A connector for joining an endotracheal tube and an integrally formed auxiliary lumen to a source of anesthesia and a preselected item of auxiliary equipment, respectively, includes a first pair of tubular mounting members on a proximal end of the connector that are closely radially spaced with respect to one another and longitudinally spaced from a second pair of tubular mounting members on a distal end of the connector that are closely radially spaced with respect to one another. A pair of parallel bores are formed in the base of the connector to provide fluid communication between associated, longitudinally spaced apart mounting members. The radially spaced mounting members on the proximal end slide-fittingly receive the respective distal ends of an anesthesia supply tube and an auxiliary monitoring equipment tube, and the radially spaced mounting members on the distal end slide-fittingly receive the respective proximal ends of an endotracheal tube and an auxiliary lumen that is formed integrally with the endotracheal tube. The endotracheal tube and lumen share a common length.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to endotracheal tubes of the type having an auxiliary lumen. More particularly, it relates to a connector therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,759 to the present inventor discloses an endotracheal tube having an auxiliary lumen integrally formed therewith along the extent thereof.
Due to the close spacing of the auxiliary lumen and the main endotracheal tube, connection of the auxiliary lumen to preselected auxiliary equipment and connection of the main endotracheal tube to a supply source for the gaseous fluids to be administered to the patient is problematic. Note that a total of four items must be interconnected, i.e., the auxiliary equipment must be connected to the auxiliary lumen, and the supply source of the gas must be connected to the main endotracheal tube. The connector currently in use is designed to interconnect the proximal end of the main endotracheal tube and the distal end of a tube from said anesthesia supply source; no means are provided for interconnecting the auxiliary equipment and the auxiliary lumen. Thus, the proximal end of the auxiliary lumen merely abuts the connector when the proximal end of the endotracheal tube is connected to said connector. This results in a very unsatisfactory interconnection of the auxiliary equipment and the auxiliary lumen; the connector at the distal end of the tubing extending from the auxiliary equipment is brought around the endotracheal tube connector and brought into connection with the proximal end of the auxiliary lumen. A sharp bend must be formed where the tubing from the auxiliary equipment meets the proximal end of the auxiliary lumen, resulting in an unacceptable constriction. Moreover, this arrangement requires the use of two separate connectors. Since connectors are bulky, each connector interferes with the other when the various tubes are interconnected.
In the above-referenced patent, this problem was overcome by making the auxiliary lumen substantially shorter than the main endotracheal tube so that the bend could be more gradual, thereby eliminating the constriction. However, this was unsatisfactory for other reasons. Specifically, the main endotracheal tube and auxiliary lumen are best constructed as a single unit. Thus, the manufacturing process is simpler and thus more cost effective if the main endotracheal tube and the auxiliary tube have a common length. Truncating the auxiliary lumen so that its proximal end is remote from the main connector thus drives up the manufacturing costs associated with the patented item. Moreover, shortening of the lumen still requires use of two connectors.
What is needed, then, is a way to interconnect the lumen and the main tube to their respective pieces of equipment with a single connector and in the absence of sharp bends or truncated lumens. However, at the time the present invention was made, the prior art, when considered as a whole as required by law, neither taught nor suggested to those of ordinary skill in this field how the extant problems could be resolved.


Processing of a storage operand request identified as restrained is selectively, temporarily suppressed. The processing includes determining whether a storage operand request to a common storage location shared by multiple processing units of a computing environment is restrained, and based on determining that the storage operand request is restrained, then temporarily suppressing requesting access to the common storage location pursuant to the storage operand request. The processing unit performing the processing may proceed with processing of the restrained storage operand request, without performing the suppressing, where the processing can be accomplished using cache private to the processing unit. Otherwise the suppressing may continue until an instruction, or operation of an instruction, associated with the storage operand request is next to complete.

One or more aspects relate, in general, to processing within a computing environment, and in particular, to improving such processing.
In a multiprocessing computing environment, multiple processing units, such as central processing units (CPUs) or cores, are connected to share access to common storage, such as common main storage locations. The storage hierarchy across the configuration may include various levels of caches local to each processing unit, various levels of caches shared among several processing units, and main storage. When a processing unit is to update a storage location, a line of storage is transferred to the processing unit by the storage hierarchy, and the line is held exclusively within a cache level that is local to the processing unit performing the update. While a line of storage is held exclusively by a processing unit, other processing units are not permitted to update or read that line of storage, until after the line is released and no longer held exclusively by any processing unit.
Processing unit features intended to enhance individual processing unit performance, such as pipelining, superscalar, out-of-order execution, and branch prediction, may result in speculative memory requests. A speculative request is one that may or may not be required to complete a particular program path. The conditions determining whether or not a request is required have not been resolved at the time the speculative request is initiated.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Temporarily suppressing processing of a restrained storage operand request

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


In a one way clutch of a starter having an outer member, inner member and rollers, a planet carrier is formed integrally with the outer member and through holes are formed avoiding cam chambers for rollers so as not to interfere with cam chambers formed in the inner circumferential surface of outer member. At one end portion of outer member, limiting portion for limiting the axial shifting of rollers is integrally formed, and at the other end surface, a limiting plate for limiting the axial shifting of rollers is provided and press-fitted into pins. The limiting portion may be replaced by another limiting plate. Through holes for the through holes are formed at locations where the outer member is radially thick, e.g., between circumferentially adjacent two of the cam chambers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a starter for starting an engine, and particularly to a starter with a clutch roller movement structure.
2. Description of Related Art
A starter having a planetary gear reduction mechanism and a one-way clutch is conventionally known by, for instance, JP-U 50-45522. The structure of the planetary gear reduction mechanism and one-way clutch of such a starter is shown in FIG. 7.
The planetary gear reduction mechanism is comprised of a sun gear 110 formed on the outer member circumference of an armature shaft 100, planetary gears 120 engaging with sun gear 110, an internal gear 130 engaging with planetary gears 120, and a planet carrier 140 for rotating by receiving a revolving power of planetary gears 120. Each planetary gear 120 is supported rotatably, via a bearing 160, on the outer member circumference of a pin 150 fixed on planet carrier 140.
The one-way clutch comprises an outer member 170 integrally formed with planet carrier 140 in an axially shifting position therefrom, an inner member 190 formed on the rear end portion of an output shaft 180, and rollers 200 disposed between outer member 170 and inner member 190. A limiting plate 210 for limiting a movement of rollers 200 in the axial direction is caulked and fixed onto planet carrier 140 by a clutch cover 220.
However, since the abovementioned starter requires an additional part (clutch cover 220) other than the one-way clutch constituting members, such as outer member 170, rollers 200, inner member 190 and limiting plate 210, the number of required parts increases and the number of fitting works increases accordingly.
Also, in this starter, centering of outer member 170 is made by contacting the inner circumferential surface of planet carrier 140 with the outer circumferential surface of output shaft 180. Since this centering is performed at one side of roller 200 in the axial direction, and outer member 170 is likely to become out of balance at the time of high speed rotation, the gears of the planetary gear reduction mechanism might be damaged when an imbalanced load is added to outer member 170. To overcome this problem, a centering method of contacting the inner circumferential surface of limiting plate 210 with the outer circumferential surface of output shaft 180 at both sides of rollers 200 has been considered. In this case, since limiting plate 210 is caulked and fixed with planet carrier 140 (outer member 170) by clutch cover 220, there is a possibility that limiting plate 210 will shift in the radial direction with respect to outer member 170 and it is difficult to perform the centering surely.
Further, at the time of driving when the revolving power of planetary gears 120 is transmitted to planet carrier 140 via pins 150, a heavy load is generated at a press-fitting portion 151 of pins 150 with respect to planet carrier 140. Therefore, a length 1 of press-fitting portion 151 of pins 150 should be taken long enough. As a result, planet carrier 140 has to be designed long in the axial direction, a total length of the starter becomes long and it would bring a contrary result to a compactness requirement of the same.

Starter with improved one-way clutch structure


Methods and systems of processing a hydrocarbonaceous feed stock flows are provided. In one aspect, the method includes providing two or more hydroprocessing stages disposed in sequence, each hydroprocessing stage having a hydroprocessing reaction zone with a hydrogen requirement and each stage in fluid communication with the preceding stage. A hydrogen source is provided substantially free of hydrogen from a hydrogen recycle compressor. The hydrocarbonaceous feed stock flow is separated into an portions of fresh feed for each hydroprocessing stage, and then supplying the first portion of fresh feed with hydrogen from the hydrogen source in an amount satisfying substantially all of the hydrogen requirements of the hydroprocessing stages to a first hydroprocessing zone.

Petroleum refiners often produce desirable products such as turbine fuel, diesel fuel, middle distillates, naphtha, and gasoline, among others, by hydroprocessing a hydro-carbonaceous feed stock derived from crude oil or heavy fractions thereof. Hydroprocessing can include, for example, hydrocracking, hydrotreating, hydrodesulphurization and the like. Feed stocks subjected to hydroprocessing may include vacuum gas oils, heavy gas oils, and other hydrocarbon streams recovered from crude oil by distillation. For example, a typical heavy gas oil comprises a substantial portion of hydrocarbon components boiling above about 371° C. (700° F.) and usually at least about 50 percent by weight boiling above 371° C. (700° F.), and a typical vacuum gas oil normally has a boiling point range between about 315° C. (600° F.) and about 565° C. (1050° F.).
Hydroprocessing concerns reacting the feedstock in the presence of a hydrogen-containing gas with suitable catalyst(s) to convert constituents of the feedstocks to other forms, to extract contaminants from feedstock, etc. In many instances, hydroprocessing is accomplished by contacting the selected feed stock in a reaction vessel or zone with the suitable catalyst under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure in the presence of hydrogen as a separate phase in a substantially three-phase system (i.e., hydrogen gas, a substantially liquid hydrocarbon stream, and a solid catalyst). Such hydroprocessing systems are commonly undertaken in a trickle-bed reactor where the continuous phase throughout the reactor is gaseous.
In such trickle-bed reactors, a substantial excess of the hydrogen gas is present in the reactor to form the continuous gaseous phase. In many instances, a typical trickle-bed hydrocracking reactor requires up to about 10,000 SCF/B of hydrogen at pressures up to 17.3 MPa (2500 psig) to effect the desired reactions. In these systems, because the continuous phase throughout the reactor is the gas-phase, large amounts of excess hydrogen gas are generally required to maintain this continuous phase throughout the reactor vessel. However, supplying such large supplies of gaseous hydrogen at the operating conditions needed for hydroprocessing adds complexity and capital and operating expense to the hydroprocessing system.
Typically, in order to supply and maintain the needed amounts of hydrogen in a continuous gas-phase system, the effluent from a reactor circuit, such as the trickle-bed reactor, is subject to separation into a gaseous component containing hydrogen and a liquid component. A hydrogen recycle gas compressor is used to recirculate the separated hydrogen back to the reactor circuit inlet to assist in supplying the large amounts of hydrogen gas needed to maintain the reactor's continuous gaseous phase. The recycle gas compressor commonly recirculates hydrogen in amounts significantly in excess of the hydrogen used by the reactor circuit due to chemical hydrogen consumption.
For example, conventional trickle-bed hydroprocessing units typically operate up to about 17.3 MPa (2500 psig) and, therefore, require the use of a high-pressure recycle gas compressor in order to provide the recycled hydrogen at necessary volumes and elevated pressures. Often such hydrogen recycle can be up to about 10,000 SCF/B, and processing such quantities of hydrogen through a high-pressure compressor adds complexity, increased capital costs, and increased operating costs to the hydroprocessing unit. In general, the recycle gas system may represent as much as about 15 to about 30 percent of the cost of a hydroprocessing unit.
In order to eliminate the costly recycle gas compressor, it has been proposed to utilize a two-phase system using a liquid recycle of the processed product stream back through the hydroprocessing units. The recycled product is essentially inert and can act as diluent for the fresh feed and as a hydrogen carrier. Such systems, however, require large volumes of product to provide the desired ratios of the recycled product to the untreated feed. Maintaining such large ratios of recycled product to untreated feed presents difficulty in the design for larger hydroprocessing units. In many instances, the combined recycled product and untreated feed flow could exceed a single train capacity limit of the unit. Thus such units impose additional expense for large capacity recycle pumps and similar systems, as well as related operational issues to permit such large volumetric flows.
While two-phase systems can operate without a costly recycle gas compressor, the reactions in such two-phase systems are generally less efficient, with less contact time between the unconverted oil and the catalyst than similar reactions in the more common substantially three-phase systems. For example, with a given amount of catalyst, the contact time of the unconverted oil in the feed with the catalyst in the substantially three-phase system is significantly greater than the contact time of the unconverted oil with catalyst in the liquid-phase system. Generally due to the diluents in the feed of the liquid-phase systems, the contact time of the unconverted oil with the catalyst is reduced considerably because so much of the feed is diluent. As a result, the reaction rates in the liquid-phase systems are less efficient and reduced from those in a substantially three-phase system with a similar amount of catalyst.

Multi-staged hydroprocessing process and system


A plasmonic structure comprises a substrate and an electro conductor provided in or on the substrate. The electro conductor comprises a first part configured to provide a first series of plasmon resonance modes (for incident radiation of a first wavelength) and a second part configured to provide a second series of plasmon resonance modes (for incident radiation of a second wavelength). The first and second parts are functionally connected in a linkage region, wherein the electro conductor is shaped such as to form a capacitive gap. The electro conductor is further configured to direct radiation incident on the plasmonic structure of the first wavelength predominantly toward a first direction and to direct radiation incident on the plasmonic structure of the second wavelength predominantly toward a second direction, in which the first direction and the second direction are separated by an angle of at least 60°.

It is known in the art that surface plasmon resonance in nano scale structures, such as nanoparticles, can be used for directing electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum in a manner similar to the directional transmission by radiofrequency antennas. For example, in the radiofrequency spectrum, a typical antenna design for high directivity is the Yagi-Uda antenna, which comprises a linear array of antenna elements, where an array of nanoparticles can provide a similar radiation pattern in the optical regime. Directional control of visible spectrum radiation can thus be obtained by a nano-optical Yagi-Uda antenna comprising, for example, an appropriately configured arrangement of gold nano rods.
Plasmonic antennas may be useful components for microscopic or nano scale optical systems. For example, sending or receiving photons in a directionally selective fashion may find application in the field of micro- and nano scale photonics. By such directional sending or receiving of photons, signals may be transmitted in a well-defined direction or the signal to noise ratio of a detector may be increased by such directionally selective components. Furthermore, wavelength dependent directivity may be particularly advantageous for scaling sensors. Plasmonic sensors are usually based on detecting changes in the spectrum of radiation coming from an object of interest, e.g. scattered, transmitted or fluorescent radiation. Spectral information is typically recovered by gratings or filters. These components are large compared to plasmonic antennas, and furthermore are hard to miniaturize. If the spectral information would already be present in the scatter or emission patterns coming from the antenna this can simplify spectral analysis, and thus may result in cheaper, more compact devices.
The split ring resonator has been studied in the art as an artificial magnetic atom. It has also been shown, for example by Yao Jie et al. in "An Antenna to Direct Radiation to Opposite Directions," Optics Communications 300, p. 274-276, that a split ring resonator can be used as an optical antenna to direct radiation emitted by an electric source to different directions at different wavelengths. This phenomenon, according to Jie et al., can be explained by a two-dipole model.

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, KU LEUVEN R&D


Elevated high mobility group A (HMGA) protein expression in human cancer cells, and especially human pancreatic cancer cells, is correlated with resistance to the chemotherapy agent gemcitabine. The present invention uses HMGA-targeted AT-rich phosphorothioate DNA (AT-sDNA) aptamers to suppress HMGA carcinogenic activity. Cell growth of human pancreatic cancer cells (AsPC-1 and Miapaca-2) transfected with AT-sDNA were monitored after treatment with gemcitabine. Significant increases in cell death in AT-sDNA transfected cells compared to non AT-rich sDNA treated cells were observed in both cell lines. The data indicates the potential use of HMGA targeted DNA aptamers to enhance chemotherapy efficacy in human cancer treatment, and in particular human pancreatic cancer treatment.

Elevated levels of high-mobility group A (HMGA) protein expression have been reported in almost every type of human cancer, including colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and breast cancer. There are two forms of HMGA proteins, HMGA1 and HMGA2, which are encoded from two different genes. Both forms of HMGA are non-histone chromatin architectural transcription factors found broadly in eukaryotes. HMGA proteins are expressed at high levels in embryonic tissues during early development and at very low levels in normal differentiated somatic adult cells. Regulation of gene expression is a primary function of HMGA in these cells and HMGA proteins are involved in both positive and negative regulation of genes responsible for apoptosis, cell proliferation, immune response and DNA repair. Overexpression of HMGA has been shown to increase cell proliferation contributing to tumor growth.
In addition, it has been shown that HMGA1 interacts with the p53 tumor suppressor protein and inhibits its apoptotic activity. It has also been shown that high expression levels of HMGA1 are responsible for chemotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer cell lines and that suppression of HMGA1 expression by siRNA restored the cells sensitivity to gemcitabine. HMGA2 is responsible for maintaining Ras-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition that promotes tissue invasion and metastasis. Down regulation of overexpressed HMGA2 has been shown to inhibit cell proliferation in human pancreatic cancer cell lines. While the precise role that HMGA plays in cancer is not yet completely understood, HMGA has been suggested as a potential biomarker for tumor progression and is a drug target for cancer therapy development.
An early structural study showed that HMGA does not adopt a conventional protein structure composed of a helices or β sheets but rather binds in the minor groove of AT-rich double-stranded DNA through crescent-shaped DNA binding motifs referred to as "AT-hooks." In contrast to classical transcription factors that bind specific DNA sequences, HMGA acts as an architectural transcription factor that binds a specific type of DNA structure, i.e. the minor groove of A:T tract DNA. Due to this unique DNA binding property of HMGA, several cancer therapy drugs, such as FR900482 and FL317, have been designed as competitive HMGA1 inhibitors that bind to the minor groove of AT-rich DNA. These drugs however, have shown high toxicity in humans. Recently, it has been shown that Spiegelmer NOX-A50 is a potent inhibitor of HMGA1 activity and proposed the use of artificial HMGA1 substrates that block HMGA1 binding to its natural DNA substrate. In principle, decreasing all HMGA protein activity could result in inhibition of unwanted cell proliferation and reestablishment of apoptosis, reducing cancer progression.
Nucleic acid ligands designed or selected to inhibit the activity of pathogenic proteins are referred to as aptamers or "decoys". Nucleic acid aptamers contain variable sequences and/or modified chemical structures to facilitate binding to their protein targets with high specificity and an equal to, or higher, affinity compared to their unmodified oligomer counterparts. They are widely studied for biotechnological and therapeutic applications because they have little or no immunogenicity compared to antibodies and several applications have been reported. For example, one study has shown that overexpression of a 60-nucleotide RNA decoy used as a antiviral treatment showed inhibition of Tat-mediated HIV replication in vitro by 90%. In another study, a 2′-fluoropyrimidine RNA was designed as a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor that reduced lung metastasis in mice. A DNA aptamer targeting transcription factor E2F, which is essential in cellular proliferation regulation, was shown to decrease cell proliferation in vascular smooth muscle cells.
In addition to engineered specificity, an important property of DNA aptamers is that they are sometimes designed to be resistant to endogenous nuclease activity in vivo. For example, both phosphorothioate DNA (sDNA), which contains sulfur substituted for one oxygen atom in the phosphodiester backbone, and phosphorodithioate DNA, which contains sulfur substitution of two oxygen atoms in the phosphodiester backbone, have been shown to have shown increased resistance to nuclease S1 and Deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) activity as the number of sulfur substitutions increases.
Since down regulation of both HMGA1 and HMGA2 proteins contributes to the inhibition of tumor growth, the strategy of targeting both HMGA1 and HMGA2 may result in a potentially more potent therapeutic strategy than targeted inhibition of either protein alone. Therefore, there is a need for nuclease resistant DNA aptamers that both inhibit pancreatic cancer tumor growth and increase the sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to chemotherapy by down regulation of both HMGA1 and HMGA2 proteins and are resistant to endogenous nuclease attack.

Use of HGMA-targeted phosphorothioate DNA aptamers to suppress carcinogenic activity and increase sensitivity to chemotherapy agents in human cancer cells


Lock apparatus for a dual PLL which is capable of detecting a locked state of a receiving frequency as well as a locked state of a transmitting frequency. The dual PLL lock apparatus comprises a receive lock detector for detecting the phase locked state of the receiving frequency in response to a locked state signal from a receiving phase difference detector, in addition to the conventional dual PLL lock apparatus which can lock the transmitting and receiving frequencies, respectively, and detect the locked state of the transmitting frequency. The receive lock detector comprises a reset signal generating circuit for generating a reset signal in response to the receive locked state signal from the receiving phase difference detector, a frequency-dividing circuit for dividing a predetermined frequency from the reference frequency counter by a given ratio in response to the reset signal from the reset signal generating circuit, and a receive lock data output circuit for outputting receive lock data in response to an output signal from the frequency-dividing circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a dual phase locked loop for locking, transmitting and receiving frequencies respectively to selected channel frequencies, and more particularly to a lock apparatus for a dual phase locked loop which is capable of detecting a locked state of the receiving frequency as well as a locked state of the transmitting frequency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a phase locked loop, referred to hereinafter as a PLL, has been provided to lock transmitting and receiving frequencies respectively to selected channel frequencies. Early in the PLL, there has individually been provided transmitting and receiving PLLs which lock the transmitting and receiving frequencies, respectively. Progressively, a single PLL has recently been proposed to lock the transmitting and receiving frequencies with a single construction. This single PLL is called a dual PLL. The dual PLL has mostly been employed in such an equipment that has a plurality of transmitting and receiving channels and performs transmission and reception simultaneously at respective selected channel frequencies. Commonly, a radio telephone set is such an equipment.
The conventional dual PLL comprises lock apparatus for dividing transmitting and receiving frequencies according to selected channel frequencies, detecting phase differences between the divided frequencies and a reference frequency, generating, transmitting and receiving phase data based on the detected phase differences and detecting a locked state of the transmitting frequency, loop filters for filtering respectively the transmitting and receiving phase data from the lock apparatus, and voltage controlled oscillators for feeding back respectively oscillating frequencies controlled by the outputs from the loop filters, as the transmitting and receiving frequencies to the lock apparatus and outputting the locked transmitting and receiving frequencies externally, respectively.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an example of the conventional lock apparatus of the dual PLL as mentioned above, in block form. As shown in this figure, the lock apparatus comprises a decoder 8 for decoding channel select data DATA inputted externally thereto synchronously with a clock pulse CLK, a transmitting and receiving channel data ROM 2 for selecting transmitting and receiving channels in accordance with the output data from the decoder 8, a receiving frequency counter 1 for counting a receiving frequency inputted through an input terminal INPUT1 according to the receiving channel data outputted from the transmitting and receiving channel data ROM 2, a transmitting frequency counter 3 for counting a transmitting frequency inputted through another input terminal INPUT2 according to the transmitting channel data outputted from the transmitting and receiving channel data ROM 2, a reference frequency counter 4 for counting an oscillating frequency from an external oscillator OSC and outputting the resulting reference frequency, a receiving phase difference detector 5 for comparing the counted receiving frequency from the receiving frequency counter 1 with the reference frequency from the reference frequency counter 4 to detect a phase difference therebetween and outputting phase data PD1 based on the detected phase difference, a transmitting phase difference detector 7 for comparing the counted transmitting frequency from the transmitting frequency counter 3 with the reference frequency from the reference frequency counter 4 to detect a phase difference therebetween and outputting phase data PD2 based on the detected phase difference, and a transmit lock detector 6 for checking another phase data from the transmitting phase difference detector 7 to detect phase locked state of the transmitting frequency to the reference frequency and outputting lock data LD1 externally in accordance with the detected phase locked state.
The operation of the conventional dual PLL lock apparatus with the above-mentioned construction will now be described.
First, upon receiving an external enable signal ENABLE operating the PLL, the decoder 8 decodes the inputted channel select data DATA synchronously with the clock signal CLK and applies the decoded data to the transmitting and receiving channel data ROM 2. In the transmitting and receiving channel data ROM 2, the transmitting and receiving channel data are generated corresponding to the decoded data from the decoder 8. The generated transmitting and receiving channel data are then applied respectively to the transmitting and receiving frequency counters 3 and 1. In the transmitting and receiving frequency counters 3 and 1, count values are determined respectively based on the applied transmitting and receiving channel data. These count values are determined such that the inputted transmitting and receiving frequencies are divided respectively to be equal to the reference frequency, in the transmitting and receiving frequency counters 3 and 1.
At this time, a transmitting frequency is applied through the input terminal INPUT2 to the transmitting frequency counter 3 and a receiving frequency is applied through the input terminal INPUT1 to the receiving frequency counter 1. The applied transmitting and receiving frequencies are counted based on the respective count values in the transmitting and receiving frequency counters 3 and 1, which then feed the counted transmitting and receiving frequencies respectively to the transmitting and receiving phase difference detectors 7 and 5. At this time, the oscillating frequency from the external oscillator OSC is applied to the reference frequency counter 4, which counts the applied oscillating frequency and outputs the resulting reference frequency to the transmitting and receiving phase difference detectors 7 and 5.
In the transmitting and receiving phase difference detectors 7 and 5, the counted transmitting and receiving frequencies from the transmitting and receiving frequency counters 3 and 1 are compared with the reference frequency from the reference frequency counter 4 and respective phase differences are detected according to the compared results. From the transmitting and receiving phase difference detectors 7 and 5, the transmitting and receiving phase data PD2 and PD1 based on the respective detected phase differences are outputted at a tri-state including high, low and floating states. Also, the transmitting phase difference detector 7 outputs a high or low locked state signal at its separate output terminal to the transmit lock detector 6. In accordance with the high or low locked state signal from the transmitting phase difference detector 7, the transmit lock detector 6 detects the locked state of the transmitting frequency.
Namely, if the phases of the counted transmitting and receiving frequencies from the transmitting and receiving frequency counters 3 and 1 are detected as being equal respectively to the phase of the reference frequency from the reference frequency counter 4 as a result of comparison of the counted transmitting and receiving frequencies with the reference frequency in the transmitting and receiving phase difference detectors 7 and 5, the transmitting and receiving phase data PD2 and PD1 are outputted at high impedance states, respectively, from the transmitting and receiving phase difference detectors 7 and 5. The high or low locked state signal is also outputted at the separate output terminal of the transmitting phase difference detector 7 to the transmit lock detector 6. The transmit lock detector 6 checks the locked state of the transmitting phase difference detector 7 on the basis of the high or low locked state signal. If locked state, the transmit lock detector 6 outputs the lock data LD1 of high impedance externally output of the PLL to notify that the transmitting frequency has been locked.
On the other hand, the transmitting and receiving phase data PD2 and PD1 are applied through corresponding loop filters (not shown) to corresponding voltage controlled oscillators (not shown), which then feed back respectively oscillating frequencies controlled based on the transmitting and receiving phase data PD2 and PD1, as the transmitting and receiving frequencies to the input terminals INPUT2 and INPUT1. The operation, hereinbefore described, is repeatedly performed in this manner.
In the outside of the PLL, a system control unit such as a microcomputer receives the transmit lock data LD1 from the transmit lock detector 6 and recognizes, from the received transmit lock data LD1, that the transmitting frequency has been locked. If recognized, the system control unit performs the accompanying communication control and stops the operation of the PLL lock apparatus for preventing power consumption. Thereafter, upon channel change or power on/off, the system control unit makes the PLL enable, so as to lock the transmitting and receiving frequencies in the above-mentioned manner.
However, the convention lock apparatus for the PLL has a disadvantage, in that it is constructed only to detect the locked state of the transmitting frequency. That is, since only the locked state of the transmitting frequency is detected, the locked state of the receiving frequency is determined at a guess on the basis of the point of time at which the transmitting frequency is locked. For this reason, it takes very long time to lock the receiving frequency. This acts as a delay element on a system requiring a fast response.

Lock apparatus for dual phase locked loop


The brushless motor includes: a housing; a stator which is stored and fixed in the housing; a rotor which is rotatably arranged inside the stator; a bracket which is fixed to the housing; a rotation detector which is fixed to the bracket and the housing and detects a rotation position of the rotor; and an engagement device which restrains movement of the bracket along a circumferential direction with respect to the housing.

In a brushless motor, after inserting a rotor into a cylindrical housing having a bottom, a bracket is fixed on an opening of the housing, and the rotor is rotatably held by bearings which are provided on the bottom of the housing and the bracket.
The opening of the housing is a round form and a flange is formed in a periphery thereof. The flange is provided with bolt holes for fixing the bracket to the housing. The bracket also has a flange which has bolt holes.
Inside of the bracket, a stator of resolver which detects a rotation angle (i.e., a resolver stator) is provided. The resolver stator is fixed by screws which are inserted into elongated holes formed on the bracket (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H09-182403).
In order to apply an electric current to the brushless motor at the best timing, it is necessary to adjust a position between the resolver stator and a rotor of the resolver (i.e., a resolver rotor) previously. At this occasion, the position is adjusted by loosening the screws which are inserted into the elongated holes of the bracket and rotating the resolver stator with respect to the bracket around a rotation shaft.


The present invention provides a steering force detecting magnetostrictive torque sensor including a magnetism detection unit 12 and a casing 15 made from a non-magnetic high conductive material. The magnetism detection unit 12 includes a coil bobbin 23 having excitation coils 22a and 22b and detection coils 20 and 21 and a yoke 24 formed into a unitary block. The magnetism detection unit 12 is attached into the casing 15. Through holes 26a and 26b are arranged in the casing 15, and a sensor shaft 8 is inserted into the through holes via bearings 27a and 27b. The casing 15 prevents magnetic leak and noise intrusion, so as to assure the torque detection accuracy by the magnetism detection unit 12 and eliminate the energy loss due to heat generation between the magnetism detection unit 12 and the casing 15. Moreover, unnecessary external force transmitted from the steering shaft connected to the sensor shaft 8 and the steering output shaft 3 is received by the casing 15 via the bearings 27a and 27b, thereby eliminating an affect to the magnetism detection unit 12 enabling to stabilize the torque detection accuracy.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvement of a magnetostrictive torque sensor for detecting a steering force and in particular, to suppress a magnetic leak and improvement of a mechanical strength.
2. Description of the Related Art
A steering force detecting magnetostrictive torque sensor is already known for driving and controlling a power steering system by detecting a steering force functioning on a steering shaft so as to output a torque detection signal.
This type of magnetostrictive torque sensor includes: a magnetic-anisotropy at the surface of the sensor shaft that connecting a steering shaft; and an excitation coil and a detection coil arranged around the magnetic-anisotrophy, so that a torsion generated at the surface of the sensor shaft according to the steering torque by a driver is detected as a change of magnetic permeability of the magnetic anisotropy, thereby detecting a steering force functioning on the steering shaft.
Because a conventional steering force detecting magnetostrictive torque sensor is not provided with particular magnetic shield means, the magnetostrictive torque sensor attached to a vehicle is affected by a change of external magnetic environment. For this, at the stage before attaching the torque sensor, there is a problem that it is difficult to adjusting a zero-torque signal (an output when no external force is applied) of the sensor.
In order to solve this problem, there has been suggested a steering force detecting magnetostrictive torque sensor including a detection coil and an excitation coil having an outer circumference covered by a shield formed from a non-magnetic high-conductive material, thereby preventing a magnetic leak from the detection coil and the excitation coil as well as an external noise so as to obtain a magnetically stable environment around the sensor.
As shown in FIG. 5, in this steering force detecting magnetostrictive torque sensor, as shown in FIG. 5, has an outer circumference covered by a shield 102 formed from a non-magnetic high-conductive material, thereby suppressing a magnetic leak from the detection coil 101 and the outer circumference of the shield 102 is covered by a yoke 103 formed by a soft-magnetic material, thereby preventing an external noise.
However, since the shield 102 of a non-magnetic and high conductive material is arranged in close contact to the outer circumference of the detection coil 101, the energy loss due to heat dissipation is great, lowering the sensitivity of the magnetostrictive torque sensor.
Moreover, since the yoke 103 is mounted in an exposed stated, an external force may be applied to this portion, which changes a magnetic characteristic of the yoke 103. That is, a special attention should be paid in handling.
Furthermore, for mounting the detection coil 101 and shield 102, a coil bobbin 100 is formed with variable diameter values. The sensor shaft 105 is fixed as a unitary block to this coil bobbin via a bearing 104. Accordingly, when an excessive load is applied to this coil bobbin 100 by eccentricity of the steering shaft and the steering output shaft, the coil bobbin 100 itself may be deformed or scratched. Furthermore, relative positional changes are caused between the detection coil 101, the shield 102, the yoke 103, and the like, causing a fluctuation of the detection characteristic.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a steering force detecting magnetostrictive torque sensor magnetically stable and having a sufficient mechanical strength and a reduced energy loss due to heat dissipation.
The present invention provides a steering force detecting magnetostrictive torque sensor comprising: a sensor shaft mounted between a steering shaft and a steering output shaft; a magnetic anisotropy at the surface of the sensor shaft; a coil bobbin wound by an excitation coil and a detection coil to surround the magnetic anisotropy; and a yoke surrounding the coil bobbin, the steering force detecting magnetostrictive torque sensor further comprising a casing including a casing main body formed from a non-magnetic high conductive material as a container having one side opening and an access panel to cover the opening, wherein the coil bobbin and the yoke constitute a magnetism detection unit, which is arranged inside the casing main body, and a through hole is arranged at two end portions in the axial direction of the magnetism detection unit in the casing main body for inserting the sensor shaft, so that the sensor shaft is rotatably attached to the through holes via a bearing.
The casing main body made from a non-magnetic high conductive material and having the magnetism detection unit function as a magnetic shield, so as to suppress magnetic leak from the detection coil and the excitation coil as well as prevent intrusion of an external noise. This eliminates an external magnetic environment change caused before and after mounting the magnetostrictive torque sensor to a vehicle.
Moreover, a sufficient space can be obtained around the excitation coil and the detection coil in the casing body covered by the access panel. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the energy loss such as heat generation caused by interaction between the coils and the casing main body and the access panel made from a non-magnetic high conductive material, thereby preventing lowering sensitivity of the magnetostrictive torque sensor.
Moreover, the yoke arranged at the outermost portion of the magnetism detection unit is protected by the casing main body and the access panel. Accordingly, there is no possibility of application of an unnecessary external force to the yoke and it becomes easier to handle the entire apparatus.
Furthermore, the sensor shaft having the magnetic anisotropy is rotatably attached via bearings to through holes arranged on the two walls of the casing main body positioned at the both end portions of the magnetism detection unit in the axial direction. Accordingly, even when eccentricity is present between the steering shaft and the sensor shaft or between the steering output shaft and the sensor shaft, there is no danger of deforming or scratching the excitation coil or the coil bobbin having the detection coil and the yoke by an external force. Thus, it is possible to obtain a sufficient mechanical strength and to eliminate characteristic changes due to fluctuations of a positional relationship between the members.
The access panel covering the opening of the casing main body may be formed by a multi-layered circuit board on which an electric component is mounted for processing a signal from the detection coil.
This type of multi-layered circuit board includes a copper foil layer in the board itself and accordingly, can be used in place of the magnetic shield formed from a non-magnetic high conductive material. That is, there is no need to provide a dedicated access panel formed from a non-magnetic high conductive material and the circuit board serves also as the magnetic shield. This reduces the cost of the entire apparatus.
Moreover, it is also possible to insert a shield panel formed from a non-magnetic high conductive material between the access panel and the magnetism detection unit.
In this case, the cost is slightly increased as compared to a case using only the copper foil layer of the multi-layered circuit board itself as the magnetic shield. However, it becomes possible to assure a shield effect, thereby further improving magnetic stability of the magnetostrictive torque sensor.
Furthermore, the bearing supporting the sensor shaft may be an ordinary bearing or a bush made from a non-magnetic high conductive material.
By utilizing a bush made from a non-magnetic high conductive material instead of an ordinary bearing, it is possible to further reduce magnetic leak and noise, thereby improving the magnetic stability of the magnetostrictive torque sensor. As the non-magnetic high conductive material for the casing main body and the shield panel, it is preferable to employ an aluminum alloy or the like, considering the weight and machining feasibility. The bush serving as the bearing is preferably formed from a JIS PBC2 material, considering the abrasion resistance.
Moreover, a convex/concave engagement portion is formed on inner sides of two walls of the casing main body positioned at both end portions of the magnetism detection unit in the axial direction and at both end portions of the magnetism detection unit in the axial direction for positioning the magnetism detection unit with respect to the casing main body, and the both end portions of the magnetism detection unit in the axial direction are fixed by an adhesive to the two inner sides of the two walls.
Thus, with the configuration of accurately positioning the magnetism detection unit with respect to the casing main body, it is possible to properly maintain a positional relationship of the excitation coil and the detection coil against the sensor shaft mounted onto the casing main body via a bearing or a bush.

Steering force detecting magnetostrictive torque sensor


Disclosed is a fluorescent glue for an LED lighting bar, and an LED bulb lamp, the fluorescent glue comprises a phosphor, a heat radiation material having a refractive index larger than 1.4 and a heat emissivity larger than 0.8, and a colloid, the heat radiation material accounts for 0.5% to 10% by weight of the fluorescent glue, the phosphor accounts for 25% to 45% by weight of the fluorescent glue, and the colloid accounts for 45% to 74.5% by weight of the fluorescent glue. The fluorescent glue combined with the heat radiation material can directly convert heat generated by an LED chip and the fluorescent glue into infrared waves that are radiated into the surrounding environment, without additionally providing a heat dissipating device or spraying a heat dissipating coating.

At the end of the 20th century, III-V compound semiconductor materials made breakthroughs in the field of blue-light chips, which led to tremendous development of the solid state lighting (SSL) industry and promoted the transformation of the lighting industry. A semiconductor lighting technology is marked by a high-power light emitting diode (LED). Compared with the traditional lighting source, LED has the advantages of small size, light weight, fast response, low power consumption, high luminous efficiency, long service life, environmental protection, safety and reliability, etc. It is widely regarded as the main development direction of a future lighting technology, and has huge economic and social benefits.
Early LEDs only emitted monochromatic light and did not directly meet the usual white lighting requirements. In the mid-1990s of the 20th century, Nakamura et al. of Japan Nichia Corporation broke through the key technologies of blue LEDs and developed the technology of white LED light sources. At present, there are two main technologies for obtaining white LEDs: one is that a phosphor is excited by short-wavelength light emitted from LEDs to emit long-wavelength light, and the two beams of light are mixed to form white light; the other is that a plurality of LED chips are used to emit light of different colors to be mixed into white light. LED products produced by the multi-chip synthesis method have advantages in lumen efficiency, color rendering, color control, etc. However, the driving voltages of different chips are different. For example, the driving voltage of blue-green LEDs is generally 3-3.5 V, while the driving voltage of red LEDs is generally 2 to 2.5 V, so that the driving control is complicated, resulting in high product cost and low reliability. In contrast, a single-chip phosphor excitation technology is relatively simple in process and low in cost, and thus has become the leading choice for commercial LEDs.
For leading phosphor-converted LEDs, there are two sources of light emitting: LED chips and phosphors. Similarly, the influence of temperature on LED performance is mainly reflected in two aspects: one aspect is the temperature of an internal p-n junction of an LED chip, i.e., the influence of the so-called junction temperature on LED performance, wherein the electro-optic conversion efficiency of an LED is generally between 20% and 30%, and the rest of electrical energy is converted into heat; the other aspect is the influence of phosphor temperature on LED performance.
As a light-and-heat emitting device, temperature has a great influence on the LED performance. The increase in junction temperature will cause the decrease of the electron-hole recombination probability in a p-n junction, affecting the internal quantum efficiency of a chip, so that the brightness of the chip drops significantly after a period of operation. When the junction temperature of a white LED rises, its light decay is significantly accelerated. A higher LED junction temperature will also accelerate the degradation of a packaging material, making its optical, mechanical, thermal and other properties weakened, such as yellowing of an organic silica gel, and cracking and delamination at a packaging interface, which makes the reliability of LED products reduced and the life shortened. When the LED junction temperature rises, its service life is significantly shortened. In addition, the rise in junction temperature causes the LED light emitting peak to shift, affecting the correlated color temperature of light, and resulting in unstable light color.
In addition to the LED junction temperature, the temperature of the phosphor also affects the LED performance. When the temperature of the phosphor rises, the conversion efficiency is lowered, and the luminous flux of the phosphor is reduced. This phenomenon is called the thermal quenching phenomenon of the phosphor. The luminous intensity of the phosphor decreases significantly with the increase of the temperature. The reduction in phosphor luminescence will result in, on the one hand, a decrease in the overall lumen efficiency of LED packaging, and on the other hand, a change in the correlated color temperature of the LED mixed light. In addition, the rise in the temperature of the phosphor also causes the light emitting peak wavelength to shift, which also causes a change in the color of the mixed light.
It can be seen that the heat dissipation problem has become a major problem that restricts the development of LEDs. In the field of LEDs, in order to solve the heat dissipation problem, various kinds of heat dissipation solutions have been brought up. It comes down to the three heat dissipation principles of conduction, convection or radiation.
In terms of heat conduction, many LEDs in the prior art use metal heat sinks with heat sink fins, and there has been a lot of researches and patents on the material and shape of such heat sinks and how to increase the convective heat exchange with air. Such metal heat sinks are mainly made of aluminum alloy, which are heavy and costly, and have become one of the key factors for the high cost of the existing LEDs. In terms of heat dissipation through convection, for the existing LEDs in the field of LED bulb lamps, an LED bulb lamp is generally filled with a high thermal-conductive gas, and heat is dissipated from the bulb shell by the convection of the gas in the bulb shell. However, the heat dissipation effect of this heat dissipation is not obvious in fact.
In order to solve the heat dissipation problem, some people use heat radiation to dissipate heat. By spraying a radiation paint on the surface of a lamp, the radiance is improved, thereby removing heat to achieve heat dissipation. But when the radiation paint is sprayed on the surface of the lamp, the heat must be first transmitted to the surface of the lamp and then can be further radiated, and the actual heat dissipation effect is not obvious.
On Nov. 9, 2016, the applicant filed a Chinese patent application, whose publication No. is CN106090663A with the title "a power-supply built-in LED filament lamp with a heat radiation material". By arranging a heat radiation material layer on the back of an LED filament, heat is quickly conducted to a heat radiation material layer on the back of the substrate through a metal substrate, and then is dissipated by means of heat radiation. However, coating the heat radiation material layer on the back of the LED filament means that the LED filament cannot emit light on one side, that is, the application is only limited to a 2π light-emitting (180-degree light-emitting) LED filament instead of a 4π light-emitting (360-degree light-emitting) filament, and the luminous angle and luminous efficiency thereof are limited to a certain degree.
In addition, the applicant's previously applied patents only selected several materials with higher heat emissivity, did not further refine specific components of heat radiation materials, and did not further explore the principle of heat radiation heat dissipation.
The radiation heat dissipation may be understood as the way in which an infrared ray is emitted from the surface of a higher-temperature object and is received by a lower-temperature object. As we all know, the space outside the atmosphere is close to absolute zero, and the temperature in the upper atmosphere is also quite low. This is also a natural huge cold storage. The huge capacity of the space makes it a "black hole" for heat. If discharging the unwanted heat on the pulverized into the space in the form of electromagnetic waves, the purpose of cooling can be achieved. Radiation cooling is such a non-consumption manner of cooling.
The researchers analyze the spectral transmission characteristics of the Earth's atmosphere, and the transmission spectrum is shown in FIG. 1. It can be seen from FIG. 1 that the atmosphere has different transmittances for different wavelengths of radiation. In an interval where the transmittance is high, the electromagnetic waves in the wavelength band can penetrate through the atmosphere more freely, and these intervals are meteorologically referred to as the "window" of the atmosphere. The spectral transmission characteristics of the atmosphere are mainly determined by water vapor, carbon dioxide and ozone in the atmosphere. The change in their content causes a change in transmittance, but the distribution of the transmission spectrum does not change much. Among several atmospheric windows, the band of 8 to 13 μm is more notable because the wavelength of blackbody radiation at normal temperature is mainly concentrated in this band. The atmosphere is permeable to electromagnetic radiation in this band. So, if there is a material that converts heat into electromagnetic waves in this particular band, heat waste can leave the earth. As a heat-dissipating manner that does not consume energy, it will have broad application prospects in the field of LEDs.
In summary, in order to further develop LEDs, the prior art has yet to be further improved and developed.

Fluorescent glue for LED lighting bar and LED bulb lamp using the LED lighting bar

SHENZHEN FENGGONG CULTURE COMMUNICATION CO., LTD.


Various technologies pertaining to identifying a material in a sample and imaging the sample are described herein. The material is identified by computing energy-dependent attenuation of neutrons that is caused by presence of the sample in travel paths of the neutrons. A mono-energetic neutron generator emits the neutron, which is downscattered in energy by a first detector unit. The neutron exits the first detector unit and is detected by a second detector unit subsequent to passing through the sample. Energy-dependent attenuation of neutrons passing through the sample is computed based upon a computed energy of the neutron, wherein such energy can be computed based upon 1) known positions of the neutron generator, the first detector unit, and the second detector unit; or 2) computed time of flight of neutrons between the first detector unit and the second detector unit.

Interest in screening capabilities has resulted in significant investment in thermal neutron analysis (TNA) and fast neutron analysis (FNA), which probe the nuclear structure of matter, rather than the electronic structure of matter as x-ray-based devices do. With more specificity, x-ray devices are sensitive only to variations in density, and thus fail to provide effective identification when materials include certain (light) elements. In TNA, gamma particles resulting from thermal neutron capture reactions in materials of interest (hydrogen and nitrogen) are used in connection with identifying certain materials. FNA is a far more powerful technique and measures either the gamma rays from nuclei activated by a neutron beam or the energy of an attenuated neutron beam.
Pulsed fast neutron analysis (PFNA) has been utilized to perform two-dimensional elemental imaging. This technology, however, requires complex optics and employs a time-of-flight (ToF) technique combined with sophisticated high-flux pulsed accelerator technology to determine neutron energies. These pulsed systems tend to be relatively expensive, prohibiting widespread use.

Material identification based upon energy-dependent attenuation of neutrons


A transistor driver includes a sender module configured to generate a power input signal. A converter module includes a transformer including a first side and a second side. The first side of the transformer is configured to receive the power input signal. A rectifier is connected to the second side of the transformer. The converter module is configured to generate an output signal at an output of the rectifier. A first receiver module is connected to each of the second side of the transformer and the output of the rectifier. The first receiver module is configured to transition a first transistor between an ON state and an OFF state based on a first signal received from the second side of the transformer.

High side transistor drivers are used to drive a high side transistor that is connected to a positive supply and is floating (i.e., that is not ground-referenced). The transistor may be a MOSFET (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor) or an IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor). High side transistors may require a voltage translation from a level shifting device such as a high voltage level shifter. Floating transistors such as the high side transistors may be difficult to turn ON and OFF quickly.
Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary transistor driver circuit 10 is shown. The transistor driver circuit 10 includes a high side transistor 12 and a low side transistor 14. A high side transistor driver 16 is connected to a gate 18 of the high side transistor 12 and selectively turns the high side transistor 120N and OFF. A low side transistor driver 20 is connected to a gate 22 of the low side transistor 14 and selectively turns the low side transistor 140N and OFF. The high side transistor driver 16 and the low side transistor driver 20 may be integrated in a transistor driver module 24. For example, the drivers 16 and 20 turn the transistors 12 and 140N and OFF to vary current and/or voltage to an output node 26 according to input signals 28 and 30.
Referring now to FIG. 2, an exemplary arrangement of the high side transistor 12 and the high side transistor driver 16 is shown in more detail. The input signal 28 is input to the high side transistor driver 16 through a high voltage level shifter 40 and an inverter 42. For example, the high voltage level shifter 40 may include a high voltage transistor. Although only a single high voltage transistor is shown, additional high voltage transistors may be necessary to implement the high voltage level shifter 40. Typically, integration of multiple high voltage transistors with other low voltage transistors (not shown) on the same die may be difficult.
Further, for certain applications (e.g., such as fluorescent ballast drivers), voltage stress of more than 600 volts may be applied to the high voltage transistors. Circuitry of the high side transistor driver needs to be able to float above ground by a similar voltage level. As a result, specialty semiconductor processes, such as thick oxide SOI (silicon-on-insulator) processes, may be used. However, because of the large junction capacitances of high voltage transistors, the resulting circuit is typically quite slow. For example, some ballast drivers that implement the high side transistor driver 16 as described in FIG. 2 may operate at a maximum of 50 kHz.

High voltage high side transistor driver


A curvature corrected bandgap reference circuit comprises a first bipolar transistor having a base-emitter voltage Vbe1 and operated such that it has a constant operating current, and a second bipolar transistor having a base-emitter voltage Vbe2 and operated such that it has an operating current consisting of an approximately temperature proportional component and a non-linear component. The circuit is arranged such that the ratio of the current densities in the two transistors varies with temperature, such that the difference voltage (ΔVbe=Vbe1−Vbe2) includes a residual component which approximately compensates bandgap curvature error.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of bandgap voltage reference circuits, and particularly to circuits and methods that compensate for the bandgap curvature term in the outputs of such circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
Voltage reference circuits generate one or more reference voltages that are ideally stabilized over process, supply voltage, and temperature variations. Reference circuits which create an output based on the bandgap voltage of silicon largely achieve these ideals, and are one of the most popular types of voltage reference circuit.
The output of a conventional bandgap reference circuit is about 1.25 volts. This typically requires that the supply voltage for the reference circuit be no lower than 1.25 volts. However, there is an ever-increasing demand for low power and low voltage operation, which may make this limitation unacceptable.
A number of bandgap references have been proposed which overcome this supply voltage limitation. One such circuit is described in "A CMOS Bandgap Reference Circuit with Sub-1-V Operation", Banba et al., JSSC Vol. 34, No. 5, May 1999, pp 670-674. This reference circuit provides a temperature compensated reference voltage with a supply voltage of less than 1 volt. However, the output of a basic bandgap reference circuit compensates for the temperature dependencies of the output voltage only to a first order. One reason for this is that the base-emitter voltage (Vbe) of a bipolar transistor does not change linearly with temperature. This nonlinearity results in a "bandgap curvature" error in the output voltage which varies over temperature. The circuit described in Banba does not address this error, and as such, its reference voltage output may not be adequate for some applications.
Various approaches to compensate for the nonlinearity of Vbe have been proposed. One such approach is described in "Curvature-Compensated BiCMOS Bandgap with 1-V Supply Voltage", Malcovati et al., JSSC Vol. 36, No 7, May 1999, pp 1076-1081. Here, additional transistors and resistors are added to the reference circuit to provide curvature compensation. However, the additional components have relatively large values and require relatively large areas, adding cost and complexity to the design.

Curvature corrected bandgap reference circuit and method


A method for displaying media content on devices respectively linked to media players from a group of media players. The method includes the acts of: transmitting to the media players configuration data including data; transmitting data corresponding to the media content to at least one of the media players; transmitting to the media players data corresponding to a multicast address and to an entry port; selecting by the server a master media player among the at least one media player which received the data corresponding to the media content; sending by the master media player a multicast media stream using the multicast address and the entry port, the multicast media stream being obtained by the master media player from the data corresponding to the media content.

Several technics are implemented to synchronize the displaying. For example, the media content (more precisely the data corresponding to the media content, for example, a file containing the media content) may contain a time at which the media content should be displayed and each media player related to each device may have a clock enabling the media player to display the media content at the planned time.
However, this requires the media player to be well synchronized and therefore requires a complex implementation which is often more costly. In addition, such system does not offer flexibility, for example when adding a new media player to the system or when the network of the geographical area or a central entity of the system fails.

Media content display synchronization on multiple devices


A method for managing an airplane fleet is described. The method includes: (i) developing a gold body database for an airplane model for each non-destructive inspection system implemented to detect defects; (ii) inspecting, over a period of time, a plurality of candidate airplanes of the airplane model, using different types of non-destructive inspection systems and the gold body database associated with each of the different types of non-destructive inspection systems, to identify defects present on the plurality of candidate airplanes; (iii) repairing or monitoring defects detected on the plurality of candidate airplanes; (iv) conducting a trend analysis by analyzing collective defect data obtained from inspecting of plurality of candidate airplanes; and (v) maintaining the airplane fleet, which includes plurality of candidate airplanes, by performing predictive analysis using results of trend analysis.

Frequent tragedies in airplane transportation have caused concern over the ability of airlines to evaluate the airworthiness of airplanes within their respective fleets. As airframes age, characteristics of materials, which make up airframe components, change due to stresses and strains associated with flights and landings. Moreover, there is a risk that a state of the airframe material may go beyond the point of elasticity (i.e., the point the material returns to its original condition) and extend into the point of plasticizing or worse, beyond plasticizing to failure. As a result, periodic inspections and testing are conducted on airplane components during the airplane component's life cycle. Such inspections and testing are mandated by governing bodies and are largely based on empirical evidence.
Inspections and testing of airplanes are bifurcated into two areas: destructive testing and nondestructive inspection (NDI), nondestructive testing (NDT) or nondestructive evaluation (NDE). "NDI," as this term is used hereinafter in the specification, encompasses the meanings conveyed by NDT and NDE, as those are described above. The area of destructive testing, as the name implies, requires the airplane component under scrutiny to be destroyed in order to determine the quality of that airplane component. This can result in a costly endeavor because an airplane component that may have passed the procedure is destroyed, and is no longer available for use. Frequently, where destructive testing is done on samples (e.g. coupons) and not on actual components, the destructive test may or may not be reflective of the forces that the actual component could or would withstand within the flight envelope of the airplane.
On the other hand, NDI has the obvious advantage of being directly applied to actual airplane components or sub-components in their actual environment. Several important methods of NDI that are performed in a laboratory setting are listed and summarized below.
Radiography involves inspection of a material by subjecting it to penetrating irradiation. Although effective damage detection has been done using neutron radiation, X-rays are the most familiar type of radiation used in this technique. Most materials used in airplane component manufacturing are readily acceptable to X-rays. In some instances, an opaque penetrant is needed to detect defects.
Real-time X-rays, which are frequently used as part of recent inspection techniques, permit viewing the area of scrutiny while doing a repair procedure. Some improvement in resolution has been achieved by using a stereovision technique where the X-rays are emitted from dual devices which are offset by about 15 degrees. When viewed together, these dual images give a three-dimensional view of the material. Still, the accuracy of X-rays is generally no better than plus or minus 10% void content. Neutrons (N-ray), however, can detect void contents in the plus or minus 1% range. The difficulty in implementing radiography raises safety concerns because a radiation source is being used. Nevertheless, in addition to detecting internal flaws in metals and composite structures using conventional non-radiography related methods, X-rays and neutrons are useful in detecting misalignment of honeycomb cores after curing, blown cores due to moisture intrusion, and corrosion.
Ultrasonic is the most common non-destructive inspection method for detecting flaws in composite materials. The method is performed by scanning the material with ultrasonic energy while monitoring the reflected energy for attenuation (diminishing) of the signal. The detection of the flaws is somewhat frequency-dependent and the frequency range and scanning method most often employed is called "C-scan." In this method, water is used as a coupling agent between the sending device and the sample. Therefore, the sample is either immersed in water or water is sprayed between the signal transmitter and the sample. This method is effective in detecting defects even in samples that are substantially thick, and may be used to provide a thickness profile. C-scan accuracies can be in the plus or minus 1% range for void content. A slightly modified method call L-scan can detect stiffness of the sample by using the wave speed, but requires that the sample density be known.
Acousto-ultrasonic, another non-destructive inspection method, is similar to ultrasound except that separate sensors are used to send the signal and other sensors are used to receive the signal. Both sensors are, however, located on the same side of the sample so a reflected signal is detected. This method is more quantitative and portable than standard ultrasound.
Acoustic emission, a yet another non-destructive inspection method, involves detecting sounds emitted by a sample that is subjected to stress. The stress can be mechanical, but need not be. In actual practice, in fact, thermal stresses are the most commonly employed. Quantitative interpretation is not yet possible except for well-documented and simple shapes (such as cylindrical pressure vessels).
Thermography (sometimes referred to as "IR thermography") is yet another non-destructive inspection method that detects differences in relative temperatures on the surface undergoing inspection. Differences in relative temperatures on the inspected surface are produced due to the presence of internal flaws. As a result, thermography is capable of identifying the location of those flaws. If the internal flaws are small or far removed from the surface, however, they may not be detected. In thermography, there are generally two modes of operation, i.e., an active and a passive mode of operation. In the active mode of operation, a sample is subjected to stress (usually mechanical and often vibrational) and the emitted heat is detected. In the passive mode of operation, the sample is externally heated and the resulting thermal gradients are detected.
Optical holography, a yet another non-destructive inspection method, uses laser photography to give three-dimensional pictures, which are called "holography." This method detects flaws in samples by employing a double-image method, according to which two pictures are taken while stress is induced on a sample between the times when a picture is taken. This method has had limited acceptance because of the need to isolate the camera and the sample from vibrations. However, it is believed that phase locking may eliminate this problem. The stresses that are imposed on the sample are usually thermal. If a microwave source of stress is used, moisture content of the sample can be detected. For composite material, this method is especially useful for detecting debonds in thick honeycomb and foam sandwich constructions. A related method is called shearography. In this method, a laser is used with the same double exposure technique as in holography where stress is applied between exposures. However, in this case an image-shearing camera is used in which signals from the two images are superimposed to provide an interference pattern and thereby reveal the strains in the samples. According to this method, strains are detected in a particular area, and the size of the pattern can give an indication of the stresses concentrated in that area. As a result, shearography allows a quantitative appraisal of the severity of the defect. The attribute of quantitative appraisal, relatively greater mobility of shearography over holography, and the ability to stress the sample using mechanical, thermal, and other techniques, has given this method wide acceptance since its introduction.
Unfortunately, current commercial industry inspection and repair methods suffer from several drawbacks. By way of example, the above described non-destructive inspection methods are largely limited to laboratory analysis. The current commercial industry inspection and repair methods are inefficient, costly and not standardized. As another example, these inspection and repair methods have seen little or no changes in the past 20 or 30 years and have not solved the "Aging Airplane" safety problems. As it stands now, inspection of airplane components are limited to the "Tap Test," visual inspection, and Eddy Current analysis. Furthermore, inspection timetables are developed and updated primarily as a function of anecdotal evidence, all too frequently based on airline catastrophes.
Despite a wealth of diagnostic tools mostly available in laboratory settings for detecting defects, what is, therefore, needed are novel systems and methods for effective airplane fleet management and that do not suffer from the above-described drawbacks encountered by the current airplane inspection methods and systems.

Systems and methods for non-destructive inspection of airplanes


An ink-jet head (1) jets supplied liquid through plural nozzles (14). The ink-jet head (1) includes a liquid introduction port (23A), a liquid discharge port (23B), a common liquid chamber, and plural individual liquid chambers. The liquid introduction port (23A) introduces the liquid supplied from the outside. The liquid discharge port (23B) discharges the liquid to the outside. The common liquid chamber is disposed so as to communicate with the liquid introduction port (23A) and with the liquid discharge port (23B). The plural individual liquid chambers communicate with the common liquid chamber and with respective of the plural nozzle openings (14).

A droplet jet device includes a droplet jet unit configured to jet droplets through plural nozzles. The droplet jet unit has a common liquid chamber and individual liquid chambers. The droplet jet unit guides liquid supplied to the common liquid chamber to each of the individual liquid chambers and then jets the liquid from the individual liquid chambers to the outside through the nozzles. Representative droplet jetting systems include: a system configured to mechanically deform each of the individual liquid chambers in order to produce a pressure therein, thereby jetting droplets; and a system configured to vaporize the liquid contained in each of the individual liquid chambers by means of a heating element disposed therein in order to produce a pressure therein, thereby jetting droplets.
In incorporating the droplet jet unit into the droplet jet device, conventionally, use has been often made of a flow path forming member and a base member. The flow path forming member serves to form a flow path through which liquid to be introduced into the droplet jet unit flows. The base member serves to carry thereon some parts including the droplet jet unit and the flow path forming member. Conventionally, the reliability of such a droplet jet device has been improved by making contrivances to the configurations of the droplet jet unit, flow path forming member and base member and to the manner of assembling these components.
In recent years, by an increase in the nozzle density or nozzle count of the droplet jet unit, the droplet jet device has come to generate heat easily. As a result, a problem has arisen that crack occurs during use due to differences in linear expansion coefficient among the materials forming respective of the droplet jet unit, flow path forming member and base member.
Conventional techniques for solving such a problem include a technique wherein an elastic member is disposed between the droplet jet unit and the base member (see patent document 1 for example), and a technique wherein a ceramic material is used for the base member (see patent document 2 for example). These techniques have been said to be capable of preventing the occurrence of crack or the like due to the difference in linear expansion coefficient between the droplet jet unit and the base member.
The droplet jet device further includes a driving circuit for driving the droplet jet unit. The driving circuit is connected to the droplet jet unit via a connecting section. Such driving circuit and connecting section are susceptible to liquid and, hence, it is sometimes the case that the driving circuit and connecting section are damaged when splashed with liquid. For this reason, some conventional droplet jet devices are each provided with a protection cover for protecting the driving circuit and connecting section (see patent document 3 for example).    Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-322285A    Patent document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-190500A    Patent document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-262203A


A wrench includes a handle and an open-end with two jaws and each jaw has a driving surface. Each driving surface has a contacting area and two yielding areas. The contacting area is located between the two yielding areas and includes a contact portion and two notches. The contact portion is located between the two notches, and two extension areas each are connected between the yielding area and the notch corresponding thereto. A corner is formed at a joint area of the contact portion and an inside of the notch so as to bite a rounded fastener head. The contact portions are matched with straight sides of a normal fastener head.

(1) Field of Invention
(2) Description of the Prior Art
A conventional hand tool for driving a fastener head is experienced a problem that the driving surfaces of the jaws for an open-end wrench, for example, cannot precisely matched with the straight sides of the fattener head so that when rotating the wrench, the corners of the fattener head is rounded off. Some wrench has special design to the configuration of the driving surfaces and can bite the rounded fastener head and successfully drive the rounded fastener head. However, these special designed wrench causes marring to the normal fastener head and sharpens the sides of the fastener head. After the fastener is loosened, the user rotates the fattener out form threaded rod and the user's fingers might be cut by the sharp sides of the fastener head. Some of these designs known to applicant are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,339, U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,778, U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,726, U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,714, U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,171, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,414.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,868 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,710 disclose a wrench with open-end and the two jaws each have a rounded ridge extending therefrom so as not to mar the sides of fastener heads. Nevertheless, when driving a rounded fastener head, an assistance tool such as a pair of locking pliers have to be used to hold the fastener.
The present invention intends to provide a driving surface configuration for a hand tool and each driving surface includes a contacting area and two yielding areas, the contacting area protrudes from the driving surface and includes a contact portion and two notches, wherein the contact portion matches with sides of normal fastener and the notches effectively bite the rounded fastener.

Driving surface configuration for hand tools


Described embodiments provide a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) vibration energy harvester. The energy harvester includes a buckled multi-layer beam that includes a plurality of stacked layers. The plurality of stacked layers includes at least one piezoelectric layer. Each one of the plurality of stacked layers has a determined stress level and a determined thickness. The determined stress level includes at least a compressive stress. The plurality of stacked layers achieves a desired total stress level of the beam to achieve substantial deformation of the beam in at least one direction when a proof mass is added to the beam. In response to applied external vibrations having a vibration frequency and an acceleration amplitude, the beam deflects and deforms to provide strain to the at least one piezoelectric layer, thereby generating an electrical charge to provide a continuous power output in response to the external vibrations.

Wireless devices are frequently employed in many different application fields such as mobile communications, healthcare, automotive, and predictive maintenance. However, such devices may have limited lifetime due to power required for operation. Increased lifetime may be achieved via energy harvesting techniques in which mechanical energy (e.g., motion or vibration) is transformed into electrical energy.
One type of energy harvesting may employ micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) to harvest energy from vibrations. Most current MEMS energy harvesters employ linear cantilever resonator structures to amplify relatively small ambient vibrations (e.g., low frequency, low g-force). However, MEMS-scale devices typically operate at higher frequency (e.g., due to smaller size). Further, such structures typically operate over a narrow bandwidth of vibration frequencies. Additionally, large magnetic components, which may be effective for use in physically large energy harvesters are generally not suitable for use in MEMS-scale devices (e.g., due to physical size, weight, magnetic interference, etc.). Therefore, an improved MEMS-scale energy harvester is needed.

Micro electromechanical system (MEMS) energy harvester with residual stress induced instability


In one embodiment, a method includes a computing system receiving hand configuration data associated with a user of an artificial reality application. The system may determine, based on the hand configuration data, that two fingers of a virtual left hand and two fingers of a virtual right hand of the user are extended. The system may determine that those fingers define a quadrilateral in a virtual environment, with the two fingers of the virtual left hand defining a first corner of the quadrilateral and the two fingers of the virtual right hand defining an opposite corner of the quadrilateral. The system may generate, based on the quadrilateral and a viewpoint of the user in the virtual environment, an image that captures a scene in the virtual environment. The system may then display the generated image in the virtual environment.

Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of an environment (e.g., a three-dimensional or 3D environment) in which users can interact with virtual objects in a seemingly realistic way. The simulation may include images, sounds, haptic feedback, and/or other sensations to provide users with a realistic perception of an immersive virtual environment. The virtual environment may be visually presented to users through a head-mounted display unit, which may include a display screen and optical lenses. Users may interact with virtual objects within VR through motion sensors and/or hand-held controllers.
Certain VR applications may support picture-taking in virtual reality. For example, while a user is immersed within a VR environment, the user may wish to take a picture of a VR scene. To do so, a user typically would need to select a virtual camera tool (e.g., via a menu selection), retrieve the virtual camera (e.g., by motioning to pick up or take out the virtual camera as a person would in the real world), aim the virtual camera at the desired scene, and take a picture of the scene. This sequence of movements is akin to how a person would take a photograph in the real world. Although the movements may be familiar users, it is nevertheless cumbersome and time consuming. For VR devices whose input device are hand controllers, requiring users to perform a series of complex movements using unfamiliar hand controllers may introduce an additional degree of difficulty for users to perform the simple task of taking a picture.


A method for enhancing female sexual response in which topically administered to the clitoris of the female subject and the surrounding tissue is a pharmaceutically-acceptable ointment containing a prostaglandin of the "E" series.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to compositions for treating impotence, and more particularly to a method for enhancing female sexuality by topically administering a composition of this type in an ointment form which is applied to the clitoris and the surrounding tissue of the female subject and is absorbed thereby.
2. Status of Prior Art
The term impotence, as applied to sexuality, usually refers to the inability of a male to attain or sustain penile erection. But it is also applicable to aberrations of sexual function in a female, either because of lack of sexual desire or failure to attain orgasm. Hence female frigidity is effectively, female impotence.
In the treatment of male impotence it is known to use for this purpose prostaglandins of the E series. One commercially-available form of this composition is identified as Alprostadil, a naturally occurring prostaglandin E-1. This composition is disclosed in "Mechanisms of Action" in Alprostadil Clinical Pharmacology on "physicians on Line" (http://www.gsm.com). Also of prior art interest is the Scott U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,031 (1998) which discloses the use of prostaglandin E-2 in the treatment of impotence.
Alprostadil is used to treat impotence in adult males and to maintain the potency of the ductus arteriosus in neonates. Two dosage forms are marketed for treating impotence: an injection form (Caverjet or Edex) that is directly injected into the corpus cavernosa of the penis, and a trans-urethral product, (Muse), which uses a medicated pellet administered into the urethra.
When treating male impotence, Alprostadil relaxes the smooth muscle of the corpus cavernosum. However, the exact mechanism of this action is unknown. The drug may work by increasing the intracellular concentrations of cyclic AMP. Alprostadil interacts with specific membrane bound receptors, thus stimulating adenylate cyclase and elevating intracellular cyclic AMP, leading to the activation of protein kinase with resultant smooth muscle relaxation. Dilation of the cavernosal arteries is accompanied by increased arterial inflow velocity and increased venous outflow resistance. Lacunar spaces expand and blood becomes entrapped secondary to compression of the venule against the tunica albuginea. This process is referred to as the corporal veno-occlusive mechanism.
Alprostadil has heretofore been limited to treating male sexual dysfunction. It has not been used to treat female sexual problems, such as frigidity, nor to enhance female sexual response.
Lack of sexual desire or failure to attain organism is much more frequent in the female than in the male. It occurs in a significant percentage of neurotic women, as well as others who exhibit no signs of psychic disorder. (see: Principles of Neurology--Adams and Victor--Third Edition--McGraw Hill Book Company). Yet heretofore no effective pharmaceutical preparations for treating women who have difficulty in responding sexually have been available.

Method for enhancing female sexual response and an ointment therefor


A door assembly is arranged for accomodating adjustment relative to a door frame, with the organization including a door including first and second end wall caps mounted to the first and second ends of the door, wherein the caps are arranged for pivoted adjustment relative to the first and second door ends. Further, a latch member is arranged for longitudinal adjustment about a side of the door.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to adjustable door structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved adjustable door assembly wherein the same is directed to the accommodating of various configurations within a door frame.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such structure relative to adjustment of door members within a door frame are typically directed by the adjustment of the frame relative to the door, wherein such adjustable frame structure is directed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,571,995; 4,912,879; 4,986,034; and 4,986,044.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for a door member that is adjustable relative to a fixed rigid door frame structure and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


In a method and apparatus for monitoring the operating capability of a catalyzer in the exhaust duct of an internal combustion engine, the operating capability of the catalyzer is assessed on the basis of the increase in temperature produced by the exothermic conversion of the exhaust gases in the catalyzer. The increase in temperature is determined with the aid of two temperature signals, the first temperature signal being produced on the basis of a measurement downstream of the catalyzer and the second temperature signal being formed with the aid of a temperature model. The temperature model may form the temperature downstream of a completely inoperational catalyzer, a catalyzer which is still just sufficiently operational, or a catalyzer which is fully operational. The assessment of the operating capability of the catalyzer is performed on the basis of criteria which are matched to the temperature model used.

Modern motor vehicles are generally equipped with a catalyzer (catalytic converter) through which the exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine flows and which promotes chemical reactions between the exhaust-gas constituents which lead to the conversion of noxious exhaust-gas constituents into less harmful substances. However, the operating capability of the catalyzer decreases with increasing time in operation and, after a certain time in use, the catalyzer is no longer capable of reducing the exhaust emissions from the internal combustion engine to a sufficiently low level and must therefore be replaced. The time in operation after which replacement is required is heavily dependent on the conditions under which the catalyzer has to operate and cannot be predicted accurately. A catalyzer ages very rapidly, for example, when it is operated at very high temperatures. Moreover, if the quality of the fuel is poor or leaded fuel is used, the catalyzer may be subject to chemical poisoning, rendering the catalyzer completely or partially ineffective. In order to ensure low pollutant emissions over the entire life of the motor vehicle, the operating capability of the catalyzer should be monitored.
To assess the operating capability of the catalyzer, use can be made of the fact that heat is released in the conversion of the exhaust-gas constituents in the i catalyzer, giving rise to an increase in temperature. Owing to a high conversion rate, a fully operational catalyzer exhibits a large increase in temperature, i.e. the exhaust gas has a higher temperature at the outlet of the catalyzer than at the inlet of the catalyzer. The more limited the operating capability of the catalyzer, the lower is the increase in temperature.
German Patent Application No. DE 23 46 425 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,451) describes a procedure in which the temperature at the outlet and at the inlet of the catalyzer is measured and the operating capability of the catalyzer is inferred from the temperature difference. If the temperature difference is too small, an alarm device is activated to indicate that the catalyzer should be replaced.

Method for monitoring the operating capability of a catalyzer in the exhaust duct of an internal combustion engine


A method for creating a dynamic domain model of an object. The method includes storing and organizing temporal information about the object in a bitemporal database that includes both a valid time and a transaction time for the information. The information is inserted into a plurality of tables in the database and a key is assigned to each of the plurality of tables. A composite representing the object is formed to represent a state of the object at the current time or at any previous time by dynamically linking the information by key, based on a business logic and a request made by a user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to the creation of object models. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to the creation of dynamic software models of real world entities, while allowing for lossless processing and reversible changes in the entities, as well as in the characteristics and history of the entities.
2. Description of Related Art
Most object-oriented systems have classes for describing the different types of business entities and their associated attributes and methods. The classes model the business, so a change in the business leads to a change in the code. This requires a programmer to create an entirely new version of the software application. Most object-oriented languages structure a program as a set of classes. A class defines the structure and behavior of objects. Thus, a new class is generally needed for each new kind of object that is encountered. For large and complex systems, this leads to the problem of having a class in which an unknown number of subclasses must be formed.
There is therefore a need for systems and methods for efficiently processing, tracking, and recalculating information without the need for extensive programming, when the underlying attributed structure may be modified over time, while processing reversible changes in the data attributes over time.

System and method for creating an object model