A microwave oven driving circuit for stably driving a microwave oven wherein a certain output of a magnetron can be generated by controlling a microcomputer. First and second comparing portions control a voltage supplied from a power supply portion and an output of the magnetron to increase in stages so as to obtain a normal output of the magnetron. Also, the output of the magnetron is gradually decreased without being too abrupt even if the output of the generating portion must be decreased as cooking is completed, thereby improving durability and cooking efficiency of the microwave oven.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drive circuit for driving a magnetron equipped in a microwave oven, and more particularly, to a microwave oven driving circuit by which the magnetron output can be suitably generated when the output level of the microwave oven must be changed. The driving circuit includes a microcomputer for controlling the output level of the microwave oven at the initial operation or in a cooking process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, when a power switch is turned on to operate a microwave oven, an amount of hot electrons emitted from a filament of a magnetron is very low at an initial operation, when the filament is insufficiently preheated. As a result, the normal magnetron output cannot be generated, thus resulting in a disadvantage that a secondary coil of a transformer is not loaded while a high voltage is supplied to a primary coil of the transformer.
To prevent the aforementioned situation, a conventional method involves controlling the magnetron to generate a very low output so as to not supply high voltage to the primary coil of the transformer until the normal magnetron output can be generated.
The result of the conventional method described above is that a minute current flows to the primary coil of the transformer so that the magnetron is supplied with a voltage less than an operational voltage, i.e., a threshold voltage thereof. Consequently, a problem arises in that the generating operation of the magnetron cannot be appropriately performed.
The problem is more serious where the magnetron is supplied with a voltage less than the rated voltage thereof due to a change of common power supply.
Also, during an operation of the microwave oven, when the output of the magnetron is to be changed from a high level to a low level according to a cooking program previously stored in the microwave oven (that is, when the cooking is nearly completed and a high output from the magnetron is unnecessary), a moding, phenomenon wherein the magnetron output is not generated, instantaneously occurs from a property of the magnetron, thereby deteriorating a function of the magnetron.
To solve such a problem, there is well-known a cooking method described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 61-296678, by which a magnetron is continuously driven and an electric heater is simultaneously operated.
More particularly, a circuit arrangement of the cooking method disclosed in the Japanese patent publication, includes a rectifying circuit connected to an ac power supply; a transformer connected at its primary winding to an output terminal of the rectifying circuit a magnetron connected to a secondary winding of the transformer through a voltage multiplier comprising a capacitor and a diode; a resonance capacitor forming a resonance circuit together with the transformer; a first switching element for excitating the resonance circuit an electric heater connected to an output terminal of the rectifying circuit through a second switching element and, a control means for turning ON or OFF the first and second switching elements with a predetermined duty ratio so that the sum of the output of the electric heater and the output of the magnetron is at a predetermined value, thereby obtaining a good efficiency in heating the magnetron.
The conventional cooking method described above has the advantage that the magnetron is continuously driven and a filament is preheated by means of the electric heater, but the method has disadvantages in that a structure is complicated and power consumption is necessarily increased because of the electric heater.


To improve the throughput of bridges in a multiple ring token ring network, External Copy Hardware (ECH) is provided for each source routing bridge to determine when a frame is to be copied as a candidate for forwarding to another ring by a given bridge. Each frame may contain a Routing Information Field (RIF), which the ECH searches for Segment Numbers in the RIF that are compared with host processor developed Primary Segment Numbers (each representing a primary ring number and a bridge number) and Secondary Segment Numbers (each representing an alternate ring number and a bridge number). The ECH uses the results of the comparisons along with a look-up table and a Routing Control Word (also present in the RIF) to determine if the frame under consideration is to be copied by a Protocol Handler (which interfaces with the ECH) and forwarded by the corresponding bridge to another ring. During the process of making a copy or non-copy decision, the frames are scanned unidirectionally, and the decision is made "on the fly", thereby increasing operation speed.

The present invention generally relates to computer communication networks, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for forwarding information frames from one network--particularly a token ring network--to another in a multiple network communication system. The present invention is an attempt to replace or improve upon so-called "brute force" methods of source routing bridging which require storage of frame information and more than one scan of that information for deciding if the frame is to be forwarded to another network, thus increasing processing time and circuit complexity. In source routing bridging the source of the frame, such as a workstation attached to a network, determines where the frame is to be routed (in contrast to transparent bridging, where the bridge determines where the frame is to be routed).

Method and apparatus for source routing bridging


An animal feeder includes a feed container containing animal feed for use in spreading the animal feed onto the ground over which the animal feeder is positioned. A housing moves between open and closed positions, wherein the closed position, the housing is positioned so that it substantially encloses a motorized animal feed dispenser positioned in proximity to a hole in the feed container through which the animal feed passes from the container. In the closed position, the sides of the housing completely block the dispensing of the animal feed onto the ground. In an open position, the housing is positioned so that the motorized animal feed dispenser is exposed for dispensing of the animal feed onto the ground. Also, in the closed position, physical access from outside of the housing to the animal feed residing on the animal feed dispenser and through the hole is prevented.

Deer hunting is a multi-million dollar sport, with some of the most expensive equipment and gear. For many years, hunters have utilized automatic deer feeders, which are timed to disperse various types of deer feed, such as corn, out of a container onto the ground to attract the deer to a desired hunting location. Similar feeders are also used on farms and ranches to automatically feed livestock at designated times.
Generally, such feeders comprise a large barrel-like container in which the feed is stored, where the container is raised many feet from the ground through the use of tripod stilts or hung from a tree. At the bottom of the feed barrel, there is a hole through which the feed drops onto a timed and motorized dispenser, which is activated at desired times during the day and has a rotating fan-like mechanism to disperse the feed over a large area on the ground around where the feeder is located.
A problem with such feeders is that the motorized dispenser and the hole in the storage container are exposed even when not in use. Such exposure allows animals, such as squirrels and raccoons, access to the feed causing more feed to come out, thus causing waste.
Moreover, moisture and humidity are leading problems in such feeders, including protein feeders for cattle and other livestock, wherein the moisture and humidity causes certain feeds to clump in large chunks, thus fouling the feeder mechanism and clogging the hole at the bottom of the feeding barrel, preventing the feeder from satisfactorily spreading the feed externally from the storage barrel, or from being dispensed from a protein feeder.


A device for dismounting the neck bush (4), the bearing bush (5), and the chock (6) from the conically constructed region of the roll neck (2) of a roll (1), where a pressure shoulder ring (8), which is supported on the end face of the neck bush (4), is installed on a roll neck shoulder (3) of the roll (1), is to be improved in such a way that it can be built very short and that it can carry out the dismounting movement with very small pressures of a pressure medium. To this end, it is proposed that a gap (11) be provided between the pressure shoulder ring (8) and the end face (7) of the roll neck (2), that the pressure shoulder ring (8) be coupled with the neck bush (4), and that at least one pressure medium for removing the neck bush (4) and the chock (6) be provided in the gap (11).

The invention concerns a device for dismounting the neck bush, the bearing bush, and the chock from the conically constructed region of the roll neck of a roll, where a pressure shoulder ring, which is supported on the end face of the neck bush, is installed on a roll neck shoulder of the roll.
DE 103 35 527 A1 discloses devices for dismounting a bearing unit that consists of a chock with a roll neck bearing installed in it from the roll neck of the backup roll of a rolling stand, where a dismounting device is coupled with the bearing assembly. When pressure is applied between the roll neck and bearing assembly, the bearing assembly is dismounted axially with respect to the roll. In the course of the dismounting operation, the bearing assembly is supported on the shoulder of the bearing bush, which is taken along by the bearing assembly. After some additional distance has been traveled, the bearing bush engages the shoulder of the neck bush and removes it from the roll neck.
In this dismounting operation, several idle strokes add up, so that the dismounting unit must travel a large distance to be able to remove the neck bush from the roll neck. This means that the dismounting unit must be constructed very long and therefore that a sufficiently large amount of space must be allowed for this dismounting unit, so that ultimately larger amounts of room are needed for dismounting the neck bush together with the bearing chock. In addition, due to comparatively small piston areas of the dismounting unit, large pressures must be applied to operate the dismounting unit.


A jumping application security system and method provides known safe code for the jumping applications on each jump. A participating host specifies the desired code by describing the desired behavior. The security system provides the specified code on behalf of the host.

In traditional computing systems, communication between computers is either code (a software application)or data (a file containing information)and there is no notion of a program moving between hosts while it is being executed. Thus, with a typical computing system, a person may execute a software application (e. g., Microsoft Word) on his own computer and then forward the results of the execution of the software application (e. g., a Word document) to another user. The other user may then view the Word document by executing his own copy of Microsoft Word. A user may also send another user an executable software application file that the other user may download and execute on his own computer. However, these traditional computing systems do not recognize a single instantiation of a software program that may be executed by one or more different computers in order to complete the execution of the software application.
A jumping application, sometimes also called a jumping app, a mobile application, a mobile app, or a mobile agent, is a computer software application/program, or part of a computer program that can physically move from one computer to another (between hosts) while it is being executed: A jumping application's software may or may not have been previously installed on a particular computers prior to the arrival of the jumping application. The jumping applications are said to jump from one computer to another computer and the process of jumping from one computer to another computer is also referred to as a jump.
The process of initiating a jump between computers is commonly known as a dispatch. Typically, each jumping application will carry with it an ordered list or tree of hosts which the jumping application must visit during its execution, and such a list or tree is called the jumping application's itinerary. The computers that can receive and dispatch jumping applications are called hosts. The collection of hosts, computer networks, and software which executes and supports the jumping applications, and the jumping applications themselves, is called the jumping application system.
A jumping application typically has at least two parts: the state and the code. The state of the jumping application contains all of the data stored, carried, used, and/or computed by the particular jumping application. The code of the jumping application is the set of computer instructions which the host computer is intended to carry out on behalf of the jumping application during the execution of the jumping application by the particular host computer. In addition, a jumping application may have other parts, including an Access Control List (ACL), an itinerary, a datastore, an audit log, etc. A jumping application's software may or may not have been previously installed on the computers prior to the arrival of the jumping application.
Jumping applications have demonstrable benefits for computer systems. However, they also create security problems. In particular, a hostile host computer might tamper with the code, the state, or the configuration of a jumping application before dispatching it to another host, in order to attack that host or another part of the jumping application system. Thus, there is a need to ensure that a host computer cannot adversely alter the configuration of a jumping application.
Current implementations of jumping application systems support techniques to ensure that any code transmitted to a host computer comes from a location which is known (or believed) to be safe. This is accomplished by simply preventing any untrusted host from transmitting any executable code. Current implementations are binary: either a host can transmit code to other hosts, or a host cannot transmit code to another host.
However, current jumping application implementations do not adequately handle the situation in which an untrusted host needs to specify the behavior of a jumping application on another host. Thus, it is desirable to provide a system which allows an untrusted host to specify the behavior of a jumping application when that jumping application is on another host and it is to this end that the present invention is directed.


A clamping apparatus, for use with an actuator, has a housing with a guide track mounted on or formed in the housing. A roller or cam operably engages with the guide track such that the cam can be moved and positioned along the guide track by way of the actuator. At least one pivoting arm is pivotally mounted on the housing adjacent to and spaced from the guide track. Each pivoting arm has an elongate slot adjacent to the shoulder. The elongate slot has two arcuate surfaces positioned parallel to each other and has two end surfaces joining the arcuate surfaces to define a closed loop surface. The cam is positioned within the elongate slot of each pivoting arm to pivot each pivoting arm between a clamped position and a released position as the cam is moved along the guide track and driven against the arcuate surfaces of each pivoting arm. The clamping apparatus can include stop members for limiting the movement of the cam and/or the range of motion for each pivoting arm, a swivel mount and/or a mounting bracket enabling the clamping apparatus to be positioned in any desired angular orientation, a lost-motion link incorporated in the internal cam action of the clamping apparatus, and/or side plates for preventing the infiltration of foreign matter in the internal cam action.

Prior known power clamps or grippers typically include a pneumatic or hydraulic differential pressure motor with a cylinder housing fixedly mounted to a support structure. At the forward or rod end of the cylinder housing, a clamp arm or gripper jaw mounting structure is connected to the cylinder housing to support movement of at least one clamp arm or gripper jaw connected to the piston rod of the motor. The jaw or clamp arm is pivoted to an open position in response to reciprocal movement of the piston rod in one direction, and is driven to a closed work piece gripping position in response to reciprocal movement of the piston rod in the opposite direction. Typical configurations of known power clamps can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,152,568 and 3,599,957. U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,568 discloses a gripper jaw driven through a linkage assembly, while U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,957 discloses a clamp arm driven through cam rollers connected to a rod and moveable in angular slots in the arm to pivot the arm.
It is also known to provide a mounting bracket rotatably mounted on the support with a pair of pivotally mounted plates each having a clamping arm and a cam track. The mounting bracket is known to include an annular shoulder engaging the support, where a flange draws the shoulder against the support to thereby selectively lock the bracket and the piston and cylinder against rotation in any of a plurality of rotational positions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A sheet discharge apparatus includes a discharge device for discharging a sheet, a storage device for receiving the sheet discharged from the discharge device, and an alignment reference member for aligning at least one side of the sheet discharged to the storage device. A rotating body is arranged to rotate in a direction different from a direction that the discharge device discharges the sheet. The rotating body contacts the sheet before the sheet discharged from the discharge device to the storage device is placed on the storage device so that the sheet discharged to the storage device is moved to the alignment reference member.

This invention relates to an offsetting discharging apparatus with an aligning member or a sheet discharge apparatus that discharges sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus such as copiers, printers, facsimile machines or a combination of two or more of these, to a storage tray.
Conventionally, sheet discharge apparatuses that are mounted to image forming apparatuses, such as copiers, printers and facsimiles or a combination of two or more of these, and that form aligned sheet bundles urged toward an aligning member such as a side fence by rotating bodies such as rollers, paddles and belts for aligning each sheet fed to a storage tray from the image forming apparatus and for finishing aligned sheet bundles using staples, punching holes or by applying glue, are well known.
These sheet discharge apparatuses, for example a system described in Japanese Patent Publication (Tokkai) No. 228471, are composed to move sheets toward an alignment reference member by touching each sheet with rotating bodies such as rollers, paddles or belts used for alignment after completely discharging the sheets to a storage tray from a discharge means such as discharge rollers used to discharge each sheet to a storage tray.
In the sheet discharge apparatus described above, it is structured to move sheets toward an alignment reference member by touching each sheet with rotating bodies such as rollers, paddles or belts used for alignment after completely discharging sheets to a storage tray from a discharge means such as discharge rollers used to discharge each sheet to a storage tray. Therefore, there is wasted time for moving the aforementioned rotating bodies to a position for contacting the sheet, and for driving the rotating bodies after moving to the contact position.
An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet discharge apparatus and an image forming apparatus equipped with the same that touch sheets while driving rotating bodies such as rollers, paddles or belts, or the like, for alignment while discharging the sheet from a discharge means such as discharge rollers, to a storage tray, and applies the alignment action by the rotating bodies such as rollers, paddles or belts, etc. for alignment on the sheets immediately after the sheets are discharged to the storage tray without a time-lag, to alleviate the problem of the prior art.

Sheet discharge apparatus with aligning member


Austenitic stainless steels and nickel-base alloys containing, by wt. %, 0.1 to 3.0% V, 0.01 to 0.08% C, 0.01 to 0.5% N, 0.05% max. each of Al and Ti, and 0.005 to 0.10% O, are strengthened and ductility retained by atomization of a metal melt under cover of an inert gas with added oxygen to form approximately 8 nanometer-size hollow oxides within the alloy grains and, when the alloy is aged, strengthened by precipitation of carbides and nitrides nucleated by the hollow oxides. Added strengthening is achieved by nitrogen solid solution strengthening and by the effect of solid oxides precipitated along and pinning grain boundaries to provide temperature-stabilization and refinement of the alloy grains.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to austenitic stainless steels and nickel-base alloys, particularly such alloys, and methods of making the same, wherein the alloys are strengthened by nanometer-size hollow oxides which serve as nucleation sites for chromium-rich carbide precipitates within the alloy grains.
2. Prior Art
Strengthening of metallic alloys primarily is achieved through alloy grain size control, solute additions to a base metal to produce solid solution strengthening, and/or dispersion (precipitation or second phase) strengthening effects. These methods have been applied to a variety of metallic alloy systems and are the basis for strengthening of many of the high-value alloys available in the metal market today. For example, according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,405, high strength Al alloys have been produced by gas atomization of an Al alloy melt with an inert gas such as argon, helium or nitrogen containing 0.5-2% by volume of oxygen. U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,052 discloses austenitic stainless steels strengthened with nitrogen in solid solution and containing a dispersant such as a nitride, for example, titanium nitride, and/or an oxide such as yttria. The role of nitrogen in iron-base alloys, particularly austenitic stainless steels, has received considerable attention during the past 80 years. Two fairly recent symposia on this subject have provided state-of-the-art reviews. Proceedings of the International Conference on High-Nitrogen Steels-88, Editors J. Foct and A Hendry, Publ. Institute of Metals, London GB (1988); Proceedings of the International Conference on High-Nitrogen Steels-90, Editors G. Stein and H. Witulski, Publ. Verlag Stalil Eisen, MbH, Dusseldorf (1990).
Alloy 654SMO is a relatively new austenitic stainless steel of high strength and good corrosion resistance. B. Wallen, M. Liljas and P. Stenvall, Avesta 654 SMO--a New High Molybdenum, High Nitrogen Stainless Steel, Avesta Corrosion Management, Avesta AB, S-774 80 Avesta, Sweden.
An overview of mechanisms for strengthening austenitic stainless steels is provided by K. J. Irvine et al., "High-Strength Austenitic Stainless Steels," Journal of The Iron and Steel Institute, October 1961.
Alloys 625 and 718 are representative of high strength nickel-base alloys. H. L. Eiselstein et al. "The Invention and Definition of Alloy 625," Inco Alloys International, Inc, P.O. Box 1958, Huntington, W. Va., Superalloys 718, 625 and Various Derivatives, E. A Loria, Ed., The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, 1991. Such alloys have been produced by the powder metallurgy process. F. J. Rizzo et al. "Microstructural Characterization of PM 625-Type Materials," Crucible Compaction Metals, McKee and Robb Hill Roads, Oakdale, Pa. 15071 and Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. 47906, included in Superalloys 718, 625 and Various Derivatives, E. A Loria, Ed., The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, 1991. See also R. B. Frank "Custom Age 625 Plus Alloy--A Higher Strength Alternative to Alloy 625, Carpenter Technology Corporation, P.O. Box 14662, Reading, Pa. 19612, also included in Superalloys 718, 625 and Various Derivatives, E. A Loria, Ed., The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, 1991.
However, the options for improving the properties and performance of metallic alloys are becoming limited in terms of new developments, and new, innovative methods are needed in order to provide a new generation of advanced alloys that can stand up to increasingly severe future demands.

Strengthening of metallic alloys with nanometer-size oxide dispersions

Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company


Sterically stabilized cationic liposomes (SSCL) encapsulating a K type oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) including a CpG motif are disclosed. These SSCL encapuslating a K type ODN can be used to effectively deliver the ODN to a cell. A novel method is also disclosed for producing the SSCL encapsulating the K type ODN. Administration of the SSCL encapsulating a K type ODN and a chemotherapeutic agent, such as a chimeric molecule comprising a targeting molecule selected from the group consisting of an IL-13, and an anti-IL-13 receptor antibody; and an effector molecule selected from the group consisting of a Pseudomonas exotoxin, a Diphtheria toxin, and a radionuclide, can be used to dramatically reduce the growth of solid tumors.

Bacterial DNA contains unmethylated "CpG motifs" that strongly stimulate the mammalian immune system. Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) expressing CpG motifs patterned after those found in bacteria trigger cells of the immune system to proliferate, mature, and produce cytokines, chemokines and immnunoglobulin (Ig) Krieg et al., Nature 374:546, 1995; Yamamoto et al., J. Immunol. 148:407, 1992; Klinman et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:2879, 1996; Takeshita et al., Cell Immunology 206:101, 2000). These immunostimulatory activities are being harnessed therapeutically. CpG ODN show promise as immune adjuvants, significantly improving the immune response to co-administered antigens (Roman et al., Nature Medicine 3:849, 1997; Davis et al., J. Immunol. 160:870, 1998; Chu et al., J. Exp. Med. 186:1623, 1997; Klinman et al., Springer Semin Immunopathol 22:173, 2000; Tighe et al., J Allergy Clin Immunol 106:124, 2000). The strong Th1 response elicited by CpG ODN down-regulates Th2 mediated IgE and cytokine production, thereby interfering with allergic asthma (Sur et al., J. Immunol. 162:6284, 1999; Broide et al., J. Immunol. 161:7054, 1998; Kline et al., J. Immunol. 160:2555, 1998). Finally, by pre-activating the innate immune system, CpG ODN can protect naive animals against a variety of microbial and parasitic pathogens (Krieg et al., J. Immunol. 161:2428, 1998; Elkins et al., J. Immunol. 162:2291, 1999; Klinman, Antisense awed Nuc Acid Drug Dev 8:181, 1998; Klinman et al., Infect Immun 67:5658, 1999; Klinman et al., Immunity 11:123, 1999).
Prolonging the bioavailability and duration of action of CpG ODN may improve their therapeutic efficacy. Unfortunately, phosphorothioate CpG ODN used in vivo are rapidly eliminated from the circulation due to adsorption onto serum proteins and degradation by serum nucleases (Litzinger et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1281:139, 1996; Soni et al., Hepatology 28:1402, 1998; Gregoriadis, Pharm. Res 15:661, 1998). One potential method for protecting CpG ODN from degradation while increasing their uptake by cells of the immune system involves liposome encapsulation (MacDonald et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1061:297, 1991; Takeshita et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 30:108, 2000).

Use of sterically stabilized cationic liposomes to efficiently deliver CPG oligonucleotides in vivo

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services


A power unit support structure to minimize vibration of a vehicle body frame. A mount bracket disposed on a vehicle body frame supports a power unit that includes a longitudinal engine. Specifically, the mount bracket is disposed substantially at a center in a vehicle width direction between a pair of right and left center side frames that form part of the vehicle body frame and extend in a vehicle fore-aft direction. The center side frames are connected together with cross members. The mount bracket is mounted to the cross members via a connection member as a vibration damping material. The power unit is then mounted to the mount bracket via a subframe.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved power unit support structure.
2. Description of Background Art
A known support structure for a vehicle drive source uses rubber mount apparatuses on the right and left sides of a vehicle frame to attach an engine thereon (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3522834)
FIG. 2 of Japanese Patent No. 3522834 shows that support brackets 2f, 2r are mounted on a right and left side of a vehicle body frame F, respectively, and a lower portion of an engine E is attached to the support brackets 2f, 2r via rubber mount apparatuses ML, MR.
Rotational vibration is generated in the engine E because of torque fluctuations occurring from rotation of a crankshaft. Displacement of the rotational vibration of the engine E becomes greater at greater distances from a center of the rotational vibration. The support brackets 2f, 2r displace greatly at a location far away from the center of the rotational vibration (e.g., a center of gravity of the engine E). This results in the vehicle body frame F being largely vibrated.


An indexable milling cutter includes a milling cutter body with a plurality of flutes and a plurality of seating surfaces adapted to mount a cutting insert thereon. The milling cutter body includes a plurality of coolant reservoirs in fluid communication with an adapter. In one aspect, each coolant reservoir lies along a circular intersection line of a coolant manifold. In another aspect, a longitudinal axis of each coolant reservoir is oriented at a non-zero angle, A, with respect to a central, longitudinal axis of the milling cutter. A plurality of coolant ducts in fluid communication with each coolant reservoir, each coolant duct having a smaller cross-sectional area than the coolant reservoir, provide multiple streams of coolant targeted at a plurality of specific critical cutting areas of the cutting insert.

When trying to use a reamer to finish a large hole, for example, the tool can become very heavy. Heavy tools are problematic for operators who have to handle the tools. In addition, the time to accelerate and decelerate the tool to its desired speed decreases with reduced tool weight and moment of inertia. Further, many machines with automatic tool changers also have weight limits for tools the machine can changed. Thus, there is a need to minimize the weight of large toolholders to allow for easier handling and reduced operating costs.
Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, there is shown a specific embodiment of a conventional milling cutter 120 with replaceable cutting inserts 122. The milling cutter 120 has a plurality of recesses 124 within the milling cutter body 126. The recesses 124 provide clearance for installation of cutting inserts 122, which are the cutting portion of the milling cutter 120 in that the cutting edge 128 of the cutting insert 122 engages the workpiece at the insert-chip interface, which is the location the cutting insert engages the workpiece.
Each recess 124 includes a seating surface 132 for seating of its corresponding cutting insert 122. The cutting insert 122 is held against the seating surface 132 by way of retention screw 134, which is threadedly engaged with an aperture 136 opening at the seating surface 132 of the milling cutter body 126. Projecting from the milling cutter body 126 is the shank 138 that operatively attaches to a rotating drive apparatus (not shown). The milling cutter 120 and rotating drive apparatus share a common axis of rotation illustrated by the dashed line AR-AR in FIG. 11. The shank 138 also provides a path for delivering coolant to the milling cutter 120.
Referring now to FIG. 12, which is a cross-sectional view of the milling cutter 120 of FIG. 11 taken along section line 12-12, that is along a center line of a coolant duct 150 contained in the milling cutter body 126. Coolant duct 150 has a diameter "A". The coolant duct 150 provides a passage for the travel of coolant from a centrally located coolant reservoir 152 within the milling cutter body 126 to the recess 124. The coolant reservoir 152 contains a supply of coolant. At the exit end 154 of the coolant duct 150 is a coolant spray nozzle 160, which is adjacent recess 124. The coolant duct 150 further has an entrance end 156 adjacent to or in the vicinity of the reservoir 152.
Referring to the operation of the specific embodiment of the conventional milling cutter using the coolant spray nozzle 160, the coolant is supplied under pressure from a coolant source 112 (shown in a schematic fashion) to flow into the coolant reservoir 152 from where the coolant flows into and through the coolant duct 50 into the coolant spray nozzle 60. The coolant flows through the coolant spray nozzle 60 and coolant discharges under pressure in a fan-shaped coolant spray 114 that impinges the intersection between the cutting edge 128 of the cutting insert 122 and the workpiece 116, thereby delivering coolant to the insert-chip interface.
Unfortunately, due to the geometrical restrictions, the coolant channel is usually large in diameter, and the exiting coolant stream typically aims above the cutting insert and is not able to target all the critical cutting areas of the cutting insert. As a result, there is poor effective cooling of the cutting insert and a relatively large amount of coolant waste is generated.

Indexable milling cutter with precise coolant streams


A method, apparatus, and software product generates deformation weights for application of a deformation function on a geometric model. The user, working directly on the points of the geometric model, including its surface, defines a deformation area having a focal region fully affected by the deformation and a falloff region only partially affected by the deformation. Deformation weights are then automatically calculated for all points in the regions affected by the deformation, using a technique that creates a smooth and natural decrease in weights from the focal region to the falloff region. Several options are available to the user to control and monitor deformation weight calculations and weighted blending, and to visualize the deformation weights themselves.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods, apparatus, and software products for processing images, and more particularly to computer implemented methods and software products for generating weighted deformations for three-dimensional geometric models.
2. Description of the Background Art
In computer graphics technology, a three-dimensional geometric model is a self-contained object or entity that can be represented by a connected set of points. A geometric model can be a simple structure such as a cube or sphere, or can be something much more complex, such as an animal's body. A deformation to a geometric model is any process that displaces some set of or all of the points in the model, which happens when parts of the model are moved, pulled, or stretched. A special deformation "control" is used to guide the direction of a deformation, and these controls are placed on the geometric model during the model creation process. For example, if the model is complex enough to have a substructure or skeleton, a model designer may associate deformation controls with the model's skeletal joints and other places (such as on muscle masses). There are several types of conventional deformation controls, for example, matrices, curves, and deformation lattices, and the types used in a geometric model depend on the modeling software and hardware employed, the characteristics of the geometric model, and the model designer's preferences.
After the substructure of the model is completed, how the surface, or "skin," of the model reacts to the deformations is defined in order to animate the motion of the model through space. Because the surface of the model is what is seen in the animation, correct and realistic deformation of the surface is desirable.
Generally, to deform a model, the designer has to specify the influence of a given deformation on the model, that is, which points on the model are affected by the deformation control and by how much. This specification is known as a "weighted deformation." For example, a point with a deformation weight of 100% for a deformation responds fully to that deformation, and a point that responds only partially to a deformation has a deformation weight of less than 100% for that deformation. When an area of the model is influenced by multiple deformation controls, a "weighted blending" process occurs to combine the effects of the different deformations to the same area. This use of weights for deformations and blending is well known to practitioners of computer graphics.
Most commercially available computer modeling systems have techniques to generate weighted deformations and to blend the effects of multiple deformations on a model. However, a major drawback to the existing techniques is that they are unsophisticated and inaccurate, and too often result in deformation weights that do not realistically simulate how the skin or surface of a structure would deform in a real object. To correct this problem, weights for individual points are typically edited by hand. This editing process is very tedious and resource intensive (in terms of time and human labor), particularly for models having hundreds, and frequently thousands of points subject to the deformation, each of which must be individually weighted.
The most common technique to generate weighted deformations, and used by currently available computer modeling systems, requires the model designer to work with three-dimensional volumes known as "primitives." A primitive is often a sphere, ellipse, box, or capsule, and the designer assigns a primitive to the set of points on the model affected by a deformation by enclosing the set of points within the volume. Deformation weights for points in the volume are based on each point's location within the volume of the primitive, and are defined by the shape of the volume.
One problem with this technique is that the designer often spends a significant amount of time orienting the primitives around the geometric model; a given model, such as a model of a person, may have hundreds of such primitives associated with it. Placement of the primitive is critical for realistic deformation, particularly in small areas such as the eyelids and lips, where improper deformation is easily detected by viewers. Thus, conventional volumetric primitives still require considerable labor for precise adjustment and control over the surfaces contained within the primitive.
A more significant problem with this technique is that the deformation weights the primitive assigns are often undesirable and do not result in smooth decreases in the deformation across the surface of the affected area on the model. This is usually because of the limitations on the shape of a primitive, as it cannot always reflect the actual shape and surface variations of the portion of the model it encompasses. For example, the weighted deformations desired for an oddly shaped figure may not match any of the primitive shapes available. Moreover, because primitives are three-dimensional volumes, they do not act directly upon the surfaces where the deformation is most desired. As a result, conventional primitives often fail to generate the desired deformation weights along complex surfaces, such as a surface with intricate folds, because the deformation weights are assigned through a space defined by the primitive instead of along the folded surface of the model or a space defined by the model itself. As an example, on a geometric model of a flat disk, suppose the designer wants to create a weighted deformation so that the deformation area is strongest in the center of one side of the disk, declines for points going toward the edge of the disk, the edge itself, and points moving away from the edge on the opposite side of the disk, and finally is the weakest at the center point on the opposite side. A three-dimensional primitive, such as a cylinder, cannot be used to generate this type of weighted deformation because it cannot account for decreases in the deformation weight across the surface of the disk, only through the volume of the primitive itself.
Because the shortcomings of existing weighted deformation generation techniques typically result in the assignment of undesirable deformation weights to the points in the area assigned to a deformation, it is often necessary for the designer to manually edit the weights of individual points to create the desired effect on the geometric model's surface. As noted, this process can be very time consuming and thereby can considerably add to the production cost of an animation.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method for generating weighted deformations on surfaces that overcomes the disadvantages of the conventional techniques. Because the need for generating accurate weighted deformations to geometric models is commonly experienced in the computer graphics industry, it is desirable to provide a software product that can be applied directly to these models and requires minimal operator intervention, without the need to modify existing modeling tools.

Method, apparatus, and software product for generating weighted deformations for geometric models

Reel/Frame 8218/0138 Pacific Data Images, Inc.


The tire mold comprises a laminated peripheral crown having a stack in the circumferential direction of a plurality of thin sheets. Cutouts distributed over several adjacent sheets increase the venting ability of the mold.

The present invention concerns the manufacture of tires. More particularly, it relates to the process of molding tire treads, molds used in the process of molding tire treads, and tires produced using such molds.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,669 and EP 0 569 909 describe a type of mold in which a very large number of molding elements, in the form of sheets that are arranged transversely. The molding surface consists of the juxtaposed group of borders or edges of each sheet. Because the sheets are orientated transversely, they extend from one shoulder of the tire to the other. U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,810 and EP 0 860 260 propose to maintain the orientation of the sheets as perfectly radially as possible through the use of intermediate sheets, which are themselves engaged in slits machined into a supporting ring, and which are therefore guided rigorously.
Particularly with certain types of tread pattern, the venting of such molds can prove to be locally inadequate. The sheets of the mold can gradually become clogged as more and more tire fabrication cycles are carried out. This progressively reduces the venting ability of the mold, making it necessary to clean the mold regularly in order to guarantee the quality of the appearance of the tires produced.
Furthermore, the opening and closing of molds of this type requires coordinated movement in a radial direction, of all the sheets which, together, form a laminated peripheral crown. Parasitic frictional effects can oppose the opening and closing movements of the mold. In addition, it can prove difficult to maintain a regular distribution of the clearances between sheets. Consequently, molding burrs can appear in places where the clearance between sheets has become larger than the nominal clearance. One objective is to choose the nominal clearance, as explained in patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,669, specifically to prevent the rubber from flowing between the sheets at any time during the closure of the mold.


This disclosure relates to a coffee maker for performing the appropriate automatic operation in accordance with whether or not there are coffee beans contained in the apparatus, informing the user of the type of automatic operation which is possible to perform at the present time, and, in the event that the user has not completed all of the necessary preparations for operation, preventing the occurrence of useless operation and dangerous operating conditions by automatically stopping operation at the point just before the step for which the preparations have not been completed. The coffee maker includes a temporary holding and cooling means provided with a sensor for detecting remaining coffee beans, and a controller begins the first automatic subprocess operation starting from the roasting of the raw coffee beans by the roaster if this sensor for detecting remaining coffee beans does not detect any coffee beans, and also so that it begins the second automatic subprocess operation starting from the grinding of the beans by the grinding means if coffee beans are detected.

This invention relates to an automatic coffee maker capable of providing coffee from raw coffee beans through a process of roasting, grinding, and brewing.
The present inventor has previously proposed coffee makers capable of providing coffee completely automatically from raw coffee beans, as described in Japanese Patent early publication Hei. 2-237,519 dated Sep. 20, 1990, early publication Hei. 3-251,212 dated Nov. 8, 1991, and early publication Hei. 4-40916 dated Feb. 12, 1992. With these coffee makers, the raw coffee beans were roasted, cooled, ground, and then the coffee was brewed in a serial type process or procedure, and the next operation could not begin until this serial procedure had been completed. In contrast, with the fully automatic coffee maker proposed in Japanese Patent early Application Hei. 4-224719 dated Aug. 14, 1992, by providing a temporary holding tank for cooling and temporarily holding the roasted coffee beans, it became possible to perform the subprocess consisting of roasting through cooling and holding simultaneously and in parallel with the subprocess consisting of grinding through brewing.
However, even with the coffee maker in Japanese Patent early publication Hei. 4,224719 referred to above, the selection between either the subprocess comprised of roasting through cooling and holding or the subprocess comprised of grinding through brewing was left to the judgment of the user, with the coffee maker itself not having the capabability of automatically making the selection. In addition, it was not indicated to the user whether the procedure performed by the start of operation was the subprocess beginning from roasting or the subprocess beginning from grinding. Thus, operation was not very convenient. Moreover, in such cases as when the brewing means had not been secured in position or the water for the hot water supply had not been prepared, the judgment to stop operation already in progress was not made with sufficient accuracy and reliability.
Thus, a primary objective of this invention is to avoid the problems of the prior art described above by providing a coffee maker which is capable of performing the appropriate automatic operation by sensing whether or not there are coffee beans contained in the apparatus, which is also capable of informing the user of the type of automatic operation that is possible to perform at the present time, and which, in the event that the user has not completed all of the necessary preparations for operation, is also capable of preventing the occurrence of useless operation and dangerous operating conditions by automatically stopping operation at the point just before the step for which the preparations have not been completed.


A signal processing device which outputs a discrete signal composed of a string of the sampling values and parameters m signal. The signal processing device includes a sampling circuit which samples an input signal and outputs a discrete signal, multiple function generators which generate multiple sampling functions with parameters m different from each other, plural inner product operating units for each of parameters m that take an inner product between the input signal and each of plural sampling functions and output an inner product operating value, and a judging unit which determines parameter m providing a minimum error out of multiple errors composed of differences between the sampling value and inner product operating values output from the multiple inner product operating units and outputs the parameters m signal.

Recently, the digital signal technology has advanced in various fields targeted for videos (moving pictures), images, or audios such as fields of communication, broadcasting, recording media including CDs (Compact Discs) and DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), medical images, and printing. These fields have remarkably developed as multimedia industries or IT (Information Technology). Compressing coding to decrease the amount of information performs a role of the digital signal technology for videos, images, and audios. The signal theory representatively includes the Shannon's sampling theorem and, what is newer, the wavelet transform theory (see non-patent document 1) and the like. While music CDs use the linear PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) without compression, for example, the signal theory to be applied is also the Shannon's sampling theorem.
There is disclosed the apparatus (e.g., see patent document 1) to create large display objects such as signboards, posters, banners, and the like. For example, the apparatus create the large display objects by making original graphics data, the original graphics being such as text, diagrams, and the like drawn on A4-size sheets of paper, and outputting the data of the original graphics onto printers, cutting plotters, and the like.
Further, patent document 2 discloses the data processing method as follows. The method generates multiple discrete data strings based on multiple functions categorized by differentiatable times. The method performs correlative calculation between input data and the multiple discrete data strings. Based on a correlative calculation result, the method finds a peculiar point contained in the input data to specify a class (m) to which the object signals belong.
Non-patent document 1: The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, ed. "ENCYCLOPEDIA Electronics, Information and Communication Handbook" published by Ohmsha, Ltd., the fourth group, pp. 394-396 and p. 415.
Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open No. H07-239679
Patent document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-51979

Signal processing device and method, signal processing program, and recording medium where the program is recorded


Microscope with higher resolution with partial spatial superposition in the illumination by an excitation beam and a de-excitation beam and/or a switching beam in a fluorescing sample, whereby the light from the sample is deflected, whereby, in the excitation beam and/or in the de-excitation and/or the switching beam, at least one combination of devices exercising circular and radial influence on the spatial phase is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to microscopes with higher resolution with partial spatial superposition in the illumination by an excitation beam and a de-excitation beam and/or a switching beam in a fluorescing sample.
2. Description of Related Art
Methods for increasing the optical resolution in a far-field with diffraction-limited resolution, which methods are based on nonlinear interaction of light with a sample, are known. Among such methods are microscopy with Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,588, Ground State Depletion (GSD) as discussed in Hell and Kroug, Appl. Phys. B 60 (1995), pages 495-497, and optical modification (switching) of fluorescent substances as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,064,824 B2.
In both cases, a diffraction-limited distribution of optical light (de-excitation light) is so modified by the diffraction-limited excitation distribution through a nonlinear interaction that the emission of the light can take place only from a sub-region. This sub-region (effectively Point Spread Function: PSF) can thereby be limited in all three spatial directions or only in a lateral direction. Suitable limits of the PSFs are thereby:                1. 3D limitation on the excitation volume; and        2. Lateral limitation of the excitation volume with enlarged depth of focus.
Thus, the prior art, which is not so efficient from the viewpoint of the steepness of the gradient, involves the use of phase masks in the pupil of the de-excitation light with radial phase shift (See for example the article written by T. A. Klar, S. Jakobs, M. Dyba, A. Egner, and S. W. Hell, as published in Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A. 97, page 8206 (2000)) or of phase masks with quadrant-wise phase shift (In the article written by E. Engel et al. in Appl. Phys. B 77, pages 11-17 (2003)).
The use of the spiral masks in the STED microscopy was proposed in Török and P. R. T. Munro, Opt. Expr. 12 (2004), page 3605. However the use of a spiral mask, as described in the aforementioned article, generates neither an excitation distribution that is limited in all spatial directions, nor a distribution that exhibits enlarged depth of focus, as described in the following.

Microscope with higher resolution and method for increasing same


Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide broadband subscribers with dynamic, automatic routing information for accessing services offered by a service provider network (35) and/or content provider networks (40, 45). Client software on the subscriber's computer (10) retrieves a file such as an HyperText Markup Language (HTML) document from a predetermined server containing connection-oriented routing information for gaining access to various network services. The client software parses the HTML document and extracts the routing information. The client software then uses this routing information to populate and manipulate the subscriber computer (10) routing table.

Routers route packets of data in and between networks, such as Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) networks and the Internet. Routers use routing protocols and algorithms to map the topology of networks and then share that routing information with other routers. Routers store routing information in routing tables. If a network gets congested or a connection fails, a router uses the routing information in its routing table in an effort to find an alternate route.
Broadband communications systems present a number of unique routing challenges. Broadband subscribers are rarely sophisticated enough to manually update their own routing table. As a result, their routing tables are often outdated and ineffective. In addition, when broadband subscribers access multiple Point to Point over Ethernet (PPPoE) sessions and multiple service providers, conventional systems tend simply to promote the route that corresponds to the last active interface. This can confuse routers and cause packets to be unintentionally dropped.
One attempt to deal with the challenges discussed above is the PPPoE Active Discovery Network (PADN). PADN is an extension to PPPoE, which provides a standard method for building Ponint to Point (PPP) sessions and encapsulating PPP packets over Ethernet. PADN packets may include Internet Protocol (IP) routes that may be used by a Host, such as a Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS) to populate it's routing table. Although PADN is an extension to PPPoE, it is not a standard and therefore many Hosts do not support PADN packets. In addition, utilization of PADN requires considerable manual oversight by a service provider, which can lead over time to unreliability.

Dynamic file-based routing in a broadband communications system


The present disclosure provides a positive electrode of lithium-ion battery, an all-solid-state lithium-ion battery and a preparation method thereof, and an electrical device. The all-solid-state lithium-ion battery of the present disclosure includes a positive electrode, a solid electrolyte, and a negative electrode; wherein the positive electrode includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode material layer provided on a surface of the positive electrode current collector, a positive electrode active material in the positive electrode material layer is a manganese oxygen compound; and the negative electrode includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode material layer provided on a surface of the negative electrode current collector, a negative electrode active material in the negative electrode material layer is a titanium oxygen compound.

Due to the various advantages such as high operating voltage, high energy density, long cycle life and no memory effect, lithium-ion batteries are widely used in the fields such as consumer electronics, power tools, medical electronics, electric vehicles, rail traffic, aerospace, large-scale renewable energy source access, peak-load regulation and frequency regulation of power grid and distributed energy storage. However, due to the use of a liquid organic electrolyte, the current commercial lithium-ion batteries have the characteristic of being susceptible to combustion, explosion and volatilization, and safety accidents have occurred frequently in recent years. Using a solid electrolyte instead of the liquid organic electrolyte and preparing all-solid-state thin-film batteries can fundamentally solve the safety problem of lithium-ion batteries. The current types of solid-state batteries are difficult to achieve commercialized application at present due to electrode/electrolyte interface problems and insufficiently mature technology. To thin the solid-state batteries and prepare all-solid-state thin-film lithium-ion batteries can realize a relatively perfect electrode/electrolyte interface, which is the form of solid-state batteries that have been commercialized at present.
An all-solid-state thin-film lithium-ion battery is prepared by sequentially preparing the individual elements of a battery into a thin film on an electrically conductive substrate in the order of a positive electrode, an electrolyte and a negative electrode, and then packaging the same to form an integral battery, and the working principle thereof is similar to that of a commercial lithium-ion battery. Compared with a commercial lithium-ion battery using a liquid electrolyte, the all-solid-state thin-film lithium-ion battery has the characteristics of high energy density, excellent electrical performance, etc., and has a high battery packaging efficiency, which enables the battery to be widely used in various microelectronic devices.
In the existing all-solid-state thin-film lithium-ion batteries, the required positive electrode materials most need to be subjected to a high-temperature annealing treatment, which, however, will cause cracking and exfoliation of the positive electrode active material thin film, resulting in the formation of a micro-short circuit of the thin-film batteries. Moreover, the high temperature process is not matched with the semiconductor process, making it difficult to realize the integration of the solid-state thin-film battery on a microcircuit, and also making it difficult to prepare the battery on a non-high-temperature resistant substrate. Furthermore, the all-solid-state thin-film lithium-ion batteries use negative electrode materials that often have poor resistance to the environment, and therefore can hardly be integrated in an integrated circuit, have tough requirements for the production environment, and also can hardly be used in high-temperature places. In view of this, there is proposed the present disclosure.

Positive electrode of lithium-ion battery, all-solid-state lithium-ion battery and preparation method thereof, and electrical device

THE NORTHERN RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF NJUST


A magnetic resonance apparatus has a cylindrical body coil composed of a number of resonator segments distributed around the circumference and a control device for separate activation of the individual resonator segments. The resonator segments are electromagnetically decoupled from one another. The activation generates a radio-frequency magnetic field inside the coil for spin excitation in an examination volume. The resonator segments are activated such that the excitation field is generated only in at least one first sub-volume forming the examination volume, and at least one second sub-volume, that is not to be excited, is essentially free of the excitation field.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a magnetic resonance apparatus of the type having a cylindrical body coil formed by a number of resonator segments distributed around the circumference and a control device for separately activating of the individual resonator segments (the resonator segments being electromagnetically decoupled from one another) so as to generate a radio-frequency field inside the coil for magnetic resonance (MR) spin excitation in an examination volume.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Magnetic resonance tomography is one of the imaging methods in medical diagnostics that uses the interaction of an external field (here a magnetic field) with the human body for imaging. Known magnetic resonance apparatuses have a (normally) cylindrical body coil that is formed by a number of resonator segments distributed around the circumference. Each resonator segment normally is formed of at least one capacitor as well as a conductor element that proceeds parallel to the longitudinal axis of the surrounding basic field magnet. A conductor segment is appropriately fashioned as a band conductor; the multiple conductor segments being distributed around the circumference of the body coil. Coils are known in which the resonator segments are electromagnetically decoupled from one another, such that each resonator segment can be separately activated by a control device.
A homogeneous, radio-frequency excitation magnetic field that serves for tilting the nuclear spins in the patient to be examined is now generated inside the body coil by the body coil or the resonator segments thereof. The body coil can also be oval in cross-section or deformed in another manner as an alternative to the cylindrical shape. The design and the functioning of such a magnetic resonance system is known and does not have to be explained in detail herein.
For implementing a series of magnetic resonance examinations, standard localized saturation pulses are used that are generated via the body coil so that selected body regions do not appear in the magnetic resonance image. This is necessary, for example, for suppression of motion artifacts, for example in a spinal column acquisition in which the abdominal wall moving due to respiration (which would lead to artifacts in the image region of the spinal column) is suppressed with localized saturation pulses. A further circumstance that can lead to image artifacts is fold-over artifacts in the phase encoding direction when, for time reasons, the entire excited imaging region is not to be acquired with a sufficiently dense sampling of k-space.
Such a saturation pulse is typically integrated into the excitation sequence and is activated prior to the actual excitation pulse that serves for the generation of the excitation field. Gradient pulses are activated in parallel with the saturation pulse; the spatial selectivity is achieved in this manner. This saturation pulse serves to specifically destroy or to dephase the magnetization in a specific volume. Due to the saturation pulse, the magnetization in the excited examination volume region exists in the transversal plane and there is cancelled therein by one or more subsequently-activated gradient pulses ("spoiler pulses"). The actual excitation pulse that serves for the actual image acquisition subsequently ensues. The entire examination volume or a volume slice is thereby excited by the body coil by an RF field being generated in the entire interior of the body coil. A spin excitation is possible, however, only in the non-saturated region of the examination volume, thus in the region that is not saturated by the saturation pulse; no spin excitation can occur in that region. This means that, in the prior art, a double sequence always ensues for acquisition of an image, namely a first excitation sequence to provide the saturation pulse in order to generate a saturation volume that can no longer be excited for imaging, and subsequently the actual excitation pulse in the entire volume or a volume slice, thus also in the region of the saturated volume, but no image information can be acquired due to the dephasing.
This excitation sequence is time-consuming because two separate pulses must be provided. Moreover, a relatively large amount of energy is radiated into the patient, which increases the specific absorption rate SAR, which is associated with limitations with regard to the number of slices, the repetition time or the measurement time. The problem also exists that the dephased magnetization may possibly be re-phased with the subsequent excitation pulse, such that in spite of the saturation pulse it can contribute to the image information as an image artifact.
A magnetic resonance apparatus is known from DE 101 24 465 A1 with a body coil having a number of resonator segments distributed around the circumference and electromagnetically decoupled from one another. Separate transmission channels are respectively associated with the resonator segments such that the phase and the amplitude of the RF feed can be individually predetermined for each resonator segment, which enables a nearly complete control of the radio-frequency field distribution in the examination volume.
Another method for operation of a magnetic resonance apparatus is known from DE 10 2004 002 009 A1, in which the B1 field (RF field) distribution is measured in at least one sub-region of an examination volume of a radio-frequency antenna of the magnetic resonance apparatus, and the RF pulses emitted by the radio-frequency antenna for homogenization in a specific volume are then optimized on the basis of the determined B1 field distribution. For this purpose, an effective volume within the examination volume is determined beforehand for each applied RF pulse and individual adjustment on the basis of the determined B1 field distribution for the appertaining RF pulse in that volume is undertaken, such that the B1 field is homogenized within the effective volume of the RF pulse. A best-possible mode of operation of each applied RF pulse is thereby achievable. The radio-frequency antenna itself has a number of individual antenna elements, and in the framework of the described pulse mode optimization the B1 field is respectively measured separately for all antenna elements in order to determine the effect of the individual antenna elements within the examination volume.

Magnetic resonance cylindrical body coil and method for generating a homogeneous RF field


Efficient methods and apparatus for separating both settleable-particles and finer-non-settlable-particles from particle-laden fluid are provided by combining many successive settling, filtration, and treatment stages in one basin. A sludge and finer-particle removal system combined into the one basin is configured with a common gantry drive having many arms hanging from an overhead beam, each arm carrying a particle remover configured for the corresponding stage. In one stage, a practical method of removing sludge from between closely-spaced settler flow trays is provided by one pair of arms that straddle the trays and move an array of pushers during movement of the common gantry drive. During that movement the common gantry drive also removes the finer-non-settleable-particles from all downstream stages of filtration and treatment, and each stage continues operating while the common gantry drive operates to perform the respective removal.

In the processing of fluids, such as water and waste water, it is necessary to separate materials from the fluid to render the fluid suitable for use or reuse. For example, as water purity standards increase, many stages of material separation may be required in order to output adequately clean water when the input water is dirty, such as in municipal waste water systems. In such municipal systems, after biological processes, further processes may include one or more flocculation stages designed to agglomerate very fine particles resulting from the biological processes. The very fine particles are less dense than the fluid, and may be referred to as finer, non-settleable-particles, as described below. The flocculation stages transform the very fine particles into particles that are denser than the fluid. However, significant amounts of such very fine particles may also be unchanged, or minimally changed, by the flocculation stage, and may not be denser than the fluid.
As a result of the density differences between the less dense fluid and the denser particles, in a settling process stage after a final flocculation stage, the denser particles move downwardly under the force of gravity as the fluid and the particles flow. In the settling stage, the denser particles are said to "settle" and form sludge (e.g., at the bottom of a basin), whereas the finer, non-settleable-particles do not settle. The fluid input to the settling stage may be referred to as "particle-laden fluid", and may include the denser, settleable-particles and the finer, non-settleable-particles. The settled-particles at the bottom of a basin may be referred to as "sludge". Sludge is characterized by a greater density of the settled-particles in a given volume than when the settleable-particles are flowing in the fluid. This settling may be referred to as "separation" of the settleable-particles from the fluid, whereas one aspect of "removal" (or "removing") refers to taking the settleable, separated particles (sludge) from the material separation system. References herein to "fluid" are references to such "particle-laden fluid", it being understood that "clean fluid" is the "particle-laden fluid" from which most of the settleable-particles have been removed (as by settling), and that "cleaner fluid" is the "particle-laden fluid" from which substantially all of the particles have been removed (as by settling, then filtering to an exemplary five micron level), and that "cleanest" fluid is the cleaner fluid after treatment such as ultraviolet radiation treatment.
As noted, because the significant amounts of the finer, non-settleable-particles may also be unchanged, or minimally changed, by the flocculation stage(s), the finer, non-settleable-particles are present in the fluid input to the settling process. Although the fluid output from the settling stage is substantially-free of the settleable-particles, that output fluid includes enough finer, non-settleable-particles that successive stages (e.g., filtration) are required for "separation" of the finer, non-settleable-particles from the fluid. Thus, following the settling stage, many filters must be provided to separate successively finer and finer, non-settleable-particles from the fluid. Lastly, additional treatment may be provided to the filtered fluid, as by ultraviolet treatment. Thereafter, in a clean water-collection stage, the cleanest fluid exits from the material separation system. As used herein, "removal" (or "removing") also refers to taking the non-settleable separated particles from the filtering and/or treatment stage, if not also from the material separation system.
In the past, each of the particle separation and treatment stages has been provided with separate equipment for removing the respective particles from the particular stage, and each separate stage and removal equipment has been provided in a separate basin. In the settling stage many types of systems have been used, for example, to traverse the bottom of a settler basin and collect (e.g., via suction) the sludge. These systems operate only in the settler basin in which the settling process is being performed. Some types of suction sludge collection equipment have been configured especially for inclined-plate settlers in which the settled-particles are settling from between the plates onto the bottom of the settler basin, where the sludge gathers. Although improvements have been made to these systems, one design criteria has remained, namely, that the sludge removal equipment operates under the settler in the settler basin, separately from later basins that house later stages of the material separation and treatment system.
In the past, filtration stages have been provided downstream and separately from the settler basin. For example, in filtration basins separate from the settler basin, it has been typical to provide granular material on the floor of the filtration basins, and to configure the floor to be porous. The fluid and the finer, non-settleable-particles enter the filtration basin. The porous floors allow the fluid in the filtration basin to flow through the granular material, where the finer, non-settleable-particles are separated from the fluid. The resulting cleaner fluid exits the separate filtration basin without the finer, non-settleable-particles. However, these separate filtration stages have to be shut down to allow backwashing (i.e., removal) of the granular material. As an example of how removal has been provided, part of a filtration system has been by-passed during backwashing of that part, and a non-by-passed part has continued the filtration operations, but at a reduced rate of filtration. Alternatively, duplicate normal-rate filtration systems have been provided in parallel with each other, to allow one filtration system to perform filtering operations at the normal rate, while the backwashing is performed in the other shut-down filtration system. Thus each exemplary backwashing approach has a disadvantage that needs to be eliminated if more efficient separation and removal is to be provided.
A less-used way of continuously cleaning a filter for fluids in a flow stream uses different filter media. This filter media has been configured as a disk with a circular perimeter and some thickness. The disk has been mounted vertically on an horizontal axis and rotated. The fluid and the finer, non-settleable-particles flow perpendicularly to the rotating disk, and the fluid flows through the rotating filter media. The finer, non-settleable-particles are separated by the disk of filter media. A stationary suction unit has been placed next to the rotating disk on the side of the incoming fluid. The stationary suction unit removes filtered particles from the disk as the disk rotates past the stationary suction unit. Thus, the stationary suction unit does not have to move due to the rotation of the disk, and the filter unit is in a separate filter basin.
Another aspect of removal of particles from separation systems relates to improvements in settlers. One such improvement is the subject of the above-identified co-pending application. In the co-pending application, changes have been made in the configuration and orientation of settler plates, which are referred to as trays. The trays are mounted at a low-angle with respect to horizontal and are configured to define many narrow flow channels. A new configuration is that the settleable-particles settle from each flow channel, and rapidly settle into and are retained in a pocket defined by the tray configuration. Sludge forms in the pocket. The trays are provided in a vertically-spaced array, one tray above a next tray. From about fifty to about 250 vertically-spaced trays may be provided in one settler unit, for example. Another improvement of such low-angle tray settler is an ability to remove the sludge from each of the many pockets, and to do so without interfering with the settling operations that are ongoing between pairs of the trays.
These improvements contrast with problems that have arisen in attempts to make practical use of the theoretical design of a proposed clarifier apparatus in the form of a settler having at least two closely-spaced (e.g., one inch) flat thin-edge pates. The flat thin-edge plates have thin edges that allow a flow of particle-laden fluid into a narrow (e.g., 1 inch high) flow channel between the two closely-spaced flat thin-edge plates. As proposed, the flat thin-edge plates were horizontal, but as described below this proposed horizontal approach has to Applicant's knowledge never been successfully implemented even though the narrow flow channel enables a settling depth to be very short (e.g., slightly less than the narrow one inch height of the flow channel). As proposed, settleable-particles would settle through such settling depth onto a lower plate of the two flat thin-edge plates. Upon settling onto the lower flat thin-edge plate, the settleable-particles would form the sludge. Because the proposed flat thin-edge plate would be horizontal, there was a theoretical but unrealized benefit of somewhat shortening the length of the fluid-flow distance (e.g., horizontal) required to separate the settleable-particles from the particle-laden fluid to form the sludge on the lower flat thin-edge plate.
The problems that have arisen in attempts to make practical use of the theoretical design of these proposed closely-spaced horizontal flat thin-edge plates include the following. Even though the flow channel between two of these proposed flat thin-edge plates is very narrow (i.e., the one inch), it was intended that the settleable-particles would settle onto the flat thin-edge lower plate, and would form the denser sludge on the flat thin-edge horizontal lower plate. Thus, the result of the proposed two closely-spaced flat horizontal thin-edge plates was to confine the ongoing flow of the fluid through the narrow flow channel in the same space (or volume) that is occupied by the sludge. One problem identified by Applicant is that this proposed ongoing fluid flow would thus have a flow rate that would increase as the thickness of the settled sludge increases. The increase in the flow rate would be in a direction of the flow (e.g., an X direction), which is undesirable because it requires more flow length (X direction) to settle the settleable-particles from a fluid flowing at a high flow rate as compared to fluid flowing at a lower flow rate. This requirement is due to the higher flow rate fluid carrying the sludge in the narrow flow channel above the lower flat thin-edge plate, where such carrying would be in the X direction of the fluid flow. Applicant has observed that the higher flow rate would not allow the settling to occur rapidly in the downward (or Z) direction of the force of gravity (FG). Another problem observed by Applicant is that this carrying of the sludge in the X direction would offset (reduce) the goal of shortening the settling length (in the X direction), making it necessary to increase the length and thus the area of these types of proposed settlers. Additionally, it appears to Applicant that attempts to remove the sludge from between the closely-spaced flat horizontal thin-edge plates would interfere with the settling of the settleable-particles by mixing the previously-settled-particles with the cleaner fluid, which again would require more flow length in the X direction to do the same amount of settling and which reduces the practicality of this type of sludge removal impractical.
What is needed then is a way to more efficiently separate particles from particle-laden fluid. The more efficient separation should apply both to settleable-particles, and to the finer, non-settleable-particles. The more efficient separation should reduce inefficiencies of the many prior separate settling and filtration stages, and further provide more efficient sludge removal and finer, non-settleable-particle removal functions. An improved system should perform those more efficient removal functions using more efficient apparatus. Also, the needed way should provide practical methods and apparatus for removing the sludge from between closely-spaced trays of an improved settler, such as the settler of the co-pending application. There is a need for removal of sludge from a settler without having cross-flow of sludge and incoming dirty flow. Finally, there is also a need to allow each stage of filtration to continue full operations as the particle removal operation is performed, but to avoid the by-pass and duplication of equipment that characterizes prior filter systems.

Methods of and common gantry drive for single-pass cleaning of multiple stages of a material separation and removal system


An apparatus, system and method for constricting a cornea of a human eye are disclosed. A control device external to the subject eye, such as an induction generator, may be configured to create a stimulus, such as a magnetic field, for an implanted ring that, when stimulated, may change the curvature, and thus the dioptric power, of the eye, thereby approximating natural accommodation.

Surgery on the human eye has become commonplace in recent years. Many patients pursue eye surgery as an elective procedure in order to avoid the use of contacts or glasses, while other patients find it necessary to pursue surgery to correct an adverse condition in the eye. Such adverse conditions may include, for example, cataracts. A cataract increases the opacity of the natural lens of the eye, causing impaired vision or blindness. Correction may be achieved by surgically removing a cloudy or diseased lens in the patient's eye and replacing it with an artificial lens, known as an intraocular lens (IOL).
The anatomy and physiology of the human eye is well understood. Generally speaking, the structure of the human eye includes an outer layer formed of two parts, namely the cornea and the sclera. The middle layer of the eye includes the iris, the choroid, and the ciliary body. The inner layer of the eye includes the retina. The eye also includes, physically associated with the middle layer, a crystalline lens that is contained within an elastic capsule, referred to herein as the lens capsule, or capsular bag.
Image formation in the eye occurs by entry of image-forming light to the eye through the cornea, and refraction by the cornea and the crystalline lens to focus the image-forming light on the retina. The retina provides the light sensitive tissue of the eye.
Functionally, the cornea has a greater, and generally constant, optical power in comparison to the crystalline lens. The power of the crystalline lens, while smaller than that of the cornea, may be changed when the eye needs to focus at different distances. This change, or "accommodation," is achieved by changing the shape of the crystalline lens. Accommodation, as used herein, includes the making of a change in the focus of the eye for different distances. For example, in order to change the shape of the crystalline lens for accommodation, the ciliary muscles may relax to cause ligaments (zonules) that support the crystalline lens to relax, thereby allowing the crystalline lens to become more rounded.
The iris operates to change the aperture size of the eye. More specifically, the diameter of the incoming light beam is controlled by the iris, which forms the aperture stop of the eye, and the ciliary muscles may contract, as referenced above, to provide accommodation in conjunction with any needed change in the size of the aperture provided by the iris. The opening, or aperture, in the iris is called the pupil.
Correction of defects or degradation in the aspects of the eye may occur surgically, as mentioned above, or non-surgically. In a simple example, it is common to wear glasses or contact lenses to improve vision by correcting myopic (near-sighted), hyperopic (far-sighted) and astigmatic eyesight. Rather than relying on glasses or contacts, elective laser refractive surgery, or other eye surgery, may serve to improve the refractive state of the eye, and may thereby decrease or eliminate dependence on glasses or contact lenses. Additional surgeries may include various methods of surgical remodeling of the cornea, or cataract surgery, for example.
Presbyopia, referenced above, is an adverse condition in which the eye loses the ability to accommodate. Presbyopia is one of the adverse conditions of the eye for which the aforementioned surgical and non-surgical treatments have proven relatively successful. However, many of the aforementioned treatments, such as those in which eye-glasses and contact lenses are employed, provide only temporary solutions for adverse eye conditions and particularly for adverse eye conditions such as presbyopia that cause a loss of capability for accommodation.
In other, non-ocular medical fields, in order to provide a more long-lasting solution for biologic adversities, externally controllable treatments, such as ionic polymer-metal composites, have recently been explored as possible treatment options. For example, these composites have been explored for use with artificial limbs and/or limbs that lack sufficient muscular and/or nervous system control or strength.
Accordingly, it may be advantageous to employ the use of externally controllable treatments, such as ionic polymer-metal composites, to the eye, and, in particular, to the cornea. Such a solution may provide another, potentially more viable and long term solution to the correction of adverse eye conditions, such as presbyopia, by allowing for alteration of a shape of the cornea.

Apparatus, system, and method for providing an implantable ring for altering a shape of the cornea


A low-power op-amp circuit (70) having boosted bandwidth comprises a DC circuit block (72) which is coupled to first (V.sub.DC +, V.sub.DC +, V.sub.AC +) and second (V.sub.DC -, V.sub.AC) input nodes and to an output node (V.sub.OUT) of an output stage (90). The DC circuit block (72) amplifies a differential signal received from the first (V.sub.DC +, V.sub.AC +) and second (V.sub.DC -, V.sub.AC) input nodes, and provides an amplified signal to the output node (V.sub.OUT). An AC circuit block (74) is coupled to the output (NODE 3) of the DC circuit block (72). The AC circuit block (74) is operable to monitor a transient change between the first (V.sub.DC +, V.sub.AC +) and the second (V.sub.DC -, V.sub.AC -) input nodes. The AC circuit block (74) is further operable to transfer charge to the output node (V.sub.OUT) in response to the transient change, thereby providing boosted bandwidth beyond that of the DC circuit block (72) alone.

Conventional low-power circuits often are plagued by having slow response times. Some low-power circuits are used to implement non-static systems in which charge is moved to and from inherent device capacitances due to the non-static system functionality. When the power consumed by such a circuit is reduced, the speed at which the circuit can redistribute charge between these capacities is also reduced.
Specifically, low-power operational amplifiers (op-amps) and voltage regulators generally have bandwidths significantly lower than higher-power counterparts. This translates to greater system noise and an inability to regulate high-frequency load or supply transients. It is desirable to have an low-power op-amp or voltage regulator circuit that has the ability to redistribute charge rapidly in order to regulate high frequency transients.

Low power op-amp circuit with boosted bandwidth


A permanent optical fiber connector which makes it possible to connect and fix optical fibers (A) in some seconds. This connector comprises a base part (B) including a base body (4) made of a material of low expansion coefficient having a pair of opposed locking elements (7) and one or more capillary tubes (5) bonded to the base body and having an inner diameter slightly greater than the cladding of an optical fiber, and an optical fiber pressing part (C) including a pressing body (21) made of a material of low expansion coefficient and adapted to fit between the locking elements (7) of the base body to be embraced thereby and elastic bodies (22) attached to the lower surface of the pressing body, said pressing body (21) being embraced between the locking elements (7) of the base body, whereby the optical fiber pressing part (C) presses the covers (3) and optical fiber bodies (2) of the optical fibers (A) against the base part (B) to fix them to the latter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a permanent optical fiber connector.
2. Prior Art
In conventional optical fibers, the alignment of the abutting ends of optical fibers is effected by a V-groove, 3-point support or precision capillary tube; after the optical fibers have been temporarily fixed, they are fixed by using a ultraviolet-curable adhesive agent.
In the case of using an ultraviolet-curable agent for fixing optical fibers, it takes tens of seconds or some minutes for the adhesive agent to cure. Therefore, if an emergent operation is to be performed in case of an optical fiber breakage or other damage to optical fiber communications networks, it is desired to shorten the operating time required.
With the above drawback of the conventional permanent optical fiber connector in mind, the present invention has been accomplished as a result of intensive studies.


An injection locked frequency divider is disclosed. The injection-locked frequency divider includes a sub-harmonic injection-locked oscillator, a reference clock divider, a counter, and a variable load resistor control unit. The sub-harmonic injection-locked oscillator has variable load resistors that are adjusted in response to a resistance adjustment signal, and, when oscillation frequency determined based on the magnitudes of the variable load resistors is a sub-harmonic of an injection signal, outputs signals having the oscillation frequency as divided output signals. The reference clock divider generates a count-enable signal from a reference clock signal according to a reference division ratio. The counter generates divided output count signals based on the divided output signals in response to the count-enable signal. The variable load resistor control unit compares target count values, determined based on the target frequencies of the divided output signals, with the divided output count signals, and outputs the resistance adjustment signal.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an injection-locked frequency divider, and more particularly to an injection-locked frequency divider that is capable of adjusting oscillation frequency for itself.
2. Description of the Related Art
Individual countries are enforcing spectrum policies that strictly stipulate usages and licenses for respective frequency bands. In most non-European countries, the super-high frequency band, such as the 60 GHz band, is a band that can be used without permission or a license. Recently, broadband high-speed wireless communication systems have been researched to provide personal area wireless communication service that does not require such permission.
In order to implement an analog communication chip operating in a super-high frequency band, a phase-locked loop (PLL) or frequency synthesizer that operates at a super-high frequency should be ensured first.
In particular, a PLL, a frequency generator or the like has a phase detector in a loop in order to perform accurate frequency and phase locking. The phase detector may operate properly only if the frequency of an oscillation signal is reduced to a frequency that is suitable for the operating range of a common phase detector. Accordingly, there is required a frequency divider that receives the frequency of an oscillation signal in a super-high frequency band and that operates stably in a broad operating range, i.e., a broad oscillation range, in which the frequency can be reduced to a frequency that is suitable for the operating range of the phase detector.
Although various types of frequency dividers have been proposed, an injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) has the best characteristics in terms of the dynamic range of operation frequencies because the ILFD can operate in a tens of GHz band. In particular, a ring oscillator-based ILFD has a significantly smaller circuit area and a larger successfully synchronizable range than an LC oscillation circuit-based ILFD.
An injection locking phenomenon is a phenomenon that is generated by a nonlinear oscillation circuit when a signal having a different frequency is injected into a nonlinear oscillation circuit having its own oscillation frequency from the outside. The oscillation circuit into which the different frequency has been injected basically oscillates at an oscillation frequency, but a beat corresponding to the difference between the injection frequency and the oscillation frequency appears along with the waveform of the oscillation frequency. Meanwhile, when the difference between the oscillation frequency and the injection frequency is reduced to a value smaller than a specific threshold value, the beat disappears and a phenomenon in which the oscillation circuit oscillates at the injection frequency instead of its own oscillation frequency occurs. This phenomenon is called injection synchronization.
An injection locking phenomenon also occurs when oscillation frequency is a harmonic (that is, n times when n is a positive integer) or sub-harmonic (i.e., 1/n times) of the injection frequency. Using an injection locking phenomenon that occurs at a sub-harmonic, an injection-locked frequency divider that frequency-divides an injection frequency by 1/n can be constructed.
Since the injection-locked frequency divider is intended to operate in the state of being locked to the sub-harmonic frequency of the injection frequency, the desired sub-harmonic frequency for the injection frequency and the oscillation frequency inside the oscillation circuit must be so close to each other as to generate the injection locking phenomenon. Accordingly, the stability of the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit is important.

Injection locked frequency divider capable of adjusting oscillation frequency

Research & Business Foundation Sungkyunkwan University