An agricultural harvester includes an IC engine, a grain tank, and a fluid cooling system for at least one component onboard the agricultural harvester. The fluid cooling system has a cooling package positioned between the IC engine and the grain tank. The cooling package includes a housing, and a plurality of cooling units arranged in a side-to-side manner within the housing, transverse to a fore-aft direction of the harvester.

The present invention relates to agricultural harvesters, and, more specifically to fluid cooling systems used with such harvesters.
An agricultural harvester known as a "combine" is historically termed such because it combines multiple harvesting functions with a single harvesting unit, such as picking, threshing, separating and cleaning. A combine includes a header which removes the crop from a field, and a feeder housing which transports the crop matter into a threshing rotor. The threshing rotor rotates within a perforated housing, which may be in the form of adjustable concaves and performs a threshing operation on the crop to remove the grain. Once the grain is threshed it falls through perforations in the concaves onto a grain pan. From the grain pan the grain is cleaned using a cleaning system, and is then transported to a grain tank onboard the combine. A cleaning fan blows air through the sieves to discharge chaff and other debris toward the rear of the combine. Non-grain crop material such as straw from the threshing section proceeds through a residue system, which may utilize a straw chopper to process the non-grain material and direct it out the rear of the combine. When the grain tank becomes full, the combine is positioned adjacent a vehicle into which the grain is to be unloaded, such as a semi-trailer, gravity box, straight truck, or the like; and an unloading system on the combine is actuated to transfer the grain into the vehicle.
More particularly, a rotary threshing or separating system includes one or more rotors which can extend axially (front to rear) or transversely within the body of the combine, and which are partially or fully surrounded by a perforated concave. The crop material is threshed and separated by the rotation of the rotor within the concave. Coarser non-grain crop material such as stalks and leaves are transported to the rear of the combine and discharged back to the field. The separated grain, together with some finer non-grain crop material such as chaff, dust, straw, and other crop residue are discharged through the concaves and fall onto a grain pan where they are transported to a cleaning system. Alternatively, the grain and finer non-grain crop material may also fall directly onto the cleaning system itself.
A cleaning system further separates the grain from non-grain crop material, and typically includes a fan directing an airflow stream upwardly and rearwardly through vertically arranged sieves which oscillate in a fore and aft manner. The airflow stream lifts and carries the lighter non-grain crop material towards the rear end of the combine for discharge to the field. Clean grain, being heavier, and larger pieces of non-grain crop material, which are not carried away by the airflow stream, fall onto a surface of an upper sieve (also known as a chaffer sieve) where some or all of the clean grain passes through to a lower sieve (also known as a cleaning sieve). Grain and non-grain crop material remaining on the upper and lower sieves are physically separated by the reciprocating action of the sieves as the material moves rearwardly. Any grain and/or non-grain crop material remaining on the top surface of the upper sieve are discharged at the rear of the combine. Grain falling through the lower sieve lands on a bottom pan of the cleaning system, where it is conveyed forwardly toward a clean grain auger.
The clean grain auger conveys the grain to a grain tank for temporary storage. The grain accumulates to the point where the grain tank is full and is discharged to an adjacent vehicle such as a semi trailer, gravity box, straight truck or the like by an unloading system on the combine that is actuated to transfer grain into the vehicle.
Agricultural combines tend to become larger and more sophisticated over time. As the size of the combines increase, the power requirements also increase. More power means more heat generated onboard the combine. Onboard components such as an internal combustion (IC) engine, hydraulic circuits, an air conditioning (A/C) circuit, etc. have internal fluids that require cooling. To this end, combines typically include several discrete fluid coolers located at various convenient locations onboard the combine. For example, the radiator for the IC engine typically is positioned along a side of the combine, with a rotating screen positioned in the vertical side wall of the combine. As another example, the A/C circuit can be located in the roof of the operator cab. Such coolers are effective to cool the respective components, but take up additional room onboard the combine, and may not be located at the best location to avoid chaff, dust, etc. from plugging the screen or radiator.
What is needed in the art is a cooling system for an agricultural harvester that effectively cools various fluids onboard the harvester, is easy to install, and avoids chaff, dust, etc.

Transversely oriented cooling package for an agricultural harvester


An enable circuit receives an input enable signal that is referenced to a first voltage and generates a level-shifted output enable signal referenced to a second voltage. Bias control circuitry prevents shoot-through currents during ramping of the first voltage and from causing indeterminate logic levels of the level-shifted output enable signal. An enabled level-shifting circuit receives an input logic signal that is referenced to the first voltage and generates a level-shifted output logic signal referenced to the second voltage. Enable circuitry operates in response to the level-shifted output enable signal to enable normal level-shifting operation while the first and second voltages are at normal operating levels and prevents shoot-through currents in the enabled level-shifting circuit from causing indeterminate levels of the level-shifted output logic signal.

The present invention relates generally to level-shifting circuits having a first power supply voltage level and a different second power supply voltage level and also relates to using techniques that essentially prevent current leakage that causes indeterminate voltage/logic levels during circuit operation when one of the supply voltage levels is at a low level and the other supply voltage level is at a high level. More particularly, the invention relates to level shifting circuitry the operation of which is independent of the order of ramping of the two power supply voltages.
In FIG. 1, conventional level-shifting circuit 1-1 includes a CMOS inverter INV1 having its input coupled to receive an input signal VIN and its output connected by a conductor or node ND3 to the input of another CMOS inverter INV2 and also to the gate of a N-channel transistor MN1 having its source connected to ground. The output of inverter INV2 is connected by a conductor ND4 to the gate of a N-channel transistor MN2 having its source connected to ground. CMOS inverters INV1 and INV2 are coupled between a first power supply voltage VSUPPLY1 and ground or VSS. The drain of transistor MN1 is connected by node ND1 to the drain of a P-channel transistor MP1 and the gate of a P-channel transistor MP2. The sources of transistors MP1 and MP2 are connected to a second supply voltage VSUPPLY2. The gate of transistor MP1 is connected by a node or conductor ND2 to the drains of transistors MP2 and MN2 and to the gate electrodes of a CMOS output inverter including a P-channel transistor MP5 and a N-channel transistor MN5. The source of transistor MP5 is connected to VSUPPLY2 and its drain is connected by a VOUT conductor 6 to the drain of transistor MN5, the source of which is connected to ground. During normal operation, transistors MP1, MP2, MN1 and MN2 form a level shifter. Transistors MP1 and MP2 are "latching transistors" that form the latching portion of the level shifter which also includes N-channel selection transistors MN1 and MN2. In the case wherein VSUPPLY1 is at a high or ON voltage level, transistors MN1 and MN2 are driven in response to VSUPPLY1, causing them to control latching transistors MP2 and MP1 by controlling the voltages on nodes ND1 and ND2, respectively. When the gate of one of the latching transistors MP1 or MP2 is pulled to a low voltage level, the drain of that transistor MP1 or MP2 is driven high to the VSUPPLY2 level. This in turn couples VSUPPLY2 to the gate of the opposite latching transistor MP2 or MP2, turning it off. This operation generates "determinate" or predetermined logic levels on nodes ND1 and ND2.
However, in the case wherein VSUPPLY1 is at a low OFF voltage level and the second supply voltage VSUPPLY2 is at a high ON voltage level, it can be seen in Prior Art FIG. 1 that circuit nodes ND1 and ND2 are high impedance nodes which are at indeterminate voltage levels and indeterminate logic states when the first supply voltage. Under these indeterminate voltage levels and logic states, latching transistors MP1 and MP2 no longer operate as part of the above-mentioned standard level shifter that produces determinate logic levels at its outputs. This can lead to CMOS inverter "shoot-through" current dissipation in the CMOS output inverter consisting of P-channel transistor MP5 and N-channel transistor MN5 which generates the output voltage VOUT on conductor 6. Nodes ND3 and ND4 in FIG. 1 also are high impedance nodes, and have voltages between 0 volts and approximately one MOS diode voltage VT above ground (VSS). This causes N-channel transistors MN1 and MN2 to be OFF, but if the voltages of both nodes ND1 and ND2 maintain a weak inversion bias level in either of P-channel transistors MP1 and MP2, this may cause a shoot-through current to flow from the VSUPPLY2 to ground. Under these conditions, VOUT may be at an indeterminate voltage and an indeterminate logic level.
Referring next to the prior art level-shifting circuit 1-2 in FIG. 2, it can be seen that transistors MP1 and MN1 are both ON and provide known or determinate voltage levels and logic levels when VSUPPLY1 is at a low OFF level and VSUPPLY2 is at a high ON level. The prior art two-supply level shifting circuit 1-2 shown in FIG. 2 attempts to address the above-described shoot-through current problem and the indeterminate voltage/logic levels of level-shifting circuit 1-1 in Prior Art FIG. 1 by providing an additional P-channel transistor MP3 having its source coupled to VSUPPLY2 through a current-limiting MOS resistor R0. The drain of transistor MP3 is connected to node ND2, and its gate is connected to node ND4. The gate of MOS resistor R0 is connected to the body electrodes of transistors MP2 and MP3. The circuit shown in FIG. 2 also differs from the circuit shown in FIG. 1 by including a N-channel transistor MN3 having its gate connected to node ND2, its source connected to ground, and its drain connected to node ND1. During normal operation, transistors MP1 and MP2 form the latch portion of a level shifter which generates determinate logic levels on nodes ND1 and ND2.
However, if the value of VSUPPLY2 minus VSUPPLY1 is large enough to produce a gate-to-source turn-on voltage on transistor MP3, a shoot-through current will flow through transistor MP3 and through transistor MP1 to ground. The level of this shoot-through current may be controlled by appropriate sizing of current-limiting or degeneration resistor R0. However, for very low desired shoot-through current levels (of the order of tens of nanoamperes), this forces the resistive degeneration to be so great that level shifting circuit 1-2 may have unacceptable shoot-through current leakage when VSUPPLY1 is at its very low OFF value and the voltage of node ND2 has "floated" up to a sufficiently high level to cause transistor MP1 to be in a weak-inversion ON condition. Transistor MN3 functions as a feedback element which is in place when transistor MP3 drives node ND2 high. Specifically, when VSUPPLY1 is OFF its voltage is coupled by conductor ND4 to the gate of transistor MN3, thus pulling node ND1 low. Prior art level-shifting circuit 1-2 of FIG. 2 assumes that nodes ND4 and ND3 will be equal essentially to zero volts at all times when VSUPPLY1 is at a low OFF level. One weakness of prior art level-shifting circuit 1-2 is that the voltages of node conductors ND3 and ND4 can "float up" as a result of parasitic capacitive coupling when VSUPPLY1 is low, and this can create a shoot-through current leakage condition through transistor MN2.
In FIG. 2, for the case where VSUPPLY1 is equal to zero, the output node ND4 of inverter INV2 is in a "floating" high impedance state within a voltage range from ground to 1 CMOS threshold VT above ground. A voltage high enough to cause both P-channel transistor MP3 and N-channel transistor MN2 to go into their weak inversion conditions can easily be coupled to node ND4. Inverter INV1 is "immune" to shoot-through currents when VSUPPLY1 is essentially equal to zero, but the voltage of node ND3 can float upward and may cause transistor MP1 to be a leakage source. When this occurs, the cross-coupled P-channel transistors MP1 and MP2 can both be in their ON conditions but nevertheless in a non-latched condition. This can result in the gate voltage on node ND1 driving the output inverter transistor pair MN4/MP4 and the gate voltage on node ND2 driving the output inverter transistor pair MN5/MP5 so as to produce indeterminate levels, respectively, between VSUPPLY2 and VSS. This can result in an unacceptably high amount of shoot-through current flowing from VSUPPLY2 to VSS so that the outputs VOUT and VOUTZ are at indeterminate voltage levels and logic states.
The standard prior art cross-coupled P-channel level shifters do not have circuit topologies that avoid the above mentioned shoot-through currents when VSUPPLY1 is OFF and consequently do not have reliable known output logic levels when VSUPPLY1 is OFF.
It should be understood that the need for independence from power-supply ramp-up order is necessary in systems that rely on one of multiple power supplies to, in effect, act as an external master power-on reset signal. The MIPI[rffe] serial communication specification requires the VIO supply voltage (i.e., Vsupply1 in subsequently described FIG. 3) that is provided by a master MIPI communication controller to act as both the serial port supply as well as a master reset signal.
It should be noted that the MIPI Alliance is a global, collaborative organization comprised of companies that span the mobile "ecosystem" and are committed to defining and promoting interface specifications for mobile devices. A broad portfolio of interface specifications from the MIPI Alliance enables design engineers to efficiently interconnect essential components in a mobile device, from the modem and antenna to the peripherals and application processor. Most state-of-the-art smart phones employ at least two MIPI specifications. Some products employ MIPI specifications for a full range of internal connections. MIPI specifications have enabled manufacturers to simplify the design process, reduce design costs, create economies of scale that lower price points, and shorten time-to-market for components, features, and services. Fundamentally, every MIPI specification addresses the industry needs for three characteristics that are essential for any successful mobile design: low power consumption, high-performance operations, and low electromagnetic interference (EMI). MIPI currently has a pair of high-speed physical-layer (PHY) specifications, M-PHY and D-PHY, to support a full range of application requirements in mobile terminals.) In the case that VIO supply voltage is powered down and a separately regulated VCC supply is powered up, the level shifters that normally translate between VIO levels to VCC logic levels must function appropriately to provide a master reset to the rest of the integrated circuit chip. Despite the fact that there is no VIO power, the level-shifter circuit should draw no significant current due to high-impedance "floating" nodes in the circuit and the output of the level shifter should be ensured.
Thus, there is an unmet need for a way of avoiding shoot-through currents in a CMOS level shifting circuit that is powered by multiple power supplies.
There also is an unmet need for a way of avoiding shoot-through currents in a CMOS level shifting circuit that is powered by multiple power supplies wherein the voltage provided by the power supplies is at an inactive or OFF level and the voltage provided by another of the power supplies is at an active or ON level.

Supply-state-enabled level shifter interface circuit and method


A MEMS gyroscope can include a supporting structure and a mobile mass elastically suspended from the supporting structure in a driving direction and in a sensing direction, mutually perpendicular. A driving structure is coupled to the mobile mass for controlling a driving movement of the mobile mass in the driving direction at a driving frequency. A driving-frequency tuning electrode, distinct from the driving structure, faces the mobile mass. A driving-frequency tuner electrically coupled to the driving-frequency tuning electrode for supplying a tuning voltage to the driving-frequency tuning electrode.

As is known, MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) are increasingly used in various applications, due to their small dimensions, costs compatible with consumer applications, and their growing reliability. In particular, using this technology, inertial sensors, such as microintegrated gyroscopes and electro-mechanical oscillators, are produced.
MEMS devices of this type generally comprise a supporting body and at least one mobile mass, suspended over the supporting body and coupled thereto through springs, or "flexures". The springs are configured to enable the mobile mass to oscillate with respect to the supporting body according to one or more degrees of freedom. In MEMS devices with driving and sensing of a capacitive type, the mobile mass is capacitively coupled to a plurality of fixed electrodes, which are fixed with respect to the supporting body, thus forming capacitors with variable capacitance. When the MEMS device operates as a sensor, movement of the mobile mass with respect to the fixed electrodes, due to the action of forces acting thereon, varies the capacitance of the capacitors. By measuring this variation, it is possible to detect the displacement of the mobile mass with respect to the supporting body, and on the basis of the displacement it is possible to detect various parameters associated to the force that has caused the displacement (for example, the amplitude). Instead, when the MEMS device operates as actuator, suitable biasing voltages are applied between the mobile mass and the supporting body, for example through driving electrodes. The mobile mass is thus subject to an electrostatic force that causes the desired movement thereof.
Among MEMS sensors, gyroscopes, in particular, have a complex electro-mechanical structure, which typically comprises at least two masses that are mobile with respect to the supporting body, coupled to each other so as to have a number of degrees of freedom that depends upon the architecture of the system. In the majority of cases, each mobile mass has one or at the most two degrees of freedom. The mobile masses are capacitively coupled to the supporting body through sensing electrodes and through driving electrodes.
In an embodiment with two mobile masses, a first mobile mass is dedicated to driving and is kept in oscillation at the resonance frequency at a controlled oscillation amplitude. The second mobile mass is driven through the first mobile mass with oscillatory (translational or rotational) motion and, in the case of rotation of the microstructure about a gyroscope axis at an angular velocity, is subject to a Coriolis force proportional to the angular velocity and perpendicular to the driving direction. In practice, the second (driven) mobile mass acts as an accelerometer that enables detection of the Coriolis force and detection of the angular velocity.
In another embodiment, a single mobile mass is coupled to the supporting body and is able to move with respect to the latter with two independent degrees of freedom. In this case, one degree of freedom is used for driving and one degree of freedom is used for sensing. This latter degree of freedom may allow a movement in the mobile mass plane (in-plane movement) or a movement perpendicular to this plane (out-of-plane movement). A driving device keeps the mobile mass in controlled oscillation according to the driving degree of freedom, and the mobile mass moves based on the sensing degree of freedom, in response to rotation of the supporting body due to the Coriolis force.

Mems gyroscope with regulation of the mismatch between the driving and sensing frequencies


The present disclosure relates to an example of a method for a first router to adaptively determine status within a network. The network may include the first router, a second router and a third router. The method for the first router may comprise determining status information regarding the second router located in the network, and transmitting the status information to the third router located in the network. The second router and the third router may be indirectly coupled to one another.

Chip-level multiprocessors combine two or more independent processing nodes on a single integrated circuit. These processing architectures have emerged as the leading replacement to complex systems of networked uniprocessors, and continue to grow in complexity and in size. Existing on-chip interconnects, such as networks-on-chip, can execute either static or adaptive routing algorithms to determine the route taken by a data packet through the network. Adaptive routing algorithms that provide flexibility with respect to route choice provide advantages over oblivious approaches that are unable to adapt to changes in the network.

Method and apparatus for congestion-aware routing in a computer interconnection network

THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM


An actuator drive circuit includes a counter starting counting of a frequency-divided clock obtained by dividing a frequency of a reference clock in response to an activation signal, a D/A converter providing a converted voltage increasing gradually and stepwise in response to an output of the counter, a coil current control amplifier comparing a coil current detection voltage corresponding to a value of a coil current of the actuator with the converted voltage immediately after activation, comparing the coil current detection voltage with a coil current limitation reference voltage corresponding to an upper limit value of the coil current after the converted voltage matches the coil current limitation reference voltage, and providing an amplified output voltage prepared by amplifying a difference between the compared voltages, and a drive current output circuit providing a drive current of the actuator according to the amplified output voltage of the coil current control amplifier.

A structure disclosed, e.g., in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-043554 (Patent Document 1) has been known as the above kind of shutter actuator device, and FIG. 4 shows a shutter actuator device similar to the disclosed device. This shutter actuator device includes a shutter actuator drive circuit 101, a shutter actuator 8 that is driven by shutter actuator drive circuit 101 to operate a shutter (not shown) and a coil current detection element 9 that detects a coil current IL of shutter actuator 8, and provides a coil current detection voltage VDET corresponding to a value of coil current IL to a coil current detection terminal DET of shutter actuator drive circuit 101.
Shutter actuator drive circuit 101 includes a Zener diode 131, a constant current supply 132 having opposite ends connected to Zener diode 131 and an internal power supply voltage VCC, respectively, resistances 133 and 134 arranged in series between a ground potential point and a connection point between Zener diode 131 and constant current supply 132, and a capacitor 135 arranged in parallel to resistance 134. Shutter actuator drive circuit 101 further includes an NPN bipolar transistor 136 that has a collector connected to a connection point (node N) between resistances 133 and 134, a base receiving an activation signal from an activation signal input terminal ST and a grounded emitter, a coil current control amplifier 115 receiving on its noninverting input terminal a voltage on node N, and receiving, on its inverting input terminal, coil current detection voltage VDET from coil current detection terminal DET for amplifying a difference between them, and an NPN bipolar transistor 119 having a base receiving an output voltage of coil current control amplifier 115, an emitter connected to coil current detection terminal DET and a collector connected to the other end of shutter actuator 8 via an output terminal OUT2.
Resistances 133 and 134 as well as capacitor 135 from a CR integrator. A power supply voltage VM for driving the actuator is connected to one end of shutter actuator 8 via an output terminal OUT1.
Shutter actuator drive circuit 101 operates as follows.
When the activation signal on activation signal input terminal ST attains a low level (i.e., when the shutter actuator device becomes active), a current of constant current supply 132 flows into the CR integrator formed of capacitor 135 and resistances 133 and 134. The CR integrator gradually raises the voltage on node N, and will maintain the raised voltage after the voltage becomes equal to a voltage obtained by dividing the constant voltage generated by Zener diode 131 by resistances 133 and 134. Coil current detection voltage VDET follows the voltage on node N, and therefore the current flowing through coil current detection element 9, i.e., coil current IL likewise follows it, rises to an upper limit value IMAX and will maintain it.
Coil current IL of shutter actuator 8 does not rapidly rise due to its dielectric properties. If the CR integrator were not used for controlling the rising of coil current IL, the time required for raising coil current IL to upper limit value IMAX would vary according to variations in actuator drive power supply voltage VM as illustrated by waveforms A and B in FIG. 5.
Waveform A occurs when actuator drive power supply voltage VM takes a maximum value. Waveform B occurs when actuator drive power supply voltage VM takes a minimum value. In shutter actuator drive circuit 101, a constant of the CR integrator is adjusted to increase coil current IL with a slight delay from waveform B so that the foregoing time is not affected by the variations in actuator drive power supply voltage VM.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-043554

Actuator drive circuit and actuator device


A method in an electronic device for adapting a graphical effect used in a Graphical User Interface, GUI, comprised in the electronic device for interacting with a user of the electronic device is provided. The electronic device is associated with at least one database. At least one software application using the graphical effect is running on the electronic device. The electronic device is adapted to detect a number of times the at least one application is started, save the detected number of times in the at least one database, and change a time for the graphical effect to be shown based on the detected number of times the at least one application is started, whereby performance of the graphical effect is improved.

In Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) present in modern electronic devices, transitions and/or animations are often used as a graphical effect to e.g. visualize a structure or a conceptual model of an application so that a user of an electronic device may understand the structure of the application, and thus may navigate more efficiently through the information architecture of an application. An example of this is applications that use the Drawer User Interface (UI) component, reveal this component on launch of the application and display a transition throughout during launch of the application. Transitions and/or animations may also be used to provide an enchanting feeling of advanced and polished technological implementation. An example of this is the 2.5 dimensional list animation used in Windows Modern/Metro UI.
In present GUIs a general target of 250 msec is often used as a standard time for animations or transitions as this is a value allowing the user to understand and appreciate the graphical effect without growing overly tired of the effect once it is learned.
A problem is that once the user has understood the structure of an application and been enchanted, there is a risk that repetition of the transition, or animation, provides little value to the user. On the contrary, constant repetition of the transition or animation may instead annoy the user by slowing down the UI. The animation or transition that served an emotional and/or pedagogical function in the beginning loses that function once the UI is understood and the user simply want to proceed with their task in the most efficient manner.
Attempts to solve this problem are for example the types of nudges that SoMC sometimes use in e.g. the Homescreen application where the button that launches the Application Tray does a scale up/down animation when a user starts using the application. After the user successfully has pressed the button on seven occasions it will no longer do the scaling animation.
Another way of solving the above mentioned problem is to provide a possibility for the user to change the time for a graphical effect to be shown. However, spending time on such changes may be annoying to the user.

Method and device for adapting a graphical effect


Heads-up display systems for vehicles which generate a virtual display in a field of view of an occupant of the vehicle when facing outward of the vehicle. A control system is coupled to the heads-up display system and detects an action by the occupant, e.g., touching of a touch pad, and controls the content of the virtual display being generated by the heads-up display system based on the detected action. The touch pad may include a surface acoustical wave (SAW) device whereby touching causes a particular returned signal from the SAW substrate, with this particular returned signal being processable into an activation of the manner in which the touch pad was touched.

A heads-up display system for a driver of a vehicle which is adjustable based on the position of the driver is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,357 (Matsumoto). Prior to Matsumoto, the current assignee in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,822,707 and 5,748,473, disclosed a seat adjustment system for adjusting a seat of an occupant viewing images formed by a heads-up display system based on the position of the occupant (see FIG. 8).
Detailed background on heads-up display systems is found in the parent application, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/645,709 filed Aug. 24, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,126,583. Definitions of terms used herein can also be found in the parent applications.

Automotive Technologies International, Inc.


The disclosure relates to a method for measuring fill level of a fill substance using terahertz (THz) pulses or for determining distance to an object using terahertz pulses, as well as to a fill-level measuring device suitable for performing such method. The THz pulses are transmitted with a repetition frequency, wherein the repetition frequency according to the invention is controlled in such a manner as a function of travel time that the repetition frequency increases in the case of decreasing travel time and decreases in the case of increasing travel time. The separation or the fill level is determined not based on the measured travel time, but is based on repetition frequency. An exact fill level determination can be performed based on THz pulses, even when the frequency of the THz pulses significantly fluctuates. Consequently, very simply embodied pulse production units with comparatively small requirements for frequency stability of the THz pulses can be used.

In automation technology, especially in process automation technology, field devices are often applied, which serve for registering and/or influencing process variables. Serving for registering process variables are sensors, which are integrated, for example, in fill level measuring devices, flow measuring devices, pressure- and temperature measuring devices, pH-redox potential measuring devices, conductivity measuring devices, etc., which register the corresponding process variables, fill level, flow, pressure, temperature, pH-value, redox potential, and conductivity, respectively. Serving for influencing process variables are actuators, such as, for example, valves or pumps, via which the flow of a liquid in a pipeline section or the fill level in a container can be changed. Referred to as field devices are, in principle, all those devices, which are applied near to the process and which deliver, or process, process relevant information. In connection with the invention, the terminology, field devices, thus includes also remote I/Os, radio adapters, and, generally, electronic components, which are arranged at the field level. A large number of such field devices are manufactured and sold by the firm, Endress+Hauser.
For fill level measurement, contactless measuring methods are becoming popular, since they are robust and characterized by low maintenance. A further advantage of these methods is that they can measure virtually continuously. A favorite of these methods is the radar-based measuring method working according to the pulse travel time principle. In the case of this measuring method, which also is known under the name, pulse radar, short microwave pulses are periodically sent with a fixed repetition frequency (fpulse), e.g. in an order of magnitude of 1 to 2 MHz, toward the fill substance. Their signal fractions reflected back in the direction of the transmitting- and receiving system are then received after a travel time t dependent on the path traveled in the container. The fill level is calculated from the measured travel time t.
Pulse travel time-based, fill level measuring devices of the state of the art work at microwave frequencies in a range between 0.2 GHz and 100 GHz. In such case, it is, in principle, necessary, that the frequency fluctuates as little as possible, in order that the fill level measurement delivers exact values. The choice of frequency has additionally a strong influence on the design of the fill level measuring device. It affects, among other things, the geometry of the transmitting-, receiving antenna. The higher the frequency, the smaller the antenna can be dimensioned, without that its radiation lobe expands.
The advantage of a small antenna is that the fill-level measuring device, as a whole, can be embodied compactly. Smaller space consumption means that the arrangement on the container is simplified.
The advantage of a narrow radiation cone, thus strongly focused microwave pulses, is, on the one hand, that the signal efficiency rises, since the intensity of the reflected microwave pulses increases. On the other hand, disturbance echos arising from reflection on peripheral objects, such as e.g. the container wall, are reduced.
From these considerations, it is clear that choice of an as high as possible frequency of the microwave pulses is advantageous. For, in this way, in the case of a small antenna, for example implemented with a very small flange, a narrow radiation lobe can be achieved. These ideas hold not only for higher frequency microwave pulses, but, instead, also for yet very much higher frequency pulses in the terahertz region (in the following abbreviated as THz: In the context of this invention, this region includes electromagnetic waves in a frequency range between 300 GHz and 3 THz).
According to the state of the art, technical solutions for producing electromagnetic waves in the THz region are already known: For example, so called "free electron lasers" can be applied. Using this technique, electromagnetic waves in the THz region can be produced with a comparatively stable frequency. Main component of these lasers is, however, a very complex, high energy, particle accelerator, so that a compact and low power form of construction of such a laser is not, as a practical matter, possible.
Known under the label "Gunn element" are semiconductor components, which are made of n-doped zones of differing doping. These are likewise able to produce electromagnetic waves in the THz region. Since they are, however, non-linear electrical components, the frequency of the electromagnetic waves in the THz region is very unstable.
Although electromagnetic pulses in the THz region are, due to the mentioned reasons, in principle, advantageous compared with microwave pulses, the above mentioned technical solutions for THz-wave production form thus no suitable basis for transfer of the pulse travel time method to a fill level measurement by means of THz pulses. Either the described methods for THz wave production are not technically implementable with justifiable effort. Or they are not able to produce THz pulses with a frequency, which is stable enough for an exact fill level determination by means of the pulse travel time-method.

Method for measuring fill level of a fill substance located in a container by means of terahertz pulses


A method of fire-fighting is provided based on unmanned aerial vehicles “UAV(s)” launched from transporter aircrafts to deliver water or fire-retardants or any other fire-fighting materials to a location selected by the fire-fighting personnel. A capability of putting-off high intensity forest fires is provided that stems from the precision and the quantity of material that can be delivered per unit surface per unit time. After releasing the fire-fighting material(s), the UAV reaches a safe altitude from which it flies on autopilot to intercept and then proceed on a pre-programmed route to land per pre-programmed instructions on an airfield from which fire-fighting transporter(s) operate, allowing a high efficiency along the line, from loading the transporter airplanes to maximizing the quantity of material that reach the target, to minimizing the remote-pilot time and up to the recovery system that minimizes the recovery cost and it maximizes UAVs' utilization by a quick turnaround.

As global temperatures continue to rise, it is not only predicted, but already demonstrated, that wild fires will become more frequent due to extreme weather fluctuations in between severe droughts to high-energy thunderstorms. Wild fires are an accelerator of global warming; indeed, the amount of CO2 released in the world represents a relevant percentage of the total CO2 emission from using fossil fuels.
Wild fires are part of the nature cycle, but the current increase of global temperatures appears to be an alteration of the cycle and, irrespective of what is causing it, humans need to do whatever they can to delay a process that could lead to an Earth different from what we know today.
The current means of fighting wild fires are not up to the task as demonstrated by the results. Even in countries rated as the best prepared for wild fire fighting, there are repeated occurrences of fires that cannot be extinguished for weeks, months and even for more than one year.
Forest fires are among the most difficult to fight because of their high energy and because they generally occur in hard to access areas. Using aircraft for wild fire fighting comes as an obvious choice, not only because of the accessibility issue, but because a quick first response is needed as well.
A large variety of aircraft is used in wild fire firefighting for carrying/dropping water or retardant agents. Examples include:                Scooper planes specially designed for firefighting, e.g., CL215, CL415        Agricultural airplanes well adapted for firefighting, e.g., AT802        Transporter airplanes adapted to carry/drop water, or fire retardants, e.g., C130, C27, C17        Commercial jets adapted to carry and drop liquids, e.g., B747, DC10, BAE146, IL76        Helicopters of any type provided with buckets        Unmanned Helicopter, e.g., Kaman K-MAX
The large variety of aircraft used for firefighting is an indication that:                a) the number of aircraft allocated for the job is insufficient for the task and ad-hoc improvisations continuously add to the variety of types.        b) there is a lack of a clear convergence towards a limited number of efficient and sufficient firefighting methods & means.
As straightforward as it may look, the process of water bombing, especially in the case of forest fires, involves high risks and technical limitations, such that the current general opinion of firefighters is that aviation is a great help, but it cannot put out forest fires.
The technical limitations of using aircrafts to discharge water, retardant or any fire-fighting materials (collectively, "material(s)") stem from the required low flying speed at low altitude, in many cases encountering high turbulence, low visibility and need to fly over mountainous terrain. It is considered that being a forest firefighting pilot is riskier than being a fighter jet pilot and in fact, worldwide, there are only a few hundred pilots that are really up to the firefighting task.
Hence, the use of other means of delivering materials to inaccessible areas would be advantageous. Among potential alternatives are: artillery-fired containers filled with retardant, containers filled with fire-fighting agents dropped from aircraft flying at safer altitude, wherein the containers are adapted to release the agents at lower altitude so as to reduce the loss of agent due to pulverization at high altitudes, and containers provided with parachute, thereby providing reduced speed that minimizes the loss by pulverization, etc.
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) as a solution for reducing the risks is still on the wish list since there are not yet UAV-based methods and means that could accomplish the task and be cost effective and practical from an operational point of view. The unmanned Kaman K-MAX helicopter is may be the single successful case, but this is bound to the helicopter-related limitations: e.g., capital cost and operating cost, payload, speed and range.
While, during the last two decades there was a tremendous development of winged UAVs, none of the existing UAVs is adaptable to the specific requirements for water bombing.
Using UAVs for wild fire-fighting, especially high-intensity forest fires, and integrating them into a coherent operating system is a complex problem due to the multitude of parameters and constraints. This explains why, despite an urgent need for a solution, there is not yet one; attempted solutions focused on some requirements at the expense of others and failed to realize a workable, practical, compromise.
The methods and apparatus address the shortcomings noted herein and provide advantageous UAV-based firefighting methods/apparatus that provide beneficial firefighting capabilities. Additional applications of the UAV-based methods/systems are also contemplated and available, as will be apparent to persons skilled in the art based on the description which follows.

High-efficiency method using unmanned aerial vehicles for firefighting


A gateway retrieval alert device is configured for use in an aircraft ground support system. The gateway retrieval alert device is connected to an intercom gateway, either through a direct wireless connection or through a direct connection to a headset of a tug operator, the headset in turn being wirelessly connected to the intercom gateway. The integrity of the wireless link to the intercom gateway is monitored, and when the integrity of the link falls below a set threshold, an alert is issued. The alert is issued externally to the communication network between the ground crew and pilot.

Before an aircraft takes off, pushback operations are performed to move the aircraft away from the gate. Pushback operations are assisted by a ground crew, including a pushback tug operator and wing walkers. The tug operator operates the pushback tug which physical pushes or pulls the aircraft, while the wing walkers watch the wings and ensure they don't collide with any objects. During this procedure, it is necessary that the pilot and ground crew can communicate. As such, an intercom gateway is used to wirelessly link the ground crew members. The intercom gateway is normally attached to the aircraft and connected to a service interphone system of the airplane using a wired connection to put the ground crew in communication with the pilot. Once pushback operations are complete, the intercom gateway system must be removed by the ground crew. However, in some cases, the ground crew forgets to remove the intercom gateway from the aircraft before returning to the gate. This error can result in loss of or damage to the intercom gateway, or in the worst case scenario, significant damage to the aircraft, potentially resulting in catastrophic loss of the aircraft.
This problem has been combatted using a number of different solutions. In some cases, a high visibility banner is attached to the intercom gateway to visually alert and remind the pushback crew to remove the intercom gateway (e.g. the banner may say "Remove Before Flight"). However, line of sight from cognizant ground crew can be obscured by the aircraft itself, depending on the location of the aircraft's service interphone connection. Other visual reminders have also been used. For example, the intercom gateway is normally attached to the airplane via a tether. The tether can be designed as a visual reminder, either by employing a large tether with a highly visible color that can serve as a reminder, or by including a banner or message on the tether itself. Such tethers can be cumbersome, and therefore can sometimes present an entanglement hazard and may be deliberately not used by the ground crew on some occasions. An additional drawback of any of the aforementioned visual reminders is that the ground crew must still look in the direction of the intercom gateway and/or alert after pushback operations are complete, and must also recognize that the visual alert means the intercom gateway was erroneously left attached to the aircraft.
Audio prompts through the headset equipment of the ground crew and pilot have also been used. In such a case, an alert audio prompt can be triggered when a distance between a transceiver in the intercom gateway and a transceiver in the tug operator's headset becomes larger than would be expected during normal pushback operations, suggesting the operation is complete and the intercom gateway has been left attached to the airplane. Unfortunately, these alerts can often be missed, as it is common practice for the pilot to switch the channel of their headset from the service intercom (i.e. connection to the pushback ground crew) to the aircraft operations intercom after being waved off by the ground crew for taxi, causing the pilot to miss any alert delivered through the service intercom. Similarly, common practice is for the ground crew to remove their headsets almost immediately after completing pushback operations and waving off the pilot for taxi, causing the ground crew to likewise miss the audio alert prompt which would only issue once the aircraft has moved far enough away to trigger such an alert. As such, there is a need to more reliably alert the ground crew and/or pilot when the intercom gateway remains attached to the aircraft after pushback operations.

Gateway retrieval alert device for aircraft pushback operations


An object levitating apparatus, an object transporting apparatus equipped with said object levitating apparatus, and an object levitating bearing as well as an object levitating process and object transporting process are described which, simultaneous to not placing restrictions on the material and so forth of the objects handled, are able to handle objects having relatively large weights and dimensions, while also being compact in size, inexpensive, preferable in terms of safety and so forth, and easy to control. The above effects are obtained by exciting a vibrator and levitating, transporting or bearing an object above the surface of the vibrator by the radiation pressure of the sound waves of the vibrator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an object levitating apparatus, which levitates an object in air (the term "levitate" here refers to the action of lifting an object so as to be in a floating state), an object transporting apparatus which uses said object levitating apparatus, and an object levitating bearing, along with an object levitating process and object transporting process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The following systems are known in the prior art as examples of this type of apparatus.
(1) A system wherein an object is magnetically levitated and transported using an alternating current magnetic field flowing through a coil;
(2) A system wherein an object is levitated and transported using the Meissner effect of superconductivity; and,
(3) A system wherein an object is levitated and transported using pressurized air such as compressed air.
In the apparatuses described in (1) and (2) above, together with the object to be levitated and transported being limited to a ferromagnetic substance or semiconductor, these apparatuses also have the disadvantage of being unable to be applied to objects for which the placing under conditions of being subjected to magnetism is undesirable. In addition, with respect to the apparatus above which uses the Meissner effect of superconductivity, since an expensive coolant is required to cool a coil to an extremely low temperature, together with this leading to increased costs with respect to the consumption of this coolant, considerations also must be taken with respect to the safety of the coolant. Moreover, this apparatus also has the disadvantage of having to be made extremely large in size in order to levitate and transport objects for an extended period of time in a stable state.
On the other hand, in the apparatus described in (3) above, since a pressurized gas is required to be supplied to the entire surface of the object transport path, together with having to provide an elaborate pressurized gas supply device which thereby makes it difficult to reduce the size of the entire apparatus, this apparatus also suffers the disadvantage of encountering difficulty in controlling the pressure of the supplied gas so that it remains uniform over a wide range. In addition, in the case of using said apparatus under conditions in which the atmosphere must be kept clean, such as in a so-called "clean room", a device is required for suctioning and recovering any gas that escapes from the above-mentioned pressurized gas supply device to prevent diffusion of said escaped gas. In addition to this being an additional obstacle to reducing the size of the apparatus, this apparatus also has the disadvantage in that it is difficult to completely recover the gas.
However, an apparatus like that shown in FIG. 1 has recently been developed. Furthermore, this apparatus is disclosed on pages 745 and 746 of the "Lecture Collection of the Japan Acoustics Society" published on Oct. 3, 1983.
Namely, in FIG. 1, a standing wave (not shown) is produced between stepped circular diaphragm 2, vibrated by vibrating device 1, and correspondingly arranged reflecting plate 3, and a plurality of Styrofoam spheres 4 (weight: 1.2 mg, diameter: 4 mm) are levitated by a sound field. Furthermore, in FIG. 1, the direction of gravitational force is shown with arrow g. In this case, it has been verified that each of the spheres 4 is stationary in the air at an interval of 1/2 the wavelength of the ultrasonic waves, and their positions are at the valleys of sound pressure. In addition, the size of spheres able to be levitated is no more than 1/2 the wavelength, and their weight is considered to be related to sound pressure.
However, in this type of apparatus which uses a standing wave to make an object become stationary in the air at the locations of its nodes, the sphere 4 used for the test piece is currently limited to that which is extremely lightweight, and the vibration amplitude of diaphragm 2 must be made extremely large in order to levitate heavier and larger objects. Thus, in consideration of the stress-related destruction of diaphragm 2 and horn 1a (see FIG. 1), it would be difficult for this apparatus to stably levitate a heavy object for an extended period of time, thus making practical application of this apparatus far from attainable. In addition, although the use of a process in this constitution whereby sound waves are converged into powerful sound waves to allow levitation of relatively heavy objects can be considered, since sound waves would act on a small surface area in comparison with the diameter of diaphragm 2, the result would still be that the apparatus would still only be applicable to small objects.

Object levitating apparatus, object transporting apparatus, and object levitating bearing along with an object levitating process and object transporting process


Methods are provided for finding the bulk modulus of a fuel used in the direct injection system of an internal combustion engine. A method is needed to continuously monitor and reliably calculate the fuel's bulk modulus during engine operation on-board the vehicle, where the fuel's bulk modulus may be used to infer the ratio of fuels in a fuel mixture or determine the density of supercritical propane when propane is used as the injected fuel. To find the fuel's bulk modulus on-board a vehicle, methods are proposed that involve monitoring and recording fuel rail pressures, high pressure pump duty cycles, and fractional liquid volume pumped values in order to find zero flow relationships.

Some vehicle engine systems utilize both direct in-cylinder fuel injection and port fuel injection. The fuel delivery system may include multiple fuel pumps for providing fuel pressure to the fuel injectors. As one example, a fuel delivery system may include a lower pressure fuel pump (or lift pump) and a higher pressure (or direct injection) fuel pump arranged between the fuel tank and fuel injectors. The high pressure fuel pump may be coupled to the direct injection system upstream of a fuel rail to raise a pressure of the fuel delivered to the engine cylinders through the direct injectors. The high pressure pump may also be powered by a driving cam that is coupled to a crankshaft of the engine. A solenoid activated inlet check valve, or spill valve, may be coupled upstream of the high pressure pump to regulate fuel flow into the pump compression chamber. The spill valve may be energized synchronously to the position of the driving cam or engine angular position.
As fuel is being pumped through the fuel system, an important property is the bulk modulus of the fuel. The bulk modulus of a fluid is a measure of that fluid's resistance to uniform compression. In other words, bulk modulus is the ratio of a change in pressure acting on a volume of the fluid to the fractional change in fluid volume. In internal combustion engines that utilize fuel mixtures, such as a gasoline-ethanol blend, measuring the bulk modulus on-board the vehicle and during engine operation may be an effective method to continuously infer the ratio of gasoline to ethanol in the fuel mixture. Additionally, measuring the bulk modulus of the combusting fuel may be important for fuel systems that utilize liquid injection of propane. As liquid propane may become supercritical, its density may vary significantly, thereby creating a need for its density to be continually known as it fluctuates. When liquid propane enters the supercritical fluid phase, its bulk modulus is directly proportional to its density. In this way, a measure of bulk modulus may be used to determine the density of propane as it enters the supercritical phase.
In one approach to measure the bulk modulus of the fuel using the high pressure pump, shown by Sakai et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 7,007,662, an electronic control unit (ECU) learns the bulk modulus of fuel utilizing the fuel pressure before and after actuation of the high pressure pump. In this method, the ECU calculates the pressure difference while also calculating the amount of fuel actually discharged from the high pressure pump. Using the volume and pressure differences, an equation is employed to find the fuel's bulk modulus. In similar methods, a general procedure is followed that can be implemented in many spark-ignited fuel injection systems. Using a combination of pumping a known volume of fuel into the fuel rail while measuring the pressure rise and injecting out a known fuel volume while measuring the pressure drop, the bulk modulus may be found.
However, the inventors herein have identified potential issues with the approach of U.S. Pat. No. 7,007,662. First, it may be difficult to obtain a usable pressure signal from the pressure sensor while the high pressure pump and/or fuel injectors are actively maintaining fuel flow which may cause pressure waves that affect pressure sensor readings. Furthermore, utilizing a measure of actual pumped fuel volume (from the high pressure pump) or injected into the engine from the injectors may be difficult and yield uncertain results. The common methods for determining the fuel's bulk modulus may not be sufficient during normal operation of the fuel injection system.
Thus in one example, the above issues may be addressed by a method, comprising: adjusting duty cycle of a high pressure pump to measure a bulk modulus of a fuel based on a zero flow function for the high pressure pump, the fuel being pumped through the high pressure pump and the zero flow function based on a change in pump duty cycle relative to a resulting change in fuel rail pressure. In this way, the bulk modulus of the fuel may be continuously and reliably learned (calculated) on-board the vehicle. In other methods for determining bulk modulus that may use pressure sensors to record pressure rises responsive to a volume of pumped fuel, steady pressure signals may be unattainable when the direct injection fuel pump and/or fuel injectors are active. Additionally, measuring a volume of fuel pumped or injected from the injectors may yield uncertain results. Also, the bulk modulus calculation methods explained herein may monitor and analyze data produced by the fuel system while the fuel system is injecting fuel into the engine during normal operation modes. The normal operation modes may include various idling and/or fueling conditions such as fueling the engine via port fuel injection only or vice versa.
Using the flow function to determine the fuel's bulk modulus may involve determining a slope of the flow function. The inventors herein have recognized that the slope is directly proportional to the fuel's bulk modulus. Finding the slope (and flow function) can be accomplished in several ways. For example, while not direct injecting fuel into an engine, a series of pump duty cycles are commanded while determining the responsive fuel rail pressures to form a series of operating points. Those operating points can then be plotted to form a zero flow function to find a slope value that is directly proportional to the bulk modulus.
In a related example, while direct injecting fuel into an engine, a multitude of pump duty cycles are commanded at selected fuel rail pressures along with fractional volume of liquid fuel pumped, forming a series of lines that can be used to find intercepts that correspond to zero flow rate data. The zero flow rate data, a series of operating points at zero flow relating fuel rail pressure and duty cycle, can then be plotted to form a zero flow function to find an offset value that may be used to determine the bulk modulus of the fuel.
It is noted that pump duty cycle refers to controlling the closing of the pump solenoid activated inlet check valve (spill valve). For example, if the spill valve closes coincident with the beginning of the engine compression stroke, the event is referred to as a 100% duty cycle. If the spill valve closes 95% into the compression stroke, the event is referred to as a 5% duty cycle. When a 5% duty cycle is commanded, in effect 95% of the displaced fuel volume is spilled and the remaining 5% is compressed during the compression stroke of the pump piston. Duty cycle is equivalent to spill valve timing, in particular the closing of the spill valve.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Methods for determining fuel bulk modulus in a high-pressure pump


An amplifier having a first transistor with an output coupled to a common output node and a switch for coupling a control electrode of the first transistor to a first bias source to bias such first transistor to a conducting state during a relatively high power operating mode or for removing such control electrode from the first bias source to place the first transistor in a non-conducting condition during a relatively low power operating mode selectively in accordance with a control signal. A second transistor has an output coupled to the common output node and a second bias source coupled to a control electrode to the second transistor to bias such second transistor to a conducting state during both the relatively high power operating mode and the relatively low power operating mode. First circuitry is coupled between an output of the second transistor and the common output node providing a different impedance at the output of the second transistor during the relatively high power operating mode than during the relatively low power operating mode. Second circuitry is coupled between the common input node and the control electrode of the second transistor device. The insertion phases of the of the first circuitry and the second circuitry is such that one of the two provides a nominal ninety-degree (i.e., substantially (4n+1)π/2 radians, where n is an integer including zero) phase lead and the other of the two provides a nominal ninety-degree (i.e., substantially (4n+1)π/2 radians, where n is an integer including zero) phase lag.

As is known in the art, commercial and military telecommunications systems over the past few years have shown a trend toward using digital modulation techniques. These digital systems require the capacity to handle a high density of carrier frequencies in order to remain cost effective. The additional trend toward space based systems imposes high efficiency and weight minimization constraints. Power amplifiers represent an important design challenge as they must conform to the above specifications. Unfortunately, high efficiency in power amplifiers has been difficult to attain for a large number of carrier frequencies. In fact, this is a direct trade-off in conventional amplifier design.
As is also known in the art, in telecommunications systems, satellite systems and other systems, it is desirable for radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers (PAs) to linearly amplify RF signals in a highly efficient manner. Efficiency is generally a function of RF output power level, and thus also a function of RF input level. For amplifier configurations with good efficiency performance, the efficiency varies approximately proportional to the square root of the RF output power level. High efficiency is typically not attained until an amplifier approaches its maximum output power. This, however, is not consistent with linear operation. Thus, a tradeoff must typically be made between achieving maximum efficiency and high linearity in RF power amplifier circuits.
Techniques suggested include reducing bias conditions for the RF transistors in the amplifier, or shutting off of some portion of the transistor in the amplifier. These approaches provided only minimal improvement in efficiency in the back-off power output region, i.e., the region backed off from the saturation region. One approach to reduce bias is to provide a switched loadline. One switched loadline technique uses a PIN diode switch in the output matching network. However, the PIN diode switch requires DC current in one of the on-off states and also adds RF loss that causes degradation of some of the efficiency gains.


An analog variable gain amplifier (VGA) adjusting a signal level of a mobile communication system is provided. More particularly, design of a VGA using an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) having a wide linear input/output range is disclosed. The VGA includes two double-differential-pair OTAs and feedback resistors. A first differential input of a first double differential pair OTA receives an input signal from the forward stage, and a second differential input is negatively fed back through a differential output and a passive resistor. An input in which a first block of the connection structure and first and second differential inputs of a second double differential pair OTA are connected receives an output signal of the first block stage. The output is negatively fed back in series through a variable resistor whose resistance varies exponentially with an adjustment voltage from outside. According to the VGA, it is possible to provide a characteristic of linear variation of gain on a logarithmic scale with respect to a control voltage with a simple and inexpensive constitution. In addition, the VGA can be designed for a low pass filter having a conventional OTA used for a core circuit, and has a simple circuit structure. Therefore, the VGA is convenient for high integration and low-power design, and thus is appropriate for a terminal chip and so forth.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor circuit technology, and more particularly, to an analog variable gain amplifier (VGA) adjusting a signal level of a mobile communication system, and even more particularly, to design of a VGA employing an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) having a wide linear input/output range.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In a mobile communication terminal illustrated in FIG. 1, transmission power of a transmitter should be controlled in order to avoid excessive interference with another terminal. Such power control is performed by an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit, thereby maximizing a dynamic range of the entire system. The core cell of the AGC circuit is nothing but a VGA providing a gain in proportion to a control voltage. AGC circuits are not only used in mobile communication systems but have an extensive range of applications including disk drives, hearing aids, and optical receivers.
The VGA provides a voltage gain that increases exponentially with an AGC signal controlled by a baseband processor (BBP), thereby providing a voltage gain that, in decibels (dB), is linearly proportional to a control voltage. Conventionally, a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) device having an exponential function characteristic has been mainly used for the VGA. However, owing to demand for a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) system-on-chip (SoC) and development of various circuit technologies, many VGAs having a linear gain characteristic on a logarithmic scale are currently embodied using a CMOS device. However, such CMOS VGAs use many blocks to overcome characteristics of a CMOS device and obtain a linear gain characteristic on a logarithmic scale, which results in a complicated structure and excessive current consumption.

Variable gain amplifier and variable gain amplifier module

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


The present disclosure describes systems and methods for performing stratigraphic modeling using production data density profiles. At least some illustrative embodiments include a production logging tool data processing method that includes measuring one or more characteristics of a formation within a borehole, of fluids within the formation or of fluids within the borehole, calculating a density profile of each of the one or more characteristics, and defining a boundary between two reservoir simulation cells based at least in part upon the density profile. The method further includes performing a simulation of a production field including the borehole using said simulation cells and presenting the simulation results to a user.

Oil field operators dedicate significant resources to developing tools that help improve the overall production of oil and gas wells. Among such tools are computer-based models used to simulate the behavior of the fluids within a reservoir (e.g., water, oil and natural gas). These models enable operators to predict and optimize future production of the field as fluids are extracted and the field is depleted. To help ensure the accuracy of such predictions, the wells are periodically logged using production logging tools to update and maintain a historical database of relevant metrics for the wells within a field. Simulation model results may then be regularly correlated against the updated historical data, with modeling parameters being adjusted as needed to reduce the error between simulated and actual values.
As part of the process of modeling a reservoir, regions such as the stratigraphic layers and facies within the reservoir formations are each subdivided or "blocked" into smaller discrete modeling units or "grid cells", each of which is individually evaluated for each simulation time interval. This "well-blocking" enables the upscaling or downscaling of borehole properties to match the scale of the desired grid for the simulation model at the borehole location. Upscaling generally refers to generating coarser resolution values from finer resolution samples, while downscaling generally refers to generating finer resolution values from coarser resolution samples. Well log curves providing the parameter values are selected together with the corresponding destination grid from the model. The destination grid typically dictates the degree of upscaling or downscaling needed.
For applications that employ continuous parameters (e.g., porosity and permeability), various methods may be used to aggregate or select a single value to assign to each grid cell along the borehole, ranging from simple averaging to stochastic sampling (e.g., Monte Carlo methods). For applications that employ discrete parameters that are either nominal or ordinal (e.g., facies or rock types coded by integer values), a single value is selected for the grid cell that may be based, for example, upon a frequency of occurrence, a random selection or a deterministic calculation of parameter values corresponding to the grid cell. The results of the well blocking provides a starting point for interpolation and/or simulation, which in turn provides a basis for population the remainder of the grid cells beyond each of the blocked borehole locations. The choice of cell size thus can significantly affect the simulation output and its accuracy, i.e., how well the simulation tracks with actual data. If the cell sizes are set too large, significant variations that take place over a narrow regions (e.g., over a narrow well borehole depth range), may not be accurately predicted by the model. If the cell sizes are set to small, the computational load may become excessive and lead to unacceptably long simulation run times.
It should be understood that the drawings and corresponding detailed description do not limit the disclosure, but on the contrary, they provide the foundation for understanding all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Stratigraphic modeling using production data density profiles


A computer system for evaluating the communication performance of an autonomous vehicle is provided. The vehicle may have a vehicle controller including at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device. The processor may be programmed to receive, from a standard data transmission location network device, an evaluation data packet. The processor may be programmed to decode the evaluation data packet and initiate a diagnostic test of the vehicle based upon the decoded evaluation data packet. The processor may also be programmed to record measurements of the vehicle during the diagnostic test, and transmit the measurements to the standard data transmission location network device.

Autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles may require significant sensor telemetry to quantify environmental/surrounding features for optimally efficient and safe vehicle navigation and operation. Vehicles equipped with onboard sensors, such as LIDAR and RADAR, may be able to detect obstacles and other features of the landscape. In addition, autonomous vehicles may receive sensor data from external sources such as satellite GPS data, which may be used to provide additional information such as positional data. Data from these sources may be combined with previously stored data and analyzed for autonomous vehicle operation. For example, in the case of GPS, location data may be overlaid on previously stored mapping data to determine routing plans. In other cases, real-time traffic information may be combined with previously designated route plans to determine alternate travel paths.
Use of multiple sources of information for autonomous vehicle operations may require transmitting and receiving large volumes of data. In addition, the processing power needed to analyze the data for navigation and vehicle control may be substantial. For optimal performance, significant bandwidth and low latency may be required. In some autonomous vehicle systems, communication with a centralized server may also be required. For example, individual vehicles acting as part of an autonomous vehicle network may coordinate with a central server by transferring their own telemetry and sensor data to the central server which may then determine optimal system routing. The central server may then transmit instructions to the vehicles. Autonomous vehicles or autonomous vehicle systems that suffer from interruptions in communication, or are unable to quickly process all of the data necessary for vehicle operation or navigation may have reduced performance or even suffer navigational or operational failure. Accordingly, there exists a need to evaluate data communication capabilities of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles to ensure that these vehicles are operating in a safe manner.

Systems and methods for assessing vehicle data transmission capabilities

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company


A bendable steamer arm for facial steamer includes a tubular rear-arm having a front end and a rear end rotatably mounted on a steamer machine, a fore-arm having a connecting end and a steam spreading opening provided thereon, a connector joint adapted for connecting the front end of the rear-arm with the connecting end of the fore-arm in a bendable manner, and a bendable steam tube extending from the steamer machine to the fore-arm and passing through the connector joint for transmitting steam generated by the steamer machine to the steam spreading opening of the fore-arm of the steamer arm. Therefore, the bendable steamer arm enables a fore-arm of the steamer arm to bend left and right with respect to a rear-arm of the steamer arm, so as to enable the cosmetician to rapidly adjust the operation angle of the steamer arm and easily aim the steam outlet provided on the fore-arm at the affected part of the patient.

The facial steamer is a machine for generating atomized steam spreading onto a patient's face or body skin for cleaning and relaxing purposes. After the skin is spread with the atomized steam, the cosmetician can massage the skin and clean out the dirt particle from the skin pores.
However, in other to accomplish the above object, the steam outlet must aim at the affected part of the patient to enable the steam directly spreading on the affected part in order to achieve the best effect. In other words, whether the steam outlet of the facial steamer can be positioned close to the affected part and correctly aimed at the affected part become the major keys of the performance of the facial steamer.
As shown in FIG. 1A, the first generation facial steamer is a very basic equipment that comprises only a steamer machine 100 and a steamer arm 101 rigidly extended from the steamer machine 100. A far end of the steamer arm 101 provides a steam outlet 102 for spreading out steam at a fixed angle, i.e. it can not be adjusted to other desired position. Therefore, the cosmetician has to adjust the position of the patient by moving up and down or left and right to adapt the location of the fixed steam outlet 102 of the facial steamer 100. It causes a lot of unreasonable troublesome but still can not ensure the atomized steam effectively spreading on to the affected part of the patient.
As shown in FIG. 1B, a second generation facial steamer has improved over the first generation facial steamer, in which a steamer arm 201 is reconstructed to pivotally mounted on a side of the steamer machine 200 by a rotation joint, so that the steamer arm 201 is able to be adjusted with certain rotating angle so as to adjust its steam spreading height with respect to the patient. Even though the second generation facial steamer can freely adjust the height of the steam outlet by rotating the steamer arm up and down, the cosmetician still has to move the whole facial steamer machine 200 forth and back to align with the patient's face. Even it is a simple type facial steamer as shown in FIG. 1B, the moving adjustment of the whole facial steamer is already very inefficient and troublesome. If the facial steamer is a multi-functional machine as shown in FIG. 2, its heavy weight and large size definitely cause great difficulty in such moving adjustment. Accordingly, all-angle adjustment becomes a major development target of all facial steamer manufacturers.
Besides, some of the conventional facial steamer arms comprise a rotatable head for fine adjustment, wherein a plastic tube must be connected between the rotatable head and a metal tube extended from the steamer machine so as to enable the rotatable head to turn for a limited angle. However, the plastic tube may be broken or detached from the metal tube if the user overturns the rotatable head.


A snow remover for removing snow lying upon an inner surface of an endless drive track of a snowmobile includes a mounting portion and a scraping portion. The snow remover of the present invention is to be attached to a stationary structure of the snowmobile such that the scraping portion extends towards the inner surface of a lower section of the endless drive, to scrape off snow. Thus, this portion of snow is prevented from being thrown onto the riders of the snowmobile.

A snowmobile travels over the snow and a lower section of the endless drive track usually sinks into the snow, which causes snow to fall onto the slide rails and the inner surface of the track. Even more so when the snowmobile is turning, because the lower section of the endless drive track is forced to slide sideways over the surface of the snow, and thus one outer lateral edge of the track digs into the snow and pushes snow onto the inner surface of the lower section of the track and the slide rail at that side.
The endless drive track generally extends laterally and outwardly past the slide rail at each side of the snowmobile. Thus, snow lying upon the inner surface of the lower section of the track between the lateral edge of the track and the slide rail at each side of the snowmobile, is traveling along with the rotation of the track and thereby picks up momentum. When this snow reaches the rear idler wheel and begins to change direction with the returning portion (the upper portion) of the track around the rear idler wheel, the snow has picked up enough momentum to be thrown away from the track upwardly as well as rearwardly and forwardly. A portion of the snow which is thrown rearwardly is stopped by a rear tail flap which is a flexible rubber piece hanging down from the rear portion of the tunnel of the snowmobile. However, the rear tail flap is normally not much wider than the width of the endless drive track such that not all of the thrown snow is stopped by the rear tail flap.
On the other hand, a portion of the snow that is thrown upwardly and forwardly is constantly thrown up onto the driver or passenger of the snowmobile. The passengers can become covered with snow and eventually when the snow melts, the passengers can get wet and cold. In a two-up snowmobile, handles are normally provided at the sides for a passenger to hold for stability while riding. The passenger's hands and fingers are constantly being covered with the upwardly and forwardly thrown snow, or worse, being hit with pieces of ice or snow crust when the snowmobile is turning under crusty snow conditions.
Furthermore, if the conditions are such that the snow is dense and packable, the dense snow lying upon the internal surface of the track and the slide rails, if not cleaned away, can freeze the endless drive track to the slide rails when the snowmobile is immobile for some length of time. This necessitates forcing the endless drive track and side rails apart in order to allow the endless drive track to rotate freely.
Therefore, there is a need for a simple structure to be provided to a snowmobile, for removing the snow lying upon the inner surface of the lower section of the endless drive track while the snowmobile is traveling.


It is one objective of the present invention to provide an image processing device that can easily implement an image processing function consonant with the need or application of a user. The image processing device comprises task storage, a task manager, a component manager, and a software bus manager. The task storage controls task scenario information indicating components used for an image processing task and information as to couple the components, component information, and substances of the components. The task manager analyzes the task scenario information and determines components used for the task and a software bus connecting the components. The component manager generates, deletes, or controls the components. The software bus manager generates or deletes the software bus, and controls the data exchange across the software bus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing device for performing video image processing, and relates in particular to the implementation of an image processing function that is consonant with the needs of users and the applications they employ.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the development of advanced digital techniques and network infrastructures, the availability and use has been spreading of video distribution systems that permit various browsers, such as portable terminals and personal computers, to browse video contents on demand or in real time. Such systems are so designed that a server can simultaneously supply multiple video images, and can change the resolutions or the bit rates for the video content in accordance with the conditions encountered on a network, or the specifications for a terminal, and can thereby ensure that continuous, smoothly displayed video will be provided.
However, as a consequence of user demands, the range of the video distribution systems has been broadened, so they cover all systems extending from one for "merely distributing video" to, one for "adjusting a bit rate or converting a format in order to use a relay node to distribute video to another network" or to one "realizing a high level video surveillance in cooperation with an image recognition device". Therefore, the construction of a system is desired that permits functions to be easily extended or customized, so that a system that can quickly cope with and satisfy various needs can be developed within a short period of time.
As a countermeasure, a distributed object technique is proposed that provides for a format converter, resolution converter and an image recognition unit to be treated as independent objects, and an input/output interface and the status shifting shared by all the objects to be defined and managed in order to improve the recycling of the objects. Representative examples of this technique are CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture), devised by OMG (Object Management Group), and COM (Component Object Model), developed by Microsoft Corp.
CORBA is a mechanism whereby the exchange of data by objects is implemented in a distributed environment, while objects created according to the CORBA standards can cooperate to provide, through a network, a single function, even in a remote control environment. COM also implements substantially the same function as does CORBA; and in addition, in order to improve development efficiency, COM automatically extracts objects that can be coupled with other, selected objects, and sequentially links these objects to automatically generate a software function. For example, when an object for reading compressed video from a file is selected, an object for decoding the compressed video and an object for displaying the decoded video on a monitor can be automatically extracted, thereby facilitating the automatic generation of software having a video replay function.
A method for automatically generating software having the video processing function is also disclosed in JP-A-2000-56958. The device that employs the automatic generation method of this software comprises, as is shown in FIG. 27, a storage device 93, for storing multiple software components having input/output augments used to process image data; and an automatic generator 90, for extracting the software components from the storage device 93 in accordance with outline procedures whereby process procedures are written, and automatically generates image processing software. The automatic generator 90 includes: a coupling choice determination unit 91, for determining the input/output relationship between the argument for the software component to be executed first and the argument for the software component to be next executed, and for, when the argument for the software component to be executed first indicates the output and the argument for the software component to be executed next indicates the input, determining that these software components are coupling choices; and a coupling unit 92, for examining the arguments for the software components that are determined, by the coupling choice determination unit 91, to be coupling choices and for determining whether the types of image data to be processed match and for, when the data types match, coupling the arguments for the software components.
FIG. 28 is a diagram showing the coupling relationships of image processing software components used for examining semiconductor defects. Image software components, i.e., alignment, binarization, mask processing and expansion/shrinking components, characteristic value extraction components and determination components are automatically coupled.
When the automatic generation function for this image processing software is provided for the image processing device of the video distribution system, and when a function to be implemented is written to the outline procedure to arbitrarily combine video format conversion, resolution conversion and image recognition software components, a function consonant with the needs of users and the applications they employ.
However, the following problems have arisen when the conventional method is employed to automatically generate image processing software constituting the image processing device for processing images, such as distributed video images.
(Problem 1)
Even for the same parts, behaviors differ, depending on the functions of the image processing device is to be implemented. For example, as is shown in FIG. 23A, when a resolution is to be changed in real time at a video relay node for relaying live video, it is requested that, while regarding real time as important, the resolution be changed by thinning frames in the best effort manner. On the other hand, as is shown in FIG. 23B, when a resolution is to be provided on demand by accumulating camera video in a file and changing the length-to-width ratio and the resolution, it is requested that, while regarding maintenance of content quality as important, the resolution be changed without thinning the frames.
In addition, for the image processing system in the video distribution system, a detailed design, prepared while taking into account the delay and fluctuation of the process for each part, is required for each function to be implemented. In the example in FIG., 23A, consideration must be given to the size of a buffer to be arranged between the video reception component and a resolution change component, so that fluctuation of the network band is absorbed. This buffer size is also varied, depending on the network environment.
These problems, which are not inherent to the individual components, result from functions implemented by the image processing device, and for each of these functions, a data exchange method, such as the size of a buffer arranged between components or a requirement that frames be thinned, must be defined and a mechanism provided, for the image processing device, that can be controlled in accordance with the definition.
(Problem 2)
Assume that multiple video contents are to be provided for multiple users by changing the resolutions or formats. According to the conventional technique, as is shown in FIG. 24, the image processing device changes, in consonance with a user terminal 1, the resolution or the format of a video image input by a camera and provides the obtained image to the user terminal 1, or changes, in consonance with a user terminal 2, the resolution or the format of a video image input by a camera and provides the obtained image to the user terminal 2. However, since for the conversion of the resolution or the format a large number of calculations is required, the processing must be optimized by the common use of the processes that are indicated by portions X (video input process), Y (resolution conversion process) and Z (format conversion process) in FIG. 24.
(Problem 3)
In addition, since a video processing function is an integrating process such as picture synthesization or video/audio multiplexing, an isolation process, such as inverse multiplexing, and a process for changing a parameter for a component are required. Furthermore, to optimize these processes, the image processing device must include a control/management function.
(Problem 4)
Further, when the video replay function is constituted by the same component group, to sequentially replay video images along a time axis while frames are thinned in the best effort manner, or to replay a video image for each frame without the frames being thinned, a rate replay mode and a frame feeding replay mode are provided that can be selected by a user. Therefore the image processing device must include a mechanism for switching replay modes in accordance with a user request.
(Problem 5)
Furthermore, when a replay mode is changed while, to constitute the replay function, a large number of components is employed, either an extended time is required for changing a mode or, from the view of a user, the order in which frames are replayed must be changed.
A specific example of this phenomenon is shown in FIGS. 25A to 25C. In FIG. 25A, frames are read from a disk to a buffer in the forward direction, and frame-feeding replay is performed. Frames 1 and 2 were read from the disk and have already been output from the buffer, while frames 3 and 4 are still retained therein. Suppose that, as is shown in FIG. 25B, a user issues, at the third frame, a request for inverse frame-feeding replay. Based on this request, frame 7 is read from the disk after frame 8. However, since frame 7 is output from the buffer after frames 4, and 8, the change to the inverse frame-feeding replay is delayed a length of time equivalent to the number of frames retained in the buffer.
At this time, even when, as is shown in FIG. 25C, a mechanism is provided for clearing the buffer when a command is changed, the user doubts that the command has been accepted because, after the frames 1, 2 and 3 are fed in that order, frames are invertedly fed in the order 7, 6 and 5 instead of in the order 3, 2 and 1, which the user expects.
(Problem 6)
According to the conventional method for automatically generating the image processing software, software components having input/output arguments (software components that input data required for a process and that output the processing results) are employed together. Therefore, the software component "for receiving a non-compressed image and outputting recognition results", which performs an "image recognition process", can not be employed for a function shown in FIG. 26B (because the type of data output by the "image recognition" software component does not match the type of data input to the "image compression" software component), while it can not be employed for a function shown in FIG. 26A because the type of data output by the "image recognition" software component matches the type of data input to the "recognition results recording" software component). Thus, so that these components can be widely employed, an appropriate method by which all software components can be employed together is requested.

Image processing device and image processing method

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A fuel injection valve includes: a needle valve including a seat portion on a tip side thereof; a nozzle body including a seat surface on which the seat portion is placed, and a swirl stabilization chamber on a downstream side of the seat surface, the nozzle body having an injection hole formed so as to have an inlet in the swirl stabilization chamber; a swirl flow generating portion having swirl grooves configured to give a swirling component to fuel to be introduced into the swirl stabilization chamber; and a fuel collision portion provided in a tip portion of the needle valve, the fuel collision portion being configured such that, in a state where the needle valve is opened, the fuel collision portion intersects with a virtual surface extended toward the injection hole from the seat surface included in the nozzle body. This allows dead fuel to be retained in the swirl stabilization chamber and to be introduced into the injection hole in a state where a swirling component has been given to the dead fuel from fuel having the swirling component.

In regard to an internal combustion engine, supercharged lean burn, a large amount of EGR, and homogeneous-charge self-ignition combustion have been actively studied in recent years for CO2 reduction and emission reduction. According to these studies, in order to maximize effects of the CO2 reduction and the emission reduction, it is necessary to realize a stable combustion state near a combustion limit. Also, while petroleum fuel is being depleted, robustness in stable combustion with various fuels such as biofuel is required. A most important factor for realizing the stable combustion is to reduce an ignition fluctuation of a fuel-air mixture, and to realize homogeneous and stable combustion without any unevenness. This requires easier vaporization by fine fuel spray and uniform atomized particle sizes.
Further, a fuel supply of the internal combustion engine adopts a cylinder injection system in which fuel is injected directly to a combustion chamber for the purpose of improving transient response, improving volume efficiency by evaporation latent heat, and carrying out greatly retarded combustion for catalyst activation at low temperatures. However, the adoption of the cylinder injection system may cause oil dilution caused when spray fuel hits a wall of the combustion chamber as the spray fuel is in a form of liquid droplets, PM (Particulate Matter), and generation of smoke.
In order to take measures against these phenomena, a swirl flow may be given to fuel injected from a fuel injection valve. As the fuel injection valve configured to give a swirl flow to fuel, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 have been known, for example. Particularly, Patent Document 2 describes a fuel injection valve configured such that a swirling component is given to fuel so that fine air bubbles are taken in injected fuel, thereby achieving atomization of the injected fuel by bursting the fine air bubbles.