A texture coordinate alignment system and method are described for use in a texture mapping system. Correction is made for quantization error in texture coordinates introduced by transforming between coordinate systems and in MIP map downsampling. In order to correct for coordinate system transformation, the coordinate value is multiplied by the MIP map size and a first value is subtracted. In order to correct for map downsampling, the coordinate value is, for each map downsampled, divided by a second value and a third value subtracted. The first, second, and third values are dependent upon how the coordinate system and maps are defined. The two corrections are integrated by the present invention into a single operation performed on the texture coordinate values.

Computer graphics systems commonly are used for displaying graphical representations of objects on a two dimensional display screen. Current computer graphics systems can provide highly detailed representations and are used in a variety of applications.
In typical computer graphics systems, an object to be represented on the display screen is broken down into a plurality of graphics primitives. Primitives are basic components of a graphics picture and may include points, lines, vectors and polygons, such as triangles. Typically, a hardware/software scheme is implemented to render, or draw, on the two-dimensional display screen, the graphics primitives that represent the view of one or more objects being represented on the screen.
The primitives that define the three-dimensional object to be rendered are provided from a host computer, which defines each primitive in terms of primitive data. For example, when the primitive is a triangle, the host computer may define the primitive in terms of the x,y,z coordinates of its vertices, as well as the R,G,B (red, green, blue) color values of each vertex. Rendering hardware interpolates the primitive data to compute the display screen pixels that are turned on to represent each primitive, and the R,G,B values for each pixel.
Early graphics systems failed to display images in a sufficiently realistic manner to represent or model complex three-dimensional objects. The images displayed by such systems exhibited extremely smooth surfaces, absent textures, bumps, scratches, shadows and other surface details present in the object being modeled.
As a result, methods were developed to display images with improved surface detail. Texture mapping is one such method that involves mapping a source image, referred to as a texture, onto a surface of a three-dimensional object, and thereafter mapping the textured three-dimensional object to the two-dimensional graphics display screen to display the resulting image. Surface detail attributes that are commonly texture mapped include color, specular reflection, normal perturbation, transparency, shadows, surface irregularities and grading.
Texture mapping involves applying one or more point elements, or texels, of a texture to each point element, or pixel, of the displayed portion of the object to which the texture is being mapped. Texture mapping hardware is conventionally provided with information indicating the manner in which the texels in a texture map correspond to the pixels on the display screen that represent the object. Each texel in a texture map is defined by S and T coordinates which identify its location in the two-dimensional texture map. For each pixel, the corresponding texel or texels that map to the pixel are accessed from the texture map via the S and T coordinates associated with that pixel and are incorporated into the final R,G,B values generated for the pixel to represent the textured object on the display screen.
It should be understood that each pixel in an object primitive may not map in a one-to-one correspondence with a single texel in the texture map for every view of the object. For example, the closer the object is to the view port represented on the display screen, the larger the object will appear. As the object appears larger on the display screen, the representation of the texture becomes more detailed. Thus, when the object consumes a fairly large portion of the display screen, a large number of pixels are used to represent the object on the display screen, and each pixel that represents the object may map in a one-to-one correspondence with a single texel in the texture map, or a single texel may map to multiple pixels. However, when the object takes up a relatively small portion of the display screen, a much smaller number of pixels are used to represent the object, resulting in the texture being represented with less detail, so that each pixel may map to multiple texels. Each pixel may also map to multiple texels when a texture is mapped to a small portion of an object. Resultant texel data is calculated for each pixel that maps to more than one texel and typically represents an average of the texels that map to that pixel.
Texture mapping hardware systems typically include a local memory that stores data representing a texture associated with the object being rendered. As discussed above, a pixel may map to multiple texels. If it were necessary for the texture mapping hardware to read a large number of texels that map to a pixel from the local memory to generate an average value, then a large number of memory reads and the averaging of many texel values would be required, which would be time consuming and would degrade system performance.
To overcome this problem, a scheme has been developed that involves the creation of a series of MIP (multum in parvo, or many things in a small place) maps for each texture, and storing the MIP maps of the texture associated with the object being rendered in the local memory of the texture mapping hardware. A MIP map for a texture includes a base map that corresponds directly to the texture map, as well as a series of filtered maps, wherein each successive map is reduced in size by a factor of two in each of the two texture map dimensions. An illustrative example of a set of MIP maps is shown in FIG. 1. The MIP maps include a base map 2 that is eight-by-eight texels in size, as well as a series of maps 4, 6 and 8 that are respectively four-by-four texels, two-by-two texels, and one texel in size.
The four-by-four map 4 is generated by box filtering (downsampling) the base map 2, such that each texel in the map 4 corresponds to an equally weighted average of four texels in the base map 2. For example, the texel 4a in map 4 equals the average of the texels 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d in map 2, and texels 4b and 4c in map 4 respectively equal the averages of texels 2e-2h and 2i-2l in map 2. The two-by-two map 6 is similarly generated by box filtering map 4, such that texel 6a in map 6 equals the average of texels 4a-4d in map 4. The single texel in map 8 is generated by averaging the four texels in map 6.
Graphics systems generally download, from the main memory of the host computer to the local memory of the texture mapping hardware, the texture mapping data that is to be used with the primitives to be rendered on the display screen. This procedure may entail downloading the complete series of MIP maps for any texture used with the primitives or merely a portion (i.e., block) of the texture mapping data from a single MIP map. The determination of which MIP map in a series of MIP maps to access to provide the appropriate texel data for a particular pixel is based upon the number of texels to which the pixel maps. For example, if the pixel maps in a one-to-one correspondence with a single texel in the texture map, then the base map 2 is accessed. However, if the pixel maps to four, sixteen, or sixty-four texels, then the maps 4, 6 and 8 are respectively accessed because those maps respectively store texel data representing an average of four, sixteen, and sixty-four texels in the texture map. In order to determine the number of texels to which a pixel maps so that the appropriate MIP map can be accessed, the S and T parameter gradient values (.DELTA.S and .DELTA.T) are calculated. The parameter gradients .DELTA.S, .DELTA.T respectively equal changes in the S and T coordinates between adjacent pixels in both the x and y directions. In essence, the gradients .DELTA.Sx, .DELTA.Sy, .DELTA.Tx and .DELTA.Ty for a display screen pixel indicate the rate of change in coordinate position within the texture map for a change of one pixel on the display screen in the x and y directions in the corresponding S and T dimensions. For example, a gradient equal to two for a display screen pixel indicates that the pixel maps to four texels (i.e., 2.sup.2 texels as discussed below), so that the MIP map that is reduced by two from the base map (e.g., the map 4 in FIG. 1) should be accessed to provide the resultant texture data for the pixel. Thus, as the gradient increases, the size of the MIP map that is accessed to provide the resultant texture data for the pixel reduces in size.
In conventional texture mapping systems, a single gradient is calculated for each pixel, typically equals to the largest of .DELTA.Sx, .DELTA.Sy, .DELTA.Tx, and .DELTA.Ty. However, it should be understood that the gradient for a pixel can be calculated in a variety of well known methods, such as by selecting the smallest of those values or an average of those values. The precise gradient can be calculated by first determining .DELTA.S and .DELTA.T in accordance with equation (1) and (2) below: ##EQU1##
The gradient is thence the greater of .DELTA.S and .DELTA.T. In comparison, by merely taking the maximum of .DELTA.Sx, .DELTA.Sy, .DELTA.Tx, and .DELTA.Ty, the gradient will be in error by .sqroot.2, which is an acceptable margin of error in most cases. Moreover, since a single gradient (e.g., .DELTA.Sx, .DELTA.Sy, .DELTA.Tx or .DELTA.Ty) is selected which only represents the rate of change in one of the S and T coordinates.
Further, a pixel may not map directly to any one texel in the selected map and may fall between two or more texels. In such cases, the values of the S and T coordinates comprise both an integer and fractional portion. Some graphics systems employ bilinear interpolation to accurately produce texel data when this occurs. If a pixel maps into a MIP map between two or more texel entries, then the resulting texel data used is a weighted average of the closest texel entries. Thus, the texel data corresponding to any pixel can be the weighted average of as many as four texel entries in a single map. For example, with reference to FIG. 1, if a pixel maps to a location in map 4 indicated at 4e, the resulting texel data mapping to that pixel would be the weighted average of the texels 4a-4d where the weighted average is dependent upon the fractional portion of the texture coordinates S and T.
Pixels may also not map directly into any one of the maps in the series of MIP maps, and may fall between two maps. For example, a pixel may map to a number of texels in the texture map that is greater than one, but less than four. Some graphics systems address this situation by interpolating between the two closest MIP maps to achieve the resultant texel data. With reference to FIG. 1, an example would be where a pixel maps to greater than one but less than four texels in the texture map. Thus, the texel data provided by maps 2 and 4 would be interpolated to achieve the resultant texel data for the pixel. When combined with the aforementioned interpolation of multiple texel entries in a single map, a scheme known as trilinear interpolation is achieved and can lead to resultant texel data for any one pixel that is generated as a weighted average of as many as eight texels. For instance, the four closest texels in each of the two closest maps are combined as a weighted average of the two maps.
In addition, to display a more accurate and realistic image, perspective correction is often performed on the texture mapping data. A more detailed explanation of perspective correction and the necessity for such can be found, for instance, in J. Blinn, "Hyperbolic Interpolation," IEEE Computer Graphics Applications, pp. 89-94, July 1992.
It has been found that in conventional texture mapping systems which utilize a series of MIP maps of texture data to be mapped onto a displayed image, an amount quantization error occurs when a floating point, or normalized, coordinate system is transformed into a fixed point, or quantized, coordinate system to reduce system bandwidth while maintaining an adequate range of data values. For instance, with reference to FIG. 2, a transformation between a floating point coordinate system having a left edge at 0.0 and a right edge at 1.0, and a quantized coordinate system comprising a four-by-four pixel MIP map having the indicated texel value at the center of each pixel is graphically illustrated. The MIP map shown has a width of four in the S coordinate direction, and length of four in the T coordinate direction. Referring to the top row in the quantized coordinate system, the left edge is actually at (0, -0.5), not 0.0 as in the floating point coordinate system. The same error occurs at right edge which, for the quantized coordinate system, is at (0, 3.5) and not 1.0 as in the floating point space. Thus, coordinate transformation introduces error of 0.5 in the S coordinate values utilized to locate a texel within the MIP map.
Further, it has been found that quantization error also occurs when downsampling MIP maps in order to map more than one texel value to a single display screen pixel. As an example, FIG. 3 provides a one dimensional coordinate system in which a base map of eight texel values is downsampled to four texel values in the base map-1, then to two texel values in the base map-2, and finally to one texel value in the base map-3. The downsampling represented in FIG. 3 is substantially the same as that was performed to produce the series of MIP maps in FIG. 1, as discussed hereinbefore. Using a box filter to downsample from the base map to the base map-1, the 0 texel value and 1 texel value from the base map are blended to create the 0 texel value in the base map-1. Likewise, the 0 texel value and 1 texel value from the base map-1 are blended to create the 0 texel value in the base map-2. Accordingly, the 0 texel value in the base map-2 represents the blended values of the 0, 1, 2, and 3 texel values from the base map.
When a value of 3.5 on the base map is downsampled by dividing by 2 in order to get to the base map-1, the resultant value is 1.75 (i.e., 3.5/2=1.75). Although this seems to result in a correct downsampled value, it is actually incorrect. An error of 0.25 has been introduced in the downsampling process. The value of 3.5 actually corresponds to 1.5 in the base map-1 which represents a constant amount of blend between the texels to the right and the texels to the left of the downsampled value between the two maps. If the downsampling continues without correction to the base map-2, and then to the base map-3, the error is compounded such that, at the base map-3, the value of 3.5 is represented by a value of 0.4375 rather than the correct value of 0. Thus, the resultant values are biased towards the right, and thus, more color is taken from the right side texel values of the base map.
Hence, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry for a texture mapping system that performs texture coordinate alignment in order to correct for quantization error introduced in coordinate system transformation and MIP map downsampling.

Texture coordinate alignment system and method


A battery pack assembly is provided for supplying electrical power to an electronic device, such as an electronic receiver of an animal confinement system. The battery pack assembly is removably insertable within a receptacle of the electronic receiver to electrically connect a battery contained within the battery pack assembly to internal electronics of the electronic receiver.

Removable battery pack assemblies are commonly used with electronic devices to provide electrical power from a battery to electronic circuitry of the device. Typical battery pack assemblies may contain a standard lithium cell battery therein which, over time, may need to be removed from the electronic device and replaced. The electronic device typically includes a receptacle which is configured to receive the battery pack assembly therein. When fully inserted into the receptacle, the battery pack assembly facilitates electrical contact between the battery and the internal electronics within the electronic device.
Battery pack assemblies are oftentimes used in animal confinement systems, for example. In such systems, a battery-powered electronic receiver is worn by an animal and is responsive to a boundary signal emitted from a transmitter of the animal confinement system. The electronic receiver is designed to generate a stimulus, such as an electrical shock, when the boundary signal is received by the electronic receiver. The boundary signal operates to confine an animal within the boundary defined by the boundary signal.
One known electronic receiver that incorporates a removable battery pack assembly into the receiver is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,900. The electronic receiver disclosed therein includes a receptacle that is configured to receive the battery pack assembly therein to provide electrical contact between a battery contained within the battery pack assembly and the internal electronics of the electronic receiver.
The battery pack assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,900 includes a battery housing having an open end through which the battery is inserted and an opposite closed end. A contactor is mounted within the battery housing and includes a pair of contact arms that are connected to a common flexion spring. The flexion spring electrically contacts one terminal of the battery, such as the battery anode, at the closed end of the battery housing and provides electrical contact with the anode terminal of the battery through the pair of contact arms that extend outwardly from the open end of the battery housing. A retaining ring is attached to the open end of the battery housing to retain the battery and the contactor within the battery housing. The retaining ring has a central aperture so that the opposite terminal of the battery, i.e., the battery cathode, is exposed outside of the battery housing at the open end. When the battery pack assembly is inserted into the receptacle, the contact arms of the contactor and the cathode terminal of the battery are electrically connected to electrical terminals of the electronic receiver that extend into the receptacle of the receiver.
One potential drawback of this known battery pack assembly is that the cathode terminal of the battery is directly exposed to the environment outside of the battery housing. Over a period of extended use, this may result in the cathode terminal of the battery becoming damaged or corroded, thereby leading to a potentially shortened useful life of the battery. Also, due to the design of the single flexion spring, it is possible that the flexion spring may lose its flexing ability over an extended period of use which may result in an undesirable loss of electrical contact between the battery and the internal electronics of the electronic receiver.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved battery pack assembly that overcomes these and other drawbacks and shortcomings of known battery pack assemblies.


The present invention aims to provide a supporting material for supporting the shape of a photofabrication model on photofabrication in ink-jet three dimensional printing method in which the photocured product is excellent in solubility in water and is easy to remove after photofabrication, and the like. A modeling material for forming a photofabrication model in ink-jet three dimensional printing method containing a curable resin component with a weighted average of SP value of 9.0 to 10.3; and a supporting material for supporting the shape of a photofabrication model on photofabrication in ink-jet three dimensional printing method containing a water-soluble monofunctional ethylenically unsaturated monomer (F), polyoxypropylene glycol with a number average molecular weight of 100 to 5,000 and/or water (G), and a photopolymerization initiator (D).

A method of irradiating a liquid photocurable resin with light such as a laser beam or ultraviolet rays to cure the resin in a given pattern and preparing a design model or a working model in three dimensions has been widely known, and various resins have been proposed as the liquid photocurable resin (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 6). In recent years, the three dimensional printing system employing an ink-jet method has been proposed, and compared with the conventional method, it has been made possible to cure the liquid photocurable resin discharged from an ink jet nozzle and to stack layers and carry out the photofabrication. The three dimensional printing device has advantages that, for example, a large tank for the liquid resin and provision of a dark room used in the conventional method are not necessary. It is made possible to allow a photofabrication apparatus to be compact and become smaller, and by employing a CAD (Computer Aided Design) system, the apparatus has been attracting attention as a 3-D CAD system capable of freely preparing a stereo model (see, for example, Patent Document 7).
Moreover, not limited to the three dimensional printing system employing an ink-jet method, a method of carrying out the photofabrication using a modeling material forming a photofabrication model and a supporting material supporting the shape of the photofabrication model on photofabrication has also been known in order to fabricate a photofabrication model having a complex shape (see, for example, Patent Documents 8 and 9). Furthermore, in the photofabrication employing an ink-jet method, a method of preparing a photofabrication model using a specific modeling material and a specific supporting material has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 10 to 13).

Modeling material for forming photofabrication model in ink-jet three dimensional printing, supporting material for supporting the shape of photofabrication model on photofabrication and production method of photofabrication model


The system and method maximize available rail adhesion between the rails of a track and the wheels of a rail vehicle so that the vehicle is better able to accelerate up to operating speed and to decelerate to a stop condition under poor rail conditions. The system implements a control logic function which relies on a measured variable that is different than the controlled error signal utilized to affect control of the vehicle. The control system is enabled based on creep speed while the parameter used to effect control is wheel acceleration.

The present invention relates to control systems for electric motor powered traction vehicles such as locomotives, transit vehicles or off-highway vehicles and, more particularly, the invention relates to a method for controlling such a vehicle in a manner to correct for wheel slip or slide during propulsion and electrical retarding, respectively.
Locomotives and transit vehicles as well as other large traction vehicles are commonly powered by electric traction motors coupled in driving relationship to one or more axles of the vehicle. Locomotives and transit vehicles generally have at least four axle-wheel sets per vehicle with each axle-wheel set being connected via suitable gearing to the shaft of a separate electric motor commonly referred to as a traction motor. In the motoring mode of operation, the traction motors are supplied with electric current from a controllable source of electric power (e.g., an engine-driven traction alternator) and apply torque to the vehicle wheels which exert tangential force or tractive effort on the surface on which the vehicle is traveling (e.g., the parallel steel rails of a railroad track), thereby propelling the vehicle in a desired direction along the right of way. Alternatively, in an electrical braking mode of operation, the motors serve as axle-driven electrical generators. Torque is applied to their shafts by their respectively associated axle-wheel sets which then exert braking effort on the surface, thereby retarding or slowing the vehicle""s progress. In either case, good adhesion between each wheel and the surface is required for efficient operation of the vehicle.
Maximum tractive or braking effort is obtained if each powered wheel of the vehicle is rotating at such an angular velocity that its actual peripheral speed is slightly higher (motoring) or slightly lower (braking) than the true vehicle speed (i.e., the linear speed at which the vehicle is traveling, usually referred to as xe2x80x9cground speedxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ctrack speedxe2x80x9d). The difference between wheel speed and track (or xe2x80x9cgroundxe2x80x9d) speed is referred to as xe2x80x9cslip speed.xe2x80x9d There is a relatively low limit value of slip speed at which peak tractive or braking effort is realized. This value, commonly known as maximum xe2x80x9ccreep speed,xe2x80x9d is a variable that depends on track speed and rail conditions. So long as the maximum creep speed is not exceeded, slip speed is normal and the vehicle will operate in a stable microslip or creep mode. If wheel-to-rail adhesion tends to be reduced or lost, some or all of the vehicle wheels may slip excessively, i.e., the actual slip speed may be greater than the maximum creep speed. Such a wheel slip condition, which is characterized in the motoring mode by one or more spinning axle-wheel sets and in the braking mode by one or more sliding or skidding axle-wheel sets, can cause accelerated wheel wear, rail damage, high mechanical stresses in the drive components of the propulsion system, and an undesirable decrease of tractive (or braking) effort.
Many different systems are disclosed in the prior art for automatically detecting and recovering from undesirable wheel slip conditions. Typically, differential speeds between axle-wheel sets or rate of change of wheel speed or a combination of these two measurements are used to detect wheel slip. Speed is monitored and if found to exceed predetermined differentials or rates of change, power to the motors is reduced in an attempt to bring speed to a value at which traction is regained. The disadvantage of such systems of wheel slip control is that the controlled variable, i.e., creep speed, is also the signal used to enable correction.
Among the several objects of the present invention may be noted the provision of a wheel slip and wheel slide correction system in which the monitored or trigger variable is different from the control variable, and a wheel slip and wheel slide system in which the variable used for detecting a wheel slip or wheel slide is a function of vehicle velocity while the variable used to correct for wheel slip or wheel slide is a function of wheel acceleration. In illustrative form, the invention is illustrated as a method for correcting for wheel slip or wheel slide in an electric traction motor propelled vehicle such as a locomotive. The locomotive includes a motor control system for establishing a torque request for controlling the torque produced by at least one electric traction motor coupled in driving relationship to at least one wheel of the locomotive. The inventive system obtains values corresponding to the actual vehicle velocity from auxiliary measuring devices and computes from that velocity corresponding wheel rotational velocity and wheel acceleration values for the vehicle. Tachometers are used to measure actual wheel velocity and the values of actual wheel acceleration are obtained as a first derivative of the wheel velocity values. The system compares actual wheel velocity to the equivalent computed wheel velocity to determine if the wheel creep speed is greater than desired. If creep speed is greater than some minimum value, a wheel slip or wheel slide signal is generated which actuates the torque correction circuit. A torque correction circuit computes the difference between the equivalent wheel acceleration value derived from actual vehicle velocity and compares that to the computed wheel acceleration derived by measuring wheel velocity. The difference between the measured wheel acceleration and the equivalent wheel acceleration is then applied as a correction factor to the torque request signal so as to adjust the actual motor torque in a manner to correct with wheel slip or slide conditions. In addition to the basic function as described above, the system also implements a substantial torque reduction function if the actual wheel velocity varies from the computed wheel velocity by more than some larger amounts such as, for example, 20% in propulsion or 30% in braking modes. The system also monitors the actual locomotive speed to inhibit operation of the torque correction circuit unless the locomotive speed actually exceeds some minimum velocity so as to prevent shutdown during initial start up of a locomotive from rest.

Traction vehicle/wheel slip and slide control


A nanophosphor sheet is presented. The nanophosphor sheet may include a base layer, a plurality of core-shell phosphors dispersed in the base layer, and a coating layer surrounding at least one core-shell phosphor among the plurality of core-shell phosphors. Also presented is a backlight device that includes a light source emitting light, a light guide plate receiving the light, and a plurality of core-shell phosphors positioned to receive the light and convert the light to white light. The core-shell phosphors may be incorporated into the light guide plate or be positioned on the light guide plate as a separate layer.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nanophosphor sheet and a backlight device.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Display devices are classified into emissive display devices that emit light on their own to illuminate an image and non-emissive display devices that use light from a separate light source to display an image. An example of non-emissive display devices is liquid crystal display.
Liquid crystal display is currently one of the most widely used flat panel displays, and includes two display panels on which field generating electrodes such as a pixel electrode and a common electrode are formed, a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween, and a backlight device providing light to the display panels holding the liquid crystal layer. A liquid crystal display displays an image by applying a voltage to the field generating electrode to generate an electric field on the liquid crystal layer, determining the direction of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer therethrough, and controlling the magnitude of light provided by the backlight device. A typically backlight device includes a light source emitting light, a light guide plate dispersing light emitted from the light source to convert light into a planar light source, various kinds of diffusion films, and the like.
Cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), external electrode fluorescent lamp (EEFL), and light emitting diode (LED) are some of the light sources that have been used for the backlight device.
A liquid crystal display adopting a color filter may generate white light by mixing blue light emitted from a light emitting diode (LED) chip and yellow light absorbing a portion of blue light to perform excitation and emission. In this case, a yellow phosphor is formed in a dispersion state in a sealing layer applied on a chip to display yellow light.
However, there is a problem in that degradation of the phosphor occurs due to heat generated in the light emitting diode (LED).
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


A motorcycle including a main frame, a rear swing frame, and a pull shock assembly operatively disposed between the main frame and the rear swing frame. The swing frame is pivotally mounted to the main frame. The main frame includes a pair of slide tracks that receive a slide member of the pull shock assembly. A link arm extends between a forward portion of the swing frame and the slide member, and translates pivotal movement of the swing frame into sliding longitudinal movement of the slide member. A damper associated with the slide member restricts sliding movement of the slide member and, thus, pivotal movement of the swing frame. The link has a forward end secured to the swing frame and a rearward end secured to the slide member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed toward motorcycle suspension systems and, more particularly, toward rear suspensions for motorcycles having a rear swing frame.
2. Description of Related Art
Motorcycles having a rear swing frame are known in the art. Moreover, suspension systems for motorcycles having rear swing frames are also known in the art. Such suspension systems typically include one or more shock absorbers that extend from a forward portion of the rear swing frame upwardly to a rear portion of the front or main frame. In these known systems, the shock absorber is typically aligned with the pivotal direction of the rear swing frame so as to dampen the pivotal movement of the rear swing frame.
Unfortunately, the conventional rear swing frame designs and, more particularly, rear swing frame suspensions, require a significant amount of open space. In some motorcycles, such space is simply not available. Further, the conventional swing frame suspensions present an appearance that may be undesirable. Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an improved rear suspension for a motorcycle having a rear swing frame that provides a low profile and is generally hidden in use.

Motorcycle with a rear suspension having a pull shock track system


An air conditioning system for a motor crane includes a heating circuit and a refrigerating circuit The heating circuit comprises a hydraulic motor, a hydraulic pump, a radiator and a valve mechanism causing a pressure difference in the hydraulic oil flowing therethrough. The refrigerating circuit includes a compressor connected to the hydraulic motor and a condenser having a fan for forcing air thereover. The heating circuit is at least partially disposed in an air path in which the condenser is disposed. When the hydraulic oil bypasses the valve mechanism, a control device turns the fan on if the refrigerating circuit is not operating, and the temperature of the hydraulic oil sensed by the sensor reaches a predetermined temperature. Further, the system includes a filter downstream of the valve mechanism and a control device for reducing the pressure loss across the valve mechanism to a minimum for a predetermined time when hydraulic oil initially begins flowing through the heating circuit upon start up of the mobile crane.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioning system and method for vehicles, and more particularly to an air conditioning system and method suitable for use in a mobile crane vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally in a work vehicle such as a mobile crane, the cabin is rotatable through an angle of 360 .degree.. Consequently, the cooling water for the engine circulating below the cabin cannot be introduced into the cabin, and therefore cannot be used to heat the cabin. Nonetheless, since work vehicles typically have extensive hydraulic circuits, the cabin can utilize the heat of the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic circuit to provide heat thereto.
A typical prior art hydraulic circuit includes an oil tank and a hydraulic pump driven by an engine of the vehicle. The hydraulic pump draws oil from the oil tank and delivers the oil to a hydraulic motor which is driven by the pumped oil. The heating circuit has another hydraulic pump connected to and driven by the hydraulic motor. A valve mechanism (a relief valve) and a solenoid valve are disposed downstream of the hydraulic pump in parallel to each other in the heating circuit.
When the solenoid valve is closed, the hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump is sent to the valve mechanism. The valve mechanism causes a pressure difference in the hydraulic oil and the hydraulic oil is heated by the pressure difference. A radiator is disposed downstream of the valve mechanism. The heat of the hydraulic oil heated by the pressure difference is radiated by the radiator. Consequently, when in the heating mode, the cabin is heated by the heat radiated from the radiator.
Additionally, the hydraulic circuit can be employed to drive an air conditioning compressor. The typical refrigerating circuit has a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator. The compressor is selectively connected to the hydraulic motor via a clutch mechanism. When the compressor is connected to the hydraulic motor, the compressor is driven and the air conditioning (cooling) is performed.
Further, when a dehumidifying and heating operation is performed, the compressor is connected to the hydraulic motor by closing the clutch mechanism and the solenoid valve in the heating circuit is closed. Thus, both the refrigerating circuit and the heating circuit are operated, and dehumidifying and heating operations are simultaneously performed.
In such a system, when the clutch to the compressor is disengaged and the operation of the heating circuit is stopped, the solenoid valve is opened. Consequently, the hydraulic oil of the heating circuit circulates between the hydraulic pump and the oil tank. Since, in such a state, the hydraulic oil is not supplied to the valve mechanism, the radiator does not radiate the heat of the hydraulic oil. Therefore, the temperature of the hydraulic oil continues to rise, often to an excessive degree.
Additionally, in conventional work vehicles, flushing the heating circuit, that is, the process for removing foreign material from the hydraulic oil is problematic and complicated. For example, in conventional systems, flushing is typically performed by detaching the valve (relief valve) and bypassing the oil path. In addition to the loss of time associated with detaching and reattaching the valve, leakage of the hydraulic oil occurs during flushing.

Air conditioning system and method for vehicles


The invention concerns an escapement (1) for a timepiece comprising an anchor (2) articulated on a stem (3) and co-operating with an escapement mobile (4) articulated on an axis (5), said mobile comprising a plurality of teeth (8; 15, 16) uniformly spaced around said mobile, said anchor including an entry pallet (6) and an exit pallet (7) arranged to receive alternately an impulse from one of the teeth borne by the mobile and for acting as rest plane for said tooth. The invention is characterized in that the escapement mobile (4) comprises first and second integral and coaxial wheels (13, 14) including each the same number of teeth (15, 16), in that the entry and exit pallets (6, 7) co-operate respectively with the first and second wheels (13, 14) and in that the peripheral radius (R1) of the first wheel (13) is greater than the peripheral radius (R2) of the second wheel (14).

An escapement answering the definition exposed in the paragraph above is known under the denomination of Swiss escapement lever where each of the pallet-stones receives alternatively an impulse to launch a balance with which said escapement is fitted, the escapement wheel set and the pallet being maintained at rest while this balance achieves its so-called supplementary arc freely. The Swiss lever escapement is the escapement most commonly used in the watch industry. In the majority of the cases its pallet is equipped with pallet-stones substantially arranged at equal distance from a line connecting the axis of the escapement wheel set to the staff on which the pallet is articulated, this wheel set comprising a single escapement wheel.
A Swiss lever escapement answering the definition exposed in the first paragraph of this description is described in the patent document CH-570 644. This document proposes an escapement with high output. It recalls that the escapement in a watch is used to transmit the energy of the driving spring to the balance which acts as the regulator of the running of the watch. However the running precision, and in particular the sensitivity of the running of a watch to disturbances, is closely related to the energy which can be accumulated in the sprung-balance system. This energy depends on several factors, as inter alia, the output of the gear train and the output of the escapement. The total output of the escapement can be divided into an escapement wheel-pallet output and a pallet-balance output.
In modern watches, the output of the gear train and the pallet balance output is more or less optimized. That is however not the case of the escapement wheel-pallet output and working on its improvement corresponds to an increase of the quality of the running of the watch.
According to the cited document, the improvement of the escapement wheel-pallet output can be done by increasing the energy which is provided to the balance at the time of the impulse given to the pallet-stones of the pallet by the teeth of the escapement wheel. The same document shows that this increase in energy is quite real if the pallet-stone describes a trajectory which makes, at the point of contact with the tooth of the escapement wheel, an angle as small as possible with the trajectory of said tooth. This can be obtained while moving away the entry pallet-stone and by bringing closer the exit pallet-stone, which causes a maximum bringing together of the directions of displacement of said pallet-stones and the direction of the displacement of the teeth of the escapement wheel.
FIG. 1 shows by way of example an escapement drawn according to principles of the prior art where the theoretical instantaneous outputs are clearly improved compared to a conventional escapement. One recognizes in particular the driving wheel set 4 in the shape of a single escapement wheel and the receiving wheel set 9 in the shape of a pallet, both turning around their respective arbour and staff 5 and 3. The escapement wheel 4 carries teeth 8 which transmit driving energy to the entry and exit pallet-stones 6 and 7 of pallet 2, which, via its fork 9, transmits it to the balance, respectively to impulse-pin 10 of roller 11 of the balance. According to the prior invention, the entry 6 and exit 7 pallet-stones embrace a number of teeth 8 at least equal to the fifth of the total number of teeth carried by the escapement wheel 4. Moreover, the entry pallet-stone 6 embraces, starting from a line 12 connecting arbour 5 of wheel 4, at least one tooth 8 more than the exit pallet-stone 7 embraces, starting from said line.


A method and device for treating human intervertebral disc herniations using an endoscopic procedure. An access port is opened into and through the annulus of a disc to remove nucleus pulposus. Subsequent treatment, a balloon device having a valve structure is positioned via an endoscopic procedure into the disc space. The balloon device is filled with a physiological fluid to occupy the disc interspace or to maintain some degree of distraction of the created disc space. Post surgery, after fibrocollagenous tissue has grown into the disc space, a second endoscopic procedure is performed to remove the balloon device. Fluid is removed to collapse the balloon structure and then removed via the guide tube. The ingrowth of fibrocollagenous tissue will continue to fill the void formerly occupied by the balloon device. The balloon device has a rigid valve body and a flexible balloon member. The valve body has an end plug, a valve chamber holding a valve member and a cooperating biasing structure. The balloon member of the device is inserted into a vacated nucleus space of a herniated disc and then inflated with a physiological fluid using a fill tube. The balloon member, valve body, and fill tube or portions thereof may be constructed of a radiolucent material to provide visibility during implantation, surveillance and removal. The balloon device may be used in the cervical, lumbar or thoracic region of the spine.

The present invention relates generally to a method and device for treating intervertebral disc herniations using an endoscopic procedure. Particularly, this invention relates to a distraction disc anthroplasty device and method for treating intervertebral disc herniations. More particularly, the present invention relates to treating intervertebral disc herniations using a temporary flexible balloon device in the treated disc to alleviate pressure between adjacent vertebrae located in the cervical, thoracic, or lumber areas of the spine.
Intervertebral disc herniations are a major source of back pain. Herniations and ruptures of intervertebral discs may also cause pain and numbness in the leg, feet and arms of affected patients. Herniated, or ruptured, discs may be caused by traumatic injury due to accident, illness, the aging process as well as a multiplicity of undefined causes.
Intervertebral discs are located between adjacent vertebrae of the spine and are comprised of an annulus portion surrounding the nucleus pulposus or pulp. A herniation of an intervertebral disc results from a weakened, torn or stretched area of the annulus. Pulp from the nucleus extrudes through the herniated area in the annulus producing pressure on the spinal column and/or adjacent nerves and thereby causing pain. Removing the pulp reduces pressure on the spinal column or adjacent nerves caused by the herniation.
In the past, intervertebral disc injuries have been treated with implantable disc spacers, for example. The use of these prior art devices do not account for several procedural variables, for example, a patient's intervertebral spacing, vacated nucleus volume, variability in spacer volume, or mismatch of spacer size to the patient. The prior art methods also typically involve invasive surgery which require relatively long recovery times for the patient.
It is an object of this invention to provide a minimally invasive interposition arthoplasty procedure utilizing an inflatable distraction device which allows for short-term recovery from surgery and the patient's early return to normal activity.

Device for treating intervertebral disc herniations


An organic light-emitting material contains a 6-silyl-substituted isoquinoline ligand. The organic light-emitting material is a metal complex containing a 6-silyl-substituted isoquinoline ligand and may be used as a light-emitting material in a light-emitting layer of an organic electroluminescent device. These new complexes can provide redder and saturated emission and meanwhile demonstrate a significantly improved lifetime and efficient and excellent device performance. Further disclosed are an electroluminescent device and a compound formulation including the metal complex.

Organic electronic devices include, but are not limited to, the following types: organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic field-effect transistors (O-FETs), organic light-emitting transistors (OLETs), organic photovoltaic devices (OPVs), dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), organic optical detectors, organic photoreceptors, organic field-quench devices (OFQDs), light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs), organic laser diodes and organic plasmon emitting devices.
In 1987, Tang and Van Slyke of Eastman Kodak reported a bilayer organic electroluminescent device, which comprises an arylamine hole transporting layer and a tris-8-hydroxyquinolato-aluminum layer as the electron and emitting layer (Applied Physics Letters, 1987, 51 (12): 913-915). Once a bias is applied to the device, green light was emitted from the device. This device laid the foundation for the development of modern organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). State-of-the-art OLEDs may comprise multiple layers such as charge injection and transporting layers, charge and exciton blocking layers, and one or multiple emissive layers between the cathode and anode. Since the OLED is a self-emitting solid state device, it offers tremendous potential for display and lighting applications. In addition, the inherent properties of organic materials, such as their flexibility, may make them well suited for particular applications such as fabrication on flexible substrates.
The OLED can be categorized as three different types according to its emitting mechanism. The OLED invented by Tang and van Slyke is a fluorescent OLED. It only utilizes singlet emission. The triplets generated in the device are wasted through nonradiative decay channels. Therefore, the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of the fluorescent OLED is only 25%. This limitation hindered the commercialization of OLED. In 1997, Forrest and Thompson reported phosphorescent OLED, which uses triplet emission from heavy metal containing complexes as the emitter. As a result, both singlet and triplets can be harvested, achieving 100% IQE. The discovery and development of phosphorescent OLED contributed directly to the commercialization of active-matrix OLED (AMOLED) due to its high efficiency. Recently, Adachi achieved high efficiency through thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) of organic compounds. These emitters have small singlet-triplet gap that makes the transition from triplet back to singlet possible. In the TADF device, the triplet excitons can go through reverse intersystem crossing to generate singlet excitons, resulting in high IQE.
OLEDs can also be classified as small molecule and polymer OLEDs according to the forms of the materials used. A small molecule refers to any organic or organometallic material that is not a polymer. The molecular weight of the small molecule can be large as long as it has well defined structure. Dendrimers with well-defined structures are considered as small molecules. Polymer OLEDs include conjugated polymers and non-conjugated polymers with pendant emitting groups. Small molecule OLED can become the polymer OLED if post polymerization occurred during the fabrication process.
There are various methods for OLED fabrication. Small molecule OLEDs are generally fabricated by vacuum thermal evaporation. Polymer OLEDs are fabricated by solution process such as spin-coating, inkjet printing, and slit printing. If the material can be dissolved or dispersed in a solvent, the small molecule OLED can also be produced by solution process.
The emitting color of the OLED can be achieved by emitter structural design. An OLED may comprise one emitting layer or a plurality of emitting layers to achieve desired spectrum. In the case of green, yellow, and red OLEDs, phosphorescent emitters have successfully reached commercialization. Blue phosphorescent device still suffers from non-saturated blue color, short device lifetime, and high operating voltage. Commercial full-color OLED displays normally adopt a hybrid strategy, using fluorescent blue and phosphorescent yellow, or red and green. At present, efficiency roll-off of phosphorescent OLEDs at high brightness remains a problem. In addition, it is desirable to have more saturated emitting color, higher efficiency, and longer device lifetime.
Phosphorescent metal complexes can be used as phosphorescent doping materials of light-emitting layers and applied to the field of organic electroluminescence lighting or display. To meet needs in different cases, the color of a material can be adjusted on a certain basis by adjusting different substituents on a ligand of the material, so that phosphorescent metal complexes with different emission wavelengths are obtained.
KR20130110934A has disclosed an organic optical device, which includes an organic layer including an organic optical compound represent by Formula A:
One of various disclosed structures is a structure represented by Formula B:
This metal complex uses two phenylisoquinolines and one phenylpyridine to coordinate with a metal instead of using 1,3-dione as an auxiliary ligand. Such structures will result in a very high sublimation temperature, which is not conducive to use. Meanwhile, phenyl or silylphenyl substituted at position 3 of isoquinoline will cause excessive red-shift and decrease current efficiency and power efficiency. In addition, such complexes will widen the emission spectrum and are not conducive to obtaining saturated colors, which limits their applications in OLED devices.
US2013146848A1 has disclosed an organic optical device, which includes an organic layer including an organic optical compound represented by Formula C:
It is defined that R1 cannot be mono-substitution. A preferred embodiment defines that R1 is di-substitution. More preferably, R1 is di-alkyl substitution. Various disclosed structures include a ligand including two silyl substituents or a ligand including one silyl substituent and one alkyl substituent. However, a metal complex having mono-silyl substitution at a particular position has not been disclosed.
US2017098788A1 has disclosed an organic optical device, which includes an organic layer including an organic optical compound represented by Formula D:
One of various disclosed structures is:
which discloses an iridium complex containing a 6-trimethylsilyl-substituted isoquinoline ligand. However, the ligand has to include a carbazole substituent at position 2 of isoquinoline.
US2018190915A1 has disclosed an organic optical device, which includes an organic layer including a formula Pt(L)n. Among many compounds mentioned explicitly, the following complex (compound 30) is shown:
The other ligand is a biphenyl group.
Compounds based on this structure need to be improved in stability.
US20160190486A1 has disclosed an organic optical device, which includes an organic layer including an organic optical compound represented by Formula M(L1)x(L2)y(L3)z. A preferred embodiment of the ligand includes structures represented by Formula G and Formula H:
wherein X is independently selected from Si or Ge. However, it is defined that the above-mentioned ligand has to include at least one X—F bond, and neither related complex including a ligand that has a silyl substituent at a particular position has been disclosed nor any valid data on synthesis examples has been disclosed. The stability of an Si—F bond has not been verified in OLED devices, and its effect on the emission spectrum is unknown.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Organic luminescent material containing 6-silyl-substituted isoquinoline ligand

BEIJING SUMMER SPROUT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


In a photography method, a film image is scanned and digitized to provide a digital image. An identifier associated with the film image is read. The identifier points to a group of filter effects. Each filter effect has a preassigned digital modification. The modifications are not remedial for the respective filter effects. One of the filter effects is detected in the digital image. Responsive to the detecting of that filter effect, the preassigned digital modification is applied to the digital image.

Optically recorded encodements on photographic filmstrips have long been used to control printing and other functions. U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,479 describes optical encodements and indicates that it is known to use reflected light from the photographic subject or a light directly from a camera light source to provide the illumination for recording the optical encodement. This patent also notes that the use of ambient lighting to write the encodement is subject to the shortcoming that the recorded information can be difficult to distinguish under some lighting conditions.
It is known to prerecord encodements on film before a one-time-use camera is assembled. It is also known to recorded encodements for selected image frames based upon a camera condition at the time of picture taking. U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,059 combines both practices. A first encodement is prerecorded on the film before assembly and a second encodement is added to selected film frames based on the position of a selection switch. An encodement that applies to all of the images in a film unit can be recorded so as to apply to all frames, rather than being repeated. U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,558 discloses the recording of extensive information on the outside of a film unit in a visible bar code.
Encodements can be placed in various positions. U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,059 discloses placement of optical encodements at film margins adjoining film frames. U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,752 discloses placement of optical encodements laterally next to an image, either within or next to a respective film frame. Japanese patent publication JP 4-328537, published Nov. 17, 1992, discloses a one-time-use camera having a pair of slidable viewfinder masks that move in tandem with a pair of code signal plates for pseudo panoramic and pseudo telephoto final image formats. The code signal plates mask part of the exposure opening when a respective viewfinder mask is in position in the viewfinder. One of the code signal plates is illustrated as having one slot. The other is shown as having two slots. (Image subject matter is visible through the slots.) The final images crop out the pattern made by the code signal plates.
It is also known to record other information within the image area of a filmstrip. U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,467 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,126,773 disclose recording indicia on a mask, which is placed in the film path, and recorded on the image frame at picture taking. U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,885 discloses a similar mechanism that utilizes light from a flash unit in the camera. Japanese patent application 10-161225, published Jun. 19, 1998, discloses a camera that has a dedicated internal light source that shines through a mask to transfer information such as a picture and text onto the image area of a filmstrip. U.S. Pat. No. 2,210,610 discloses a camera that adds different information to each image.
It is well known to use filters in cameras to improve image quality. Japanese Patent No. 3,109,765 discloses that the use of a filter on a one-time-use camera to balance color sensitivity of a film. Japanese patent publication No. 2-78935, published Jun. 18, 1990, discloses a single use camera having a detachable photochromic filter. Japanese patent publication 3-94241, published Apr. 19, 1991, discloses a one-time-use camera having a color correction filter that is switchable to allow use of tungsten balanced film outdoors. Japanese patent publication 63-6428, published Jan. 16, 1988, discloses a one-time-use camera which has a photochromic filter and in which the camera records an unfiltered reference patch to use in determining the state of the filter.
A wide variety of mechanisms are known for moving one or more filters into alignment with and away from a taking lens system. U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,127 teaches a one-time-use camera having a slidable special effects filter. Japanese patent publication JP 11-242257, published Sep. 7, 1999, discloses another camera having a slidable filter. Japanese patent publication JP 2000-235211, published Aug. 29, 2000, discloses a camera having a rotary filter wheel. Japanese patent publications JP 2000-162690, published May 16, 2000, and JP 2001-27773, published Jan. 30, 2001, disclose cameras having a filter wheel offset from the optical axis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,996 discloses a camera having a transparent film that moves from roller to roller with the photographic film.
In digital photofinishing, processed images on a filmstrip are scanned, digitally processed, and then printed. With some high-speed equipment, the center portion of a filmstrip is continuously scanned at high resolution. Margins are not scanned, or are scanned at a lower resolution using a different scanner. This makes recognition of optical encodements on filmstrip margins cumbersome, at best. Optical encodements placed in the center portion of the filmstrip remove either image area or the interspacing between frames. The former directly degrades image quality. The latter can degrade the recognition of film frame locations; with film types, such as 35 mm, that do not have perforation defined film frames. One solution to loss of image area is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,018. This patent discloses placement of optical encodements on film frames, followed by digital removal of the encodements, and restoration of the lost areas of the images. This approach is cumbersome and some image information is lost. The lost information is automatically patched over by replicating neighboring subject matter. With some scenes, the resulting image is distractingly degraded from the original scene. For example, undesirable loss of information is seen with human subject or complex background overlapped by an encodement.
A number of methods are known for detecting, from an image, the color of a light source and correcting for the color of the light source. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,847,680; 4,918,519; 5,659,357 are examples.
It would thus be desirable to provide an improved photography system, apparatus, and method in which light reflected from a photographic subject is used to provide an encodement in a photographic film frame; the encodement is simple and easy to work with, and the encodement does not fully replace the image content the encodement overlaps.

Photography systems and methods utilizing filter-encoded images


An object of the present invention is to match impedance of each portion of whole lines of a signal wiring with the integrated circuit mounted on the package. All ground planes are deleted within a region vertically under/above a connection pad provided on the top- or bottom-surface of a polyimide multilayer part, whereby no capacitance is generated between the connection pad and the ground planes, so that the impedance of the signal wiring within the region right under/above the connection pad is prevented from being lowered.

The present invention relates to an integrated circuit package in which signal wirings and ground planes (or ground meshes) are formed. And, the signal wirings or the ground planes alternate with laminal insulation layers.
For example, in high density multilayer wiring substrate, copper-polyimide multilayer part formed on a ceramic substrate is constituted by a plurality of laminal insulating layers of polyimide resin, and signal wirings, ground meshes, etc. are laminated alternatively with them. In order to improve the signal transfer characteristics, it is desired that impedance of the signal wirings formed inside such a multilayer part shall be matched with impedance of integrated circuit mounted on the substrate.
Conventionally, therefore, the mismatching of impedance of the signal wirings has been prevented from occurring by providing signal wirings between ground planes.
However, the present inventor found that comparatively large capacitance is generated between a conductor pad and a ground plane if the conductor pad having an inner size five or more times as large as the width of a signal wiring is provided on the top- or bottom-surface of a multilayer part, or inside the multilayer part so that the impedance of the signal wiring is lowered at the place in which this capacitance is generated.
That is, there has been a problem that the impedance of the signal wirings disposed within a region under/above a conductor pad are lowered locally, and as the result, the impedance mismatching occurs. On the other hand, if the inner size of the conductor pad is selected to be less than five folds of the width of a signal wiring lying within the region vertically under/above the conductor pad, the influence of capacitance between the pad and ground planes is small and therefore the disorder of impedance of the signal wirings is well small.

Integrated circuit package in which impendance between signal pads and signal lines is matched by reducing the size of a ground plane


Connection between a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor is made through a refractory metal salicide layer in the source and drain regions of these transistors. The salicide is low in resistance, thereby partially substituting for a first Al wiring in intracell wiring. The resulting empty area provides a wiring area and, hence, the freedom of chip layout is enhanced. Besides, in a microcell which constitutes a logic circuit, such as a gate array, lateral wiring grid dots can be utilized as a wiring area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device such as, for example, a gate array or ECA (Embedded Cell Array). In particular, the invention is concerned with a layout of a macrocell serving as a logic circuit such as AND circuit or flip-flop circuit used in the semiconductor integrated circuit, as well as peripheral circuit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, for improving the performance of transistor processing techniques, self-aligning type silicides such is as TiSi.sub.2 and CoSi.sub.2, called salicides, obtained by alloying a silicon surface layer with refractory metals such as titanium (Ti) and cobalt (Co), have been becoming popular. Generally, the resistance of source-drain regions or a well region of a field effect transistor which has been alloyed by the formation of a salicide layer is reduced to about one tenth of that of those produced without using the salicidation technique. A further technical improvement making the most of the features of salicide is now expected.
FIG. 20 is a configuration diagram showing a master chip image of a conventional embedded type gate array. In the drawing, the numerals 121 and 124 each denote a group of PMOS transistors, numerals 122 and 123 each denote a group of NMOS transistors, and numeral 125 denotes a peripheral circuit (I/O interface). Although gate arrays of channel fixed type, composite type and QTAT type are also known, an embedded type gate array will here be described from the standpoint of integration degree and device performance.
FIG. 21 shows a basic cell of a cell region of FIG. 20 for forming a logic circuit with a gate array or ECA. In the drawing, numeral 122 denotes a group of PMOS transistors, numeral 123 denotes a group of NMOS transistors, numerals 124, 125 and 126 denote gate, source-drain, and well regions, respectively, of the PMOS transistors, numerals 127, 128 and 129 denote gate, source-drain, and well regions, respectively, of the NMOS transistors, numerals 10a(1) to 10a(n) denote lateral wiring grids, and numerals 11a(1) to 11a(n) denote longitudinal wiring grids. Layout of a macrocell is made using an arrayed basic cell, and placement and wiring are performed for the macrocell to form a semiconductor integrated circuit having a logical function.
FIG. 4 is a layout diagram showing a three-input AND circuit formed by a conventional gate array or ECA, which is disclosed in JP-A-7/7141 . In the drawing, the numeral 1a denotes a power-supply line (VDD), numeral 1b denotes a ground line (GND), numeral 3 denotes a contact, numeral 1c denotes a first aluminum (Al) line, reference marks A, B and C denote input terminals of the three-input AND circuit, and Y denotes an output terminal thereof.
Usually, in a macrocell layout, as shown in FIG. 4, the gate, source-drain, and well regions are electrically connected using contacts 3 and the first aluminum wiring 1c, thereby affording a logical function. In this case, as many contacts are arranged as possible on the source-drain and well regions of transistors and are electrically connected using the first aluminum wiring to diminish the parasitic resistance of those regions. In some cases, for electrical connection of the macrocell, a second aluminum wiring and vias are used as connecting elements in the longitudinal direction.
By placement and wiring of such logic circuits as AND and flip-flop circuits, after layout in the above manner, there is obtained a semiconductor integrated circuit device. In this case, I/O connecting pins of macrocells are connected in such a manner that the first aluminum wiring is used for lateral wiring and the second aluminum wiring used for longitudinal wiring and the wiring are electrically connected together through vias or contacts.
FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional connection between transistors in a gate array or ECA and power-supply and ground wires, and FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13--13 in FIG. 12. In the drawings, numerals 84a and 84b denote first aluminum lines, numerals 83 denotes a contact, and numeral 81a and 81b denote a power-supply line and a ground line, respectively, which are usually metallic lines, say, aluminum lines. Generally, in a CMOS gate array, a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor are adjacent each other, and on one side of the PMOS transistor is disposed the power-supply line 81a which is constituted by the first aluminum wiring, while on one side of the NMOS transistor is disposed the ground line 81b. The power-supply line 81a is connected to a power supply of the chip at both chip ends, and the ground line 81b is connected to the ground of the chip, also at both chip ends.
For connecting the source region of the PMOS transistor to the power supply, the power-supply line 81a is connected to the source region of the PMOS transistor through the first aluminum line 84a, using plural contacts 83. On the other hand, for connecting the source region of the NMOS transistor to ground, the ground line 81b is connected to the source region of the NMOS transistor through the first aluminum line 84b, using contacts 83.
According to the conventional layout of a semiconductor integrated circuit such as gate array or ECA, for example in the case of the three-input AND circuit shown in FIG. 3 or 4 referred to above, the layout of the lateral wiring grid is wholly made using the first aluminum wiring. In the first Al wiring, therefore, the lateral wiring grid is not employable as a wiring region. Further, since the first Al wiring as the ground wiring is laid up and down of the macrocell, there has so far been a restriction such that a wiring layer such as the second Al wiring, other than the first Al wiring must be used as the longitudinal signal wiring. In the layout of a semiconductor integrated circuit device, both macrocell area and wiring area are required independently, so particularly in a complicated integrated circuit the wiring area becomes large, thus leading to an increase in the area of the semiconductor chip.
On the other hand, in the power-supply wiring and ground wiring, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, layout is made using the first Al wiring, but for connection thereof with the well region it is required to use many contacts 83 in order to diminish the resistance thereof. Further, it is likely that the aluminum which constitutes the first Al wiring may be influenced by electromigration and be broken during operation of the device.

Field effect transistor array including refractory metal silicide interconnection layer


A vibration damping actuator provided by the present disclosure uses a magnet system or a spring system to introduce controllable negative stiffness characteristics into a semi-active system, so as to couple a controllable negative stiffness actuator on the basis of the semi-active actuator (controllable damping actuator). Based on the coupling and integration of the semi-active actuator (controllable damping actuator) and the controllable negative stiffness actuator, the vibration damping actuator may realize four-quadrant mechanical characteristics of an active actuator, improve the vibration damping effect of the semi-active system on the basis of ensuring the advantages of low power consumption, low cost, stability and reliability, and simple structure of the vibration control system of the semi-active actuator (controllable damping actuator), and improve the vibration isolation effect of the semi-active system to a level close to that of an active system.

Long-term exposure to a vibration environment adversely affects human body or objects. Especially during vehicle driving, excessive vibration amplitude and vibration acceleration may not only affect the physical health of passengers in the vehicle, but also destroy building or bridge structure, reducing the vehicle's safety and service life. Thus, it is very important to reduce the impact of vibration. In existing technologies, a vibration damping system is usually used to reduce and isolate vibration. The commonly used vibration damping systems are divided into passive systems, semi-active systems, and active systems. The passive system is structurally simple and low in cost, but system parameters may not be adjusted, the vibration damping effect is poor, and the passive system is effective only in specific situations, so the usage scenario is limited. The active system may generate acting forces with adjustable magnitude and direction, and may realize mechanical control in four quadrants in the force-actuation velocity diagram, and the vibration damping performance is good. However, the active system is difficult to promote due to high power consumption, complex structure, and high cost. The semi-active system is a middle ground between the passive system and the active system, the semi-active system has the advantages of adjustable parameters and good vibration damping performance compared with the passive system, and has the advantages of simpler structure, higher reliability, lower power consumption, and lower cost compared with the active system, thus the semi-active systems has wide application potentials.
However, in the existing technologies, the semi-active system uses a damping adjustable vibration damper as a semi-active actuator, which may only adjust the magnitude of the damping force, and may not adjust the direction of the damping force. Thus, the semi-active system may only provide a limited range of controllable mechanical performance in the first and third quadrants of the force-actuation velocity diagram, and may not realize the opposing force of the second and fourth quadrants, so that the semi-active system may not realize the optimal performance in the full-frequency domain, and the vibration damping performance is not as good as the active system.
Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new vibration damping actuator with simple structure, low power consumption and high vibration damping performance, which has both the advantages of high reliability, simple structure, and low power consumption of a semi-active actuator, and the advantages of high vibration damping performance of an active actuator.


A capacitive liquid level detector for detecting a liquid level of a liquid in a receptacle, the liquid being conductive, the detector comprising: a capacitor with a first plate having a fixed size and being insulated from the liquid, and a second plate being formed by the liquid itself, its size being variable depending on the liquid level inside said receptacle, wherein a thin film dielectric layer is formed on the surface of the first plate and located between the first plate and the second plate, the first plate with the thin film dielectric layer formed on its surface is arranged such that it covers an open part of the outer wall of the receptacle, the first plate with the thin film dielectric layer formed on its surface is attached to the receptacle by sealing means in order to seal the receptacle against liquid leakage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a direct methanol fuel cell system (DMFC), and, more particularly, to a capacitive liquid level detector for a DMFC.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fuel cell is a galvanic cell for converting the chemical reaction energy of continuously fed fuel and oxidant into electric energy. In general, a fuel cell includes two electrodes (or anode and cathode) separated by a membrane or by an electrolyte. The anode is surrounded by a flow of fuel, e.g., hydrogen, methane or methanol; and the fuel is oxidized there. The cathode is surrounded by a flow of oxidant, e.g., oxygen or hydrogen peroxide, which is reduced at this electrode. Depending on the type of fuel cell, the materials used to realize these components are to be selected differently.
Compact direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) systems are currently in the focus of development in many electronics companies. They are expected to replace or append the power supply of mobile electronics devices because they allow longer operating times and a quicker recharge. A direct methanol fuel cell is a low-temperature fuel cell which is operative in a low temperature range of from about 60 to about 120° C. This type of cell utilizes a polymer membrane as electrolyte. Methanol (CH3OH), with no previous reforming, is supplied directly to the anode together with water to be oxidized there. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is formed as waste gas at the anode. Atmospheric oxygen supplied to the cathode as oxidant reacts with H+ ions and electrons to form water. The advantage of the DMFC lies in the use of a liquid, easy-to-store and very inexpensive source of energy, which can be distributed in plastic cartridges, for example. Moreover, a vastly branched infrastructure for methanol is already existing in many fields, e.g., through the use as anti-freeze additive in windshield washer fluids for motor vehicles. Depending on the design, this type of fuel cell can provide power ranging from some mW up to several 100 kW. More specifically, DMFCs are suitable for portable use as substitutes and supplements for conventional accumulators in electronic devices. Typical fields of use are in telecommunication and power supply of notebooks.
The oxidation of methanol on the catalyst of the anode proceeds step by step, and several reaction pathways with various intermediate products are being discussed. To maintain high efficiency of the fuel cell, rapid removal of the reaction products from the region around the electrode is required. As a result of the temperatures being encountered and the chemistry that constitutes the basis, a liquid/gas mixture of CO2, water, water vapor and non-reacted methanol is formed. Water and methanol should be recovered from this liquid/gas mixture so as to maintain self-sufficiency of the system for as long as possible. Furthermore, CO2 must be removed from the equilibrium. This is done by utilizing a CO2 separator. The CO2 should be removed from this liquid/gas mixture in order to re-feed the liquid fuel mixture to the anode after adjusting the methanol concentration. Separation of the gases is effected by utilizing a CO2 separator.
Similarly, a liquid/gas mixture is formed at the cathode, including non-consumed air, water and water vapor. To achieve long-lasting self-sufficiency of the system, as much water as possible must be separated from the liquid/gas mixture and the liquid/gas mixture from which water is separated must be re-fed into the cathode cycle. To this end, a heat exchanger is arranged downstream of the cathode outlet of the fuel cell so as to cool the mixture and achieve condensation of the water vapor.
Arranged downstream of the heat exchanger is an air separator separating the air stream from liquid water so as to re-feed the water into the anode cycle. Accordingly, the separators are mainly used in water management and to remove CO2 from the equilibrium. Conventional separators separate the phase mixture of liquid and gaseous or vaporous components and release the gaseous or vaporous components into the environment.
Amongst other things, a liquid storage tank is necessary for a stable system operation. The liquid level inside this tank should be known to (or determined by) the system in order to control the amount of water to be recycled.
A continuous level measurement is very beneficial for the system control as it renders possible to implement common proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control algorithms into the control software allowing a faster and better controlled reaction on changes in the system.
Liquid level measuring in small receptacles is a difficult matter. Common problems are the reliability and accuracy of the measured signal. Most of the established measuring principles are only usable in more or less large tanks.
Common capacitive measuring principles use the liquid as the dielectric between the capacitor plates. Some inventions incorporate a set of plates which dive (or are submerged) into the liquid, in other examples the plates are arranged at the exterior of receptacles.
As an example, a liquid level sensor is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,545. As a liquid rises and falls in the container, the dielectric effect of the liquid changes the effective capacitance of a sensing capacitor which is detected by electronic circuitry coupled to the sensor. One plate of the sensor capacitor is a probe disposed within a receptacle while a grounded conductive portion of the receptacle is a second plate of the capacitor.
A non-intrusive fluid level detector including a single point capacitive sensor mounted on the outside surface of a receptacle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,909. A non-conductive container or a non-conductive window in a conductive container is used to place the sensor having insulated plates which are not in direct contact with the liquid. The sensor assembly is disposed on the exterior wall of the receptacle.
Both, U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,545 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,909 employ the fluid as the dielectric of the capacitor. However, since the capacitance of a plate capacitor is inversely-proportional to the distance between the plates, the use of the fluid as the dielectric and/or the placement of the plates on the exterior of the plates leads to a large plate distance and thus such a sensor leads to the disadvantage that the capacity and the capacity variation to be measured are very small. The small capacity results from the small plate area and the relatively large distance between them. Relatively expensive measuring electronics are required, and the measured signal is relatively inaccurate and also subject to influences from outer electrical fields.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,943,566 discloses a sensor applied to a wall of a container or integrated into the container. The wall of the container made of plastic or glass-fiber constitutes the dielectric, and the conductive fluid itself constitutes the second plate, i.e., the capacitor consists of a sensor plate and the contents of the container. However, because the wall made of plastic or glass-fiber forms the dielectric and the wall needs to be thick enough to contain the liquid inside, i.e., at least several millimeters, the distance between the plates is still significant and the capacitance is still low. Furthermore, no metallic parts are allowed to be present between the sensor plate and the fluid, because otherwise these metallic parts have an effect on the capacitance of the system. The precision and linearity of the measurement depends on the thickness and the uniformity of the dielectric constant of the wall material over the entire area of the sensor plate. The latter is difficult to achieve with common manufacturing methods of plastics.

Capacitive liquid level detector for direct methanol fuel cell systems


This invention relates to compositions suited to use as hair shampoos, and particularly those developed with a view to the treatment of a hair borne infestation, or of a skin disease of the scalp in addition to the primary purpose of hair cleaning and conditioning. In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a substantially non-aqueous liquid shampoo composition comprising at least one detergent, at least one active agent incompatible with water, an organic bulking agent and shampoo excipients, said organic bulking agent being miscible with water and miscible with said at least one detergent and shampoo excipients. It has been surprisingly found that replacing an aqueous bulking agent such as water with an organic compound which is compatible with active agents insoluble in water but which itself is miscible with water and miscible with detergents can produce a cosmetically and aesthetically acceptable non-aqueous liquid shampoo, particularly one having acceptable foaming characteristics.

Hair shampoos are a common household commodity in many communities around the world. The properties of a good shampoo often depend upon the intended application, but may include the ability to cleanse the hair and scalp of the user thoroughly, but without stinging, irritation or the removal of excess natural oils from the scalp, cosmetic and aesthetic characteristics including the imparting of lustre, softness and manageability and the formation of foam necessary for removal of dirt particles. Consumers consider foaming ability an important aesthetic consideration in assessing the acceptability of a shampoo.
Shampoos may be variously formulated as liquids, creams, pastes, aerosols or dry formulations. The majority are liquids, either clear or pearlised. The principal constituents of most liquid shampoos can be classified as detergents, thickeners, foam stabilisers and boosters, perfumes, preservatives, diluents or bulking agents (usually water), conditioning agents or emollients, pearlisers/opacifiers and colours. The bulking agents are included primarily for commercial purposes, so as to allow a consumer to dispense a typical amount of shampoo so as to achieve a desirable level of lather and cleaning.
In addition, some shampoos having a specialised application, such as minimisation of eye sting, treatment of dandruff or other scalp conditions, or which are formulated for specific hair types such as dry, oily, coloured or permed hair often contain further additives to fulfil their advertised purpose. It is desirable to combine the cleansing characteristics of a shampoo with medicated treatments for hair borne or skin-based diseases at least for convenience, if not for ease of application.
Shampoos in liquid form usually contain a large proportion of water. Water is frequently used as the bulking agent in liquid shampoos, because of its inert properties, its miscibility with other shampoo constituents, its low cost, and its ease of removal from hair during the normal washing process.
However, in instances where it is desirable to include an additive in a liquid shampoo, and in which the additive is not compatible with water, such as some medicaments, there is a need to find an alternative to the use of water as a bulking agent.
There are many difficulties in formulating a non-aqueous shampoo. For example, the use of alcohols in shampoos may reduce or destroy desirable foam formation. Alternatively, oils are often too greasy and so are cosmetically unacceptable in the amounts required. Exotic non-aqueous bulking agents are commercially prohibitive because of their high cost.
Various medicated compositions exist which are directed to the treatment of scalp or skin diseases, or to lice infestation in hair for example. U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,787 (JOHNSON & JOHNSON CONSUMER PRODUCTS INC) is directed to a topical preparation for treatment of fungal infections. This formulation is presented in the form of a lotion and has no cleansing characteristics such as are desirable in a medicated shampoo. Similarly, EP0028525 (ORION-YHTYMA OY) is directed to a topical solution applied to the scalp for treatment of alopecia, and AU599086 is directed to a topical treatment of scalp diseases but not in a shampoo format.
Other patented formulations are aqueous and so are not well suited to the incorporation of active agents which are insoluble in water. Amongst this class of prior art disclosures are U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,152 (SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY) directed to shampoos for treatment of lice, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,092 (CHEESEBOROUGH-PONDS USA CO.DIVISION OF CONOPCO, INC).
It is an object of the present invention to produce a non-aqueous liquid shampoo which contains an active agent such as for treatment of scalp or skin diseases, or for treatment of hair infestations in a composition which imparts desirable aesthetic characteristics to the hair being treated, has a satisfactory cleansing and foaming capacity, and which does not have undesirable effects on the user.


A safety razor assembly having a blade structure including one or more flexible elongate blades supported by a structure that is deformable to permit the blade structure to flex to follow concave or convex curvatures. The support structure can include two suspension members supporting a blade structure along respective edges, and each suspension member has several support elements interconnected by hinges and in sliding cooperation with the blade structure. The deformation of the suspension members is guided by a guide arrangement located adjacent the suspension members.

There are known wet or safety razors that are intended to provide a degree of conformance to skin curves. These are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,024,776 (Wain), and a blade suitable for use therein shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,804,886 (Wain). United States Patent WO 99/04938 (Hawes et al.) proposes a flexible support for a shaving cartridge. Other suggestions known in the art for flexible blade supports are for example the following U.S. Pat. No. 4,754548 (Solow); U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,028 (Chen); U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,043 (Chen); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,320 (Peleckis). Powered, electric razors employing inner and outer cooperating shearing members such as "foils" supported to adapt in use are known from EP-A-1449627 (Uchiyama), and EP-A-1454720, but those constructions limit conformance during use. As described in EP-A-1449627 with reference to FIG. 2 therein, the outer foil cutter (20) is fixed to the inside of the casing (22) at anchoring positions (24), and this inevitably reduces the flexing capabilities. Furthermore, the U-shaped foil configuration also acts to resist flexing of the foil along its length and, as the blade support bends the blades spread apart or come together so that distances separating the shearing edges of adjacent blades are changed and the shaving performance is consequently affected, which is undesirable. EP-A-1454720 describes a similar foil and cutter assembly but differs in that the inner cutter, instead of being resilient, is shaped so that the foil has a concave curvature along its length. A second foil and cutter assembly with a straight convex or concave configuration can be provided alongside the concave assembly. In this case, maintaining proper cooperation between the cutter blades and the foil over the full length of the foil becomes a problem when the inner cutter is reciprocated relative to the foil.


A parallel processing system composed of a regular array of programmable logic devices, each of which can be configured to perform any logical mapping from inputs to outputs. The configuration of each device is specified by a small program memory contained inside each device. Any device's program memory can be read or written by any other device connected to it within the array. This facilitates the development of extremely parallel systems whose configuration can be modified at runtime, while distributing control of the array throughout the entire array itself. The resulting system is thus completely self-reconfigurable, avoiding the bottlenecks and critical failure points found in inherently externally-configured systems.

The present invention relates to the field of cell-based parallel processing systems. In particular, it relates to a parallel processing system composed of a regular collection of processing units whose behavior is controlled by software contained within each unit. More particularly, it relates to a processing system composed of processing units which operate in one of two modes, one mode being a data processing mode, and the other being a code processing mode.
Currently there are numerous varieties of programmable logic devices (PLDs) available, which contain fixed hardware but whose specific behavior can be controlled by loading some form of software into the device. Such devices include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,550,782 and 4,034,356. These and other configurable devices combine the speed of custom hardware with the flexibility of software. As such they find application in rapid prototyping, field-upgradeable systems, and other applications potentially requiring changes to the hardware-level behavior of the system after it is manufactured. Traditionally, such changes are made while the system is disabled, and are generally performed by something (often a human) outside the system itself.
There has been much recent interest in self-reconfigurable systems, which undergo self modification while running. For example, a system composed of a PLD array might be initially configured to execute a certain algorithm, and another part of the system might monitor the performance of this algorithm. While the initial algorithm may be well suited for the initial class of input data, it may be that the nature of the input data changes over time, and eventually the algorithm becomes sub-optimal. The monitor could modify the algorithm accordingly, and then reconfigure the PLDs to execute the new algorithm. A typical application for such a system would be a deep-space satellite, which necessarily has a limited amount of hardware onboard (due to weight and space restrictions) and often encounters phenomenon not anticipated when the system was built.
There have been attempts to build such systems using current PLDs, especially Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Typically, these systems contain two main pieces: a PLD array (collection of interconnected PLDs) and a controller (which monitors the PLD array and modifies it as needed). While this works adequately for small, simple systems, there are some fundamental limitations to this approach, arising from the fact that the PLD array is not itself self-reconfigurable. Rather, it must be configured by some external controller. Generally this means that as the size of the PLD array grows, the external controller must also grow. Additionally, these PLDs are generally controlled through relatively narrow channels, creating bottlenecks when attempting simultaneous reconfiguration of multiple PLDs. Furthermore, since the controller is external to the PLD array, the individual PLDs need some form of addressibility, which makes scaling the array difficult. The system is also susceptible to critical failures, since the controller is the only piece of the system which can modify the PLDs (and hence represents a critical failure point). Finally, while the system can become quite sophisticated by virtue of the PLDs' programmability, the external controller remains fixed, and can not itself be enhanced via reprogramming of its hardware.
While there have been solutions to certain of these problems (eg. U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,633), such solutions don't address the fundamental limitation of current PLD designs. Namely, a PLD is configured by loading code into it, and that code affects how it processes data. However, the data and code are fundamentally separate entities. So, for example, one PLD can not read the code from another PLD, modify it, and write it into a third PLD. While enhancements can be made to allow specific actions such as this, current systems fail to achieve a fundamental duality between data processing and code processing.

Self-reconfigurable parallel processor made from regularly-connected self-dual code/data processing cells


A method and system for processing postage payments is described. In one configuration a digital pen is utilized to provide an indication of authorization for payment of postage, while the rest of the mail handling is done using existing technology independent of the digital pen infrastructure.

The illustrative embodiments described in the present application are useful in systems including those for providing funds accounting devices and more particularly are useful in systems including those for providing for accounting of postage and evidence of postage.
Funds accounting, storing and dispensing systems are potential targets for fraud because they store funds. Certain funds systems are regulated and are typically required to exhibit some level of security capability to prevent or dissuade fraudulent activity. Such systems may also provide some forensic evidence to assist in tracking any fraud that is perpetuated.
For example, postage meters approved by the United States Postal Service (USPS) must exhibit certain security capabilities in order to be approved for use. Many postage meters in the United States provide funds accounting such that a source of funds is debited when postage is prepaid before being placed into the mail stream. Additionally, many postage meters provide proof of the postage payment in the form of printed indicia placed on the mail piece, typically on the upper right hand corner of an envelope. In a postage system that utilizes prepaid funds such as the USPS, a postage meter may account for funds by providing an ascending register to track money spent, a descending register to keep track of available funds and a piece count register to track total number of mail pieces franked. Certain other postal systems utilize post-paid postage wherein a postage meter may incorporate credit accounting features.
Mailing machines including postage meters are commercially available from Pitney Bowes Inc. of Stamford, Conn.
Delivery services typically utilize an infrastructure for collecting, aggregating, transporting, sorting and delivering items. For example, the United States Postal Service (USPS) delivers more than 200 billion pieces of mail a year. The USPS serves about seven million customers daily at approximately 38,000 postal retail outlets and collects mail from more than 326,000 street mail collection boxes. It leases over 26,000 facilities and operates a transport and delivery fleet of about 215,530 vehicles. The USPS utilizes approximately 75,000 pieces of mail processing equipment and over 300 processing plants to sort and ship the mail.