Exemplary embodiments include a method, performed by a session management function (V-SMF) of a visited public land mobile network (VPLMN), for establishing a user-requested PDU session to be routed through the user's home PLMN (HPLMN). Such embodiments include receiving, from an access management function (AMF) in the HPLMN, a first request to establish a home-routed PDU session, wherein the first request identifies an SMF (H-SMF) in the HPLMN. Such embodiments also include sending, to the H-SMF, a second request to create the home-routed PDU session. The second request can include an identifier of a resource in the V-SMF associated with the PDU session; and one or more indicators of whether the V-SMF supports respective one or more features related to receiving, from the H-SMF, an identifier of a resource in the H-SMF that is associated with the PDU session. Embodiments also include complementary methods performed by the H-SMF.

Generally, all terms used herein are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the relevant technical field, unless a different meaning is clearly given and/or is implied from the context in which it is used. All references to a/an/the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc. are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any methods and/or procedures disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is explicitly described as following or preceding another step and/or where it is implicit that a step must follow or precede another step. Any feature of any of the embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to any other embodiment, wherever appropriate. Likewise, any advantage of any of the embodiments can apply to any other embodiments, and vice versa. Other objectives, features and advantages of the enclosed embodiments will be apparent from the following description.
Long Term Evolution (LTE) is an umbrella term for so-called fourth-generation (4G) radio access technologies developed within the Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and initially standardized in Releases 8 and 9, also known as Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN). LTE is targeted at various licensed frequency bands and is accompanied by improvements to non-radio aspects commonly referred to as System Architecture Evolution (SAE), which includes Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network. LTE continues to evolve through subsequent releases. One of the features of Release 11 is an enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel (ePDCCH), which has the goals of increasing capacity and improving spatial reuse of control channel resources, improving inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC), and supporting antenna beamforming and/or transmit diversity for control channel.
An overall exemplary architecture of a network comprising LTE and SAE is shown in FIG. 1. E-UTRAN 100 comprises one or more evolved Node B's (eNB), such as eNBs 105, 110, and 115, and one or more user equipment (UE), such as UE 120. As used within the 3GPP standards, "user equipment" or "UE" means any wireless communication device (e.g., smartphone or computing device) that is capable of communicating with 3GPP-standard-compliant network equipment, including E-UTRAN as well as UTRAN and/or GERAN, as the third-("3G") and second-generation ("2G") 3GPP radio access networks are commonly known.
As specified by 3GPP, E-UTRAN 100 is responsible for all radio-related functions in the network, including radio bearer control, radio admission control, radio mobility control, scheduling, and dynamic allocation of resources to UEs in uplink and downlink, as well as security of the communications with the UE. These functions reside in the eNBs, such as eNBs 105, 110, and 115. The eNBs in the E-UTRAN communicate with each other via the X1 interface, as shown in FIG. 1. The eNBs also are responsible for the E-UTRAN interface to the EPC 130, specifically the S1 interface to the Mobility Management Entity (MME) and the Serving Gateway (SGW), shown collectively as MME/S-GWs 134 and 138 in FIG. 1. Generally speaking, the MME/S-GW handles both the overall control of the UE and data flow between the UE and the rest of the EPC. More specifically, the MME processes the signaling (e.g., control plane) protocols between the UE and the EPC, which are known as the Non-Access Stratum (NAS) protocols. The S-GW handles all Internet Procotol (IP) data packets (e.g., data or user plane) between the UE and the EPC, and serves as the local mobility anchor for the data bearers when the UE moves between eNBs, such as eNBs 105, 110, and 115.
EPC 130 can also include a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 131, which manages user- and subscriber-related information. HSS 131 can also provide support functions in mobility management, call and session setup, user authentication and access authorization. The functions of HSS 131 can be related to the functions of legacy Home Location Register (HLR) and Authentication Centre (AuC) functions or operations.
In some embodiments, HSS 131 can communicate with a user data repository (UDR)—labelled EPC-UDR 135 in FIG. 1—via a Ud interface. The EPC-UDR 135 can store user credentials after they have been encrypted by AuC algorithms. These algorithms are not standardized (i.e., vendor-specific), such that encrypted credentials stored in EPC-UDR 135 are inaccessible by any other vendor than the the vendor of HSS 131.
FIG. 2A shows a high-level block diagram of an exemplary LTE architecture in terms of its constituent entities—UE, E-UTRAN, and EPC—and high-level functional division into the Access Stratum (AS) and the Non-Access Stratum (NAS). FIG. 2A also illustrates two particular interface points, namely Uu (UE/E-UTRAN Radio Interface) and S1 (E-UTRAN/EPC interface), each using a specific set of protocols, i.e., Radio Protocols and S1 Protocols. Each of the two protocols can be further segmented into user plane (or "U-plane") and control plane (or "C-plane") protocol functionality. On the Uu interface, the U-plane carries user information (e.g., data packets) while the C-plane is carries control information between UE and E-UTRAN.
FIG. 2B illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary C-plane protocol stack on the Uu interface comprising Physical (PHY), Medium Access Control (MAC), Radio Link Control (RLC), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and Radio Resource Control (RRC) layers. The PHY layer is concerned with how and what characteristics are used to transfer data over transport channels on the LTE radio interface. The MAC layer provides data transfer services on logical channels, maps logical channels to PHY transport channels, and reallocates PHY resources to support these services. The RLC layer provides error detection and/or correction, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly, reordering of data transferred to or from the upper layers. The PHY, MAC, and RLC layers perform identical functions for both the U-plane and the C-plane. The PDCP layer provides ciphering/deciphering and integrity protection for both U-plane and C-plane, as well as other functions for the U-plane such as header compression.
FIG. 2C shows a block diagram of an exemplary LTE radio interface protocol architecture from the perspective of the PHY. The interfaces between the various layers are provided by Service Access Points (SAPs), indicated by the ovals in FIG. 2C. The PHY layer interfaces with the MAC and RRC protocol layers described above. The MAC provides different logical channels to the RLC protocol layer (also described above), characterized by the type of information transferred, whereas the PHY provides a transport channel to the MAC, characterized by how the information is transferred over the radio interface. In providing this transport service, the PHY performs various functions including error detection and correction; rate-matching and mapping of the coded transport channel onto physical channels; power weighting, modulation; and demodulation of physical channels; transmit diversity, beamforming multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna processing; and providing radio measurements to higher layers, such as RRC.
Generally speaking, a physical channel corresponds a set of resource elements carrying information that originates from higher layers. Downlink (i.e., eNB to UE) physical channels provided by the LTE PHY include Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Multicast Channel (PMCH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), Relay Physical Downlink Control Channel (R-PDCCH), Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH), Physical Control Format Indicator Channel (PCFICH), and Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel (PHICH). In addition, the LTE PHY downlink includes various reference signals, synchronization signals, and discovery signals.
PDSCH is the main physical channel used for unicast downlink data transmission, but also for transmission of RAR (random access response), certain system information blocks, and paging information. PBCH carries the basic system information, required by the UE to access the network. PDCCH is used for transmitting downlink control information (DCI), mainly scheduling decisions, required for reception of PDSCH, and for uplink scheduling grants enabling transmission on PUSCH.
Uplink (i.e., UE to eNB) physical channels provided by the LTE PHY include Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). In addition, the LTE PHY uplink includes various reference signals including demodulation reference signals (DM-RS), which are transmitted to aid the eNB in the reception of an associated PUCCH or PUSCH; and sounding reference signals (SRS), which are not associated with any uplink channel. PUSCH is the uplink counterpart to the PDSCH. PUCCH is used by UEs to transmit uplink control information, including HARQ acknowledgements, channel state information reports, etc. PRACH is used for random access preamble transmission.
In 3GPP, a study item on a new radio interface for a fifth-generation (5G) cellular (e.g., wireless) network has recently been completed. 3GPP is now standardizing this new radio interface, often abbreviated by NR (New Radio). FIG. 3 illustrates a high-level view of the 5G network architecture, consisting of a Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN) 399 and a 5G Core (5GC) 398. NG-RAN 399 can include a set of gNodeB's (gNBs) connected to the 5GC via one or more NG interfaces, such as gNBs 300, 350 connected via interfaces 302, 352, respectively. In addition, the gNBs can be connected to each other via one or more Xn interfaces, such as Xn interface 340 between gNBs 300 and 350. With respect the the NR interface to UEs, each of the gNBs can support frequency division duplexing (FDD), time division duplexing (TDD), or a combination thereof.
NG-RAN 399 is layered into a Radio Network Layer (RNL) and a Transport Network Layer (TNL). The NG-RAN architecture, i.e., the NG-RAN logical nodes and interfaces between them, is defined as part of the RNL. For each NG-RAN interface (NG, Xn, F1) the related TNL protocol and the functionality are specified. The TNL provides services for user plane transport and signaling transport. In some exemplary configurations, each gNB is connected to all 5GC nodes within an "AMF Region," which is defined in 3GPP TS 23.501. If security protection for CP and UP data on TNL of NG-RAN interfaces is supported, NDS/IP (3GPP TS 33.401) shall be applied.
The NG RAN logical nodes shown in FIG. 3 (and described in TS 38.401 and TR 38.801) include a central (or centralized) unit (CU or gNB-CU) and one or more distributed (or decentralized) units (DU or gNB-DU). For example, gNB 300 in FIG. 3 includes gNB-CU 310 and gNB-DUs 320 and 330. CUs (e.g., gNB-CU 310) are logical nodes that host higher-layer protocols and perform various gNB functions such controlling the operation of DUs. Each DU is a logical node that hosts lower-layer protocols and can include, depending on the functional split, various subsets of the gNB functions. As such, each of the CUs and DUs can include various circuitry needed to perform their respective functions, including processing circuitry, transceiver circuitry (e.g., for communication), and power supply circuitry. Moreover, the terms "central unit" and "centralized unit" are used interchangeably herein, as are the terms "distributed unit" and "decentralized unit."
A gNB-CU connects to gNB-DUs over respective F1 logical interfaces, such as interfaces 322 and 332 shown in FIG. 3. The gNB-CU and connected gNB-DUs are only visible to other gNBs and the 5GC as a gNB, e.g., the F1 interface is not visible beyond gNB-CU. In the gNB split CU-DU architecture illustrated by FIG. 5, DC can be achieved by allowing a UE to connect to multiple DUs served by the same CU or by allowing a UE to connect to multiple DUs served by different CUs.
FIG. 4 shows a high-level view of an exemplary 5G network architecture, including a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) 499 and a 5G Core (5GC) 498. As shown in the figure, NG-RAN 499 can include gNBs 410 (e.g., 410a,b) and ng-eNBs 420 (e.g., 420a,b) that are interconnected with each other via respective Xn interfaces. The gNBs and ng-eNBs are also connected via the NG interfaces to 5GC 498, more specifically to the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) 430 (e.g., AMFs 430a,b) via respective NG-C interfaces and to the UPF (User Plane Function) 440 (e.g., UPFs 440a,b) via respective NG-U interfaces.
Each of the gNBs 410 can support the NR radio interface, including frequency division duplexing (FDD), time division duplexing (TDD), or a combination thereof. In contrast, each of ng-eNBs 420 supports the LTE radio interface but, unlike conventional LTE eNBs (such as shown in FIG. 1), connect to the 5GC via the NG interface.
Deployments based on different 3GPP architecture options (e.g., EPC-based or 5GC-based) and UEs with different capabilities (e.g., EPC NAS and 5GC NAS) may coexist at the same time within one network (e.g., PLMN). It is generally assumed that a UE that can support 5GC NAS procedures can also support EPC NAS procedures (e.g., as defined in 3GPP TS 24.301) to operate in legacy networks, such as when roaming. As such, the UE will use EPC NAS or 5GC NAS procedures depending on the core network (CN) by which it is served.
Another change in 5G networks (e.g., in 5GC) is that traditional peer-to-peer interfaces and protocols (e.g., those found in LTE/EPC networks) are modified by a so-called Service Based Architecture (SBA) in which Network Functions provide one or more services to one or more service consumers. This can be done, for example, by Hyper Text Transfer Protocol/Representational State Transfer (HTTP/REST) application programming interfaces (APIs).
The services are composed of various "service operations", which are more granular divisions of the overall service functionality. In order to access a service, both the service name and the targeted service operation must be indicated. The interactions between service consumers and producers can be of the type "request/response" or "subscribe/notify". In the 5G SBA, network repository functions (NRF) allow every network function to discover the services offered by other network functions, and Data Storage Functions (DSF) allow every network function to store its context.
This architecture model, which further adopts principles like modularity, reusability and self-containment of network functions, can enable deployments to take advantage of the latest virtualization and software technologies. FIG. 5 shows an exemplary non-roaming 5G reference architecture with service-based interfaces and various network functions within the Control Plane (CP). These include:                Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) with Namf interface;        Session Management Function (SMF) with Nsmf interface;        User Plane Function (UPF) with Nupf interface;        Policy Control Function (PCF) with Npcf interface;        Network Exposure Function (NEF) with Nnef interface;        Network Repository Function (NRF) with Nnrf interface;        Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) with Nnssf interface;        Authentication Server Function (AUSF) with Nausf interface;        Application Function (AF) with Naf interface; and        Unified Data Management (UDM) with Nudm interface.
The UDM is similar to the HSS in LTE/EPC networks discussed above. UDM supports Generation of 3GPP AKA authentication credentials, user identification handling, access authorization based on subscription data, and other subscriber-related functions. To provide this functionality, the UDM uses subscription data (including authentication data) stored in the 5GC unified data repository (UDR). In addition to the UDM, the UDR supports storage and retrieval of policy data by the PCF, as well as storage and retrieval of application data by NEF.
FIG. 6 shows an exemplary roaming 5G reference architecture with service-based interfaces. In this reference architecture, the user roams into a Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN) that is different than the user's Home PLMN (HPLMN). In particular, FIG. 6 shows a roaming architecture that supports home-routed data services, in which the home operator's administrative domain is involved in the user's data session and the UE interfaces the data network (DN) in the HPLMN. From the user's perspective, the various network functions of the HPLMN shown in the non-roaming architecture of FIG. 5 are distributed among the HPLMN and VPLMN in the home-routed roaming architecture shown in FIG. 6. For example, the AMF is in the VPLMN, the AUSF is in the HPLMN, and the SMF and UPF exist in both (e.g., are split between) VPLMN and HPLMN. To distinguish between these functions existing in both networks, a prefix of "H" or "V" can be used, such as "H-UPF" and "V-UPF".
In both roaming and non-roaming scenarios, a user (e.g., a UE) may want to establish a data session (also referred to as a "PDU session") with a data network (DN, e.g., Internet) via the 5G network. The session is managed by a resource in the SMF which is created by an create Session management context request when establishing the session. The term "PDU", short for "protocol data unit," is often used to refer to a unit of data specified in a protocol layer and comprising protocol control information and possibly user data. "PDU" is often used interchangeably with "packet." A PDU Session establishment may correspond to any of the following:                a UE initiated PDU Session Establishment procedure;        a UE initiated PDU Session handover between 3GPP and non-3GPP networks;        a UE initiated PDU Session handover from LTE to NR (e.g., EPC to 5GC); and        a network-triggered PDU Session Establishment procedure. In this case, the network sends the device trigger message to application(s) on the UE side. The payload included in Device Trigger Request message contains information on which application on the UE side is expected to trigger the PDU Session establishment request. Based on that information, the application(s) on the UE side trigger the PDU Session Establishment procedure.
For a UE-initiated (or UE-requested) PDU session establishment based on home-routed roaming, functions in the VPLMN often need to exchange information about the user with their peer and/or corresponding function in the HPLMN. For example, the V-SMF often needs to exchange information with the H-SMF. However, various problems and/or difficulties can arise due to the VPLMN function (e.g., V-SMF) lacking necessary information about the corresponding HPLMN function (e.g., H-SMF).

Secondary authorization at PDU session establishment for home routed roaming


A motor vehicle starter is controlled by a control device which cuts off the starter by measuring the power supply voltage of the starter and interrupting the power supply when that voltage reaches a threshold value. The threshold value is a function of the value of the power supply voltage measured at the inception of the starting operation.

Driving of a heat engine by its starter is usually controlled by the user of the vehicle, who releases the ignition key once the engine makes a characteristic sound. However, there is a current tendency to make motor engines more and more silent, and this tendency makes it increasingly difficult for the driver to detect the end of the starting operation. This in turn leads to the application of severe, and quite unnecessary, forces on the starter. A number of devices are already known for cutting off a motor vehicle starter when the engine has started satisfactorily, that is to say when the engine is sufficiently autonomous to attain its slow running mode by itself.
In particular, it has been proposed to control the cut-off of the starter by comparing the battery voltage with a reference voltage, the starter being cut off when the battery voltage reaches this reference voltage. One device which makes use of such a method of control was described in the introduction of French patent specification No. 2 626 417. In this connection, it is known that when a starter begins the starting operation, during which the starter is driving the engine, the voltage across the terminals of the battery undergoes a sharp diminution, due to the high current flowing through the starter. The battery voltage regains its initial level once the engine has been started.
However, such an arrangement is not satisfactory. In particular, the battery voltage can vary considerably over a period of time, in particular as a function of its state of maintenance, or as a function of ambient temperature. As a result, if the battery voltage is too low, it can happen that the starter will not be cut off immediately after the engine has been properly started, and in consequence the starter may be in operation for far too long, quite unnecessarily.
By contrast, if the battery voltage is too high, it can happen that the starter will be cut off too soon, i.e. well before the engine has properly started.

Method and device for controlling cut-off of a motor vehicle starter


An apparatus for loading a motorcycle or a secondary vehicle onto a carrier so that the carrier can be secured to a primary self-propelled vehicle for transporting. The carrier employs a docking unit which can be lowered to ground level allowing for ease of loading a motorcycle thereon. The docking unit may then be retracted by a pivoting conveyor assembly that guides the docking across roller supports to a raised position. The conveyor assembly rests upon a series of nested sleeves that allow the conveyor assembly to pivot to an inclined, loading/unloading orientation to the horizontal, transporting orientation. Elastomeric suspension elements dampen shock loads transferred to the device during travel. The device includes mounting shafts for securement either to a receiver hitch or a trailer. A system of interlocking pieces restricts relative motion of the device during travel. Tie downs and wheel chocks further assist in control of a vehicle during loading and transporting.

The ability to transport a secondary vehicle, such as a motorcycle, moped, electric wheelchair, A.T.V. or the like is well known. A carrier allows a secondary vehicle, such as motorcycle, to be carried from one location to another without operating the motorcycle. This is especially important if the vehicle is not street legal, as in the case of off-road dirt bikes. In many instances the transported vehicle may be safe only for local use and could be dangerous if driven on highways. In other instances the transported vehicle may be too valuable for highway use where such a vehicle is subject to an accelerated wear. In any event, the ability to transport a secondary vehicle will greatly enhance the longevity of the vehicle and provides efficiency when coupled to an automobile, truck, van, or recreational vehicle or other motorized vehicle.
A variety of carriers exist, each attempting to deal with the difficulties of securing a secondary vehicle. Many individuals choose to have the carrier coupled directly to the primary vehicle by use of a trailer or bumper hitch. In this manner a carrier may be coupled transversely to the length of the automobile wherein the automobile supports the entire weight of the carrier and secondary vehicle. Alternatively the carrier may be coupled to the automobile by use of a trailer wherein the automobile secures only a portion of the weight with the trailer wheels supporting the remaining weight of the secondary vehicle.
Regardless of the type of carrier, one of the most troublesome issues faced by the use of a carrier is the substantial weight and space requirements inherent in most secondary vehicles, even relatively-small motorcycles or mopeds.
To load the known ramp-type carriers, an individual must push, drive, or roll a vehicle upward, to an elevated position, and hold the vehicle upright until it is secured. This approach requires enormous amounts of dexterity and, depending on the type of secondary vehicle being loaded, is potentially dangerous. For example, loading a motorcycle on this type of carrier requires an individual not only to propel a top-heavy vehicle up an incline, it also requires the individual to prevent the motorcycle from rolling back down the ramp and ensure that the motorcycle does not topple sideways, off the ramp, until loading is complete. To be loaded correctly, known ramp carriers often require two people. When only one person is available, undue strain often causes back muscle damage. Although, compared to early lift-on carriers, known ramp-type carriers help reduce the amount of vertical lifting required to load a vehicle, they require inordinate amounts of dexterity. The following are exemplary of such ramp-type carriers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,713 discloses a motorcycle carrier with a central pivot wherein the motorcycle is pushed or driven onto the carrier and the carrier pivoted and locked in position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,528,578 discloses a motorcycle carrier that employs a pinion mounted to the frame of a vehicle wherein the carrier is placed in a lowered position and by use of the automobile jack is lifted into an upright position and then locked in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,333 discloses a motorcycle carrier with a removable ramp allowing a motorcycle to be driven on to the carrier for proper positioning.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,001 discloses a motorcycle carrier having a slidable ramp that allows the carrier to be placed adjacent to a vehicle wherein a motorcycle is driven onto or pushed onto the ramp secured in position; the ramp is then lifted and slid into a position transverse to the automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,098 discloses a carrier having a detachable ramp allowing a motorcycle to be driven onto the ramp for securement thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,842 discloses a motorcycle carrier attachment consisting of a carrier that is pivotally mounted onto the back of a vehicle with an extendable ramp. The ramp allows the vehicle to be driven onto the carrier and then operates as a wheel block sidewall so as to prevent movement of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,981 discloses a vehicle-mounted motorcycle carrier which is pivotal along one portion of the carrier. An extension ramp is utilized wherein a motorcycle can be pushed or driven onto the carrier. When the motorcycle is over- center it will cause the carrier to rotate into a horizontal position. The ramp may then be slid beneath the carrier surface for transporting purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,274 discloses a motorcycle carrier having a bracket that clamps onto a bumper. The carrier surface includes an over-center pivot allowing a motorcycle to be pushed or driven onto the carrier. The carrier moves along a pivot point having independent rollers so as to cause the carrier to move from an outside portion of the vehicle to a transportable position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,973 discloses a vehicle lift which consists of a carrier coupled to the frame of a vehicle. A hydraulic piston causes movement of the lift from a lowered position for ease of access to a raised position for carrying of items.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,398 discloses another motorcycle carrier that is pivotal along a central position. The carrier is coupled to a trailer hitch with a wheel stop operating as an entrance ramp. Once the motorcycle has been driven over the center portion of the carrier, the carrier will rotate back into a horizontal position allowing for securement and transportation thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,564 discloses a motorcycle lift with a platform secured at the end of pinned arms. A winch and cable pivots the arms, lifting the platform vertically into a locked position.
Numerous other carriers are also known in the art including Pat. Nos. 3,207,396; 3,567,052; 3,529,737; 3,760,965; 4,046,297; 4,191,316; 4,464,952; 4,601,632; 5,366,338.
All of the prior art devices, except U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,564, require the motorcycle to be driven onto the ramp or pushed onto it which can present a most dangerous condition for the operator. In many instances should an individual attempt to drive up a ramp it is possible for the motorcycle to overdrive the ramp, miss the ramp with one or both wheels, or simply fall off the motorcycle as it is moving too slow for an individual to correctly balance such a vehicle. This is especially prevalent in larger vehicles that are heavy and have a high mass of weight above the ground making them extremely easy to tip over. In addition, as the prior art all teaches ramps that are pivotal when a motorcycle is on the ramp unless the motorcycle has been secured during the pivot the motorcycle can easily become disengaged from the carrier causing the motorcycle to fall over and possibly injuring the operator. Patent '564 has shortcomings as well. The frame which supports the platform of that device interferes with vehicle dismount during loading. Also, the '564 patent depends on only one cable to lift and support the full weight of the vehicle motorcycle during loading. Failure of the cable, which is subject to fatigue loading, would drop and likely damage, the motorcycle.
Thus what is lacking in the art is secondary vehicle carrier which allows an individual to load the vehicle horizontally at ground level having provisions for pulling the vehicle and carrier up an incline ramp wherein the ramp is then rotated into a horizontal position for transportation.


To provide a lithium recovery method which is capable of efficiently recovering lithium without containing impurities, such as phosphorus and fluorine. In the present invention, an alkali is added to a discharge liquid and/or a cleaning liquid containing lithium discharged in a process of recovering valuable metals from a lithium ion battery, an acidic solvent extractant is caused to be in contact with the discharge liquid and/or the cleaning liquid under a condition of pH 9 or less and a temperature of 0 to 25° C. and lithium ions are extracted, and the acidic solvent extractant having extracted the lithium ions is caused to be in contact with an acid solution of pH 3 or less and the lithium ions are stripped.

Effective use of electric power is required for recent global warming tendency. Secondary batteries for power storage are expected as one means, and from the standpoint of prevention of air pollution, early practical application of large secondary batteries is expected as an automobile power source. Further, a demand of small secondary batteries has been steadily increasing especially in association with spread and performance enhancement of electrical devices, such as digital cameras and mobile phones, as back-up sources of computers and power sources of small household electrical appliances.
As these secondary batteries, a secondary battery having performance corresponding to a device to be used is required, and typically, lithium ion batteries are mainly used.
In the lithium ion battery, a negative electrode material formed such that a negative electrode active material of graphite, or the like is fixed to a negative electrode substrate made of copper foil in a metal packaging can of aluminum, iron, or the like, a positive electrode material formed such that a positive electrode material of lithium nickel oxide, lithium cobalt oxide, or the like is fixed to a positive electrode substrate made of aluminum foil, a current collector made of aluminum or copper, a separator made of resin film, such as a polypropylene porous film, an electrolyte solution, an electrolyte, and the like are enclosed.
By the way, establishment of measures against environment pollution with used lithium ion batteries is strongly required for the expanding demand of lithium ion batteries, and recovery and effective use of valuable metals have been examined.
As a method of recovering valuable metals from a lithium ion battery provided with the above-described structure, dry treatment or incineration treatment described in Patent Literatures 1 and 2 are used. However, these methods have such drawbacks that consumption of thermal energy is large, lithium and aluminum cannot be recovered.
Furthermore, as described in Patent Literatures 3 and 4, methods of recovering valuable metals by wet treatment have been proposed. However, in such methods in which a wet treatment is used, dry treatment is partly used and keeping the costs of such methods low is difficult because of complexity of a treatment process. Therefore, the valuable metals cannot be efficiently recovered.
In particular with respect to lithium as a valuable metal, there is also a problem that impurities, such as phosphorus and fluorine, are mixed in, and thus high-quality lithium cannot be efficiently recovered in the form of a simple substance. Namely, a lithium ion battery contains, as an electrolyte, lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) and the like, which comprises a valuable metal (lithium). LiPF6 may undergo a hydrolysis reaction through wet treatment, and form a precipitate in the forms of lithium phosphate and lithium fluoride, and thus lithium cannot be efficiently recovered in the form of a simple substance.


An oxygen enrichment apparatus includes an oxygen enriching unit for generating oxygen-enriched air and a discharge unit for discharging the oxygen-enriched air transferred from the suction unit. The oxygen-enriched air generated by the oxygen enriching unit has an oxygen concentration ranging from about 25% to 35%. The apparatus also includes a suction unit for suctioning the oxygen-enriched air from the oxygen enriching unit and a control unit for controlling the operation of the suction unit. The main body is provided with a display unit for indicating a state that the oxygen-enriched air is being discharged out by the discharge unit. The oxygen enriching unit has at least one oxygen enriching membrane for generating the oxygen-enriched air and a condensed water treating unit is installed at an air passage for guiding the oxygen-enriched air from the oxygen enriching unit to the discharge unit via the suction unit.

In general, an oxygen enrichment apparatus of such type has been used in medical fields. A conventional oxygen enrichment apparatus, however, should control concentration of oxygen in high precision; therefore, cost of the oxygen enrichment apparatus is high and size thereof is large. Accordingly, the conventional oxygen enrichment apparatus cannot be used readily by common people.
There has been proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1998-234836 an oxygen enrichment apparatus which can be readily used by common people. The oxygen enrichment apparatus includes an oxygen enriching membrane accommodated within a main body, a pump for suctioning oxygen-enriched air through the oxygen enriching membrane, and a discharge port through which the oxygen-enriched air is supplied to a user.
However, since this oxygen enrichment apparatus is designed to have an air cleaning function as well, there still is a limit in reducing the size and the price thereof and common people can hardly afford it.
Further, the oxygen-enriched air is supplied to the user mixed with air discharged from an air cleaning unit and, therefore, the oxygen concentration of the air inhaled by the user is not so high due to dilution of the oxygen therein.
Furthermore, since the oxygen enriching membrane is likely to transmit moisture in the air together with the oxygen, it frequently happens that moisture in the oxygen-enriched air is condensed and the condensed water is discharged with the oxygen-enriched air, thereby discomforting the user. In case zeolite is employed instead of the oxygen enriching membrane, maintenance thereof becomes troublesome.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A DMA controlling device is provided. The DMA controlling device includes a DMA control register for storing an instruction, which is transmitted to the DMA controlling device by the microprocessor for the DMA transmission: a DMA count register for recording a number of DMA transmission; means for generating the address of the source memory during the DMA transmission; means for generating the address of the destination memory during the DMA transmission; a DMA data buffer for temporarily storing data of the source memory before the data of the source memory is transmitted to the destination memory; DMA arbitrating means for arbitrating a memory access priority upon the occurrence of each the DMA transmission cycle when the memory access request is received from at least one master intending to use one of the source and destination memories during the DMA transmission; and DMA engine controlling means for requesting the memory access priority from the DMA arbitrator, transmitting memory control signals to a master which has the memory access priority, and transmitting information regarding the DMA transmission frequency to a DMA count register. Therefore, the performance of a multiprocessor system requiring high speed balanced with a minimum pause time can be improved by supporting a DMA transmission cycle together with a general processor cycle.

The present invention relates to a direct memory access (DMA) controlling device, and more particularly, to a DMA controlling device for temporarily granting a priority of memory use to a microprocessor or another master intending to use a source or destination memory during DMA transmission.
The purpose of DMA transmission is to rapidly transmit data from a specific memory to another memory such that a microprocessor can carry out a different task during the DMA transmission, and thus offers more efficient and excellent system performance.
In order to perform the DMA transmission, a DMA controlling device receives a series of instructions from the microprocessor for transmitting data from a specific memory, i.e., a source memory, to another memory, i.e., a destination memory, and then executes the instructions. A conventional DMA controlling device is comprised of a control register for storing an instruction issued from the microprocessor, a source address generator for generating the address of a source memory which stores data to be transmitted, a destination address generator for generating the address of a destination memory in which the data transmitted from the source memory is to be stored, a count register for storing the number of DMA transmissions which should be carried out, a state register for storing a state occurring during DMA transmission, and a DMA controller for controlling the DMA transmission.
When as many DMA transmissions as the number stored in the count register is performed, the DMA controlling device notifies the microprocessor which issued the instruction of the DMA transmissions, and is set to an initial state to wait for the next instruction. If an error takes place during the DMA transmissions, the error is recorded in the state register and an error interrupt is sent to the microprocessor so that the microprocessor can read the state register and take an appropriate action.
As described above, the conventional DMA controlling device supports only the DMA transmission. When a DMA transmission begins, other masters, for example, a microprocessor or other controllers, cannot access to the memories, i.e., source and destination memories which a DMA controller is using, until an assigned number of DMA transmissions have been completed.
To overcome this drawback, a method of making the amount of DMA transmission data smaller is used so that the time required to perform the DMA transmission is reduced.
However, no great progress is made in such a method because a long standby time is still required for a microprocessor to access to a memory. In a system requiring high-speed performance, delay of a response during CPU processing degrades the system performance. Furthermore, in case of a multiprocessor system having a shared memory structure, many masters frequently compete for access to a shared memory.
As a result, the memory processor should wait for an access to a memory until a DMA transmission is completed. To be worse, a timeout which damages the system may be generated, which counteracts the advantages of using the DMA transmission.
The following patents each disclose DMA controllers having features in common with the present invention. However, none of these patents teach or suggest the specific combination of recited features of the present invention:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,821 issued to Gephardt, et al. entitled System For Performing I/O Access And Memory Access By Driving Address Of DMA Configuration Registers And Memory Address Stored Therein Respectively On Local Bus. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,639 issued Hanington entitled Apparatus For Arbitrating For A High Speed Direct Memory Access Bus. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,294 issued to Schell entitled Configurable Data Width Direct Memory Access Device With A Read Address Counter And A Write Address Counter Which Increments The Addresses Based On the Desired Data Transfer Width. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,607 issued to Tokumaru entitled Direct Memory Access Controller. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,965 issued to Fujihira, et al. entitled Direct Memory Access Controller. PA1 U.S. Patent No. 5,018,098 issued to Taniai, et al. entitled Data Transfer Controlling Apparatus For Direct Memory Access. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,165 issued to Tanikawa, et al. entitled Direct Memory Access Controlled System. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,632 issued to Gach, et al. entitled Memory Control Subsystem. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,051 issued to Chattopadhya entitled Combined Read/Write Cycle For A Direct Memory Access Controller. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,155 issued to Oishi, et al. entitled I/O Adapter With Direct Memory Access To I/O/ Control Information.

DMA system for re-arbitrating memory access priority during DMA transmission when an additional request is received


An x-ray radiation detector is disclosed with an upper side, which faces an x-ray radiation source during operation, and with a semiconductor layer for direct conversion of x-ray radiation into electric measurement signals. In an embodiment, a luminous film is arranged between the upper side and the semiconductor layer, and with the aid of which luminous film, electromagnetic radiation can be coupled into the semiconductor layer.

An X-ray radiation detector is known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,652,258 B2.
In imaging systems, such as for example computer tomographs, directly converting detectors are increasingly employed for the detection of X-ray radiation, in which the radiation to be detected is converted directly into an electrical measuring signal in a semiconductor layer composed for example of CdTe, CdZnTe, CdZnTeSe, CdTeSe, CdMnTe, InP, TIBr2 or HgI2.
Typical of semiconductor materials of this kind is a relatively high concentration of lattice defects, which inter alia are electrically effective as so-called "traps" for electrons. As a rule, many of the energy levels belonging to these impurities are unoccupied under normal conditions, and are occupied only upon irradiation of the semiconductor with X-ray radiation. The electrons occupying these energy levels are subsequently bound to the defect and thus remain permanently fixed in the semiconductor crystal, giving rise to a radiation-dependent polarization of the semiconductor crystal. A falsification of the measuring signal results from this, firstly because some of the free charge carriers generated by the radiation to be detected no longer contribute to the measuring signal, but are in part captured by the impurities, and secondly because the electrical displacement field having an effect in the semiconductor material changes as a result of the fixed charges.
In patent U.S. Pat. No. 7,652,258 B2, it is proposed to irradiate the detector with infrared radiation, in order thus to prescribe an occupation of the impurity levels and thus to prescribe the polarization status with the aid of the infrared radiation. The infrared radiation is hereby generated in a laborious manner in an additional infrared generator and coupled into the detector structure.

X-ray radiation detector and method for measuring X-ray radiation


In one embodiment, the memory device includes a data storage region and an error correction (ECC) region. The data storage region configured to store a first number of data blocks. The ECC region is configured to store a second number of ECC blocks. Each of the second number of ECC blocks is configured to store ECC information. The second number of the ECC blocks is associated with the first number of data blocks, and the second number is less than the first number.

The inventive concepts relate to a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor memory device including a non-volatile memory, a cache memory and a computer system including the semiconductor memory device.
A non-volatile memory device as a semiconductor memory device stores data in a non-volatile manner. As an example of a non-volatile memory device, a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) device stores data in a non-volatile manner and has a quick access speed. It is desirable for the semiconductor memory device to have improved integration and, access speed and data reliability.
In consideration of a quick access speed of an MRAM device, the MRAM device may be used for storing important data as a system memory, for example. Accordingly, it is desirable for the MRAM device to have improved data reliability while maintaining a quick access speed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Semiconductor memory device including non-volatile memory, cache memory, and computer system


A quantum well infrared detector comprised of a quantum well semiconductor structure having two adjacent quantum states. The structure is electrically tunable by photon induced resonant tunneling between the quantum wells. An infrared tunable detector device having a large responsivity, sharp line width and wide tunability is defined by the following characteristics: a transmission matrix element in the range of 1.1.times.10.sup.17 /nm to 1.5.times.10.sup.17 /nm; and a tuning distance in the range of 20 .ANG. to of 70 .ANG..

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to detectors based on intraband transitions in quantum well structures and more specifically to an electrically-tunable infrared detector exhibiting large responsivity, sharp line width, which determines resolution of the detector, and wide tunability.
2. Prior Art
Infrared detectors in the prior art have various advantages, both in terms of quality measures such as responsivity, bandwidth, speed, and tunability, and in terms of such things as ease of fabrication, reliability, and cost. All related detectors rely on specific quantum transitions to convert electromagnetic radiation to a detectable voltage or current. The most commonly used such transitions can be divided into three types: interband transitions, confined-to-confined intraband transitions, and confined-to extended intraband transitions.
In interband transitions, an electron is excited from a state in the valance band (either from the bulk valence band, or from a heterostructure confined state) to states in the conduction band. The absorption for this kind of transition can be very strong, due to the large number of available electrons in the initial state.
In confined-to-confined intraband transitions, both the initial and final states are confined conduction-band or valence-band states induced by band-gap engineering. In this case, the absorption is due to envelope function overlap, and this transition probability can be very large. In many cases this results in absorption features as strong for a single quantum well of 100 .ANG. as for bulk samples of thickness of a few 1000 .ANG. (the order of an absorption length). While these transitions have the advantage of a more sharply defined absorption bandwidth, they often suffer in terms of population of the initial state.
Finally, there are confined-to-extended intraband transitions, in which the transition is between an initial confined-state and the conduction-band continuum. It was found that designing the structure in such a way that the quasi-confined final state of the device is pushed up into the continuum allows for a stronger transition probability while still maintaining a fairly well-defined absorption bandwidth.
In intraband transitions, both confined-to-confined and confined-to-extended, selection rules require that the electric-field vector of the detectable light be parallel to the direction of growth. This means that for unpolarized light at least 50% is lost to this constraint. It also means that for maximum detection, the light must enter the detector edge-on. This places constraints on the configuration of the detector.
In all absorption processes, the population of the initial state and the number of final states available are as important as the transition probability. It is the product of these factors that determine the total absorption and hence the efficiency of the detector.
The best known of infrared devices are the narrow band-gap alloy detectors that depend on the interband band-gap transition of the semiconductor. While providing the best figures of merit to date for commercially produced detectors, after many years of development, the growth and processing of these materials continue to be a challenge. Effort still continues in this field, including attempts to grow the alloy using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to improve reliability and uniformity, and to grow bandgap-engineered structures. However, such structures do not exhibit electrical tunability.
In electrically tunable infrared detectors the wavelength tunability achievable in Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors (QWIPs) due to an applied electric field (Stark shift) is quite limited. To first order, the energy levels in a single quantum well all move equally with applied field, and thus any change in the energy spacing between levels is second order at best. To achieve appreciable tunability requires extensive modification of the well shape.
While narrow band-gap alloys continue to be the most commonly used technology, concerns over the growth and fabrication difficulties involved with these materials have caused researchers to explore alternate methods of detecting infrared light. First was the use of quantum wells as sources of confined electrons, taking advantage of the increase in transition probability with little regard for the niceties of the initial state energies. Then came a detector which used selection of a particular energy state in a single quantum well, transitioning to a quasi-continuum final state, and later to an even more strongly confined superlattice band final state, to give good frequency selection. This approach suffered from a low initial state population, and thus had relatively low quantum efficiencies.
The difficulties of low initial state population and the associated low quantum efficiency were solved by using a multi-period structure and using a waveguide to allow multiple passes through the device, bringing the quantum efficiency to 95% for polarized light. Large absorption was achieved by coupling to a quasi-continuum state and the dark current was lowered by widening the barrier. This resulted in a device that, by some measures, is competitive with state-of-the-art direct bandgap material systems.
Many of the prior art intraband detectors share certain characteristics. First, they take advantage of quantum states formed by interfaces or actual wells created by growth or doping. These effects can all be expressed as a change in the energy potential seen by the detection particle. Next, they all depend on a photon induced transition of the detection carrier from a well confined state to a less confined one. The efficiency of the detector is directly dependent upon the strength of this transition and thus, in an ideal detector, transition strength should be as large as possible. Because the dark current depends on the confinement of the initial state, and the escape rate of the final state affects the number of carriers that finally reach the contact, it is desirable to maximize the first, while minimizing the second.
Most of the prior art intraband detectors also use an electric field to sweep the detection carrier to the contact and, in the case of electrically-tunable devices, use the electric field to change the wavelength of the detected photon through Stark shift.
Finally, all of the prior art intraband detectors are based on simple conceptual designs: well to well, first to second state in a simple well shape, etc.
It is desirable to provide more efficient quantum structures that simultaneously maximize those quantities that are of the most importance for a given application. There is tremendous freedom in the selection of growth parameters in a band-gap engineered material, which is largely unexplored.
It is particularly desirable to provide a quantum well electrically-tunable infrared detector having a superior structure, especially wide tuning range and good signal-to-noise.

Electrically-tunable infrared detectors and method based on intraband transitions in quantum well structures


The present invention resides in a packaging construction for removably mounting and interconnecting semiconductor wafers with minimized interconnection lead lengths between the wafers and with a high packing density. The wafer packaging construction includes a multilayer printed circuit board, an insulating board interposed between each wafer and the circuit board and upper and lower housing sections. Electrical connections between contact areas on each semiconductor wafer and the multilayer circuit board are established by compressing the housing sections together, thus compressing wadded-wire connector elements positioned in openings of the insulating boards against the wafer contact areas and the multilayer circuit board contact areas. The novel construction of the invention eliminates the need for soldering, removes the interconnect inductance of the fine wires used in conventional packaging constructions, dramatically increases the number of wafers that can be mounted on a single multilayer circuit board, and substantially reduces signal propagation time between circuits.

This invention relates generally to techniques for packaging and interconnecting integrated circuits and, more particularly, to techniques for packaging and interconnecting integrated circuits covering an entire semiconductor wafer.
Integrated circuits are generally fabricated on a wafer of semiconductor material, such as silicon, and cut into individual integrated-circuit (IC) chips. Each IC chip is then encapsulated in a chip package, typically of plastic or ceramic, to protect the chip from contamination and provide input/output pins for soldering the chip onto a printed circuit board. Inside the chip package, the input/output contact areas of the IC chip are electrically connected to the input/output pins of the chip package by soldering extremely fine wires between the chip contact areas and the package pins.
Although this type of IC chip packaging construction is widely used, it has several disadvantages, especially when used in more advanced circuit applications. One disadvantage is that the chip packages require a large volume, thus severely limiting the chip densities that can be achieved. Another disadvantage is that the resulting long interconnection lengths between IC chips contribute to signal propagation delays and signal distortions. Still another disadvantage is that the use of fine soldered wires between the chip contact areas and the package pins requires expensive tooling and special labor, causes poor quality connections and increases the inductance of the interconnections.
To minimize these disadvantages, integrated circuits covering an entire semiconductor wafer have been fabricated. These wafer scale integrated circuits reduce the distances between circuits, thus providing faster switching speeds, while reducing the number of interconnections between circuits, thus lessening the probability of defective interconnections. In addition, the volume required by a wafer scale integrated circuit is substantially less than the volume required by the same integrated circuit on multiple IC chips.
Several different packaging constructions for semiconductor wafers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,374 to Wasielewski, U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,910 to Val and U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,215 to Pappas. However, all of these packaging constructions rely on the conventional interconnection techniques discussed above and do not attempt to minimize the lead lengths between interconnected circuits or provide a high packing density. The present invention is directed to these ends.

Packaging construction for semiconductor wafers


Disclosed is a composite filter media. The composite filter media is formed from multiple layers of media material including a nanofiber media layer, where the layers are laminated, bound, or otherwise composited to each other. The composite filter media can comprise at least one nanofiber layer comprising polymeric media material having a geometric mean fiber diameter of about 100 nm to 1 μm, and fibers configured in a gradient such that ratio of the geometric mean diameter of fibers at the upstream face of the nano fiber layer to the geometric mean diameter of fibers at the downstream face of the nano fiber layer is about 1.1 to 2.8, preferably about 1.2 to 2.4.

The disclosed subject matter relates to composite filter media. In particular, the disclosed subject matter relates to composite filter media comprising multiple layers of laminated media material including a nanofiber media layer.
Applications, such as on-board engine high pressure common rail fuel filter systems, are demanding. High levels of particle removal for fine particles should be maintained even under conditions of flow surges and vibration, as are encountered on operating engines. Particles 4 μm (c) or even smaller have been shown to damage fuel injectors, and beta ratios in excess of 64, and ideally higher are recommended. Further, these levels of removal should be maintained even when flow rates change rapidly, such as at engine start up or when the fuel throttle is rapidly adjusted, or when the engine vibrates. At the same time, customers and end-users insist that filter life not be shortened, while space constraints prevent the use of larger filters.
These challenges are further exacerbated in typical diesel fuel applications, where multiple filters are used in series. Multiple filters are typically used on modern diesel fuel systems. In many cases, a first filter FWS (Fuel Water Separator) or coalescing filter is used both to remove water and pre-filter coarser particles. This first filter or pre-filter results in a significant shift in contaminant particle size distribution and may adversely affect contaminant removal of a subsequent filter due to the removal of the coarser particles. Coarser particles tend to block the larger pores in a typical media used in these systems. The absence or reduced concentration of these coarser particles allows larger pores in the downstream filter or filter media to remain open to the flow, which in turn allows contaminant to pass through. This results in depressed removal in this size range.
In the past, the aforementioned challenges could be addressed by means of composite media with layers of media with relatively broad pore size distributions that provided graded particle capture, i.e., successive layers capturing nominally finer particles. However, much higher levels of contaminant removal for much finer particles are now required under transient conditions and highly efficient nanofibers are now required to achieve these levels of removal. This may result in shortened service life.


A particulate, barrier coated drug-anion exchange resin complex comprising a core composed of an acidic drug complexed with a pharmaceutically acceptable ion-exchange resin is provided. The barrier coating contains a polyvinyl acetate polymer and a plasticizer. Methods of making and products containing this coated complex are described.

The present invention relates to pharmaceutical preparations having a drug-ion exchange resin complex that is treated to provide programmable release characteristics in the gastrointestinal tract.
One important aspect of drug therapy is the effect of a drug for an extended time and in many cases, the longer the time, the more substantial the benefit.
Use of ion-exchange resins to form a drug-ion exchange resin complex is well known and is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,332. In this patent, the use of an ion-exchange resin to form a complex with ionic drugs and thereby delay the drug release from such complexes is described. Such delay in drug release was deemed to be of relatively short duration. Since then there have been additional publications and patents (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,138,525; 3,499,960; 3,594,470; Belgian Patent No. 729,827; German Patent No. 2,246,037) that describe use of such ion-exchange resin complexes with water-permeable diffusion barrier coatings of the drug-ion exchange resin complex coated to alter the release of drugs from the drug-ion exchange resin complex.
Sustained or prolonged release dosage forms of various drugs are known and commercially available. However, there are only a few products available that provide sustained release of the drug from the very fine particles of coated drug-ion exchange complexes. A recent US Published Patent Application No. US 2005/0181050 A1, published Aug. 18, 2005, mentions that few modified release liquids containing drug-loaded ion exchange resin particles are commercially available. It further states that such products require several time consuming steps and require the use of a potentially hazardous step of coating from a solvent based solution. The regulatory authorities require that such solvents are thoroughly removed from the pharmaceutical products before ingestion.
Raghunathan in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,221,778; 4,847,077 and Raghunathan et al. in J. Pharm. Sci., Vol 70, pp 379-384, April 1981, describe treating drug-ion exchange resin complexes with water soluble, hydrophilic impregnating (solvating) agents such as polyethylene glycol and others so as to enable the coating of drug-ion exchange resin complexes with a water-permeable diffusion barrier. These publications indicate that the drug-ion exchange resin tended to swell when in contact with water, causing the coating layer to fracture and prematurely release the drug thereby adversely impacting the purpose of the coating (i.e., control release). Attempts to minimize such rupture of the coating layer were made using impregnating (solvating) agents to control the swelling of the drug-ion exchange resin complex. Other patents describing variations of this type of product are referenced in US Published Patent Application No. 2003/0099711 A1, section 0006.
Further, Kelleher et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,047 describe using a drug content above a specified value in the drug-ion exchange resin complex to avoid the swelling of the drug-ion exchange resin complex and thereby minimizing the rupture of the coating. Umemoto et al., describe in U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,852 that despite the use of impregnating agents, certain preservatives used in the liquid preparation tend to cause the rupture of the diffusion barrier coating of the drug-ion exchange resin complex. Umemoto et al. reported overcoming the rupture of the coating membrane by use of a preservative that did not cause the rupture.
Another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,392 granted Dec. 14, 1999 describes certain acrylate based (e.g., EUDRAGIT polymer system) and ethyl cellulose (e.g., SURELEASE, AQUACOAT) polymers for coating a drug-ion exchange resin complex using either a solvent or aqueous based coating to achieve sustained release of the drug from the drug-ion exchange resin complex. No meaningful data is disclosed regarding the integrity of the coating film. Further, there is no reported data or evidence of prolonged release of the drug from the coated drug-ion exchange resin complex beyond about 12 hours. A more recently Published Patent Application No. US 2003/0099711 A1, describes using an ethyl cellulose polymer in an aqueous based coating system. This publication further describes use of an enteric coating as an optional added coating to delay the drug release. There have been literature-reported drawbacks of using ethyl cellulose based aqueous dispersions as coatings for drug-ion exchange resin complexes.
Similarly, there have been drawbacks associated with previously used polymers of acrylate and methacrylate-based aqueous dispersion coating systems for coating drug-ion exchange resin complex. Amongst these shortcomings observed is significant tackiness upon application of the coating and during curing, which complicates the coating process of drug-ion exchange resin complexes and/or requires the addition of further components such as an anti-tacking material to counteract this undesirable property.

Modified release formulations containing drug-ion exchange resin complexes


A liquid crystal composition and an AM LCD device including the same are described. The liquid crystal composition has a negative dielectric anisotropy, contains a specific compound having a large negative dielectric anisotropy as a first component, and may further contain a specific compound having high a maximum temperature or a small viscosity as a second component, a specific compound having a negative dielectric anisotropy as a third component, and/or a specific compound having a polymerizable group as an additive component.

For LCD devices, a classification based on the operating mode for liquid crystal molecules includes a phase change (PC) mode, a twisted nematic (TN) mode, a super twisted nematic (STN) mode, an electrically controlled birefringence (ECB) mode, an optically compensated bend (OCB) mode, an in-plane switching (IPS) mode, a vertical alignment (VA) mode, a fringe field switching (FFS) mode, and a field-induced photo-reactive alignment (FPA) mode. A classification based on the driving mode of the device includes passive matrix (PM) and active matrix (AM) types. The PM type is classified into static type, multiplex type and so forth, and the AM type is classified into thin film transistor (TFT) type, metal insulator metal (MIM) type and so forth. The TFT type is further classified into amorphous silicon type and polysilicon type. The latter is classified into a high temperature type and a low temperature type according to the production process. A classification based on the light source includes a reflective type utilizing natural light, a transmissive type utilizing a backlight and a transflective type utilizing both natural light and a backlight.
An LCD device includes a liquid crystal composition having a nematic phase. The composition has suitable characteristics. An AM device having good characteristics can be obtained by improving the characteristics of the composition. Table 1 below summarizes the relationship between the characteristics of two aspects. The characteristics of the composition will be further described based on a commercially available AM device. The temperature range of the nematic phase relates to the temperature range in which the device can be used. A preferred maximum temperature of the nematic phase is about 70° C. or higher and a preferred minimum temperature of the nematic phase is about −10° C. or lower. The viscosity of the composition relates to the response time of the device. A short response time is preferred for displaying moving images on the device. A shorter response time even by one millisecond is desirable. Accordingly, a small viscosity in the composition is preferred. A small viscosity at a low temperature is further preferred.
TABLE 1Characteristics of Composition and AM DeviceNo.Characteristics of CompositionCharacteristics of AM Device1Wide temperature range ofWide usable temperature rangea nematic phase2Small viscosityShort response time3Suitable optical anisotropyLarge contrast ratio4Large positive or negativeLow threshold voltage anddielectric anisotropysmall electric powerconsumptionLarge contrast ratio5Large specific resistanceLarge voltage holding ratio andlarge contrast ratio6High stability to UVLong service lifelight and heat
The optical anisotropy of the composition relates to the contrast ratio of the device. According to the mode of the device, a suitable optical anisotropy such as a large optical anisotropy or small optical anisotropy is required. The product (Δn×d) of the optical anisotropy (Δn) of the composition and the cell gap (d) in the device is designed so as to maximize the contrast ratio. A suitable value of the product depends on a type of the operating mode. In a device having the VA mode, the suitable value is in the range of about 0.30 μm to about 0.40 μm, and in a device having the IPS mode or the FFS mode, the suitable value is in the range of about 0.20 μm to about 0.30 μm. In the above cases, a composition having a large optical anisotropy is preferred for a device having a small cell gap. A large value of dielectric anisotropy in the composition contributes to a low threshold voltage, a small electric power consumption and a large contrast ratio in the device. Accordingly, the large value of dielectric anisotropy is preferred. A large specific resistance in the composition contributes to a large voltage holding ratio and a large contrast ratio of the device. Accordingly, a composition having a large specific resistance at room temperature and also at a temperature close to the maximum temperature of the nematic phase in an initial stage is preferred. A composition having a large specific resistance at room temperature and also at a temperature close to the maximum temperature of the nematic phase even after the device has been used for a long period of time is preferred. The stability of the composition to UV light and heat relates to the service life of the device. In a case where the stability is high, the device has a long service life. Such characteristics are preferred for an AM device for use in a liquid crystal projector, a liquid crystal television and so forth.
A liquid crystal composition containing a polymer is used for an LCD device having a PSA mode. First, a composition to which a small amount of polymerizable compound is added is injected into the device. Next, the composition is irradiated with UV light, while a voltage is applied between substrates of the device, to polymerize the polymerizable compound to forma network structure of the polymer in the composition. In the composition, alignment of liquid crystal molecules can be controlled by the polymer, and therefore the response time of the device is shortened and image persistence is reduced. Such an effect of the polymer can be expected for a device having a mode such as the TN, ECB, OCB, IPS, VA, FFS or FPA mode.
A composition having a positive dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈) is used for an AM device having the TN mode. A composition having a negative Δ∈ is used for an AM device having the VA mode. A composition having a positive or negative Δ∈ is used for an AM device having the IPS or FFS mode. A composition having a positive or negative Δ∈ is used for an AM device having the PSA mode. Examples of the liquid crystal composition having the negative Δ∈ are disclosed in Patent literature Nos. 1 to 3 described below.

Liquid crystal composition and liquid crystal display device


A conditioning sleeve for a medical or an industrial diagnostic sensing instrument, in which the instrument has a support for supporting at least one chemical sensing element capable of detecting at least one chemical component of a fluid and producing an electrical signal when said at least one chemical component is detected. The sleeve includes an interior sized for enclosing at least a portion of the support including the at least one chemical sensing element and for producing environmental conditions within the sleeve interior which approximate those of an intended target area. Preferably, at least one heater or cooler and a humidifier approximate the environmental conditions of the target area in order to acclimate the sensing elements of the diagnostic instrument prior to actual use.

The invention relates to the field of diagnostic fluid or vapor measurement and more particularly to a sleeve for conditioning a medical or industrial diagnostic chemical sensing instrument prior to use of the instrument.
Chemical sensing devices are commonly known for detecting the presence of certain vapors, such as carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide, in either an industrial or home environment. Likewise, further applications of chemical sensing technology are found in the food processing industry.
To date, there are very few known chemical sensing devices which are utilized for medical applications or purposes. In addition most known devices of this type, regardless of the field of use, require a housing which retains at least one chemical sensor. These devices further include means, such as a pump or other similar device, for inputting a portion of the atmosphere of an intended target area into the housing for evaluation by the chemical sensor(s). Such devices are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,102 to Leong which determines the authenticity of a bank note, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,070 to Gelperin in which an array of gas sensors are disposed in an interior testing chamber. The gas sensors of the array can detect the levels of specified gases in a gas mixture and then produce a sensor pattern which can subsequently be analyzed.
Among the problems encountered in using known electronic sensors, such as polymer gas sensors, as described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,401 to Lewis et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,497 to Persaud et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,601 to Persaud et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,229 to Lewis, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,308, to Lewis, among others, are those relating to stability. Utilizing these sensors in a medical environment; for example, to identify specific vapors indicative of a disease process by exposing the sensors to the interior of the mouth of a patient, could require that the sensors will be subjected to exposure of large changes in both temperature and humidity, as compared to those present in an ambient environment. Therefore and with present sensor technology, substantial and undesirable equalization time periods would be required.
A primary object of the present invention is to overcome the above noted deficiencies of the prior art.
Another primary object of the present invention is to provide a diagnostic testing or detecting device which can be environmentally calibrated prior to insertion into a target atmosphere in order to suitably and efficiently acclimate the device.
Therefore and according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, there is described a conditioning apparatus for a diagnostic instrument, said instrument comprising a support having at least one chemical sensing element capable of detecting at least one chemical component of a fluid and producing an electrical signal when said at least one chemical component is detected, said conditioning apparatus including:
a sleeve sized for enclosing at least a portion of said support including said at least one chemical sensing element; and
means for producing environmental conditions within said sleeve which approximate those of an intended target to be used by said diagnostic instrument.
Preferably, the sleeve includes at least one heating element which selectively heats or cools the interior of the sleeve to a predetermined temperature and/or a humidification chamber to pre-expose the chemical sensing element(s) to an environment approximately equivalent to that of the target atmosphere, such as the interior of the mouth or other suitable medical or industrial target.
According to another preferred aspect of the invention, a method is described for conditioning a diagnostic instrument, the instrument comprising a support for supporting at least one chemical sensing element capable of detecting at least one chemical component of a fluid, said method comprising the steps of:
placing a portion of said support including said at least one chemical sensing element into the interior of a sleeve;
conditioning said at least one chemical sensing element by providing an environment within the interior of said sleeve approximating that of a target;
removing said support from said sleeve; and
immediately positioning said support including said at least one chemical sensing element at the target.
Preferably, the target can be a medical and/or an industrial target.
An advantage of the present invention is that the environmental conditions of a target atmosphere can be applied to a chemical sensing element array prior to insertion therein, increasing the efficiency and also improving the reliability of the device.
A further advantage of the present invention is that a conditioning sleeve as described by the present invention can easily be attached and removed from a diagnostic sensing device which includes at least one chemical sensing element capable of detecting at least one chemical component of a fluid or fluids.
These and other objects, features, and advantages will be readily apparent form the following Detailed Description which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Conditioning apparatus for a chemical sensing instrument


A method and apparatus for testing a starter assembly for an engine is provided. A test apparatus may include a controller operative to route power from a power supply to a tested starter assembly. The test apparatus may analyze a condition of the tested starter assembly based on monitored signals at one or more terminals of the starter assembly. A testing method may include monitoring an operating condition of the tested starter assembly during application of a variable voltage and/or current to an input of the starter assembly.

Many vehicles with combustion engines include a starter assembly, typically including a solenoid and a motor, for cranking the vehicle's engine. Upon energizing the starter assembly, an engagement member, such as a pinion gear, coupled to the starter motor moves into engagement with the engine. An energized solenoid or field coil serves to hold the pinion gear in engagement with the engine. In some starter assemblies, the energized solenoid causes power from the vehicle battery to be routed to the starter motor to drive the starter motor. The starter motor drives the pinion gear in rotation to crank the engine.
Starter assemblies may sometimes fail intermittently for various reasons, such as improper pinion engagement, loose or shorted connections, ground connections, reversed connections, solenoid failures, motor failures, etc. For example, a faulty or weak solenoid or improper solenoid connection may result in an engagement failure of the starter assembly.
According to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of testing an engine starter assembly is provided. The method includes providing a starter assembly including a solenoid, a motor, an actuating device, and an engagement member coupled to the actuating device. The actuating device is configured to move the engagement member relative to the motor upon electrical power being routed to an input of the starter assembly. The method further includes positioning a blocking member proximate a shaft of the motor to block a movement of the engagement member along the shaft of the motor. The method further includes energizing the starter assembly to cause the actuating device to move the engagement member into contact with the blocking member. The method further includes analyzing at least one of a voltage level and a current level at an electrical terminal of at least one of the motor and the solenoid while the engagement member is in contact with the blocking member to determine an operating condition of the starter assembly.
According to another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of testing an engine starter assembly is provided. The method includes providing a starter assembly including a solenoid, a motor, and an engagement member, the engagement member being configured to move along a shaft of the motor to engage an engine assembly. The method further includes applying electrical power to at least one input of the starter assembly to energize the solenoid, the starter assembly being configured to route electrical power received at the at least one input of the starter assembly to the motor. The method further includes varying a magnitude of the electrical power applied to the at least one input of the starter assembly, monitoring at least one of a voltage level and a current level of the electrical power routed to the motor of the starter assembly during the varying of the applied electrical power, and analyzing an operating condition of the starter assembly based on the monitoring.
According to yet another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a testing system for an engine starter assembly is provided. The starter assembly includes a motor having an output shaft, a solenoid configured to route electrical power to the motor to drive the motor, and an engagement member configured to move along the output shaft into an engagement with an engine based on an actuation of the solenoid. The testing system includes a power supply operative to provide electrical power to the solenoid, a blocking member positioned proximate the output shaft of the motor to block a movement of the engagement member along the output shaft of the motor; and a controller operative to route electrical power from the power supply to the solenoid to actuate the solenoid to move the engagement member into contact with the blocking member. The controller is further operative to analyze the presence of an electrical connection between an input of the solenoid and an output of the solenoid while the engagement member is in contact with the blocking member.
In one example, the controller is operative to route an electrical signal from the power supply to the input of the solenoid and to monitor the output of the solenoid for the electrical signal to analyze the presence of an electrical connection between the input and the output of the solenoid while the engagement member is in contact with the blocking member. In another example, the controller routes a substantially constant voltage from the power supply to a second input of the solenoid to actuate the solenoid, and a magnitude of the substantially constant voltage is less than a magnitude of a voltage applied by a vehicle battery to the solenoid to actuate the solenoid during a non-testing operation of the solenoid. In yet another example, a magnitude of the electrical signal applied to the input of the solenoid is less than a magnitude of an electrical signal operative to rotate the motor. In still another example, the controller identifies a failed operation of the starter assembly upon a failure to detect the electrical connection between the input of the solenoid and the output of the solenoid. In another example, the output shaft of the motor includes a travel stop adapted to limit the travel of the engagement member, and the blocking member is positioned between the travel stop and the engagement member to block a full extension of the engagement member along the output shaft of the motor. In yet another example, the starter assembly includes a lever assembly coupled to the engagement member and to a plunger of the solenoid, and the actuation of the solenoid causes movement of the plunger and the lever assembly to cause the engagement member to move into contact with the blocking member. In still another example, the solenoid includes a contact plate coupled to the plunger and configured to provide an electrical connection between the input and output of the solenoid during an actuation of the solenoid. In another example, the controller includes a control unit, a computer, and a computer interface providing communication between the control unit and the computer, the control unit controls the delivery of electrical power from the power supply to the solenoid, and the computer analyzes the presence of an electrical connection between the input of the solenoid and the output of the solenoid while the engagement member is in contact with the blocking member.
According to still another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a testing system for an engine starter assembly is provided. The starter assembly includes a solenoid and a motor. The solenoid has at least one input and an output. The testing system includes at least one power supply operative to provide electrical power to the solenoid and a controller operably coupled to the at least one power supply and to the starter assembly. The controller is operative to apply a voltage from the at least one power supply to the at least one input of the solenoid to actuate the solenoid. The solenoid when actuated is configured to route the applied voltage to the output of the solenoid. The controller is further operative to vary the voltage applied to the at least one input of the solenoid, to monitor the output of the solenoid during the varying of the applied voltage, and to analyze an operating condition of the starter assembly based on the monitored output of the solenoid.
In one example, the controller varies the applied voltage by decreasing the applied voltage at a substantially steady rate over a predetermined period. In another example, the controller is further operative to calculate a voltage difference between the applied voltage and a voltage monitored at the output of the solenoid, compare the calculated voltage difference to a difference threshold, and identify a voltage level of the applied voltage upon the calculated voltage difference exceeding the difference threshold. In yet another example, the controller is further operative to compare the identified voltage level of the applied voltage to a threshold voltage level and to determine that the operating condition of the starter assembly is a faulted condition upon the identified voltage level of the applied voltage exceeding the threshold voltage level. In still another example, the controller applies the voltage from the at least one power supply to a first input of the solenoid to actuate the solenoid and to a second input of the solenoid, and the solenoid is configured to route the applied voltage from the second input of the solenoid to the output of the solenoid upon being actuated by the applied voltage at the first input of the solenoid. In another example, prior to applying the voltage to the first and second inputs of the solenoid, the controller is further operative to apply an electrical signal to one of the second input and the output of the solenoid while power to the first input is substantially removed and to monitor the other of the second input and the output of the solenoid to detect at least one of a solenoid leakage current and a reverse installation of the solenoid. In yet another example, the controller includes a control unit, a computer, and a computer interface providing communication between the control unit and the computer, the control unit controls the delivery of electrical power from the power supply to the solenoid, and the computer analyzes an operating condition of the starter assembly based on the monitored output of the solenoid.


The invention relates to a voice recognition system which is robust to echoes and other background noise. An additional input signal describing a disturbance is evaluated such that during this additional recognition there is maximum suppression of information contained in the input signal. For this purpose, comparison vectors are formed which are continuously adapted to the instantaneous interference. The voice recognition system receives speech signals superimposed by noise signals. Additionally, a first spectral analysis unit produces first spectral values combined to first spectral vectors derived from disturbed speech signals. Estimates of the noise signals are also produced. A second spectral analysis unit produces second spectral values combined to second spectral vectors from the noise signal estimates. Reference vectors formed by reference spectral values to which reference vectors are assigned indices and which reference vectors respond to the spectrums of reference speech signals are stored in memory. Comparison vectors are produced and assigned to the indices from the reference vectors and the second spectral vectors, a continuous adaptation being effected of at least one of the comparison vectors to the second spectral vectors. Indices are then selected by comparing the comparison vectors with the first spectral vectors.

The automatic recognition of spoken speech can be used for many applications. The voice recognition, however, is frequently affected by background noise signals which are superimposed on the received speech signals. This leads to an increased error rate for voice recognition. Background noise signals are generated, for example, by an interference source which is situated in the neighborhood of a device that comprises the voice recognition system.
Also line echoes may form such background noise signals if the voice recognition system is used in a telecommunication terminal that is coupled to a telephone network. German Patent Application P 44 27 124.7 has disclosed a communication arrangement which comprises means for generating speech announcements and for voice recognition. By the speech announcement and voice recognition means there is a communication with a remote subscriber. As a result of reflections of speech announcements during transmission to the remote subscriber, unwanted echoes are generated which affect the recognition of speech signals from the remote subscriber. A compensation for the echoes to reduce the error rate on voice or speech recognition is effected in the spectral range domain in that differences are formed between short-time spectral values of received signals of the telecommunication device and estimated short-time spectral values of the echoes. For estimating the short-time spectral values of the echoes, short-time spectral values of the send signals (speech announcements) of the telecommunication device are determined and subjected to an adaptive weighting. The spectral differences in which the influences of the echoes are suppressed, are evaluated by the voice recognition means.


The present invention is designed to complement the existing transportation infrastructure in order to alleviate ever-worsening traffic congestion in problematic areas by minimizing the impact of driver “bunching” habits and/or external events that lead to congestion problems. Events alleviated by the present invention may happen at naturally occurring roadway infrastructures such as merges, lane shifts, and exits, and under conditions like rush hour, accidents, stand-stills, and HOV lane activation times. Further, vehicles allowing their speed and spacing to be controlled should have access to high-flow lanes. This invention will best and most safely be implemented at low speeds when congestion is most problematic and bunching habits prevent the dissipation of gridlock. In particular embodiments, the invention will regulate multiple vehicle accelerations (non-negative acceleration) once a low threshold speed has been reached through the transmission of signals to receivers in properly equipped vehicles. The transmitters are connected to a computational network that allow for increased spacing over a zone or a plurality of zones. In the preferred embodiment, only non-negative acceleration is governed keeping the safety features of the non-negative acceleration governor to a minimum.

It is well-known in traffic flow mathematics that the closer vehicles are spaced together the slower the flow, and this is shown by the general traffic flow principle expressed by the equation:where r(n,m) is the distance between two vehicles, n and m, and dn/dt and dm/dt represent the velocity of the two vehicles: as r(n,m)→0, dn/dt→0 and dm/dt→0 as well.
The main problem in getting a congestive traffic event flowing again is actually the behavior of the drivers themselves. FIGS. 1A–1C show the behavioral characteristics of drivers that cause continued gridlock problems. The main problem is that drivers fail to space themselves apart from a vehicle in front of them (or, in a merge situation, a two-dimensional spacing) when the traffic flow resumes, thus keeping r(n,m) close to 0 at all times. Even if a driver is attempting to space themselves from the leading vehicle, an erratic "dissipation speed" may bunch the two cars again keeping traffic from flowing. FIG. 1A shows a representative traffic event at time T(E) or time of event, the location of the event is shown by a star and labeled P(tc) where the velocity of the representative four vehicles is near zero (v vector =0). FIG. 1B depicts the initial dissipation of the traffic congestion event in FIG. 1A and a chosen t(0) or initial time. In FIG. 1B the distance r(n,m) initially may increase, but as shown in FIG. 1C at time t(0)+i (where i=2 seconds in the illustrative example), r(n,m) is decreased through driver behavior (acceleration (a(n)), not letting a vehicle merge properly, etc.) or other circumstances to decrease distance and leading back to congestion as shown by the bunching in vehicles 3 and 4 and the closing gap between n and m.
FIG. 2 also depicts another type of congestion based on driver habits in a highway merge zone which causes unnecessary slowing and congestion problems. The merges tend to complicated traffic flow both in the merge lanes and the travel lane into which the merge lane flow and the adjacent lanes. In this diagram, velocity x is a threshold velocity which indicates that the travel lane traffic has dropped below a target velocity most-likely due to the problems created by the merge lane traffic. The velocity of the vehicle in the lane adjacent to the travel lane while at a threshold will also likely drop below the threshold if vehicles in the travel lane continue to pull into the adjacent lane from low or stopped velocity.
A way to keep efficient spacing during the dissipation of a traffic congestion event would facilitate traffic flow and reduce the problems caused by driver impatience and other natural occurring traffic events such as merges.

Traffic control systems for vehicle spacing to dissipate traffic gridlock