A method for forming a recording position adjusting pattern that is capable of correcting a recording position correctly, a method for adjusting the image recording position, and an image recording apparatus are provided. Corrected K color parallel bars are grouped into blocks each of which includes a certain number of bars and plural blocks are printed in block (180, 188), and the color parallel bars are printed between the K color parallel bars with tilt magnitude that is different for every block (182, 190). The optical detection unit detects the block having the highest density among the printed parallel bars (184, 192), the tilt magnitude of the detected block is set as the tilt magnitude of the color to thereby correct the tilt of the color (186, 194). The tilt of each color is corrected in the same manner.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording position adjusting pattern forming method, an image recording position adjusting method and an image recording apparatus, and more particularly relates to a recording position adjusting pattern forming method, an image recording position adjusting method and an image recording apparatus to be used for correction of the image displacement due to the recording position displacement between plural recording heads of an image recording apparatus on which plural recording heads are mounted.
2. Description of the Related Art
The mechanical fixing error of the fix position and fix attitude of heads that are arranged in parallel on a carriage causes the inclined printing of horizontal rules due to the printing position displacement between the heads and displacement of fixed angle to the scanning direction of a carriage.
To correct the printing position, the electric delay is properly applied to the printing signal that is applied to the heads so as to offset the error due to mechanical fixing or printing characteristic difference between the heads. Thereby, it is possible to correct the printing position.
At that time, for checking the proper adjustment magnitude of the electric delay, the delay detection is checked visually or automatically by means of an optical detection unit by use of a test pattern that is printed with a predetermined successive displacement of the electric delay to thereby detect the displacement magnitude of the parallel pattern included in the pattern or to detect the average density of the pattern. As the result, it is possible to correct the printing position properly.
Various methods for detection and correction of the fixing angle to the recording head (inclination of a head) and the printing position have been proposed. For example, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 11-99643 discloses a method in which a predetermined pattern is recorded by use of respective right and left heads to detect the printing position displacement between plural recording heads. At that time, the pattern of the one head is recorded with displacement of a predetermined magnitude and without displacement, the recorded result of the pattern is read by use of a sensor and the density of the pattern is compared to detect the recording position displacement.
For example, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 7-17076 discloses a technical method as a pattern to detect printing displacement in which an adjusting pattern having plural vertical rules of at least three lines, the relative position of which three lines is slightly displaced in the carrier scanning direction of the lines of the odd number line and the even number line, is printed, and the coincidence of the vertical rule on two lines and the coincidence of the vertical rule on three or more lines that form an approximate straight line with the whole vertical line is identified visually, the inclination of the printing is calculated, and the inclination is adjusted.
For example, Japanese Published Examined Utility Model Hei 3-8448 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,063 disclose the adjusting pattern of the horizontal line for visual adjustment, and furthermore the Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 10-264485 discloses a method in which parallel line pattern is used as the adjusting pattern for visual adjustment.
Furthermore, for example, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 7-178964 and Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 8-90835 disclose the printing pattern and a recording apparatus for adjusting the printing position of a reciprocal recording head.
In the case where a detection pattern is formed with a color monochrome and, in particular, the average density of the pattern is detected automatically by use of an optical unit, the sensitivity of C (cyan) or Y (yellow) is not sufficient due to the spectral characteristics of the optical detection unit, it is difficult to detect the density difference of the monochrome pattern, and a light source having the different spectral characteristics is required.
The parallel pattern is displaced by a predetermined magnitude from the proper value because of the structure of the pattern, a space appears on the pattern, and the average density is lowered. According to the method described hereinabove, though the density difference can be detected, the patterns (parallel bars) overlap each other in the magnitude equal to the caused space. Because the lower density color (low sensitivity) results in the higher density of the overlap area, the caused space and the density increase of the overlap area are offset each other to prevent the detection of the average density difference.
Because the density absolute value of the monochrome pattern is low (that is, the reflectance is high), in the case where the luminance of a light source is increased to enlarge the density difference, the output of a light receiving element is saturated and the luminance cannot be increased resultantly.
In the case of visual detection, the density difference or pattern displacement of Y is difficult to be recognized.
The present invention has been accomplished to solve the above-mentioned problem, and provides a method for forming recording position adjusting pattern, and an image recording position adjusting method and an image recording apparatus that are capable of correction of the recording position correct precisely.

Recording position adjusting pattern forming method, image recording position adjusting method and image recording apparatus


In an embodiment, a digital pre-distortion apparatus processes an input signal to produce a pre-distorted signal, and processes the pre-distorted signal to produce a feedback signal. The apparatus also rotates an adjustment gain by a gain rotation angle to produce a rotated adjustment gain, where the gain rotation angle is based on a phase difference between the input signal and the feedback signal. The apparatus also applies the rotated adjustment gain to the feedback signal, which may result in rotation of the feedback signal into a target phase region.

Some electronic systems include devices (e.g., radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers), which add distortion to a signal during processing. Such devices are referred to as "non-linear" devices when the added distortion is non-linear in nature. Distortion may include, for example, variations in phase differences and/or variations in amplitude differences. For example, one type of non-linearity occurs when the phase between the input and output signals varies with input signal amplitude. This is generally referred to as amplitude-to-phase distortion (am/pm). Another type of non-linearity occurs when the ratio of output signal amplitude to input signal amplitude varies with input signal amplitude. This is generally referred to as amplitude-to-amplitude distortion (am/am). Significant distortion, left uncompensated for, may result in poor signal quality.
Digital pre-distortion (DPD) systems have been used in the past to compensate for the intrinsic distortion characteristics of non-linear devices. A traditional DPD system determines an error signal, which reflects differences between an input signal and a feedback signal from the system output. "Insertion phase" is a term used to describe a quantity representing an average difference in phase between the input signal and the feedback signal, or equivalently, the average phase of the error signal. The error signal is used to determine a complementary distortion or inverse gain signal. The inverse gain signal, which inversely reflects the error signal, is combined with the input signal to produce a "pre-distorted" signal. In many cases, this process results in effective cancellation of the distortion (i.e., the non-linearities) produced within the system, and a more linear output signal may result.
Lookup tables have been used to store inverse gain values. In some traditional DPD systems, an initialization and training process is performed prior to transmission of actual input data, in order to determine the inverse gain values within the lookup table. Using this process, a training sequence is applied to the system, during which time the inverse gain values are adapted to reflect the system's distortion characteristics. After completion of the training process, actual input data is then combined with the adapted inverse gain values, and the combined signal is transmitted. In other traditional DPD systems, a training process is not performed. Instead, the inverse gain values in the lookup table are set to pre-defined, "blind" settings. The blind settings do not reflect the actual, then-current distortion characteristics, but instead reflect a pre-defined estimate of the distortion characteristics. At the onset of a transmission burst, the blind settings are applied to the actual input data to attempt to compensate for the distortion. Eventually, the inverse gain values may adapt to more accurately reflect the actual distortion characteristics.
The prior DPD systems described above suffer from several drawbacks. In particular, using prior DPD systems, when an error signal reflects a significant insertion phase (e.g., at the onset of a transmission), convergence to an acceptable pre-distorted signal may take a long time to occur. In some situations, convergence may not occur at all. In addition, DPD systems that use training processes may add considerable complexity, hardware, and cost to transmitter systems. In addition, timing issues (e.g., issues relating to the burst/slot/frame structure) may preclude the use of training processes. Although, DPD systems that use "blind" settings of initial lookup table values may overcome some of these disadvantages, they suffer from other disadvantages. For example, the linearization performance of these DPD systems are strongly coupled to the choice of initial inverse gain values in the lookup table. In environments in which the distortion characteristics are not well known and/or change considerably with environmental conditions and/or transmitter operation, poor initial performance may result from inaccurate initial inverse gain values. In some cases, when the initial inverse gain values are substantially inaccurate, the system may not be able to converge at all. For at least the above reasons, a need exists for DPD systems and methods that provide relatively fast convergence to an acceptable pre-distorted signal, even in the face of relatively large insertion phases.

Systems, apparatus, and methods for performing digital pre-distortion with feedback signal adjustment


An armrest (54) for a vehicle (52) includes a substrate (70), an armrest casing (62), and an insert (56). The armrest casing (62) has an upper portion (81) with an arm-resting surface (83). The insert (56) includes a non-foam material and resides between the substrate (70) and the upper portion (81). The armrest casing (62) covers a portion of the substrate (70) and the insert (56).

Armrests are incorporated into vehicles for ergonomic reasons and comfort and convenience of both drivers and passengers. Armrests may be attached to or integrally formed as part of an interior door panel, a seat assembly, or a center console. Some armrests may be stationary, fixed, collapsed, extended, or rotated depending on the mounting location and the system that it is incorporated within.
A traditional armrest assembly consists of four main components, a main substrate, a foam backplate, an armrest casing, and a foam element. The main substrate provides support and structure to the armrest. The foam backplate is coupled to the main substrate and the combination thereof is inserted into an armrest casing. The foam element resides within a cavity formed by the coupling of the substrate, the backplate, and the casing. The foam element provides flexibility, energy absorption, and occupant comfort.
A common process utilized to manufacture and assemble a vehicle armrest, such as that contained within or on a door assembly, includes five main tasks. The process begins with the injection molding of the main substrate. A plastic material is injected into a mold, which is then cured to form the main substrate. The second task includes the "over molding" of the armrest casing, often formed of a vinyl material, over the main substrate. Following the over molding of the armrest casing, the foam backplate is attached or fastened to the substrate. The fourth task includes the injection of expandable foam through the backplate into the cavity between the substrate, the casing, and the backplate. The foam expands within the cavity and has a resulting exterior shape that is substantially similar or identical to the internal shape of the cavity. Finally, the foam is cured to form the finished armrest.
Although the foam element can provide the desired characteristics for an armrest, such as flexibility and energy absorption, the process used to form and cure the foam element is time consuming and costly. The amount of time required to inject and allow the foam element to cure can be as much as several minutes. In addition, the type of material utilized to form the foam element can also be costly.
As it is known in the art, it is desirable to minimize manufacturing time and costs. Thus, there exists a need for an improved armrest and process of forming an armrest that reduces manufacturing and assembly time and costs, as well as material costs.

Armrest insert and corresponding assembly for a vehicle


A direct current to direct current converter utilizes a MOSFET half-bridge configuration in which the inherent magnetizing and leakage inductances of the transformer are used as the only inductances in the frequency-determining circuit. Diodes are used to limit the voltages across the capacitor of the frequency determining circuit and hence limit the short circuit and open circuit characteristics of the converter. A self-starting circuit insures that the circuit will start up when initially energized. Regulation of the circuit is provided by varying the on times of at least one of the two MOSFET transistors in the half-bridge configuration.

Electronic equipment for business and entertainment has proliferated in recent years. This proliferation has resulted in an increase in the need for small, inexpensive and efficient power supplies. One common type of power supply is a dc-to-dc converter. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, this type of converter accepts electrical power at one voltage level, converts it to high frequency alternating current, uses a transformer to adjust the voltage level and isolate the power source from the electronic load, and rectifies the resulting alternating current to direct current. Such converters are simple, low cost means for providing the power required by electronic equipment. The reason that a high frequency alternating current is used as an intermediate step is to reduce the size of the required transformer.
Converters are often used to power portable equipment or to recharge batteries either internally in the equipment or externally. Some dc-to-dc power supplies are powered by standard household current rectified to provide the direct current input. These types of supplies often take the form of plug-mounted structures where the entire power supply is supported by the electrical connector pins on the plug.
In power supplies such as plug-mounted converters, size, weight and cost are several of the important criteria in designing the converter. For example, if the number of components can be reduced, then the size and complexity of the converter can also be reduced. In the past, it has been found that resonant, self-oscillating dc-to-dc converters may meet many of the requirement of such plug-mounted converter applications. One type of converter is a push-pull converter. These types of converters are discussed in more detail in the background of U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,137 issued to Peterson, the specification of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. One drawback of these prior art converters, however, is that they require either expensive and lossy square loop magnetics or complicated control circuitry. This has the effect of increasing the size and weight of the converters. Moreover, these prior art converters also have poor short circuit and/or open circuit characteristics, requiring expensive and complicated special overload protection control circuitry.
An improvement to these converters is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,137 to Peterson, which was incorporated by reference above. This patent discloses a small, compact dc-to-dc converter using a half-bridge configuration. The frequency-determining circuit of the power supply requires only the inherent magnetizing and leakage inductance of the transformer and no separate conductive elements. However, the circuit operates better when using a regulated circuit in order to properly operate the electronics of the device to which the power supply is attached.
Accordingly, there arises a need to for an improved regulated multi-resonant self-oscillating converter circuit. The present invention directly addresses and overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.

Apparatus for controlling a multiresonant self-oscillating converter circuit


A method for testing an optical disc drive control PCB using a test jig featuring a reference optical pick-up head. The method includes steps for measuring an output of the reference optical pick-up head (OPU) laser, comparison of the OPU output to the output of an optical disc drive control PCB under test and, for comparing the measured value to a predetermined range of values and accordingly determining whether the optical disc drive control PCB under test is acceptable.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a test system for the post-production testing of an optical pick-up head control PCB for an optical disc drive.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Optical disc drives, of one form or another, have been considered standard equipment for personal computers for several years. Generally speaking, optical disc drives are used to read information stored on an optical disc. Examples of optical disc drives are known as compact disc drives (CD-ROM drives) and digital versatile disc drives (DVD-ROM drives) in the prior art. Some optical disc drives have the additional capability of being able to rewrite data onto an optical disc, for example CD-RW and DVD-RW drives. Optical disc drives are used in the playback and writing of many varieties of digital media including music, video, images, data archives, software and games.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical optical disc drive unit with ancillary components removed for clarity. Production of an optical disc drive 10 involves high precision manufacture, assembly and testing of at least the sub-modules detailed below:
11 An optical disc transport or traverse (TVS) assembly.
111 An optical pick-up head (OPU).
112 A spindle assembly.
113 A translation mechanism.
12 A disc loading mechanism.
13 A control printed circuit board (PCB).
14 A chassis.
Careful consideration must be given to matching certain sub-modules during assembly, for example, the performance of the TVS assembly 11 will depend heavily upon that of the control PCB 13, not least because it is responsible for the interface processing for the optical pick-up head. Optical pick-up heads utilize coherent light to read information from, and in some cases also to write information to, an optical disc. The coherent light source generally takes the form of a semiconductor laser diode, the power output of which must be closely controlled in any mode of operation. It is therefore essential that the driving and controlling circuitry of the optical disc drive control PCB 13 can adequately control laser power within predefined limits.
In the prior art, control PCBs have been tested by an arrangement utilizing a reference laser, light meter and various other test instruments, the optical disc drive control PCB being used to drive the reference laser while the laser output power and optical disc drive control PCB output to the laser are measured. By varying the optical disc drive control PCB output to the laser, and hence the laser output power, the control PCB output can be characterized and any adjustment made that may be required.
FIG. 2 shows a graphical representation of a typical optical disc drive control PCB output characterization 20. It can be seen that as more drive current 22 (generally expressed in mA) is supplied to the laser, the power output 21 (generally expressed in mW) of the laser will increase. Acceptable upper 25, and lower 24 limits of the ratio 23 of laser power output 21 to drive current 22 are prescribed for each test. By using a reference laser of known performance, the ability of the test PCB to control drive current within the predetermined limits can be judged against a required standard.
Without additional complexity though, this system has the limitation of testing only the open-loop characteristics of the optical disc drive control PCB, so naturally it is essential to also test closed-loop characteristics along with other functions, preferably together with the TVS assembly 11 that the particular control PCB will be matched to at final assembly into the optical disc drive 10. Indeed, this is common practice in the prior art, but other factors now effect the manufacture of optical disc drives as described below:
The above-mentioned sub-modules can, and generally are, manufactured at the same location, but as is increasingly the case in modern manufacturing practice, components and sub-modules may be outsourced or else shipped to different locations/customers if the manufacturer is acting as a first or second tier supplier to an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). In such a situation, sub-modules such as the control PCB 13 cannot be tested together with the TVS mechanism 11 that they will eventually be embodied with into the completed optical disc drive 10, as they would during a single site manufacture and assembly process, because control of the sub-module selection and assembly process is relinquished to the customer.
It has become important then, to develop cost effective and reliable test methods to ensure that sub-modules, and in particular control PCBs, are operable and capable of performing within predetermined ranges when produced according to the above conditions, i.e. isolated from their destination assembly.
FIG. 3 shows a simplified schematic view of a typical optical pick-up head. Light from a laser 301 is collimated into a beam by a lens 302, a proportion of the light is reflected by a polarized plane of a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) 303 onto a photo-detector 304, while the remaining light is reflected by a mirror 307 and focused onto an optical disc 309 by an objective lens 308. Light reflected by the optical disc 309 follows a return path which is the reverse of that stated above, until the light reaches the PBS 303, where returning light is reflected by the polarized plane of the PBS 303, through a lens 305 and onto a photo-detector 306. The photo-detector 304 is dedicated to the task of sensing laser power, and while the primary task of the photo-detector 306 is to read disc information, it can be seen that both photo-detectors sense laser output and hence can be utilized for power detection. So in the prior art then, the means are found to both utilize a laser control drive current or signal, and to measure the laser emissions produced thereby.

Production procedure with PCB calibration


A method is disclosed for leaching a polycrystalline diamond (PCD) cutter element. In an embodiment, the method includes suspending the PCD cutter element above a liquid acid bath. In addition, the method includes elevating the temperature of the liquid acid bath above ambient conditions to transition at least some of the liquid acid bath to acid vapors. Further, the method includes elevating the pressure of the acid vapors above ambient conditions. Still further, the method includes exposing the PCD cutter element to the acid vapors.

The invention relates generally to rotary drill bits. More particularly, the invention relates to systems and methods for leaching Polycrystalline Diamond ("PCD") cutter elements.
Oil and gas drilling operations often employ fixed cutter drill bits to drill through various rock formations in an effort to access hydrocarbon reserves below the ground. Fixed cutter drill bits employ a plurality of cutter elements that engage, scrape, and shear the earthen formation being drilled through. Such cutter elements are typically made of a layer or table of Polycrystalline Diamond ("PCD") bonded to a cobalt cemented, tungsten carbide (WC) substrate.
To manufacture PCD tables for cutter elements and bond the tables to the substrate, diamond powder is placed at the bottom of a first mold or can along with a catalyst. The substrate is then placed on top of the diamond powder within the first mold, a second mold or can is placed on top of the substrate, and a seal is formed between the first and second cans. This entire assembly is then subjected to high pressure and temperature conditions to form a PCD cutter element. In general, any Group VIII element (e.g., cobalt, nickel, or iron) can be used as the catalyst, however, in most cases, cobalt (Co) is employed. The catalyst is driven into the interstitial spaces between the diamond grains and promotes intergrowth therein, to form a solid PCD diamond table suitable for use in a cutter element. The high pressure and temperature conditions also facilitate bonding between the newly formed PCD table and the substrate, thereby resulting in a fully formed PCD cutter element.
During drilling operations, cutter elements experience relatively high temperatures due, at least in part, to the general nature of the downhole environment and friction between the cutter elements and the formation. The thermal loads result in expansion of the material components of the cutter elements. Due to differences in the coefficients of thermal expansion between the catalyst and the diamond grains, at sufficiently high temperatures, undesirable cracks can form in the PCD lattice structure. These cracks can lead to failure of the corresponding cutter element(s), reduced cutting efficiency, and reduced cutting effectiveness. In addition, high thermal loads can lead to the undesirable formation of compounds such as, for example, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, or graphite within the PCD table itself. The presence of such compounds in the PCD table can further reducing the cutting effectiveness and strength of the corresponding PCD cutter element. Accordingly, it is generally desirable to remove at least a portion of the catalyst from the PCD table after its formation to enhance cutter element durability over a broader range of operating temperatures.
A common approach for removing the catalyst from a PCD table is to leach the PCD table to remove some or substantially all of the interstitial catalyst from the PCD lattice structure, thereby transforming the PCD material into thermally stable polycrystalline diamond. Leaching typically involves placing the cutter element in a strong acid bath at an elevated temperature to expose the PCD table to the acid. Suitable acids for leaching include nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, and combinations thereof. Although such leaching acids can aid in removing the catalyst from the PCD table, they can also damage the underlying substrate to which the PCD table is secured.
Conventional leaching via acid bath is a relatively time-consuming as it may take days or even weeks to remove a sufficient quantity of the binding agent from the PCD table. This increases the overall time, and associated costs, to manufacture cutter elements and fixed cutter drill bits.

Systems and methods for vapor pressure leaching polycrystalline diamond cutter elements


A rocket propelled vehicle includes a controllable voltage AC generator configured to be connected to a power generation turbine shaft and configured to convert rotational energy to electrical energy, wherein the controllable voltage AC generator is configured to output a desired voltage irrespective of a change in a rotational speed of the power generation turbine shaft, an AC electric motor pump configured to pump at least one of fuel or oxidizer to a combustion chamber of the rocket propelled vehicle, and an AC bus connecting the controllable voltage AC generator to each of the AC electric motor pump.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to systems using electric motors, more specifically to AC electric motors used in a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Rocket propelled vehicles can include fuel and oxidizer pumps that are mechanically linked to a power generation turbine which is powered by exhaust gas from a separate combustion chamber not associated with the main rocket engine combustor. The pumps can be mechanically connected to the power generation turbine via a gear train. In this case, the speed of each pump is proportional to the speed of the power generation turbine which is variable, thus the speed of each pump is controlled by changing the rotational speed of the power generation turbine. With this type of mechanical power transmission architecture, the rotational speed of the pumps cannot be independently controlled. Moreover, the mechanical system that links the pumps to the power generation turbine is heavy and requires the pumps to be located near the power generation turbine. In some situations, the oxidizer pump and the fuel pump can be mounted on the same rotating shaft as the power generation turbine. This architecture does not have the complexity of the geared rocket turbo-pump architecture described above, however, the efficiency of the pumps and the power generation turbine are reduced, since each component is forced to operate at the same rotational speed.
It would be possible to power electrically driven AC powered pumps with an AC-DC-AC conversion system that is configured to control the speed of each pump independently of the speed of the power generation turbine, however, such a system would add substantial weight to the rocket propelled vehicle and would not necessarily be beneficial over a mechanical system.
Such conventional methods and systems have generally been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is still a need in the art for a system that allows for the efficient use of electric motor pumps in a rocket propelled vehicle. The present disclosure provides a solution for this problem.

Systems utilizing a controllable voltage AC generator system


This invention is vehicle seat, which provides enhanced occupant protection in the event of a vehicle rollover. The seat includes a rollover sensor and mechanisms compatible with manual reclining seats. These mechanisms allow for rapid reclining of the seat during a rollover, by unlocking the reclining mechanism and automatically reclining the seat.

The invention relates to vehicle seats, particularly seats for automobiles and light trucks, but is also applicable to heavy vehicles or aircraft. The seats of this invention will provide increased occupant protection in the event of a rollover accident, or other situations requiring repositioning of the head/chest. Rollover accidents occur relatively slowly compared to other accidents, such as front, side, or rear impacts. Thus rollover accidents can utilize additional design techniques to achieve occupant protection. Rollover occupant protection system design involves the integration of a number of components in the vehicle, all of which must be compatible with each other. One element of the vehicle available to vehicle designers in developing effective rollover occupant protection system designs is the seat with integral restraint. One element of the vehicle that is particularly hazardous to restrained occupants is the intruding roof. This invention moves the occupant's head and chest away from the vehicle roof automatically during a rollover.
It has been known in the art for some time, recognized by the inventors for almost ten years, that an important tool available to designers of occupant safety in a rollover, along with, for example, stronger roof structures, better occupant packaging, more effective restraint systems, active or passive rollbars and other available technology, is to dynamically move the occupant away from the roof before the roof crushes. In large vehicles such as semi-truck cabs, there is room to move the entire seat straight down a large distance away from the roof, and several approaches for this problem have been proposed. In co-pending application, Ser. No. 10/807,325, by the same inventor, three concepts for accomplishing rollover protection in light passenger vehicles with power (electric) integrated seats (all-belts to seats) are identified: dynamically tilt the seat back rearward in order to effectively move the occupant's head away from the roof and rearward in the vehicle, reorienting the torso-head/neck complex to a more advantageous position and orientation; compress the seat back and seat cushion to be smaller than their normal dimensions to increase headroom in conjunction with rollover actuated pretensioning seatbelts; and, under certain circumstances move the seat cushion forward or rearward or laterally to better position the occupant relative to the roof structure and/or to allow for the downward deployment of the seat back in restricted compartment space conditions. However, many vehicle seats do not have powered adjustment for reclining. The current invention addresses rollover safety for seats without power reclining capability.
Although solutions to some of the concepts have been previously proposed, none have been implemented in light vehicles to date. As described in co-pending application, Ser. No. 10/807,325, the existing solutions are not compatible with power adjustable seats. However even for non-powered seats, previously proposed solutions are not, in fact, practical, because they do not address characteristics of real manual seat designs either.
The reclining mechanism on almost all manual seats includes a ratchet, gear, or scissor type positioning mechanism, where a mechanical stop is engaged in a detent. This stop is manually moved by a lever or other release mechanism. The seat is moved to the desired position, and then the stop is re-engaged in different detent, holding the seat in the desired position. In addition, many seats have stops that limit the reclining motion. Both the limiting stops and adjustment stops, typically, should be strong mechanically. Existing solutions for rollover protection that rely on reclining the seat back to move the occupant away from the roof do not address the issue of the recliner adjustment or limiting stops, and therefore cannot be implemented in conventional seat designs.


A signal-to-noise ratio dependent adaptive spectral subtraction process eliminates noise from noise-corrupted speech signals. The process first pre-emphasizes the frequency components of the input sound signal which contain the consonant information in human speech. Next, a signal-to-noise ratio is determined and a spectral subtraction proportion adjusted appropriately. After spectral subtraction, low amplitude signals can be squelched. A single microphone is used to obtain both the noise-corrupted speech and the average noise estimate. This is done by determining if the frame of data being sampled is a voiced or unvoiced frame. During unvoiced frames an estimate of the noise is obtained. A running average of the noise is used to approximate the expected value of the noise. Spectral subtraction may be performed on a composite noise-corrupted signal, or upon individual sub-bands of the noise-corrupted signal. Pre-averaging of the input signal's magnitude spectrum over multiple time frames may be performed to reduce musical noise.

Voice communication systems are susceptible to non-speech noise. One source of such noise can be environmental factors, such as transportation vehicles. This noise typically enters the communication system through a microphone used to receive voice sound. To improve the quality of the speech communication, efforts have been made to eliminate the undesired noise.
One type of noise suppression which uses band pass filters to remove noise at specific frequencies is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,859 entitled "Noise-Reduction System" issued Jul. 11, 1995 to Yang et al. A system which reduces noise using spectral subtraction is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,610,991 entitled "Noise reduction System and Device, and a Mobile Radio Station" issued Mar. 11, 1997 to Janse. Further, a system which used power spectral subtraction is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,927 entitled "Method for Reducing Noise in Speech Signals by Adaptively Controlling a Maximum Likelihood Filter for Calculating Speech Components" issued Sep. 16, 1997 to Chan et al.
These noise suppression systems do not provide for amplification of specific frequencies of the voice signals prior to performing an adaptive noise suppression operation. For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below that will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for alternative noise suppression communication systems.

Communication system with adaptive noise suppression


Oil or fat compositions contain the following ingredients:                (A) an oil or fat containing from 60 to 100% by weight of diglyceride, by 100 parts by weight of the oil or fat composition, the diglyceride further comprising fatty acids, wherein the amount of fatty acids that are unsaturated is from 80 to 100 wt. %, by 100 parts by weight of the diglyceride;        (B) from 0.001 to 1 % by weight of ingredient (A) of a carboxylic acid selected from C2-8 hydroxycarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids and tricarboxylic acids, and salts derivatives thereof, and mixtures thereof;        (C) from 0.001 to 5 % by weight of ingredient (A) of an antioxidant; and        (D) from 0.05 to 4.7 % by weight of ingredient (A) of a plant sterol.

Diglycerides have been found to be effective for improving blood cholesterol levels (WO 99/48378) and also to be effective for curtailing the accumulation of body fat and preventing adiposis (JP-A-04-300826, JP-A-10-176181). These effects are considered to be attributed to the inhibition of an increase in the level of fat in postcibal blood. Further, use of diglycerides in cooking oil is known to bring about such merits that upon frying, foaming is reduced and improved flavor and texture of the fried foods are assured (JP-A-02-190146, JP-A-07-016051, JP-09-154494). In addition, diglycerides are also known to be applicable to emulsified foods (JP-B-04-034367, U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,735, JP-A-03-008431). With the foregoing in mind, oil or fat compositions having a high diglyceride content have found wide spread utility as edible oils or fats for consumer use.
In the meantime, a technique has been disclosed in which an antioxidant and a crystallization inhibitor are added to diglycerides to improve their storage stability (JP-A-10-176181). Another method has also been disclosed, in which an organic acid is added before deodorization step to inhibit disproportionation reaction of the diglyceride to the monoglyceride and the triglyceride in a deodorization step of the oil or fat composition (JP-A-04-261497). Concerning food containers, on the other hand, a barrier resin technique (JP-A-51-112694) and a barrier coating technique (JP-A-2000-255579) for such containers have been disclosed to improve long-term storage stability of food.
As is appreciated from the foregoing, there is an increasing desire not only in Japan, but also in various countries in the world toward the use of diglycerides because of its superb health-promoting functions.
Depending on use conditions or storage conditions, however, the external appearances of oils or fats containing diglycerides may be impaired in some instances, because compared with triglycerides, diglycerides tend to become solid in cold temperature areas or tend to become turbid in high-humidity areas. Further, use of an oil or fat with moisture absorbed therein leads to stronger emission of an unpleasant smell upon cooking so that the flavor of cooked foods may be impaired in some instances.

Abstract: Each of these preferred oil or fat compositions has a high diglyceride content having excellent health-promoting functions, and even in cold temperature areas or high-humidity areas, has improved external appearance, is good in work efficiency during cooking and also in the flavor and texture of cooked foods. Packaged edible oils or fats are also disclosed.


A walking toy animal which is pulled by a leash. The animal includes a retracting mechanism within the animal housing and secured to the leash to retract the leash essentially within the animal housing when the leash is released. The animal includes resilient leg assemblies whereby when it is pulled it will simulate a walking action.

There have been a number of toy animals such as dogs, horses, cats etc. that are in the form of pull toys for small children to play with. These animals are constructed so that they can be pulled along the floor by a leash or harness etc. and are designed to include leg portions that permit such animals to simulate the walking movement of a four legged animal. While there have been a number of these animals such as described in Candee patent U.S. Pat. No. 2,636,317, Brodrib U.S. Pat. No. 2,663,970 and Armstrong U.S. Pat. No. 3,190,035 there has not been available a simple toy which can be pulled by a leash, which leash is retractable so that if the leash is not being used it will be out of the way adjacent the head of the animal and in addition to have such an animal that will simulate the walking movement of a live animal yet be very simple in construction, light in weight and capable of being roughly handled.


The present disclosure provides systems and methods for managing meeting notes. In accordance with some embodiments, a method is provided that includes receiving nonverbal cue information associated with one or more meeting participants, determining an engagement level for each of the one or more meeting participants based on emotional information associated with the nonverbal cue information, composing meeting notes based on the determined engagement level for each of the one or more meeting participants, and storing the meeting notes.

Systems for managing meeting notes are known that allow meeting notes to be composed based on keywords, discussed topics, and similar information. These systems are not able to reflect all of the available information exchanged during a meeting, such as nonverbal information. This deficiency in information produces incomplete meeting notes that may not properly emphasize significant parts of the meetings. This deficiency may also produce meeting notes that do not properly interpret words said due to the inability to interpret the words in light of the nonverbal information associated with them.

Methods and systems for managing meeting notes


In a first aging step, a plus electrode electric potential is applied to an anode of a fuel cell, and a minus electrode electric potential is applied to a cathode of the fuel cell. In this state, hydrogen pump operation is performed at maximum current density in use by supplying humidified hydrogen to the anode without supplying any oxygen-containing gas to the cathode. Thus, the hydrogen passes through a solid polymer electrolyte membrane toward the cathode. After the first aging step, in a second aging step, power generation of the fuel cell is performed at the maximum current density.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of operating a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell for aging of the solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly comprising a pair of electrodes and an electrolyte membrane interposed between the electrodes. Further, the present invention relates to an aging apparatus for aging of such a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fuel cells are systems for obtaining direct current electrical energy by supplying a fuel gas (chiefly containing hydrogen) and an oxygen-containing gas (chiefly containing oxygen) to an anode and a cathode for inducing electrochemical reactions at the anode and the cathode.
For example, a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes a power generation cell formed by sandwiching a membrane electrode assembly between separators. The membrane electrode assembly includes the anode, and the cathode, and an electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode. The electrolyte membrane is a solid polymer ion exchange membrane. In use of this type of the power generation cell, generally, predetermined numbers of the membrane electrode assemblies and separators are stacked together to form a fuel cell stack.
In the solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell of this type, since the amount of water contained in the newly-assembled electrolyte membrane is not sufficient, the initial power generation performance is low. Therefore, in general, in order to achieve the desired power generation performance, aging operation for the fuel cell is performed after the fuel cell has been assembled.
For example, in a method of operating a fuel cell disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-217622, in order to cause flooding in the unit cells of the fuel cell at the time of preliminary operation (aging operation) of the fuel cell, the gas utilization ratio of the consumed gas is improved.
However, in the above operating method, since flooding is induced quickly, the control for suppressing degradation in the cell performance is complicated. In particular, the performance of the electrolyte membrane of the MEA may be affected undesirably.
In the case of, e.g., using hydrocarbon material instead of fluorine material for the electrolyte membrane of the MEA, since the hydrocarbon material is hydrophobic in comparison with the fluorine material, it takes a considerable time to impregnate the electrolyte membrane with water.
In an attempt to address the problem, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-066666 discloses an aging apparatus for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, and the aging apparatus includes a load consuming load current from the solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell at the time of preliminary operation, and control means connected between the solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell and the load for changing the magnitude of the load current cyclically over time.
According to the disclosure, in the structure, since the magnitude of the load current is changed cyclically over time, water impregnation in the MEA is facilitated, and reduction in the time required for aging operation is achieved.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-066666, the aging operation is started by supplying a cathode gas to the cathode, supplying an anode gas to the anode, and applying load current from the fuel cell stack to the load such that the magnitude of the load current is changed cyclically over time.
However, when the MEA is used for the first time after it is assembled, power generation cannot be performed at high current density. Therefore, operation of gradually increasing the amount of the applied electrical current from low current density, and operation of reducing the holding time during applying the electrical current to the load and returning the applied voltage to OCV (open circuit voltage) are required.
Under the circumstances, it takes considerable time to achieve the maximum power generation performance of the fuel cell, and such an aging operation is time consuming. Further, since the cathode gas and the anode gas are consumed in the aging operation, in particular, the amount of hydrogen consumption is excessively large. Therefore, the aging operation is extremely uneconomical.

Method of operating a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell and aging apparatus


A push-on switch includes an insulating resin case 21 which contains a main body 24, a central fixed contact point 22 and an outer fixed contact point 23 fixed on the back wall of a front-open recess 21A; a domed movable contact 27; and an operating body 29 supported by a cover 30. The case 21 has an overhang 25, which stretches horizontally from the case in the upper part to be of a size greater than the size of main body 24. The overhang 25 is provided with terminals 26 electrically coupled with the central fixed contact point 22 and the outer fixed contact point 23, respectively. In the above-configured switch, the constituent parts are simplyformed, and can be manufactured through easy mold machining or other processing methods.

The present invention relates to a side-push type push-on switch for use in operating sections of various kinds of electronic apparatus. A method for mounting the switch is also included.
There is an increasing need for inexpensive push-on switches that can be operated with a sidewise push force, or an operating force exerted in a direction parallel to the surface plane of a printed circuit board. Also, in view of the prevailing trends for downsized equipment and the preference for slim-shaped designs in the market of electronic apparatus, switches for such apparatus are requested to be small enough to satisfy various designing requirements.
A side-push type push-on switch known to meet the above-described general requirements is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. 51126.
FIG. 15 shows a cross-sectional side view of a conventional push-on switch, and FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view. As shown in FIG. 16, a resin case 1 that opens upward is provided in its inner recess with a pair of outer fixed contact points 2 and a central fixed contact point 3 formed integrally by insert molding. The respective fixed contact points 2 and 3 are electrically coupled with terminals 4 provided on an outside wall surface of the resin case 1.
A rectangular movable contact 5 made of an elastic thin metal sheet is formed of a frame 5A and a bridging arch 5B disposed in the middle of the frame 5A. The movable contact 5 is placed so that the frame 5A makes contact with the outer fixed contact points 2.
The bridging arch 5B of movable contact 5 is held above the central fixed contact point 3 with a certain specific clearance.
Placed further above are a flexible anti-dust sheet 6 made of an insulating resin and an operating member 7.
The operating member 7 consists of an operating section 8 protruding toward the front from an opening 1A of side wall of case 1, and a flat plate section 9 formed integrally behind the operating section 8. The flat plate section 9 is provided in the middle part with a C-shaped vacancy 10 (xe2x80x9cC-shapedxe2x80x9d includes a square shape without one side), with its opening facing the front; the remaining central portion has a thinned area 12 at a stem region so that the central portion functions as a pushing section 11, which pushes the contacts.
The operating member 7 is placed, at the flat plate section 9, on a step existing around the recess of case 1 so that the pushing section 11 is located above the bridging arch 5B of movable contact 5.
A press board 13 is attached on the case 1 covering the flat plate section 9 of operating member 7, with claws 13A hooked to recesses 1B provided on the outer wall.
Thus the flat plate section 9 is supported between the step existing around the recess of case 1 and the bottom surface of the press board 13, and the operating member 7 can slide to-and-fro.
In the press board 13, an xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d-shaped bracket 15 is formed downward between a pair of slits 14. The steep-angled front face of bracket 15 contacts with the tip end 11A of the pushing section 11 of the operating member 7.
The above-configured conventional push-on switch is, in a normal mounting method, put on a printed circuit board and soldered, at its external connection terminals 4, with a circuit pattern (not shown) formed on the printed circuit board (not shown) of an apparatus, with the operating section 8 protruded from the front edge.
As to the operating mechanism of the conventional push-on switch, when the operating section 8 of operating member 7 protruding from the front edge of the printed circuit board is pressed towards a direction as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 15, the flat plate section 9, which is an integral part of the operating section 8, moves together along a space formed by parallel surfaces of the case 1 and the press board 13. The pushing section 11 moves in the same direction as well.
Since the pushing section 11 is in contact, at the tip end 11A, with the steep-angled front face of the bracket 15 of press board 13, the whole pushing section 11 bends downward with the thinned area 12 formed at the stem as the fulcrum. The bottom surface of tip end 11A of pushing section 11 pushes the bridging arch 5B of movable contact 5 down via the anti-dust sheet 6, and then the bridging arch 5B is reversed to mechanically contact, at its bottom surface, with the central fixed contact point 3. The outer fixed contact points 2 and the central fixed contact point 3 are made to have an electrical contact via the movable contact 5; or, the switch is brought to ON state.
When the pressure on the operating section 8 is withdrawn, the pushing section 11 is pushed back to its upper position by an elastic restorative force of the bridging arch 5B of movable contact 5, and slides along the bracket 15 to return to the original position; thus, the switch returns to the OFF state as shown in FIG. 15.
In the above-configured conventional push-on switch, the pushing section 11 needs to be provided in the operating member 7; therefore, a C-shaped vacancy 10 has to be formed in the flat plate section 9 and a thinned area 12 must be created at the stem. In order to meet the stricter requirements for downsizing, it is desired for the length of the pushing section 11 of operating member 7 to be shorter, the thickness of the thinned area 12 is to be reduced a step further, and also the size of the movable contact 5 is to be still smaller. This means that it is necessary to make more precise machining for the dies and molds, and to provide more severe controls over, for example, the flow characteristics of resin materials, the conditions for operating the molding machines, as well as the maintenance of precision dies and molds and other items. This inevitably results in a higher cost.
Conventionally, the mounted switches are fixed only by soldering the terminals 4 on a printed circuit board. Therefore, the conventional switches are vulnerable to operating forces exerted in parallel with the printed circuit board. Enhancement of the mounting strength has been an outstanding item that needs improvement with the conventional push-on switches.
The present invention addresses the above tasks for improvement, and aims to provide a compact side-push type push-on switch. Die and mold machining and preparation of constituent parts for the push-on switch of the present invention are easier and lower in total cost. In the push-on switches of the present invention, operating forces exerted onto the switch are encountered by the end-face at the edge of a printed circuit board.
A switch of the present invention comprises:
an insulating resin case containing a main body of a switch mechanism formed in a front-open cavity, where a central fixed contact point and an outer fixed contact point are fixed on the inner surface of a recess;
a domed movable contact housed in the recess, the movable contact constituting the switching contact element coupled with the fixed contact points; and
an operating body supported by a cover so that it can move to-and-fro for pushing at the rear end the domed movable contact.
The resin case is provided with an overhang which stretches (extends) horizontally from the case in the upper part of a region corresponding to the main body of the switch mechanism for a distance greater than the size of main body region. The overhang is provided with terminals, electrically coupled with the central fixed contact point and the outer fixed contact point, respectively.
Thus, a complex mechanism conventionally needed for converting a sidewise operating force into a switching action is replaced by a simple structure. Namely, in a side-push type push-on switch of the present invention, the domed movable contact is pushed directly by the rear end of an operating body which can move to-and-fro in the direction of the operating force.
The constituent components of the above-configured push-on switch are of simple construction, so they can be prepared through simple and easy procedures of mold machining and/or other manufacturing processes at low cost. In addition, the push-on switch operates with a superior functional feeling.
Furthermore, the push-on switch of the present invention is mounted on a printed circuit board with the back wall of the case, in the main body region, making contact with the end-face of a cut provided in a printed circuit board while a bottom of the overhang is immediately contact on to the upper surface of the printed circuit board, and the terminals provided in the overhang are connected with respective circuit patterns on the printed circuit board. Therefore, the operating force applied to the operating body is ultimately encountered by the end-face of the printed circuit board in an area behind the main body. Thus high connection reliability is ensured in the present push-on switches with respect to the printed circuit board.

Push-on switch, electronic apparatus using the same and method for mounting the switch

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The invention concerns coating composition comprising hydrophobic polymer for use as a photoreactive basecoat for a medical device or implant comprising a polymer made from monomers comprising: (a) 1 to 12 mol % of at least one photoactive monomer that is a hydrogen atom abstracter and (b) 99 to 88 mol % of one or more of acrylamides, methacrylamides, acrylates, methacrylates, and N-vinylpyrrolidone; wherein the polymer has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of less than 40° C.

The present invention relates to the field of non-thrombogenic and lubricious coatings that are applied to medical devices, especially devices intended to be implanted, temporarily or permanently, in the body and in blood-contact applications.
Among the many advances in medical practice in recent years is the development of medical devices that supplement the surgeon's skills. Examples of these are a variety of vascular catheters and guide wires that can be used to treat remote areas of the circulatory system otherwise available only by major surgery. Another is the stent, a device that reinforces arterial walls and prevents occlusion after angioplasty. Another is the intra-ocular lens that restores youthful eyesight to the elderly afflicted with cataracts. Heart valves, artificial pacemakers, and orthopedic implants are among a lengthening list of other such devices.
Nearly all of the above-described devices are constructed of plastics and metals that were never intended to invade and sometimes reside for prolonged periods in the human body. They present surfaces that bear little or no resemblance to those of human organs, which are generally hydrophilic, slippery and biocompatible.
Equally important for devices that must be inserted and moved through body tissues is their lubricity. Most metals and plastics have poor lubricity against body tissues, which results in mechanical abrasion and discomfort when the device is passed over the tissue.
The surfaces of devices designed and manufactured from such materials can be made biocompatible, as well as hydrophilic and slippery, by properly designed coatings. Thus, the way has been opened to construct medical devices from conventional plastics and metals having the particular physical properties required, and then to apply suitable coatings to impart the desired properties to their surfaces.
It has been shown that polymers that have low coefficients of friction when wet are water soluble polymers that are cross-linked or otherwise immobilized and swell, but do not dissolve, upon exposure to water. Polysaccharides have been shown to be useful in making hydrophilic, lubricious coatings on substrates. Such coatings are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,801,475, 5,023,114, 5,037,677, and 6,673,453, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Lubricious coatings based upon polysaccharides exhibit exceptional biocompatibility and lubricity, but relatively poor resistance to ionizing radiation.
It is desirable for some applications to have a lubricious coating made of a synthetic polymer for the benefits of a longer shelf-life and stability to radiation-sterilization processes. Hydrophilic synthetic polymers, such as poly(acrylic acid) and its copolymers have often been proposed to make lubricious, hydrophilic coating because of their ability to generate a hydrated layer on the surface.
Contacting blood with a foreign object having a plastic or metal surface induces a complex set of clot-forming reactions that occur at the blood surface interface. Thromboembolism is a major complication associated with the clinical use of artificial devices, such as catheters, guidewires, mechanical heart valves, ventricular assist devices, implant-able artificial hearts, vascular grafts, etc. In particular, thromboembolism is an important complication of angiographic procedures, particularly with catheter and guidewire manipulations proximal to the brachiocephalic vessels.
Surface modification is commonly used to make the materials more blood-compatible, while minimizing any loss of mechanical properties. Two approaches to modification have been commonly used. Suppression of nonspecific protein adsorption using coatings of polyethylene oxide (PEO) (a neutral, hydrophilic, and highly flexible polymer) or other hydrophilic polymers has been investigated for surface passivation. Uncontrolled, nonspecific protein adsorption, which usually occurs within seconds following the exposure of a foreign surface to blood, can initiate blood coagulation and the complement pathways.
A second approach has been to use coatings that actively assist the anticoagulant activity of surfaces. Certain plasma proteins (such as antithrombin (AT) which can inhibit thrombin and factor Xa (FXa)) or heparin (a glycosaminoglycan which catalyzes the reactions of plasma AT) have been used for this purpose. Frech et al., in "A Simple Noninvasive Technique to Test Nonthrombogenic Surfaces," The American Journal of Roentgenology, vol. 113 (1971), p. 765-768, discloses coating of a guidewire with a benzalkonium-heparin complex. Ovitt et al., in "Guidewire Thrombogenicity and Its Reduction", Radiology, vol. 111 (1974), p. 43-46, reports Teflon coated guidewires treated with benzalkoniumheparin. U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,467 (William) shows the application of heparin to solid polymeric resin substrates by steeping the substrate in a solution of ammonium salt and contacting the substrate with a heparin salt solution.
There have also been many attempts to invent hydrophilic polymers with applications ranging from electrophoresis, hair treatment and paper treatment. As revealed by Albarghouthi et al, in "Poly-N-hydroxyethylacrylamide(polyDuramide): A novel, hydrophilic, self-coating polymer matrix for DNA sequencing by capillary electrophoresis", Electrophoresis, vol. 23 (2002), p. 1429-1440, non-ionic monomers, such as N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide, have great hydrophilicity.
The following references, namely WO10041527A, WO10041530A, WO11125713A, JP2011046619A, JP2011046652A, JP2010126482A, and JP2010090049A, teach copolymers comprised of a 5-30 mol % of a carboxylic acid monomer and 70-95 mol % of an alcohol containing acrylic monomer for use in hair treatment formulations. These patent applications do not disclose the utility of the copolymers as lubricious, biocompatible coatings nor do they disclose their resistance to ionizing radiation. JP2006176934A teaches copolymers from methacrylamide, hydroxyethyl acrylamide, and an ionic vinyl monomer for use as an additive to increase the strength of the paper. The latter reference does not disclose the utility of the copolymers as lubricious, biocompatible coatings nor does it disclose their resistance to ionizing radiation.
Typically, a basecoat resides between the substrate and the lubricious coating in a medical device or implant. The basecoat can improve stability of the lubricious coating. There is a need in the art for improved basecoats, such as ones that provide a more rapid binding of the lubricious topcoat. A basecoat that binds to the hydrophilic topcoat through ultraviolet (UV) cure would meet this need.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

UV cure basecoatings for medical devices


An operating member (15) for regulating the grip on a fishing line (20) in a cover type fishing reel uses translational motion which is transformed to generally transverse translational movement by a facing mechanism (16, 17) Consequently, a reasonable and natural thumb motion is used to regulate the grip on the fishing line (20) and at the same time, a fisherman is able to maintain a comfortable and proper hold on a fishing rod (30) upon which the cover type fishing reel is mounted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement of a cover type fishing reel.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese examined utility model publication No. 57-44856 and Japanese examined patent publication No. 64-6054 disclose a conventional cover type fishing reel. They show that it is known to use a thumb actuated operating member to translate an axle for the purpose of gripping a fishing line.
There are several disadvantages with a conventional cover type fishing reel. For instance, the thumb motion necessary to actuate the operating member is not completely natural. Consequently, the fishing line cannot be smoothly and effectively gripped nor can the fishing rod be held properly.

Operating member for a cover type fishing reel


A height of cut adjustment mechanism is provided for a rotary cutting deck mounted on a lift arm extending from a traction vehicle. The mechanism includes a front axle and a rear axle, at least one roller mounted on each axle, and a pair of height of cut arms extending from each axle to a pivot axis on the rotary cutting deck. A notch lock on each height of cut arm may be moved between a locked position in which the notch lock engages a notch plate at a desired cutting height, and an unlocked position in which the notch lock disengages the notch plate so that the height of cut arm can pivot with respect to the rotary cutting deck. A lever attached to each notch lock can be operated to move the notch lock between the locked and the unlocked positions.

Many new and existing golf courses have narrowed their fairways and expanded their rough areas on either side of the fairways. Roughs requires less care than fairways, so narrowing the fairways allows golf course operators to lower their maintenance costs. For example, irrigation requirements may be reduced if only the fairways are watered. If grasses in the roughs are allowed to grow longer, those non-irrigated areas are less brown. Trees and other aesthetic features may be located in the roughs, because roots and shade can inhibit turf growth in the fairways.
However, golf course roughs still must be maintained regularly using grass mowing machines that can mow the vegetation at an acceptable length and appearance. Equipment for mowing golf course roughs typically includes a traction vehicle carrying three or five rotary cutting decks, each rotary cutting deck mounted on the end of a lift arm extending from the traction vehicle. Carrying the rotary cutting decks with lift arms extending from the front or sides of the traction vehicle is necessary and desirable, instead of towing the rotary cutting decks behind the vehicle, because it is necessary for the mower to provide close trims next to trees, bunkers or other hazards. Each lift arm also may be used to move a rotary cutting deck between a mowing position and a transport position. The mounting devices also should allow for pitch (front to back pivoting) and yaw (side-to-side pivoting) of the rotary cutting decks.
Traction vehicles carrying rotary cutting decks may travel at speeds of 6 to 8 miles per hour when mowing golf course roughs. The traction vehicle's weight may be in excess of 2000 pounds. Each rotary cutting deck may be subject to shocks from impacts against the ground surface or objects during mowing. To withstand the rigorous mowing conditions, rotary cutting decks typically are made of thick sheet steel, such as 7 gage or 10 gage sheet steel. Each rotary cutting deck may have a diameter between about 18 inches and 27 inches, and weigh at least 120 pounds.
Golf course operators sometimes need to change the height of cut of rotary cutting decks on a rough mower. For example, the height of cut may need to be changed if the mower goes from an intermediate rough with a 1½ to 2 inch height of cut, to a full length rough with a 3 to 4 inch height of cut. The height of cut also may need to be changed if the machine is used to mow rough for tournaments where rough heights can be as long as 6 inches. Additionally, golf course operators may change the height of cut of a rotary cutting deck due to seasonal variations, shade conditions, or different types of grass or vegetation in different rough areas of a golf course.
For a grass mowing machine with multiple rotary cutting decks mounted on lift arms, a height of cut adjustment mechanism is needed that is rugged, reliable, relatively simple and inexpensive. A height of cut adjustment mechanism for rotary cutting decks on a rough mower is needed that can absorb shocks from impacts and provide good stability of each deck at specified cutting heights.

Height of cut adjustment mechanism for rotary cutting deck


Presented herein are methods and compositions for determining haplotypes in a sample. The methods are useful for obtaining sequence information regarding, for example, HLA type and haplotype. Also presented herein are methods of determining haplotypes in a sample based on a plurality sequence reads.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes are critical to humans' adaptive immune response. Because of this, correctly matching the genotypes of these genes between donor and recipient is critical for success in organ transplantation. The most routinely typed HLA genes are HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C and HLA-DRB1. HLA sequencing technologies have traditionally focused on the most polymorphic regions encoding the peptide-binding groove that binds to HLA antigens, i.e., exons 2 and 3 for class I genes and exon 2 for class II genes. The antigen-binding groove region of HLA molecules is the focus point of the T-cell receptor and mediates transplant rejection and graft-versus-host diseases (GVHD). For HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-C, exons 2 and 3 are the most polymorphic exons in the human genome, and are the focus of HLA typing products.
Current DNA-based technologies independently type exons 2 and 3 for HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-C. This is usually done by DNA hybridization. To gain direct information on the formed proteins, testing can also be done serologically. An alternative method to these is typing by sequencing (sequencing based typing, or SBT). SBT has the potential to provide higher information content than serological or hybridization methods that can, in turn, provide prognostic and diagnostic advantages by avoiding typing ambiguities that plague other methods. However, existing sequencing technologies typically do not have read lengths that allow for complete sequencing of both exons together and/or require cloning each haplotype separately prior to sequencing to resolve within-exonic phase. Also, high error rates are associated with many sequencing technologies. As such, there remains a great need for improved HLA haplotyping methodologies.

HLA typing using selective amplification and sequencing


The present invention is directed to the use of a compound of Formula I

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the use of compounds of Formula I for enhancing a sweet taste, masking an unpleasant taste by creating a sweet taste, and related uses. The invention is also directed to, among other things, compositions comprising a compound of Formula I that can be used in pharmaceutical, food, and other products as a sweetener enhancer or as a taste masking agent. In certain aspects, the invention provides methods and compositions for enabling one to prepare consumable products, such as food and pharmaceutical products, which retain a desired sweetness but contain lower amounts of sweetener, such as sugar, and in some cases fewer calories.
2. Background Art
Taste perception plays a critical role in the nutritional status and survival of both lower and higher animals (Margolskee, R. F., J. Biol. Chem. 277:1-4 (2002); Avenet, P. and Lindemann, B., J. Membrane Biol. 112:1-8 (1989)). The ability to taste has significance beyond providing people with pleasurable culinary experiences. For example, the ability to taste allows us to identify tainted or spoiled foods, and provides satisfying responses that may be proportionate to caloric or nutritive value.
There are generally considered to be only four or five categories of basic taste: sweet, sour, bitter, acid, and "umami" (the Japanese word describing the taste of monosodium glutamate; Hemess, M. S. & Gilbertson, T. A., 1999, Annu. Rev. Physiol. 61:873-900). These can be sub-classified as the appetitive tastes, such as salty, sweet and umami, which are associated with nutrient-containing foods, and the bitter and sour tastes elicited by toxic compounds.
The anatomic basis for the initial events of taste is the taste receptor cell ("TRC"), located in clusters referred to as "taste buds" (Lindemann, supra). Taste buds are distributed throughout the oral cavity, including the tongue as well as extra-lingual locations (see Hemess and Gilbertson). In the human tongue, taste buds are organized into three specialized types of specialized structures, namely fungiform, foliate, and circumvallate papillae. Each taste bud comprises between about 50 and 100 individual cells grouped into a cluster that is between 20 and 40 microns in diameter. Nerve fibers enter from the base of the taste bud and synapse onto some of the taste receptor cells. Typically, a single TRC contacts several sensory nerve fibers, and each sensory fiber innervates several TRCs in the same taste bud (Lindemann, supra).
When a subject ingests a tastant, and that tastant encounters a taste receptor cell in the appropriate concentration, an action potential is produced which, via synapses with primary sensory neurons, communicates the signal registered by the receptor, via afferent nerves, to the appropriate region of the sensory cortex of the brain, resulting in the perception of a particular taste by the subject.
Although taste perception is a vital function, sometimes it is useful to modify certain tastes. For example, many active pharmaceutical ingredients of medicines produce undesirable tastes, such as a bitter taste. Masking the bitter taste produced by the medicine by adding a sweetener enhancer may lead to improved acceptance by the patient.
Traditionally, sweeteners and flavorants have been used to mask the bitter taste of pharmaceuticals. The sweetener or flavorant is known to activate other taste pathways and at sufficiently high concentration this serves to mask the bitter taste of the pharmaceutical. Using large concentrations of sweeteners such as table sugar (sucrose) is undesirable because of the high number of calories and because it cannot be administered to diabetics. Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin do not have these drawbacks but can have an undesirable aftertaste or present safety concerns if used in large quantities.
A number of other methods have been suggested to inhibit, alter, or mask unwanted tastes. However, the presently available compounds are lacking in desirable characteristics.
Another area in which enhancing sweet taste would be useful is in encouraging food intake in subjects who have an impaired ability to taste or in patients who have lost their appetites. Studies have shown increased food intake as palatability increased. Sorensen, et al., Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 27(10):1152-66 (2003). For instance, certain drugs, such as antihypertensives and antihyperlipidemics, have been reported to produce untoward alterations in taste and may result in decreased food intake. Doty, et al., J. Hypertens. 21(10):1805-13 (2003). Taste impairment has also been associated with radiation treatments for head and neck cancer and this taste impairment has been considered to be one of the factors associated with reduces appetite and altered patterns of food intake. Vissink, et al., Crit. Rev. Oral Biol. Med. 14(3):213-25 (2003). Decreased food consumption has also been correlated with loss of taste sensations in the elderly. Shiffman, S. S., J. Am. Med. Ass'n 278(16):1357-1362 (1997). Enhancing the sweet taste of food could lead to increased consumption of foods containing these enhancers.
Therefore, there exists a need for compounds that can effectively enhance a sweet taste, preferably without exhibiting one or more of the limitations of the prior art sweetening agents.

Heterocyclic compounds as sweetener enhancers

Abstract: and physiologically acceptable salts thereof wherein G1, G2, G3, R1, R2, R7, R3, R4, and R5 are defined herein. Compounds according to Formula I can be used to enhance a sweet taste produced by a tastant. The invention is also directed to compositions comprising a compound according to the above formula. Other aspects of the invention provide methods, compounds, and compositions for improved food products wherein the food product comprises a compound according to Formula I and a reduced amount of a sweet tastant.


An integrated shelf talker, comprising a paper substrate having a front surface and a back surface, each of the front and back surfaces having first and second end edges and a medially disposed portion, the substrate having a vertical perforation along the entire length thereof and located in the medial portion of the front and back surfaces to divide the substrate into first and second sections, the substrate further having a strip of repositionable adhesive applied to the medial portion of one of the front and back surfaces such that when the substrate is separated into the first and second sections along the vertical perforation, each of the first and second end edges is free of adhesive.

The invention relates generally to bibs or shelf talkers, used primarily in retail stores. As anyone who shops in a grocery or convenience store will appreciate, "shelf talkers" or "bibs" are cards, signs or other printed material placed at the shelf locations of items for sale. Some shelf talkers are made of stiff plastic with ears to grip a standard "c" channel at a shelf edge. Other shelf talkers are made of vinyl and have an adhesive backing for attachment to a shelf edge. Still others are cards that are taped to shelf edges.
While vinyl shelf talkers are commonly used in the industry, they are relatively expensive and are known to curl in high moisture conditions (e.g., meat departments). Paper cards offer certain improvements over vinyl, but it is generally inconvenient to tape cards to shelf edges.
What is needed, then, is a less expensive alternative to vinyl shelf talkers which will not curl, is easily detached from a sheet, easily applied to a shelf, and does not require taping.

Integrated shelf talker and method of making same


A polishing cloth is dressed between polishing processes each for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer. The polishing cloth is dressed while supplying a dressing liquid such as water during a dressing process, and an abrasive liquid for polishing a workpiece is supplied to the polishing cloth for a predetermined period of time prior to a polishing process. The predetermined period of time may be present within the dressing process and immediately precedes the polishing process, and the dressing process may be carried out while supplying the abrasive liquid to the polishing cloth. Alternatively, the predetermined period of time may be present between the dressing process and the polishing process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for dressing a polishing cloth, and more particularly to a method of and an apparatus for dressing a polishing cloth which is used to polish a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent rapid progress in semiconductor device integration demands smaller and smaller wiring patterns or interconnections and also narrower spaces between interconnections which connect active areas. One of the processes available for forming such interconnection is photolithograpy. Though the photolithographic process can form interconnections that are at most 0.5 .mu.m wide, it requires that surfaces on which pattern images are to be focused by a stepper be as flat as possible because the depth of focus of the optical system is relatively small.
It is therefore necessary to make the surfaces of semiconductor wafers flat for photolithography. One customary way of flattening the surfaces of semiconductor wafers is to polish them with a polishing apparatus.
Conventionally, a polishing apparatus has a turntable and a top ring which rotate at respective individual speeds. A polishing cloth is attached to the upper surface of the turntable. A semiconductor wafer to be polished is placed on the polishing cloth and clamped between the top ring and the turntable. An abrasive liquid containing abrasive grains is supplied onto the polishing cloth and retained on the abrasive cloth. During operation, the top ring exerts a certain pressure on the turntable, and the surface of the semiconductor wafer held against the polishing cloth is therefore polished to a flat mirror finish while the top ring and the turntable are rotating.
After the workpiece has been polished and before another workpiece is polished, the polishing cloth is processed to recover its original polishing capability. Various processes have been and are being developed for restoring the polishing cloth, and are collectively called "dressing". The polishing cloth is dressed in order to enable the polishing apparatus to perform a good polishing function at all times without undesired degradation of a polishing performance which would otherwise be caused if the polishing cloth were not dressed, but rather used continuously. If the polishing apparatus suffers degradation of polishing performance, then it may not be able to polish a workpiece at a constant polishing rate or to a flat finish, or may cause the polishing cloth to have an unduly short service life.
Since one of purposes for dressing the polishing cloth is to remove a remaining abrasive liquid on the polishing cloth, ground-off chips of the workpiece, and worn pieces of the polishing cloth, it is often dressed while water is being supplied to the polishing cloth for thereby discharging the remaining abrasive liquid, the chips, and the worn pieces from the polishing cloth.
After the polishing cloth has been dressed with water supplied thereto, a new workpiece to be polished is set in place for a new polishing operation. However, the new workpiece cannot be polished at a sufficiently high polishing rate in an initial polishing period because an abrasive liquid is not present on the polishing cloth before the new workpiece starts being polished or the abrasive liquid is diluted with the water that has been supplied in the preceding dressing process and remained on the polishing cloth. It takes a certain period of time until the abrasive liquid is fully distributed over and impregnated in the polishing cloth or the concentration of the abrasive liquid on the polishing cloth increases to a predetermined level.
Since the new workpiece cannot be polished at a sufficiently high polishing rate in the initial polishing period, the total period of time required in each polishing process is relatively long, and hence the processing capability of the polishing apparatus per unit time is relatively low.
Furthermore, inasmuch as the abrasive liquid is not uniformly distributed over and impregnated in the polishing cloth until the abrasive liquid is fully spread over the polishing cloth, the performance of the polishing apparatus tends not to be uniform. Thus, the flatness of the polished workpiece tends to fail to reach a desired level.

Method of and apparatus for dressing polishing cloth


In a device for noise configuration in a motor vehicle which has an internal combustion engine with at least two gas conduits connected to different cylinders of the engine, the gas conduits are interconnected by means of a cross-flow section formed by a housing which encloses the gas conduits and which has at least two chambers in each of which one of the gas conduits is disposed, each of the gas conduits being in communication with the respective chamber by which it is enclosed by means of a respective cross-flow opening and the two chambers being in communication with one another by means of at least one cross-flow opening which is remote from the cross-flow openings of the gas conduits so as to provide for a phase shift of the sound waves of the gas flowing through the housing.

The invention relates to a device for noise configuration in a motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine having at least two exhaust conduits connected to different cylinders of the engine and having a cross-flow section each enclosed by a housing and the housings being in communication with each other by at least one cross-flow opening.
In internal combustion engines having twin-pipe exhaust systems, it is known to provide a so-called cross-flow section between these two exhaust pipes in order to allow resonance discharge of the internal combustion engine. Such engines are normally internal combustion engines having six, eight or twelve cylinders in a V arrangement.
As a result of the ignition sequence of internal combustion engines of this type and by the cross-flow of the exhaust gas from one exhaust pipe into the other, it is however to be observed by way of example that in the sound characteristic of a 6 cylinder internal combustion engine, the odd-numbered multiples of the 1.5th engine order, so in particular the 1.5th and the 4.5th engine order, cancel each other out. Precisely these secondary orders are however necessary for a sporty noise, so that internal combustion engines in a V-layout with exhaust systems of this type frequently have a sound which is regarded by the driver as not sporty enough. This is also the case in a similar way for internal combustion engines having other numbers of cylinders.
In DE 102 12 257 A1, it is sought to eliminate the generally existing problem of an insufficiently sporty sound by means of a line which branches off from the intake duct and a hollow body which is arranged in this line and includes an element which can oscillate. This known device is effective, but it requires a relatively large outlay.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for noise configuration in a motor vehicle which allows a cross-flow between the at least two gas conduits and yet provides for a sporty engine exhaust sound using simple means.

Device for modulating noise in a motor vehicle


A tub grinder for grinding waste material is disclosed. The tub grinder includes a cylindrical tub member having an open end for receiving waste material to be ground. The tub member includes a cylindrical interior wall having one or more magnets mounted thereon for extracting tramp iron from waste material in the tub member.

The present invention relates in general to apparatus for grinding waste material. It relates in particular to a tub grinder.
Tub grinders are widely used for recovering useable wood material from waste wood products. A tub grinder includes a cylindrical receptacle, or tub, having an open end for receiving the waste wood. The diameter of the receptacle may be large enough that large waste items such as pallets and tree limbs may be placed in it. The tub is located above a generally flat floor and is mounted such that it may rotate relative to the floor about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the floor. Grinding apparatus for grinding the waste wood is located below the floor. The grinding apparatus extends partially through an aperture in the floor so that it may engage material in the tub.
The grinding apparatus may be a hammer-mill including a plurality of grinding elements mounted for rotation in a closed circular path around an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the tub. A portion of the closed circular path extends through the aperture in the floor.
The tub grinder is operated by rotating the grinding elements and the tub. Material in the tub is moved, by the rotation of the tub, continuously across the aperture in the floor and into engagement with the grinding elements. Portions of the waste material are ground into particles by the elements. The particles fall through the aperture where they are further ground, i.e., milled, into smaller particles by the rotating elements. When the milled particles are sufficiently small they pass through one or more screens onto a conveyor which discharges them from the tub grinder.
Waste wood material may contain a number of different metal objects. These metal objects are generally referred to as tramp iron. Tramp iron may include small objects such as nuts, bolts, nails, and screws which may have been used in the construction of some items making up the wood waste. Tramp iron found in waste from yards, construction sites and demolition sites, however, may include relatively large objects, such as hand tools, garden tools, water pipe, electrical conduit, automobile parts, and kitchen appliances.
If tramp iron finds its way into the path of the rotating grinding elements, it may cause rapid wear of the grinding elements or may damage the grinding apparatus such that it will not function.
Apparatus for preventing tramp iron from reaching the grinding elements of a hammer-mill are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,350,307 and 4,896,836. Each patent discloses the use of a magnetized surface for attracting and retaining tramp iron. The magnetized surface is located within a narrow enclosure above the hammer-mill. The narrow enclosure has an open end, or entrance aperture, for introducing waste material into the hammer-mill. In U.S. Patent No. 4,350,307, the magnetized surface is the surface of an inclined flat plate. In U.S. Patent No. 4,896,836, the magnetized surface is the outer surface of a rotating drum. The patents each disclose a stand-alone hammer-mill for grinding or milling wood or agricultural waste which is already in the form of small particles. The waste particles, which may include tramp iron, are gravity-fed into the hammer-mill, first passing over a magnetized surface before they fall into the path of the rotating elements of the hammer-mill. Tramp iron may thus be attracted to and retained by the magnetized surface before it can enter the path of the rotating elements.
In a tub grinder the grinding elements must be exposed directly to bulk waste so that they may break the bulk waste into particles which may subsequently fall into the grinding apparatus where they are further ground or milled. The magnetic extraction systems disclosed in the above references are designed to receive waste material already in particle form. As such, they could not be used to prevent tramp iron from reaching grinding elements of a hammer-mill which is a component of a tub grinder. Further, the magnetic surfaces partially restrict the entrance aperture of the hammer-mill and may result in the hammer-mill being blocked when large tramp iron objects are trapped by the magnetized surface.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for extracting tramp iron from waste material in a tub grinder.
It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus for extracting relatively large objects, such as hand tools, garden tools, water pipe, electrical conduit, automobile parts and kitchen appliances, from waste material in a tub grinder.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide apparatus for attracting and retaining tramp iron from a tub grinder which does not restrict the entrance aperture of a hammer-mill included in the tub grinder.
Additional objects of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combination particularly pointed out in the claims.


Items of content may be available in any of a number of versions. Major aspects of each content version, such as overall plot and major characters, may generally overlap. However, minor aspects, such as level of description, minor characters, or sub-plots may vary between versions. Accordingly, systems and methods are provided for managing playback of multiple content versions, and enabling users to switch between such content versions. In some embodiments, a playback path including portions of multiple content versions may be provided, such that a user may consume only desired portions of each content version. In other embodiments, a determined playback path may be utilized to create a customized content version, which may be provided to a user.

Generally described, computing devices may convey items of digital content to users. For example, computing devices may visually convey items of content such as animations, electronic books, electronic periodicals, movies, television programs, multi-media content, and portions thereof on an electronic screen or touchscreen. Computing devices may also direct audible output through headphones or speakers to convey items of audible content such as audiobooks, songs, movies, television programs, multi-media content, and portions thereof.
In some instances, a particular item of content may be available in a variety of versions. While the subject matter and general progression of each content version may the same, each version may differ in one or more ways. For example, a novel may be available in an unabridged version, an abridged version, or a summary version. Illustratively, the unabridged version may correspond to an original author's work. Similarly, the abridged version may correspond to a version of that original work that has been edited to condense the work, or to make the original work easier to consume. Further, the summary version may correspond to a very condensed version that may omit significant portions of the original work. In some instances, expanded versions of a content item may also be available. For example, "extended editions" or "director's cuts," may reincorporate material initially omitted from a standard version of the content item.
A given user may have different preferences regarding which version of a content item to consume. For example, a user concerned with authenticity may elect to consume the original or unabridged convent version, while a user concerned with the complexity or length of the content may elect to consume the abridged content version. Similarly, a user concerned only with the basic outline of the content may elect to consume the summarized version.


In one general aspect, a method for signaling traffic flow information includes monitoring a status for a traffic restrictor, generating a wireless signal indicative of the status of the traffic restrictor, and communicating the wireless signal to a receiver. In another general aspect, a wireless receiver includes a wireless interface and a processor. The wireless interface receives a wireless signal indicative of a status of a traffic restrictor. The processor determines a portion of a route for a vehicle based upon the status of the traffic restrictor.

Vehicle traffic flow may be controlled or impeded by a variety of conditions. For example, traffic lights control the ability of vehicles to move through an intersection. In some cases, how a particular condition affects the traffic flow may depend on a status for the traffic condition. Thus, for example, if a traffic light is red for one direction, traffic flow in that direction is impeded in that direction for a certain period of time. Drivers often become aware of the status of a particular traffic flow device only after viewing the device, which limits the ability of drivers to be aware of traffic conditions and to adjust their routes accordingly. Particularly in the case of emergency vehicles, this can substantially interfere with the ability of vehicles to reach a destination in a timely manner. Also, in conditions of limited visibility, such as rainstorms or fog, these problems can become even more pronounced.

System and method for signaling status of traffic flow