device.
Moreover, in the case of a stencil mask employing a SOI substrate, since it is shielded by a thin film portion region having an opening and a supporting portion for supporting the thin film portion region in which the oxide film is an insulating film, its electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity are poor, and when it is used in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor, there has been a problem that the deformation due to the heat occurs or the ability of pattern formation is lowered due to the accumulation of charges.
By the way, in the manufacturing for a semi-conductor device employing charged particles represented by ion implantation process, it is required that the desired particles uniformly reach to the region of the object. Therefore, it is needed that the uniformity is confirmed, that is, the amount of particles is measured by spatial separation, and when it does not have the desired uniformity, the uniformity should be maintained by performing the adjustment of the particle generation source within the apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device and the transport system of the particles on the basis of the measured signal. Moreover, in order to maintain the uniformity of the processing state among a plurality of processing substrates, it is required that the amount of particles reaching to the processing substrate is finely and precisely measured.
For the confirmation of this uniformity and the definition of the number of the particles reached to the substrate, there is a method of confirming the state of the substrate to be processed using another measurement device by actually performing the processing to the substrate to be processed. However, in this case, since the time is taken from the processing to the measurement, it is difficult to re-adjust the device on the basis of the result.
Therefore, it is desirable that the measurement for the uniformity is performed within the device, the re-adjustment of the device is performed on the basis of the measurement of the results and the uniformity is measured again. For the measurement of the uniformity within the device, there is a method of evaluating the uniformity by measuring the output from the probes, for example, such as Faraday gauges or the like arranged in lines for measuring the electric charge amount of the particles passing through the specific region.
However, since these probes measure the valence electrons, any information concerning with the neutralized particles cannot be obtained. On the other hand, for example, in the ion implantation process, an ion may be neutralized due to the influence of the residual gas in the device, and the neutralized particles also act similarly as the ion does to the substrate to be processed. Therefore, a probe capable of measuring particles including the neutral particles has been required. Moreover, it has been desired that the spatial resolution is enhanced upon the measurement along with the miniaturization and refinement of a semiconductor element, however, it has been difficult to miniaturize a probe for it.
As described above, it has been desired that in-plane distribution of the number of the neutral particles and the charged particles reached to the semiconductor substrate is measured and the number of particles reached to the semiconductor substrate is precisely controlled.
As described above, in the case where a stencil mask is used in the ion implantation process a plurality of times, the distortion of the mask is generated, and the ion implantation position with respect to the semiconductor substrate is deviated, thereby making the electric characteristics of the semiconductor products to be varied or making the product poorly operate. Therefore, in order to lower the manufacturing cost of the semiconductor device, a stencil mask capable of being made in a cheap cost or a stencil mask having a long life has been desired.
Moreover, there has been a problem that an ability of pattern formation is lowered due to the deformation with heat and the accumulation of electric charges caused by electrification.
A device for measurement capable of measuring an in-plane distribution of the number of the neutral particles and the charged particles reached to the substrate has been required.

Method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, stencil mask and method for manufacturing a the same


A secondary brake light illumination circuit useful for storing excess power applied to a primary vehicle brake light illumination circuit during activation thereof and subsequently selectively discharging stored power to secondary illumination devices to provide a temporary decorative or informational display.

In numerous and varied applications, primary electric circuits are selectively activated by selective supply of electric power. Such selective activation may be accomplished by a switch, such as a mechanical, electric, magnetic, optical or other switch. Often times, when a primary electric circuit is activated, more electric power is conveyed to the circuit than is necessary for proper operation. Unfortunately, such excess power is wastefully diverted to a ground instead of being stored or otherwise diverted to the primary, or an ancillary, application for subsequent use (i.e., as a recycled power source).
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for a secondary electric circuit and associated power storage system, wherein any excess power, unused by an electrically-activated primary circuit, is stored or otherwise harnessed, and, thereafter, diverted for use by the secondary electric circuit of an adjunct electric system, or the like. Accordingly, the present invention seeks to advantageously utilize this excess, and otherwise traditionally wasted, electric power as a "recycled" power source.

Secondary electric circuit system and method


A modular sensing assembly may be used to detect user inputs at an electronic device. Example user inputs include touch inputs, fingerprint inputs, translational inputs, audio inputs, biometric inputs, and the like. Inputs received using the modular sensing assembly may be used to control a graphical output of a display of the electronic device. A modular sensing assembly may be configured, for example, as a power button, a key of a keyboard, a control button (e.g., volume control), a home button, a watch crown, and so on.

Many traditional electronic devices include buttons, keys, or other similar input mechanisms. Many traditional input mechanisms are difficult to seal and may introduce one or more paths through which contaminants may enter the device. Furthermore, many traditional mechanisms are structurally integrated in a way that does not facilitate component-level testing or easy repair. The embodiments described herein are directed to electronic devices having a modular sensing assembly that may address these and other issues that are associated with some traditional input mechanisms.

Modular sensing assembly for an electronic device


In a battery charger in which an output voltage and an output current from the battery charger are compared with a reference voltage, respectively, and an error voltage is fed back, so that, in an initial charging period, constant-current charging is performed and, after a battery voltage reaches a constant value, constant-voltage charging is performed, an adder 11 for adding a voltage Vg which is proportional to a charging current of a battery 9, to the reference voltage Vr which is to be compared with the output voltage of the battery charger 20 is disposed, and the output voltage V of the battery charger 20 is controlled while feeding back an error voltage obtained as a result of a comparison of the added value output from the adder 11 with the output voltage V of the battery charger 20.

The invention relates to a charging circuit for a battery such as a lithium ion battery, and particularly to a battery charger in which the constant-current charging region can be prolonged so that the total charging period is shortened.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional battery charger. Referring to FIG. 3, a prior art battery charger 120 comprises: a control unit 101 which controls a voltage and a current; a voltage detecting unit 102 which compares an output voltage obtained as a result of the voltage division of resistors 105 and 106 with a reference voltage Vr and outputs a control signal; a current detecting unit 103 which detects an output current from a shunt resistor 104 and outputs a control signal; an output switch 107 which turns on or off the output current; and charging terminals 108 to which a battery 109 is to be connected. A charging current is supplied to the battery 109 via the charging terminals 108.
FIG. 4 is a graph showing charging characteristics of a charging circuit of the prior art battery charger. When the battery 109 is connected to the charging terminals 108 and the output switch 107 is turned on, charging is started. In the initial charging period, the control unit 101 controls the charging current Ic' so as to be suppressed to a constant value, in accordance with the feedback of the output signal of the current detecting unit 103. During this period, the charging voltage Vb' of the battery 109 rises from a start voltage Vs as shown in the figure (constant-current charging region). After the charging voltage Vb' reaches (preset voltage V.sub.0 --dropped voltage V') (a voltage equal to a voltage drop caused by the resistances of the output switch 107, the charging terminals 108, the wiring, etc.), the control unit 101 controls the output voltage so as to be constant, in accordance with the feedback of the output signal of the voltage detecting unit 102. Accordingly, the charging current Ic' attenuates as time elapses, and the charging voltage Vb' becomes closer to the preset value V.sub.0 of the constant voltage (constant-voltage charging region). When the control unit 101 detects a current I.sub.0 at a full charge time t.sub.2, the control unit 101 judges that charging is completed, and turns off the output switch 107 so as to terminate charging.
However, charging performed by the conventional charging circuit has the following problems. In a latter half of the charging period, charging is performed at the constant voltage and hence the charging current gradually attenuates. As a result, the charge completing time period t.sub.2 required for attaining the fullcharge of the battery 109 is prolonged. This is inconvenient, and the operation efficiency is degraded. The charge capacity of the battery 109 is represented by (charging current.times.charging time period). As the constant-current charging region in which the maximum charging current is caused to flow is extended, the charge completing time period t.sub.2 is shortened. In the latter half of the charging period, however, charging is performed at the constant voltage V.sub.0 so that the charging voltage Vb' does not exceed the preset voltage. As a result, the charge completing time period t.sub.2 is prolonged.
There is another method in which charging is performed by using a pulse voltage, in order to shorten the charge completing time period t.sub.2. However, this method has a problem in that the open-circuit voltage (OCV) of the battery 109 temporarily exceeds the preset voltage so that the lifetime of the battery 109 is shortened.


An object detecting apparatus includes at least one transmitter and receiver pair having a transmitter for transmitting waves and a receiver for detecting reflected waves caused by objects reflecting the transmitted waves. The receiver outputs reflected wave detected signals in response to detecting reflected waves. A control unit is connected to the at least one transmitter and receiver pair for providing transmit control signals to the transmitter and for receiving and evaluating the reflected wave detected signals from the receiver. The control unit also determines a distance between the receiver and the object. There is also provided at least one speaker connected to the control unit for providing an audible signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates, generally, to a device which assists visually impaired people in determining the location and distance to objects in their immediate vicinity.
2. Description of the Related Art
The options available to assist a visually impaired person such as a blind person in detecting objects in his/her travel path are limited. A white walking stick is the most popular form of aid available to assist a visually impaired person. However, the effective range of the cane is limited by the length of the cane. In addition, the proper use of the cane requires a constant labor intensive sweeping motion of the cane as the user progresses in his or her travel direction.
Seeing eye dogs are another popular aid to assist the visually impaired. However, the time and effort in training a dog to be a seeing eye dog is expensive and time consuming. Although dogs make excellent companions they also require being fed, walked, groomed, bathed, etc.. In addition, seeing eye dogs are not always accepted in some social situations or residences (i.e. restaurants, apartment complexes).


A ramp signal generation circuit 21 comprises a plurality of unit circuits 221 to 22N, each including a capacitor 26 having one end 26a held at a fixed potential and a current source 27 connected to the other end 26b of the capacitor 26, while the other ends 26b of the capacitors 26 in the plurality of unit circuits 221 to 22N are connected to each other with a wiring member W.

Known as a technique for processing an analog signal is one which generates a ramp signal by a ramp signal generation circuit and compares the analog signal with the ramp signal as a reference signal, so as to process the analog signal. For example, the following Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique for AD-converting analog signals outputted from respective pixels in the field of CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensors. Counting with a clock signal is started simultaneously with supplying a comparator with a ramp-shaped reference voltage. When an analog signal inputted from a pixel having a light-receiving element equals the reference voltage, the counting action is stopped, and the count value at this point of time is latched as pixel data. This makes it possible to output a digital signal corresponding to the analog signal. Non Patent Literatures 1 and 2 also disclose similar techniques.

Lamp signal generation circuit and CMOS image sensor

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION SHIZUOKA UNIVERSITY


An electronic apparatus comprises: a displacement unit provided to an electronic apparatus main body; a first power source provided to the main body and supplying power to a load provided to the displacement unit; a first connecting unit that opens and closes a first supply path supplying an electric current from the first power source to the load in response to displacement of the displacement unit; a limiting unit provided on the first supply path and limiting an electric current flowing through the first supply path for a predetermined time from when an electric current is supplied from a second power source; and a second connecting unit that opens and closes a second supply path supplying an electric current from the second power source to the limiting unit in response to the displacement, wherein the first connecting unit opens and closes the second supply path in response to the displacement.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus and an image forming apparatus
2. Description of the Related Art
Devices such as a motor arranged on a substrate may possibly have voltage fluctuations (e.g., a voltage drop) caused by a starting current and a phenomenon of an electric current rushing from, for example, a capacitive load in which electric charges are accumulated (hereinafter, referred to as an inrush current) when the devices are started.
Widely known are a technology for providing a capacitor to a substrate to prevent a voltage drop caused by a starting current and a technology for providing an inrush current prevention circuit to prevent an inrush current flowing from, for example, a capacitor.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2008-066119, for example, discloses an interlock apparatus. In the interlock apparatus, a resistance is connected in series with a first switch turned on and off in conjunction with a mechanical operation of an open-and-close unit or the like of electrical equipment to stop supplying power from a power supply to a load and to cancel the power supply stoppage. A second switch is connected in parallel to the resistance, and an on-detecting unit detects an on-operation of the first switch and then turns on the second switch when a predetermined time has passed after the detection of the on-operation.
In the case where a plurality of paths that transmit an electric current between a displacement unit provided displaceably with respect to a main body and the main body are each opened and closed in response to displacement of the displacement unit, an inrush current flow may not possibly be suppressed depending on a connection order of connecting units that open and close the paths.
In view of the disadvantage described above, there is a need to suppress an inrush current flow regardless of a connection order of connecting units that open and close a plurality of paths that transmit an electric current between a displacement unit provided displaceably with respect to a main body and the main body even when the paths are each opened and closed in response to displacement of the displacement unit.

Electronic apparatus and image forming apparatus


The object is to maintain the operations of a logistic system. The recovering method of the logistic system includes a plurality of controllers connected with each other via a local network. A recovery method for the logistic system comprises detecting an abnormal state of the plurality of controllers, outputting a switching requesting signal, receiving a control signal, and outputting the control signal. In outputting the switching requesting signal, when an abnormal controller that shows the abnormal state is detected, a switching requesting signal to switch from the abnormal controller to an alternate controller is outputted from the logistic system to the alternate controller. In receiving the control signal, a control signal that controls at least a part of operations of the logistic system instead of the abnormal controller is received from the alternate controller.

Conventionally, a logistic system that conveys and stores articles under the control of a plurality of controllers connected with each other via a network (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2003-264216, for example) is known.
The logistic system comprises, for example, a supervisory controller that is a high-level controller and a plurality of conveying controllers that are provided under the supervisory controller. A working area of a factory that has the logistic system is sectioned into a plurality of areas. In each area, a conveying device such as an automatic guided conveying vehicle or a conveyer and a device such as a communication apparatus are arranged. The conveying controller is arranged in each area. The conveying controller controls the transportation of articles under the management of the supervisory controller.
Conventionally, in such a logistic system, when the conveying controller is broken, the whole of the logistic system is stopped until the conveying controller is fixed. Then, a service man is sent to fix the conveying controller and replace the broken conveying controller with the working conveying controller. It should be noted that the broken conveying controller is monitored remotely via a telephone line.
It takes long time to fix the conveying controller by the above means. In addition, stopping the whole of the logistic system until the conveying controller is fixed causes the problem of lowering the productivity of the logistic system.


An electrical connector for terminating at least one electrical conductor comprises a housing including a cavity for receiving at least a first IDC element, a cap including a pivot portion and a cover portion, wherein the pivot portion is pivotally mounted to the housing to allow the cap to be pivoted between an open position and a closed position, at least one recess in the pivot portion of the cap, and a cutting edge within the cavity of the housing adjacent the recess in the pivot portion of the cap.

In a telecommunications context, connector blocks are connected to cables that feed subscribers while other connector blocks are connected to cables to the central office. To make the electrical connection between the subscriber block and the central office block, jumper wires are inserted to complete the electrical circuit. Typically jumper wires can be connected, disconnected, and reconnected several times as the consumer's needs change.
An insulation displacement connector, or IDC, element is used to make the electrical connection to a wire or electrical conductor. The IDC element displaces the insulation from a portion of the electrical conductor when the electrical conductor is inserted into a slot within the IDC element so the IDC element makes electrical connection to the electrical conductor. Once the electrical conductor is inserted within the slot with the insulation displaced, electrical contact is made between the conductive surface of the IDC element and the conductive core of the electrical conductor.
Typically the IDC element is housed in an insulated housing. Often, the housing has a cap or other moveable member that is movable to press the electrical conductor into contact with the IDC element. Typically, when inserting the electrical conductor in the housing, the cap closes and the user is then unable to visually verify that the electrical conductor made a proper connection with the IDC element. The user then may not be sure whether an effective connection has been made between the electrical conductor and the IDC element.
Another problem associated with connection devices is that inserting the electrical conductor into the IDC element slot often requires a significant force, which may require the use of special tools or devices. Often the cap is adapted to be used as the insertion device for inserting the electrical conductors into the IDC element slots. However, closing the cap to insert the electrical conductor into the IDC element slot may require a significant force and may strain the user's finger or hand.

Connector assembly for housing insulation displacement elements


A system including a direct virtual memory access engine configured to request that data is stored in a memory, wherein a request for the data includes a I/O virtual address, a mapping table configured to store at least one entry includes a virtual-to-physical address mapping, a cache configured to store at least one tracking data structure associated with the at least one entry, and an input/output memory management unit storing the mapping table, operatively connected to the cache and configured to provide a physical address corresponding to the I/O virtual address to the direct virtual memory access engine, wherein the virtual-to-physical address mapping is generated prior to the direct virtual memory access engine requesting that data be stored, wherein the at least one entry and the at least one tracking structure persist for at least two direct memory address requests.

In a computer system, virtual memory management automates the movement of instructions and data between physical memory and secondary storage giving the appearance of a single, large memory. Conceptually, the address space of a processor is divided into virtual memory pages of a uniform size, and the physical memory is divided into physical memory pages of the same size. The operating system (OS) and the memory management hardware (i.e., memory management unit (MMU)) of the processor map virtual memory pages into and out of the physical memory pages as applications are executed on the processor. The OS and MMU translate system virtual addresses from the processor into physical memory addresses behind the scenes, creating the illusion of a single-level store with faster access time of random-access memory rather than that of secondary storage.
The concept of the MMU (i.e., to translate system virtual addresses to physical memory addresses) has been extended to work with remote devices and peripheral devices connected to the computer system via an Input/Output (I/O) bus. One such extension is an I/O MMU that performs the same functions as the MMU, but rather than receiving system virtual addresses from the processor, the I/O MMU receives I/O virtual addresses from peripheral devices (or remote devices) via a direct virtual memory access (DVMA) engine. DVMA engines are used to support direct memory access (DMA), which is widely used to move data between the computer system's physical memory and I/O devices. A DMA write request allows the copying of data directly into the computer system's physical memory. Further, a DMA read request allows the reading of data directly from the computer system's physical memory.
As noted above, the I/O MMU enables remote devices and peripheral devices to access the computer system's physical memory by translating the I/O virtual addresses provided by the DVMA engine (i.e., read and write requests) into physical addresses. The physical address may then be used to access the computer system's physical memory and perform the request. More specifically, when a peripheral device (or remote device) requests to access a particular portion of the computer system's physical memory, a request is made to the operating system (or a subsystem therein) to setup a virtual-to-physical address mapping and associated data structures (i.e., data structures required to process the DMA request). The virtual-to-physical mapping is then used to populate an entry in a mapping table located in the I/O MMU. Once the mapping and associated data structures have been setup and the mapping table populated, control is transferred to the DVMA engine. The DVMA engine proceeds to obtain an I/O virtual address from the peripheral device (or remote device) and places the I/O virtual address on the computer system's I/O bus. The I/O MMU, which monitors the I/O bus, obtains the I/O virtual address and proceeds to look up the corresponding physical address in the mapping table.
The I/O MMU subsequently places the corresponding physical address on the I/O bus. The DVMA engine retrieves the physical address and proceeds to read or write data to/from the physical memory using the physical address. Once the DVMA engine has completed the transfer/retrieval of data, the operating system (or a subsystem therein) proceeds to deconstruct the associated data structures and removes the virtual-to-physical mapping entry from the mapping table in the I/O MMU. This process is subsequently repeated for each DMA request.

Method and apparatus for direct virtual memory address caching


The disclosure is directed to a system for wiring conduit by use of an airflow-assisted pulling line and various components of the system. The system generally includes an airflow supply, a flexible pulling-line, a conduit-interface tube, and an airflow adapter for connecting the airflow supply with the wiring conduit. The adapter having a first end dimensioned to receive a conduit-interface tube and a second end adapted to receive an airflow source supply member. The preferred airflow supply is a conventional shop vacuum, but may be a blower rather than a vacuum source.

A common method for installing electrical wiring in residential, commercial and other structures, involves the placement of electrical wiring into electro-metallic tubing (EMT), otherwise commonly referred to as conduit. Conduit is rigid, hollow, bendable, thin-walled metal tubing, that is used to interconnect metal electrical boxes placed throughout the structure, forming a network used to convey electricity. Flexible conduit as well as plastic conduit and electrical boxes are also commercially available. Conduit is connected to itself and electrical boxes using a variety of specialized connectors and hardware, together forming a continuous pathway into which electrical wiring is placed for routing to all desired locations.
Conduit is widely used in electrical wiring applications. Two major benefits to the use of conduit for electrical wiring are safety and convenience. Since wires are completely enclosed within the conduit/electrical box network, electrical fires or other wiring related problems can be contained. From the standpoint of convenience, the conduit/electric box network provides a permanent, continuous pathway for routing electrical wiring to all locations, even in enclosed and inaccessible areas. Wiring may be introduced into or removed from conduit at any time, as electrical needs change or maintenance is required.
Conduit is manufactured in several tubing diameters, with ½ and ¾ inch diameters being typical and widely used. The choice of diameter to be used is made based on the quantity or size of wires to be installed. Within the overall network of conduit and electrical boxes, individual segments or lengths of conduit can vary considerably, based on the distance between electrical box connections. Lengths of conduit segments can range from a few feet up to 50 feet or more depending on requirements. Over shorter distances, depending on the quantity of wires to be installed, wires may simply be installed by pushing them into and through the conduit by hand. Greater distances, a larger quantity of wires, or other circumstances require equipment, instead of simply pushing, in order to move the wires through the conduit from one location to another. This may be due to any of several factors including lack of stiffness or rigidity exhibited by the wire(s), multiple bends in the conduit that may be encountered, and the overall resistance within the conduit due to friction.
The piece of equipment commonly used to install wires in conduit is called a fish tape. In its simplest Form the fish tape consists of a flexible, flattened, stiff steel wire (50 feet long is common), coiled into a reel-like housing which restrains it to prevent unintentional unwinding. The fish tape is payed out of and wound into the housing, by passing it through a slot that is slightly narrower than the width of the wire, creating an interference fit to prevent unintentional unwinding. The fish tape is introduced into and moved back and forth through the conduit to facilitate placement of wires. The tip of the fish tape is formed into a blunt, hook-like or eyelet shape, to ease its forward movement when pushed into and through the conduit away from the operator, and to facilitate attachment of wires for pulling them into and through the conduit toward the operator.
In normal use, the blunt, hook-like tip of the fish tape is introduced through the open front of an electrical box, and into the open end of a conduit segment where it is connected to the electrical box. The operator continues to withdraw the fish tape in short sections from within the fish tape housing, incrementally pushing it into the conduit, and advancing it gradually toward the opening at the opposite end of the conduit segment. This process continues until the necessary distance is traveled, and the hook-like tip of the fish tape emerges at the opposite end of the conduit segment and into the electrical box.
The operator then attaches the desired wires to the hook-like tip, so they may be pulled back into and through the conduit segment toward the electrical box at which the tip of the fish tape was originally inserted. The operator continues to pull the fish tape and attached wires back through the conduit a few feet at a time, incrementally rewinding the fish tape back into its housing. This process continues until the necessary distance is traveled, and the tip of the fish tape and wires emerge at the electrical box where originally inserted.
The fish tape and its method of use have several disadvantages as follows:
(1) The process of paying out and rewinding the fish tape into the fish tape housing is labor intensive and requires continuous, repeated motions by the operator. Continuous repeated motion operations have been associated with health care problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
(2) The fish tape can only be moved through a conduit segment in short increments, resulting in significant labor time spent installing wires in each conduit segment. On an overall project basis, labor cost for a specific work objective may be high, or less work accomplished in a given amount of time.
(3) The blunt, hook-like shape of the fish tape tip often makes it difficult to move through the conduit due to snagging on connections or other irregularities within the conduit segment. The fish tape may become stuck in the conduit segment, and may even be broken during a forceful retrieval attempt.
(4) Long conduit segments, especially those with many bends and direction changes, increase friction on and resistance to fish tape movement. This, combined with potential snagging or sticking within the conduit segment, can significantly add to the time and effort required, and affect job cost and efficiency.
(5) The fish tape, being itself a flattened metal wire, will conduct electricity, and could represent an electrical shock hazard to the operator or others under certain conditions.
Various attempts have been made to provide a vacuum system for installing wiring in conduits as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,334,000, and including components for use in such systems as set forth in D246,823 and D312,336. To date, none of those systems has met with widespread commercial acceptance due to the cumbersome nature of their designs. The present disclosure addresses these problems.

Device and method for installation of electrical wiring in conduit


A vehicle having a system for determining that there is a possibility that the vehicle has or is about to enter water at a vehicle wading depth. In response to determining that there is a possibility that the vehicle has or is about to enter water at a vehicle wading depth, the system is configured to implement one or more vehicle control strategies. The system comprises at least one remote sensor configured to remotely detect the presence of water about or ahead of the vehicle.

Road vehicles may be designed to travel through a body of water to a finite depth, which may be referred to as a maximum wading depth. Beyond this limit there is a risk that the vehicle engine may be damaged for example by the ingestion of water through the engine air intake and/or the vehicle electronics may be damaged by coming into contact with the water. Identifying that a vehicle has entered a wading situation or is in a wading event is advantageous so that control systems of the vehicle can be deployed.
Driver judgment is required when entering water at wading depth and this may require a consideration of not only the vehicle ground clearance, but also factors such as the location of the engine air intake. A vehicle driver does not generally know the depth of water the vehicle is about to enter or the nature of the terrain below the water surface. This is particularly so in low visibility conditions (dirty water, low-light, heavy rain, fog). It is recommended that a survey of the terrain is taken by wading through water on foot, but factors such as, the variability of the terrain; low visibility conditions; inconvenience to the driver; and driver impatience may result in a driver attempting to traverse water without knowledge of the water depth and therefore without being able to take appropriate precautions.
In WO/2012/080439 (PCT/EP2011/072998) (incorporated herein by reference) and WO/2012/080440 (PCT/EP2011/072999) (incorporated herein by reference) to the present applicant, systems for detecting that a vehicle is wading are described. It is disclosed in WO '439 that two series of ultrasonic transducers may be disposed across front and rear bumpers of a vehicle respectively. Immersion of the ultrasonic transducers in water is used to confidently determine that the vehicle is immersed in water, at least up to the height of the sensors. The sensors being positioned on the bumper are disposed at a height suitable for indicating that the vehicle is in a wading situation. In WO '440 another system for detecting wading is disclosed, in which a change in the time of flight, wavelength or amplitude of an acoustic pulse emitted and received by sensors of the system is used to detect the presence of water about the sensors.
In WO/2012/080429 (PCT/EP2011/072986) (incorporated herein by reference), also to the present applicant, a control system for a wading vehicle is described, wherein a vehicle, having a wading sensor adapted to identify wading above a predetermined depth of water, comprises a control system adapted to implement one or more vehicle control strategies upon detection of wading by said sensor.
In WO/2012/080438 (PCT/EP2011/072997) (incorporated herein by reference), also to the present applicant, a system is disclosed that upon detecting wading by means of a sensor, (such as that described in WO/2012/080439 (PCT/EP2011/072998) and WO/2012/080440 (PCT/EP2011/072999)) a downwardly facing ultrasound transducer is used to estimate a wading depth (D) of the water in which at least a portion of the vehicle is disposed.
In GB1202617.5 (incorporated herein by reference), also to the present applicant, a system is disclosed for determining vehicle wading depth and/or attitude by measured distances between range-finding transducers mounted in the door mirrors and the surface of water through which the vehicle is wading.
The present invention seeks to provide a further improvement for land-based vehicles, that may travel through water, by providing a system operative to take preventative or pre-emptive action to prepare and/or protect a vehicle that has entered into water or that is possibly about to enter into water well before a maximum wading depth limit of the vehicle is reached. Advantageously, the systems and methods of the present invention seek to predict that a vehicle may be about to enter into a wading event or has just entered into a wading event. Prior to the vehicle being disposed in water at a wading depth and well before the vehicle enters water close to the maximum wading depth, the systems and methods of the present invention prepare the vehicle. Preferably, the systems and methods of the invention prepare the vehicle for wading in advance of part-submersion of the vehicle body in water. Other aims and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, claims and drawings.
In this specification, the term wading relates to travel of a land-based vehicle through water of a depth that is sufficient to require that the vehicle driver take appropriate precautions. To distinguish a wading event from a vehicle driving through a shallow puddle, in some situations wading depth may be defined as water of 200 mm or more in depth. In some situations water at a level of the front or rear wheel hubs may be indicative of a vehicle in water at wading depth. In some situations wading depth may be defined as the point at which a water contact sensor is immersed in water. However, the depth at which it is determined that a vehicle is wading (sometimes referred to as a threshold wading depth) may be determined by the vehicle design and it is therefore not possible to define a threshold wading depth that is appropriate for all vehicles. Similarly, the permissible maximum wading depth of a vehicle is determined by the vehicle design.
In this specification the term control threshold depth is used to define a depth of water, optionally relative to a vehicle in normal ride height that is optionally below or close to the threshold wading depth for a vehicle. In some situations control threshold depth may be defined as water of about 100 mm to about 200 mm or more in depth. In some situations, control threshold depth may be defined relative to the height of a tail pipe outlet of an exhaust system or other vehicle components and control threshold depth may be defined as at least 20 mm below the opening of vehicle exhaust tailpipe outlet.
Throughout the specification reference is made to the term water. It will be understood that in the context of a land-based vehicle driving through water, the term "water" is intended to encompass all liquid or fluidic media that a land-based vehicle may drive through and is not limited in its interpretation to pure H2O. For example, as used herein water may mean, but not limited to: a muddy river bed; sea-water; a ford; and dirty water in off-road terrain.


In a low-vibration V-belt (2), consisting of at least one load carrier (4; 4a, 4b) and a plurality of support elements (6) located thereon, the damping effect is improved. The formation of the damping elements (34) in a radial direction above the central section and in the direction of the width of the belt substantially symmetrical to the axis of symmetry of the support element (6) allows both possible transversal vibrations to be simultaneously damped. The damping elements (34), which consist preferably of elastomer and have high inherent damping properties, can be seated in recesses or bores (36) of the support elements (6). The rear faces of the support elements (6) can have cylindrical counterforms (38), which correspond in shape and position to the convex damping elements (34) located on the respective front faces. The edges of the convex parts (34) have radii or chamfers which permit the corresponding counterparts (34, 38) to engage without force or impact. The V-belt can be used for the continuously variable speed and torque conversion in automotive applications.

A series of different configurations of hybrid V-belts having stiffened support elements are known. Because of the high torques, which are to be transmitted in drives with such belts, large force differences occur in different belt segments and therefore also very low no-load belt forces occur. Especially in such operating states, the non-loaded segments of a belt tend to transverse vibrations. Transverse vibrations of this kind occur preferably in two planes, on the one hand, with deflections in the direction of the belt elevation and, on the other hand, in the direction of the width of the belt.
In a known configuration (EP 0 826 901 A2), the stiffening support elements viewed in the longitudinal direction of the belt are equipped with guide projections and corresponding recesses on their forward and rearward sides which are configured in a plastic layer surrounding a core. The projections and recesses are arranged centrally on the forward faces and rearward faces of the support elements directed in the belt running direction in that they are placed approximately in the center of the belt width direction and approximately in the center in radial direction at the elevation of the tension cords. These projections and recesses have the form of truncated cones or truncated spheres. In other configurations, such guide elements are not present.