A method is for decoding a succession of blocks of data encoded with an LDPC code. The method includes storing the blocks temporarily and successively in an input memory before decoding the blocks successively in an iterative manner, the input memory having a memory size for storage of at least two blocks, and defining a current indication representative of a threshold number of iterations for decoding a current block. The method includes decoding the current block until a decoding criterion is satisfied or so long as a number of iterations performed for decoding the current block has not reached the current indication while at least one of a first subsequent block and a part of a second subsequent block are stored in the input memory, and updating the current indication for decoding the first subsequent block as a function of the number of iterations performed for decoding the current block.

The LDPC code is a block-based code. The encoder processes blocks of K bits and delivers blocks of N bits. Thus, N-K redundancy bits are added. These N-K bits are called "parity bits". The coding rate (or code rate) is defined by the ratio K/N. The lower the coding rate, the higher the number of redundancy bits, and, hence, the greater the protection against noise of the transmission channel.
These N-K bits are calculated with the help of a parity matrix H. The LDPC code is therefore also a code based on a matrix. This matrix has N-K rows and N columns and includes "1s" and of "0s", with a small number of "1s" relative to the number of "0s". This is the reason why codes of this type based on such a matrix are called "LDPC codes", that is to say low-density codes. The encoded block BLC, of N bits, is calculated by solving the equation HBLCT=0, where H denotes the parity matrix and T the "transpose" function.
On the decoder side, the erroneous bits are corrected on the basis of the relationships between the coded items of the block. These relationships are given by the parity matrix H. The decoder uses internal metrics corresponding to the "1s" of the matrix H. The matrix H corresponds to the Tanner graph of the LDPC code comprising so-called check nodes and bit nodes interlinked by the path of the graphs that represent the messages exchanged iteratively between the nodes thus linked. These metrics are updated row-wise (updating of the check nodes) by taking account of the internal metrics of one and the same row. Thereafter, the decoder updates these metrics column-wise (updating of the bit nodes) by taking account of the internal metrics in one and the same column and also of the corresponding item at the input of the decoder that originates from the transmission channel. An iteration corresponds to the updating of the check nodes for all the internal metrics, followed by the updating of the bit nodes for all the internal metrics.
The decoding of a block uses several iterations. The values of the decoded bits, also called "hard decisions", are obtained by adding together the internal metrics column-wise with the items received and by taking the sign of the result. In other words, the sign of the result provides the value "0" or "1" of the bit while the absolute value of the result gives a confidence (probability) indication for this "0" or "1" logic value.
The LDPC-type codes are of interest since they make it possible to obtain very low bit error rates (BER) on account of the iterative nature of the decoding algorithm. Several iterative decoding algorithms exist for decoding LDPC codes, for example, the "belief propagation" (BP) classical algorithm well known to the person skilled in the art.
The duration of decoding of a block is directly related to the number of iterations used. Thus, to achieve a given bit rate, a maximum number of iterations is defined for each coding rate and each block will be decoded with the same number of iterations. For example, the maximum number of iterations may be fixed at 50. That being the case, if the decoding has not converged after these 50 iterations a reduction in the decoding performance results.
One possible approach may be to increase the maximum number of iterations permitted per block and in fixing it for example at 60. However, in this case, the bit rate would be divided by 6/5 because the duration of decoding of a block would be greater.

Method and device for decoding blocks encoded with an LDPC code


The present invention provides an electric connection box capable of carrying out insertion accurately when a plurality of connection terminals provided at a terminal holding member to a plurality of inserting grooves of a terminal inserting member, as a result, capable of preventing deformation of the connection terminal. The electric connection box of the invention includes a terminal holding member having a front surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface and including a plurality of terminals mounted on the front surface so as to be projected from the front surface, an source terminal mounted on the first side surface so as to be projected from the first side surface in a direction in which the terminals align, a guide projected streak mounted on the second side surface along a direction in which the terminals are projected so as to be projected from the second side surface, and a terminal inserting member including a plurality of inserting grooves in which the terminals are inserted, a terminal guide groove in which the source terminal is inserted, and a streak guide groove in which the guide projected streak is inserted.

The present invention relates to an electric connection box (that is, electric junction block) of, for example, a relay box, a fuse box, an electronic control unit box or the like used as a power distribution apparatus mounted with an electric part and electrically connected to a battery and various electric loads by way of a wire harness on a vehicle of an automobile or the like.
An electric connection box mounted with an electric part and connected with a wire harness to electrically conduct to the electric part is introduced in JP-A-2006-149069 and JP-A-2005-185018. In such an electric connection box, a technology of facilitating to assemble parts is applied. Meanwhile, an electric connection box of attaching a terminal inserting member formed with a plurality of inserting grooves for inserting connection terminals to a terminal holding member projected with a plurality of the connection terminals is introduced in JP-A-2005-312129.
There is a case in which when the plurality of connection terminals provided at the terminal holding member are inserted to the plurality of inserting grooves of the terminal inserting member described above, unless insertion is carried out accurately, the connection terminal is deformed.


An apparatus is disclosed which is configured to announce a transmission from a caller by vibrating in a predetermined manner associated with the caller. Also disclosed is a method comprising: receiving a transmission from a first caller; identifying the first caller; and vibrating a device in a predetermined manner based on said first caller's identity.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of network data services. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for managing network portal data.
2. Description of the Related Art
"Portals" are World Wide Web ("WWW") sites which help users manage and navigate through vast amounts of information stored on the Internet. Some well known Internet portals include "Yahoo!®," AltaVista®, and Excite®. Portals typically provide search features which allow users to search for particular types of content by entering keywords. In response to the keyword search request, the portal returns links to relevant Internet sites and/or relevant content stored directly on the portal. For example, if a user enters the keyword "snowboarding," the portal may return a list of hyperlinks to Internet sites related to snowboarding as well as internal portal categories related to snowboarding (e.g., "Recreation>Sports>Snowboarding").
In addition to the keyword search and content management capabilities described above, portals may also provide users with a variety of network applications such as, for example, email, electronic scheduling and contact management, chat groups, newsgroups, personal financing, and instant messaging, to name just a few.
Many portals also provide a registration feature which allows users to customize the types of information and/or applications which will be immediately accessible to the user on the portal. For example, the user may configure the portal to automatically retrieve and display information specified by the user such as, for example, the value of the user's stock portfolio, the weather forecast in the user's geographic location, an indication of any unread email messages, the user's appointments for the day, the local news headlines for the day, and/or the television listings for the user's favorite channels that evening.
When the user visits the portal (e.g., via a client computer), he/she may be presented with a single Web page that contains all of the foregoing information, automatically collected and transmitted by the portal. Typically, a portal will transmit a unique Web page and associated data to the user in this manner only after receiving proper authentication (e.g., user ID and password).

Distinctive vibrate system, apparatus and method


A system and method for identifying defects in a repair patch applied to a structure are provided. The system includes a sheet of material configured to be attached to the structure, and a mechanism operable to generate stress waves within and along the sheet of material. The system also includes a plurality of non-destructive sensors carried by the sheet of material. Each sensor is capable of detecting the stress waves. The system further includes a data acquisition system capable of communicating with the sensors such that the data acquisition system is also capable of generating information indicative of at least a portion of the sheet of material based on the data detected by the sensors.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to smart patches and, more particularly, to a smart repair patch for monitoring the integrity of the repair patch.
2) Description of Related Art
Materials and structures employed in the aerospace industry and elsewhere may periodically require repair for in-service damage. Rapid inspection and repair of aircraft or ground vehicles are important for military and commercial applications in order to decrease down time. Temporary patch repairs of a metallic or composite structure are sometimes utilized to enable continuing use of the vehicle, such as an aircraft, until a permanent repair may be made. Temporary patches cost less than permanent repairs and can be installed very rapidly. In addition, temporary patches reduce down time and provide flexibility for utilizing the best schedule and cost options available.
However, confidence in the quality of the temporary repairs has decreased. In particular, temporary patches can detach from the structure without warning if the patches are not checked regularly. However, inspection of temporary patches tends to be costly in light of the time and labor required to perform the inspection. For example, a temporary patch inspection program may require that the patches be inspected after every flight for the first week, then every day for a week, and then weekly for a period of time. To avoid inspection costs, the user may apply a more costly temporary repair patch, choose a limited time window of temporary patch use, or choose to proceed with an immediate permanent repair; all of which decrease available repair options. Furthermore, conventional methods for inspecting temporary repair patches (e.g., tap testing) can be subjective and not provide quantitative data for time-based comparison. Various alternatives to inspect temporary repair patches employ electronic equipment which may be expensive, time-consuming, and require trained experts in order to use.
Repair patches have been developed that generally acquire data indicative of a structure and the repair patch itself. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,504 to Lyons et al. discloses an instrumented patch for repair of a structure. In particular, Lyons discloses an apparatus that includes a plurality of strain sensors integrally formed with a patch to be fixed to an area on the surface of a structure. The sensors monitor changes in the strain field in the patch-covered area for detecting crack formation and detection, as well as the structural integrity of the patch. Namely, anomalies, such as tears or holes in the patch, or partial detachment of the patch from the structure, can be detected by measuring changes in the strain field in the region of the patch-covered area with the strain sensors. There is a need for an improved system that includes a repair patch that is capable of not only repairing a structure, but also performing NDI on the repair patch itself.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a system that is capable of both repairing and monitoring the integrity of the repair patch. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide a system that is capable of inspecting the repair patch effectively and efficiently. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide a system that is economical to manufacture and use.

Smart repair patch and associated method


The object of the present invention is to provide a piston ring which is free from occurrence of cracks on the nitrided layer and having enhanced abrasion resistance and fatigue strength, and to provide a process for manufacturing the piston ring. In the invention, a surface of the steel body is subjected to a two-stage nitriding treatment consisting of low-temperature nitriding and high-temperature nitriding. A white layer on the slidable surface along the inner periphery surface of a cylinder is removed, and a white layer on each of the upper and lower surfaces and the corner portions each being adjacent to the slidable surface is removed to have a thickness of not more than 5 .mu.m.

Under current social needs, internal combustion engines having improved output energy, such as those of high-rotation high-output type and those of high-compression type including supercharging devices, have been developed in recent years. Therefore, piston rings used for those internal combustion engines are required to be up-graded in accordance with the development of internal combustion engines.
Further, fuels containing no lead have been recently employed from the viewpoint of prevention of environmental pollution, but lead-containing fuels are still employed in various countries. In cylinders of the internal combustion engines using those lead-containing fuels, a corrosive atmosphere such as HCl and H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 is strikingly produced, so that chrome-plated piston rings which are conventionally and widely used seriously suffer from abrasion of a chrome-plated layer on the sliding surface. For coping with this problem, those piston rings are subjected to a large thickness-chrome plating treatment, but the resulting piston rings are not always satisfactory with respect to manufacturing cost and productivity.
Furthermore, a piston ring whose slidable surface is subjected to a nitriding treatment to resist abrasion of the slidable surface have been also developed. Accordingly, enhancement of the abrasion resistance and the corrosion resistance are more highly demanded than before, and increase of piston rings of this type is expected. In addition to the enhancements of the abrasion resistance and the corrosion resistance, breakage resistance should be also improved, because the piston rings might be broken when they are used in the internal combustion engines of high-rotation and high-output type.
FIG. 16 shows a part of a compression ring 1 which is a conventional piston ring, and on a surface of a steel body 2 is formed a nitrided layer 3 by means of a nitriding treatment. In accordance with the nitriding treatment, a porous layer of high rigidity and brittleness (generally referred to as "white layer") is formed on a surface of the nitrided layer. This rigid and brittle porous layer is removed by subjecting a slidable layer 4 to the post treatment, whereby the piston ring can be commercialized.
An example of the composition of the steel body is as follows in terms of wt. %:
C: 0.60-0.70, PA0 Si: not more than 0.35, PA0 Mn: 0.20-0.50, PA0 Cr: 13.00-14.00, PA0 Mo: 0.20-0.40, PA0 Fe: residual portion, and inevitable impurity. PA0 C: 0.80 (0.85)-0.95, PA0 Si: 0.35-0.50, PA0 Mn: 0.25-0.40, PA0 Cr: 17.00-18.00, PA0 Mo: 1.00-1.25, PA0 V: 0.08-0.15, PA0 Fe: residual portion, and inevitable impurity. PA0 C: 0.87-0.93, PA0 Si: 0.20-0.40, PA0 Mn: 0.20-0.40, PA0 Cr: 21.00-22.00, PA0 Mo: 0.20-0.40, PA0 Ni: 0.90-1.10, PA0 Fe: residual portion, and inevitable impurity.
Another example of the composition of the steel body is as follows in terms of wt. %:
A further example of the composition of the steel body is as follows in terms of wt. %:
When the compression ring 1 is fitted into a piston groove of the piston in one of the above-mentioned internal combustion engines and is operated therein, the ring expands and contacts in the radial direction and collides with the wall of the piston groove repeatedly, and thereby cracks are produced in the nitrided layer 3 during the operation, resulting in cracks 5, 7 on the slidable surface 4 and the side surface 6. Enlargement of these cracks causes unfavorable phenomena such as totally dropping or partial dropping of the nitrided layer, whereby a peeled portion 8 occurs on the slidable surface 4. In the extreme case, these phenomena might cause scuffing or abnormal abrasion of the compression ring 1 or might cause even breakage of the compression ring 1. Further, the compression ring repeatedly collides with the piston groove owing to its expanding and contracting motions in the radial direction and vertical motions in the axial direction. Therefore, if a porous white layer of high rigidity and brittleness remains on the corner portions C or in the vicinity thereof, cracks are easily brought about on those portions. The cracks are enlarged from those portions, and finally the compression ring is broken off in many cases.

Piston ring and process for manufacturing the same


According to an embodiment of the present invention, a device configured to send and receive messages over a first network and a second network includes a network status detector unit and a network disabling unit. The network status detector unit is configured to detect the availability of the first network and output a first network status signal indicating the availability or unavailability of the first network. The network disabling unit is configured to receive the first network status signal and disable the sending and receiving of messages on the second network when the first network status signal indicates the first network is unavailable.

When using a hierarchical network such as the Internet for communications, interruptions in communications due to network unavailability are common. Typically, a local area network (LAN) at a lower level of the hierarchy is connected to a wide area network (WAN) at a higher level of the hierarchy through a gateway or other network device that accesses both networks. Network congestion or possibly a temporary loss of connection on the WAN may require network devices on the LAN to momentarily suspend their access in terms of deferring the sending or receiving of data. In an application of transferring text or data files, the delays that are incurred due to deferral are not usually significant since text and data files do not need to be delivered in real-time, meaning there is generally no time boundary for completion of the transfer. Therefore, the typically short delays incurred do not generally inhibit the successful communication of information.
Even in the case where a LAN connection to the Internet is made wirelessly, if the application is text or data transfer, an interruption causes the transfer to pause until the network is available in order to continue sending or receiving the necessary information. However, when the application requires a lower latency in message transfer as typified by streaming audio and/or video, teleconferencing, and voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), delays due to network unavailability are not desirable. For example, although a traditional wireless network device can usually give some indication of the status of the direct wireless connection, a traditional wireless network device is not aware of the availability status of an indirectly connected network, such as the WAN, which may affect the latency of communications with the wireless device and cause disruption in some applications. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a network device to determine the availability status of a network other than the network to which the network device is directly connected. Additionally, there is a need in the art for a network device to determine the availability status of a network before directly connecting to the network device.
Embodiments of the present invention and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in the figures.

Network availability status detection device and method


An internal transmission hub assembly includes a shift control sleeve, a sleeve guide and a shifting key guide. The shift control sleeve is disposed for limited circumferential movement about the axis of rotation of a stationary hub shaft. The shift control sleeve includes a base sleeve and at least one pawl control arm, the base sleeve having a first end and a second end. The sleeve guide supports the first end of the base sleeve of the shift control sleeve about the stationary hub shaft. The first end of the base sleeve is welded to the sleeve guide. The shifting key guide supports the second end of the base sleeve of the shift control sleeve about the stationary hub shaft. The second end of the base sleeve is welded to the shifting key guide.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an internal transmission hub assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to an internal transmission hub assembly that includes a shift control sleeve (a pawl control member).
2. Background Information
Bicycling is becoming an increasingly more popular form of recreation as well as a means of transportation. Moreover, bicycling has become a very popular competitive sport for both amateurs and professionals. Whether the bicycle is used for recreation, transportation or competition, the bicycle industry is constantly improving the various components of the bicycle. One component that has been extensively redesigned is the bicycle internal transmission hub assembly.
The internal transmission hub assembly is typically a rear wheel hub that includes an internal gearing mechanism that includes elements that can be shifted to provide a plurality of power transmission paths (gear ratios) for a cyclist.
With such an internal transmission hub assembly, a cyclist changes pedaling speeds by manipulating a conventional lever actuating shifting mechanism installed on or adjacent to the handlebars of the bicycle. Movement of the lever actuating shifting mechanism is transmitted to the internal transmission hub assembly by a Bowden-type cable that is operably connected to a shift mechanism within the internal transmission hub assembly. Changes in the position of the lever actuating shifting mechanism cause movement of various elements of the shift mechanism within the internal transmission hub assembly that ultimately determine the selection of a power transmission path (gear ratio).
The shift mechanism of the internal transmission hub assembly typically includes a shifting key guide, shift control sleeve (a pawl control member) and a sleeve guide. The shift control sleeve is pivoted about a stationary hub axle within the internal transmission hub assembly by the various elements of the shift mechanism of the internal transmission hub assembly.
The shift control sleeve (pawl control member) typically includes a base sleeve and one or more arcuately shaped control sleeves. The base sleeve typically extends in an axial direction along side a stationary hub axle with a first end and a second end. The first end of the base sleeve typically extends through an opening in the shifting key guide. Typically, no mechanical fastening is provided between the first end of the base sleeve and the shifting key guide. Specifically, the first end of the base sleeve extends through the opening in the shifting key guide. Consequently, the base sleeve is moved is a circumferential direction about the stationary hub axle by rotational movement of the shifting key guide. The control sleeves of the shift control sleeve (the pawl control member) are configured to engage and dis-engage pawls that selectively engage sun gears within the internal transmission hub assembly. The pawls act as one-way clutches to selectively stop rotation of the sun gears in one direction.
Typically, the second end of the base sleeve of the shift control sleeve (pawl control member) is confined in a recess formed in a sleeve guide that is also rotatably installed on the stationary hub axle of the internal transmission hub assembly. Typically, no mechanical fastening is provided between the second end of the base sleeve and the sleeve guide. Hence, the base sleeve of the pawl control member, the sleeve guide and the shift key guide move about the stationary hub axle as a single unit.
A problem with the base sleeve of the pawl control member, the sleeve guide and the shift key guide is that there can be minute amounts of play or slight relative movement between these elements. As with any mechanical device, play or slight relative movement between mechanically connected elements is undesirable. Over time, a loose or sloppy feel can be notice by a cyclist when shifting between power transmission path.
In one internal transmission hub assembly design disclosed in EP Patent Application Number 1,323,627, the second end of the base sleeve of the pawl control member is caulked or crimped within the recess of the sleeve guide, thereby initially eliminating play between the base sleeve and the sleeve guide. However, over time and extensive usage, play between the base sleeve and the sleeve guide may develop. Further the configuration disclosed in EP Patent Application Number 1,323,627 does not address the elimination of play between the shift key guide and the base sleeve of the pawl control member.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved internal transmission hub assembly that reduces or eliminates play between the base sleeve and the sleeve guide, and the shift key guide and the base sleeve of the shift control sleeve (the pawl control member). This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.


The present invention comprises a method for over-current protection. The method comprising monitoring a load current value of a load current passing through a plurality of micro-electromechanical switching system devices, determining if the monitored load current value varies from a predetermined load current value, and generating a fault signal in the event that the monitored load current value varies from the predetermined load current value. The method also comprises diverting the load current from the plurality of micro-electromechanical switching system devices in response to the fault signal and determining if the variance in the load current value was due to a true fault trip or a false nuisance trip.

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to a switching device for switching off a current in a current path, and more particularly to micro-electromechanical system based switching devices.
To protect against fire and equipment damage, electrical equipment and wiring must be protected from conditions that result in current levels above their ratings. Over-current conditions are classified by the time required before damage occurs and are grouped into two categories: timed over-currents and instantaneous over-currents.
Timed over-current faults are the less severe variety and require the protective equipment to deactivate the circuit after a given time period, which depends on the level of the fault. Timed over-current faults are typically current levels just above rated and up to 8-10 times rated. The system cabling and equipment can handle these faults for a period of time but the protective equipment should deactivate the circuit if the current levels don't recede. Typically timed faults result from either mechanically overloaded equipment or high impedance paths between opposite polarity lines—line to line, line to ground, or line to neutral.
Instantaneous over-currents, also termed short circuit faults, are severe faults and involve current levels of 8-10 time rated current and above. These faults result from low impedance paths between opposite polarity lines—line to line, line to ground, or line to neutral—and need to be removed from the system immediately. Short circuit faults involve extreme currents and can be extremely damaging to equipment and dangerous to personnel. The longer these faults persist on the system the more energy is released and the more damage occurs, it is of vital importance to minimize the response time and thus the let-through energy during a short circuit fault.
A circuit breaker is an electrical device designed to protect electrical equipment from damage caused by faults in the circuit. Traditionally, most conventional circuit breakers include bulky electromechanical switches. Unfortunately, these conventional circuit breakers are large in size thereby necessitating use of a large force to activate the switching mechanism. Additionally, the switches of these circuit breakers generally operate at relatively slow speeds. Further, these circuit breakers are disadvantageously complex to build, and thus expensive to fabricate. In addition, when contacts of a switching mechanism within a conventional circuit breaker are physically separated, an arc is typically formed between the contacts and continues to carry current until the current in the circuit ceases. Moreover, energy associated with the arc is generally undesirable to both equipment and personnel.
A contactor is an electrical device that is designed to switch an electrical load ON and OFF upon command. Traditionally, electromechanical contactors are employed in control gear, where the electromechanical contactors are capable of handling switching currents up to their interrupting capacity. Electromechanical contactors may also find application in power systems for switching currents. However, fault currents in power systems are typically greater than the interrupting capacity of the electromechanical contactors. Accordingly, to employ electromechanical contactors in power system applications it may be desirable to protect the contactor from damage by backing it up with a series device that is sufficiently last acting to interrupt fault currents prior to the contactor opening at all values of current above the interrupting capacity of the contactor.
Electrical systems presently use either a fuse or a circuit breaker to perform over-current protection. Fuses rely on heating effects (i.e., I2t) to operate. They are designed as weak points in the circuit and each successive fuse closer to the load must be rated for smaller & smaller currents. In a short circuit condition all upstream fuses see the same heating energy and the weakest one, by design the closest to the fault, will be the first to operate. Fuses however are one-time devices and must be replaced after a fault occurs.
Previously conceived solutions to facilitate use of contactors in power systems have include vacuum contactors, vacuum interrupters and air break contactors. Unfortunately, contactors such as vacuum contactors do not lend themselves to easy visual inspection as the contactor tips are encapsulated in a sealed, evacuated enclosure. Further, while the vacuum contactors are well suited for handling the switching of large motors, transformers and capacitors, they are known to cause damaging transient over voltages, particularly when the load is switched off.
Further, electromechanical contactors generally use mechanical switches. However, as these mechanical switches tend to switch at a relatively slow speed predictive techniques are required in order to estimate occurrence of a zero crossing, often tens of milliseconds before the switching event is to occur. Such zero crossing prediction is prone to error as many transients may occur in this time.
As an alternative to slow mechanical and electromechanical switches, fast solid-state switches have been employed in high speed switching applications. As will be appreciated, these solid-state switches switch between a conducting state and a non-conducting state through controlled application of a voltage or bias. For example, by reverse biasing a solid-state switch, the switch may be transitioned into a non-conducting state. However, since solid-state switches do not create a physical gap between contacts when they are switched into a non-conducing state, they experience leakage current. Further, due to internal resistances, when solid-state switches operate in a conducting state, they experience a voltage drop. Both the voltage drop and leakage current contribute to the generation of excess heat under normal operating circumstances, which may be detrimental to switch performance and life. Moreover, due at least in part to the inherent leakage current associated with solid-state switches, their use in circuit breaker applications is not possible.

Resettable MEMS micro-switch array based on current limiting apparatus


A process cartridge detachably mounted on an image forming apparatus, includes a cleaning blade which comes into contact with a surface of a member to be cleaned incorporated in the image forming apparatus and removes a residual toner adhering to the surface, and a toner feeding unit which is disposed on the cleaning blade at a side where the residual toner adheres to the surface and re-adheres the residual toner having been removed from the surface to the surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a multifunction apparatus having functions of these devices, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, in an electrographic method, an electrostatic recording method, or the like, an electrostatic latent image is formed on an image carrier, such as a photosensitive drum, and the electrostatic latent image is formed into a visible image with use of a toner serving as a developing agent. The thus-visualized toner image is subjected to a transfer process and a fixation process, whereby an image is formed on recording paper (a recording material, a recording medium, paper). In such an image forming method, residual toner (remaining toner) usually remains on an image carrier after a transfer process. Accordingly, a cleaning device for cleaning the residual toner is disposed.
Cleaning devices of various types have been known as such a cleaning device. Typical examples thereof include a cleaning device of blade-cleaning type, in which a cleaning blade made from a contact plate usually having elasticity is disposed so as to come into contact with an image carrier, to thus cause the cleaning blade to scrape residual toner from the image carrier. In this blade-cleaning method, since a cleaning blade comes into contact with a surface of an image carrier, such as a photosensitive drum, to thus be rub the same, an edge of the cleaning blade for scraping toner becomes worn.
In addition, in, e.g., a lower-speed or a medium-speed apparatus, an electrifying device of a contact type, such as a charging roll, is generally employed as an electrifying member. A reason why such an electrifying device is employed is that the electrifying device produces a drastically smaller amount of ozone as compared with an on-contact-type electrifying device, such as a so-called corotron charging device, thereby being friendly to the environment. Moreover, other reasons for employing the contact-type electrifying device include ready realization of miniaturization and cost reduction, since neither an ozone filter nor an air blower is necessary.
Meanwhile, there arises a problem that an amount of corona products adhering to a photosensitive drum is drastically increased as compared with a non-contact-type electrifying device. The cause thereof is that a contact-type electrifying device produces a smaller absolute amount of corona products than does a non-contact-type electrifying device, however, a discharge region of the former is in very close proximity to a photosensitive drum. Accordingly, when a cleaning blade is employed in a contact-type electrifying device, in addition to abrasion of the cleaning blade caused by an increase in frictional coefficient, problems of chipping and turning-up of the same arise, along with an increase in torque of a photosensitive-material-driving section.
Meanwhile, for the purpose of increasing abrasion resistance of a photosensitive drum, an image carrier whose outermost surface layer contains a charge-transport material and a siloxane resin, and which is of high mechanical strength, has hitherto been disclosed (see, e.g., JP-A-11-38656, JP-A-11-184106, or JP-A-11-316468). These image carriers having high mechanical strength exhibit a tendency such that corona products having been effectively removed by means of abrasion in a related-art image carrier are less-easily removed, thereby increasing friction to a large extent, to thus further exacerbate damage to a blade.
A variety of methods for suppressing abrasion, chipping, and turning-up of a cleaning blade and an increase in a torque or a photosensitive-material-driving section have hitherto been proposed.
There has been known a method of, for the purpose of maintaining lubricity between the surface of a photosensitive material and a cleaning blade, periodically producing a toner band on a region where no image is to be formed and supplying the same to a blade edge (see, e.g., JP-A-4-005679 (pages 2 to 3, FIG. 1) or JP-A-3-180884 (page 3, FIG. 2)). A method of supplying lubricant to the surface of a photosensitive material byway of a lubricant-application member has also been known (see, e.g., JP-A-2003-330318 (page 5, FIG. 3)).
In addition to the above, there has been known a method of, for the purpose of reducing a frictional force with respect to a cleaning blade, rubbing the surface of an image carrier with a magnetic brush or a sponge roll containing a polishing agent, thereby removing corona products from the surface of the image carrier (see, e.g., JP-A-10-143039 (page 4, FIG. 2) or JP-A-10-143039 (page 4, FIG. 2)).
However, according to JP-A-4-005679 or JP-A-3-180884, an amount of toner to be consumed will be increased by an amount for producing the toner band, which is required in addition to that for forming a desired image, which is unfavorable.
According to JP-A-2003-330318, JP-A-10-143039, or JP-A-10-143039, cost is increased for disposing lubricant-application means and corona-products-removal means, and a problem of space saving also arises.

Process cartridge and image forming apparatus cleaning method and cleaning device with improved lubricity


A method and apparatus for improved race detection and expression is disclosed. The race detection method and apparatus disclosed herein detects races statically by analyzing the circuits, which are usually written in a hardware description language (HDL), such as VHDL or Verilog. Compared with known simulation approaches, the inventive method and apparatus has at least the following advantages: no test vectors are required; all potential races can be detected; and in simulator approaches, if the right test vectors are not provided, then the races cannot be found (the invention avoids this last constraint).

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to circuit design. More particularly, the invention relates to race condition detection and expression.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A race condition is a very common and serious issue in circuit design. An example of a race condition is shown in Table 1 below by a Verilog program.
TABLE 1Race Conditionmodule t(clk, a, b, c);input clk;output a;input  b;input  c;reg   a;always @(posedge clk) a = b;always @(posedge clk) a = c;endmodule
In this example, when the clock "clk" changes from "0" to "1", that is at the positive edge of clk, either a=b may happen first or a=c may happen first. That is, they may race each other. As a result, signal "a" may get the value of "b" or "c." In circuit design, this is an undesired effect because the final value of "a" is nondeterministic.
A race condition is defined as a situation where reading a variable may result in one of several values nondeterministically. To avoid races, circuits are usually designed in some specific ways to prevent a race condition.
Another approach is to detect during the design stage if the circuits may have races. Some circuit simulation tools can detect a race condition when the simulator finds that, during the same simulation cycle, a signal (also referred to as a wire, register, or variable) is being written to two or more times, or being written to as well as being read from. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,383,167; 5,818,263; 5,901,061; and 6,009,256.)
An example of a simulator which can detect race conditions is the VCS Verilog Simulator from Synopsys. Such simulators need test vectors to conduct the simulation. The race may or may not be detected depending the way in which the test vectors exercise the design.
It would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus for improved race detection and expression.


In a rotational phase adjusting apparatus which may be used for controlling opening/closing timings of intake and exhaust valves of an internal combustion engine, one side wall of a housing is fixed to one of a driving member and a driven member, while the other side wall of the housing is made integrally with a circumferential wall of the housing. A seal made of a material less harder than the housing is provided between the housing and a vane. The housing is made of an aluminum while the seal is made of a PPS resin mixed with an inorganic filler. The inorganic filler is harder than the PPS resin but less harder than the housing to reduce wear of the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotational phase adjusting apparatus used for, for example, valve timing adjustment which adjusts opening/closing timings (valve timing) of intake valves and exhaust valves of an internal combustion engine (engine) in accordance with engine operating conditions.
2. Related Art
In a conventional valve timing adjusting apparatus for adjusting valve timing of intake valves and exhaust valves of an engine, as disclosed in JP-A 5-214907 or JP-U 2-50105, a driving force is transmitted from a crankshaft as a driving member of the engine to a camshaft as a driven member through a driving force transmitting mechanism. The driving force transmitting mechanism may be a vane type in which vanes are accommodated relatively rotatably in a housing and the rotational phase difference of the vanes relative to the housing is adjusted by the fluid pressure of operating fluid.
In the apparatus according to JP-A 5-214907, a housing comprises a circumferential wall and a pair of side walls covering axial side ends of the circumferential wall. This housing having three constructional parts causes the following drawbacks.
(1) A seal is necessitated at the joint surface between the circumferential wall and the side walls to restrict the leakage of an operating fluid, resulting in the increase in number of the parts and enlargement of the outer diameter of the housing by a groove for receiving the seal between the circumferential wall and the side walls.
(2) The centers of the bearing parts of the side walls of the housing deviates from each other due to variations in the machining precision and in the assembling precision of the parts.
In the apparatus according to JP-U 2-50105, as opposed to the above apparatus, a circumferential wall and a gear side wall which form a housing are made integrally. This housing does not cause the above drawbacks. In this integral type housing, however, the diameter of the gear side wall is determined by the diameter of the circumferential wall. As a result, the gear side wall cannot be reduced in radial size. Further, in the case the circumferential wall and one side wall is formed integrally, the inner angled corner between the circumferential wall and the side wall is smoothed causing low sealing ability thereat. Still further, the material for the housing is limited with respect to its rigidity, strength and the like.
In the case that a seal 112 is disposed in rotating sliding part between a vane 110 and a housing 111 as shown in FIG. 11 to seal a fluid pressure chamber to which the operating fluid is supplied to drive the vane 110, a wear step 111a is likely to be caused on the housing 111 if the seal 112 has a higher hardness (wear-causing characteristics) than the housing 111. The wear step 111a appears at positions where the seal 111 slides more often. When the seal 112 slides and reaches the wear step 111a, the seal 112 receives the fluid pressure in the arrow direction A from the side of the housing 111 and may be pushed into the side of the vane 110. This causes the leakage of the working fluid between the fluid pressure chambers provided on both circumferential sides of the vane 111 and it becomes hard to hold the vane 110 at the position shown in FIG. 11. This local wear of the housing will disable the vane to be controlled and held at the intermediate position. Though it is possible to restrict the wear of the housing by using a hard material such as an iron, such a material will increase the production cost and the weight of the housing.

Rotational phase adjusting apparatus resin seal


In a thin-film field-effect transistor having a MIS structure, the insulator layer is formed of cyanoethylated dihydroxypropyl pullulan. The TFT is prepared by applying a cyanoethylated dihydroxypropyl pullulan solution onto a gate electrode in the form of a metal layer, drying the applied solution to form an insulator layer, and thereafter, forming a semiconductor layer thereon.

TFTs utilizing silicon semiconductor or compound semiconductor are used in general integrated circuits and other expanding applications. In particular, the use of TFTs in liquid crystal displays is well known. The recent trend taken for liquid crystal displays is to increase the display size and the image definition. It has become more desirable than ever to incorporate a multiplicity of TFTs corresponding to the number of pixels.
However, conventional metal-base semiconductors which are used in the art when circuits are formed on substrates cannot avoid introduction of small defects in TFTs formed on the substrate due to photoresist processing steps including patterning and etching. These processing steps impose a certain limit to the desire to reduce the TFT manufacturing cost. The same is true to other flat displays like plasma displays and organic EL displays if TFTs are used therein.
The recent trend toward larger display area and finer image definition leads to a propensity to increase the probability of defects in TFT manufacture. It is strongly desired to minimize TFT defects.
For TFTs having a metal/insulator/semiconductor (MIS) structure, attempts were made to form the insulator and semiconductor from organic substances. For example, JP-A 5-508745 (WO 92/01313) describes that a device fabricated using an insulating organic polymer having a dielectric constant of at least 5 as the insulating layer, and a multi-conjugated organic compound having a weight average molecular weight of up to 2,000 as the semiconductor layer exhibits a field effect and has a mobility of approximately 10−2 cm2V−1s−1.

Thin-film field-effect transistors and making method


A photoelectric conversion element comprises: a plurality of light-receiving elements that generates a charge for each pixel according to an amount of received light; and a plurality of pixel circuits that operates so as to derive the charge generated by the plurality of light-receiving elements from the plurality of light-receiving elements for each pixel. The plurality of light-receiving elements is arranged in a light-receiving area that receives light from outside, and the plurality of pixel circuits is provided in a non-light-receiving area that does not receive the light from outside.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion element, an image reading device, an image forming apparatus, an image reading method, and image forming method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image reading device which reads a document, CCD is conventionally mainly used as a photoelectric conversion element which performs photoelectric conversion of reflected light from the document. Recently, a CMOS linear image sensor attracts attention as the photoelectric conversion element by request for higher speed and lower power consumption of the image reading device. The CMOS linear image sensor is the same as the CCD in that this performs the photoelectric conversion of incident light by using a photo diode. However, although the CCD transfers a charge by a shift register and performs charge-voltage conversion by a charge detection unit after the transfer, the CMOS linear image sensor performs the charge-voltage conversion in the vicinity of a pixel to output to a subsequent stage.
In the conventional CMOS linear image sensor, a photo diode (PD) which performs the photoelectric conversion, a floating diffusion (FD) which performs the charge-voltage conversion of the charge accumulated by PD, a reset circuit which resets potential of FD, and a source follower (SF) which buffers a voltage signal of FD to transmit to the subsequent stage are formed in the pixel. That is to say, the conventional CMOS linear image sensor has a problem that an area (opening) of the photo diode is limited by a portion other than the photo diode (pixel circuit) arranged in the pixel and sensitivity thereof is deteriorated.
This problem is especially remarkable in the CMOS linear image sensor for reduction optical system in which a pixel size is small as compared to a contact image sensor (CIS) for same-magnification optical system even in a case of the same CMOS linear image sensor.
As a technical example to solve the above-described problem, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2010-135464 discloses a CMOS solid-state imaging element in which a plurality of pixel rows in which a plurality of pixels is one-dimensionally arranged is arranged, the solid-state imaging element provided with a first pixel circuit separately provided for each pixel arranged in each pixel and a second pixel circuit provided so as to be shared by the pixels of each column, the second pixel circuit arranged outside the pixel column.
However, the conventional CMOS linear image sensor has a problem that the sensitivity is still low because a part of the pixel circuit is formed in the pixel. There also is a problem that only one of R, G, and B may be read at once and higher speed cannot be easily realized because the pixel circuit has a common part among colors (R, G, and B).
In view of above conventional problems, there is a need to provide a photoelectric conversion element, an image reading device, an image forming apparatus, an image reading method, and an image forming method capable of preventing deterioration in sensitivity.

Photoelectric conversion element, image reading device, image forming apparatus, image reading method, and image forming method


A device comprising at least an outside surface which is intended to come into contact with the lips of the user during use, and wherein it is intended that the user shall inhale air drawn through the device. The device is coated with at least one first substance at least on a part of the outside surface intended to come into contact with the lips of the user, and the device includes at least one from the group consisting of a vaporizer for making an aerosol of solid particles of at least one second substance and/or liquid droplets of at least one second substance in air to be inhaled by the user, and a vaporizer for making a solution of at least one second substance in air to be inhaled by the user.

It is desired to replace ordinary cigarettes with healthier alternatives such as smokeless cigarettes and e-cigarettes and so on.
Further, it is desired to provide an efficient method of administering various substances to a human.
Cigarettes with nicotine on the outside are known.
WO2006052177 discloses a smokeless cigarette wherein a surface layer of the cigarette in at least a region at the part of the cigarette that when using the cigarette is intended to come in contact with the skin of a user, is impregnated with nicotine, so that the nicotine therein can be transferred to the skin of the user when handling and using the cigarette and therefrom into the blood system of the user.
There are also cigarettes, e-cigarettes and so on which administer nicotine via the air that is drawn through the device and inhaled by the user. The nicotine solution can be vaporized and inhaled.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,656,932 discloses a cigarette with nicotine on the sleeve and nicotine in a filter region.

Cigarette-like device for administration of substances


A micro-structure template for fabricating ordered arrays of particles includes a top surface and a bottom surface, with the top surface having a plurality of closely-spaced depressions. Particles are disposed in the closely-spaced depressions to form at least one layer of particles.

The following U.S. patents are fully incorporated herein by reference: International Patent Application No. PCT/US99/23313 (Drzaic et al., xe2x80x9cEncapsulated Electrophoretic Displays Having a Monolayer of Capsulesxe2x80x9d); U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,103 (Sheridon, xe2x80x9cMethod of Making a Twisting Ball Panel Displayxe2x80x9d); U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,332 (Crowley, xe2x80x9cMonolayer Gyricon Displayxe2x80x9d); U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,306 (Sheridon et al., xe2x80x9cEggcrate Substrate for a Twisting Ball Displayxe2x80x9d); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,091 (Sheridon et al., xe2x80x9cTwisting-Cylinder Displayxe2x80x9d).
This invention relates generally to visual displays and more particularly to an apparatus and method of making ordered arrays for reusable, addressable, paper-like visual displays, such as gyricon displays and the like.
Typically, a display device, in sheet form, comprises a thin sheet, which has many attributes of a paper document. It looks like paper, has ambient light valve behavior like paper (i.e. the brighter the ambient light, the more easily it may be seen), is flexible like paper, can be carried around like paper, can be written on like paper, can be copied like paper, and has nearly the archival memory of paper.
There have been different approaches to making a display sheet such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,103 titled xe2x80x9cMethod of Making a Twisting Ball Panel Displayxe2x80x9d, in which a plurality of particles, which have an electrical anisotropy due to hemispherical surface coatings of different Zeta potential, are mixed with a light transparent liquid which is subsequently cured to form an elastomeric slab. Following curing of the liquid, the slab is immersed in a dielectric liquid, which is absorbed by the slab and which causes the slab to expand slightly. Expansion of the slab around the particles provides a plasticizer-filled cavity around each particle, allowing the particles to rotate to provide a display.
Alternatively, International Application No. PCT/US99/23313 titled xe2x80x9cEncapsulated Electrophoretic Displays Having a Monolayer of Capsulesxe2x80x9d teaches an encapsulated electrophoretic display constructed with a monolayer of capsules on a substrate. The capsules, which may be non-spherical, contain electrophoretically mobile particles and a suspending fluid. The electrophoretic particles are constrained to move within the capsule under the influence of an external electric field.
A closely packed gyricon display is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,332 titled xe2x80x9cMonolayer Gyricon Displayxe2x80x9d, which discloses a layer of close-packed spheres suspended in an elastomer. The close-packed layer according to this disclosure is accomplished by using an elastomer cured with a 15-percent curing agent (hardener) at 90 degrees Celsius. Upon application of the dielectric fluid, the elastomer expands only 20 percent as compared to 50 percent or more through the conventional curing process. By varying the composition of the dielectric fluids, expansion of the elastomer may be reduced to approximately 10 percent. Interstices between the spheres may be filled with smaller spheres.
An alternate approach was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,306 titled xe2x80x9cEggcrate Substrate for a Twisting Ball Displayxe2x80x9d, in which the display includes a substrate having a cavity-containing matrix whose cavities are hollow cylindrical cells aligned with a lens array. Each cavity is filled with a transparent dielectric fluid and contains at most one optically anistropic particle, which is not attached to the substrate. The diameter and depth of the cavities are slightly larger than that of the particles. Each particle can have an anisotropy for providing an electrical dipole moment, with the electrical dipole moment rendering the particle electrically responsive. When the particle is rotatably disposed in an electric field while the electrical dipole moment of the particle is provided, the particle rotates to an orientation in which the electrical dipole moment aligns with the field.
Alternatively, U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,091 titled xe2x80x9cTwisting-Cylinder Displayxe2x80x9d, discloses a twisting-particle display based on nonspheroidal optically anisotropic particles disposed in a substrate. The particles can be bichromal cylinders, preferably aligned parallel to one another and packed close together in a monolayer. The substrate containing the cylinders can be fabricated with the swelled-elastomer techniques known from spherical-particle gyricon displays, with an agitation process step being used to align the cylinders within the sheet material.
A closely-packed monolayer display offers numerous advantages over a display containing randomly distributed spheres. Close-packed monolayer displays exhibit superior reflectance and brightness characteristics as compared with conventional gyricon displays, and the more of the monolayer plane that is covered by the gyricon elements, the better the reflectance and the brighter the display. However, the fabrication methods described in the art result in arrays having inter-sphere gaps, which negatively impact the reflectance and brightness characteristics of the display. A fabrication method is needed that would provide closely-packed ordered arrays with negligible inter-sphere gaps.
Briefly stated, and in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a micro-structure template for fabricating ordered arrays of micro-particles. The template includes a top surface and a bottom surface, with a plurality of depressions disposed in the top surface. Particles are disposed in the depressions to form at least one layer of particles.

Large area micro-structure template for creation of closely packed arrays


One embodiment includes a future activity list (FAL) maintained within a peripheral bus host controller. The FAL includes information indicating for a number of peripheral bus frames whether those frames will have activity or are null. For frames that will have activity, the host controller performs a system memory read to gather information required to process the active frame. For frames that are null, the host controller does not perform the system memory read. A bus master status bit is pegged (continually set to “true”) by the host controller only when the host controller is processing an active frame. Because the bus master status bit is not pegged by the host controller during null frames, there is greater opportunity for an operating system to enter lower power states.

Computer systems typically include peripheral busses that are capable of coupling a variety of peripheral devices to the system. Some of these peripheral devices may include keyboards, audio components, printers, scanners, storage devices, pointer devices, etc. One peripheral bus commonly found in today's computer systems is the Universal Serial Bus (USB).
In an effort to reduce power consumption, typical computer systems employ a combination of software and hardware techniques based on the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface Specification (ACPI), Revision 2.0b. The ACPI specification describes the structures and mechanisms necessary to design operating system-directed power management and make advanced configuration architectures possible. ACPI defines power management levels ranging from a C0 state (maximum power consumption) to a C4 state (minimum power consumption).
In prior computer systems implementing version 1.1 of USB, a USB host controller reads from the computer system's main memory every 1 ms to learn what the USB host controller must do during the next USB frame, even if it finds that it has nothing to do. For prior computer systems implementing version 2.0 of USB, the host controller reads from system memory every 125 us to learn what it must do during the next USB microframe, again even if it finds that it has nothing to do.
Microsoft® Windows® operating systems are commonly found in today's computer systems. Windows operating systems prior to the XP version keep USB host controllers always enabled whenever a USB peripheral device is attached so that the USB host controller can perform the afore-mentioned periodic reads from system memory. Windows XP keeps the host controller enabled when any USB device is attached, unless the device is in a suspended state and complies with USB device hardware and software requirements necessary for using the Windows XP "USB Selective Suspend" protocol.
Current computer systems compliant with the ACPI specification include logic devices that contain an ACPI bus master status bit (BM_STS). Prior system logic devices keep the BM_STS bit "pegged" (always returns "true" whenever the operating system reads it) while any USB host controller is enabled. Whenever the operating system attempts to enter either a C3 state or a C4 state, the operating system reads the BM_STS bit, and enters a C3 state or a C4 state if the BM_STS bit is false, but chooses to enter a C2 state if the BM_STS bit is true. Therefore, because the BM_STS is pegged when any USB device is attached, the operating system cannot enter the C3 or C4 state, and instead must enter the C2 state, which limits the amount of power savings possible.

Future activity list for peripheral bus host controller


Integrated propulsion systems and methods for blended wing aircraft are disclosed. In one embodiment, a propulsion system at least one engine operatively disposed within an engine flow duct having an engine inlet and an engine exhaust aperture, and at least one fan operatively disposed within a fan flow duct having a fan inlet and a fan exhaust aperture. The engine and fan rotational axes extending at least approximately along a lengthwise direction of the aircraft, the fan flow duct being separate from the engine flow duct. A transmission assembly is operatively coupled between the at least one engine and the at least one fan, the transmission assembly being configured to transmit a rotary output from the at least one engine to rotate the at least one fan.

Blended wing body (BWB) aircraft are being studied by governmental agencies, universities, and private industry for various applications, including passenger and cargo carrying applications. A BWB may be characterized as a hybrid shape that primarily resembles a flying wing, but also incorporates some features of a conventional aircraft. For example, FIG. 1 shows a conventional BWB aircraft concept 50 in accordance with the prior art. The BWB aircraft 50 includes an efficient, high-lift wing assembly 52, and a central, airfoil-shaped body 54. In the concept shown in FIG. 1, the BWB aircraft 50 includes three engines located in nacelles 56 mounted above the upper surface on pylons 58 near a trailing edge of the BWB aircraft 50. It is desirable to have engines with the highest possible ratio of fan-to-core airflow (bypass ratio) to increase propulsive efficiency. Studies by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (e.g. research program FS-2001-04-24-LaRC published at http://oea.larc.nasa.gov/PAIS/BWB.html) and other research facilities suggest that a relatively large commercial BWB aircraft designed to carry approximately 450 passengers may advantageously consume 20 percent less fuel than comparable jetliners of today, while cruising at high subsonic speeds on flights of up to 7,000 nautical miles.
While BWB aircraft of the type shown in FIG. 1 may provide desirable results, there is room for further improvement. For example, as the bypass ratio of the engines of the BWB aircraft 50 is increased, the engines and nacelles 56 get bigger and heavier, which makes a low loss integration of the engines on the airframe more difficult, and which also adversely affects the weight and balance of the BWB aircraft 50.
More highly-integrated engine installations having inlets flush mounted on a surface of the BWB aircraft 50 may partially mitigate these adverse effects. The intent of such highly-integrated installations is to ingest a portion of a boundary layer flow that is built up on an upper surface of the BWB aircraft 50. Passing that portion of the boundary layer flow through the engines can improve the overall efficiency, however, a key concern of this approach is pressure distortion in the flow at the engine face (both the fan and core streams) and its resulting impact on engine operability. Also of concern is the shaping of the nacelles, and in particular the channels between the nacelles, to produce shock free and separation free flow so as to minimize drag. Therefore, unconventional integrated propulsion systems and methods for BWB aircraft which mitigate the installation problems discussed above and which can increase the overall capabilities of the engine/airframe system would have utility.

Unconventional integrated propulsion systems and methods for blended wing body aircraft


Semi-synthetic glycopeptides that have antibacterial activity are based on modifications of a rearranged vancomycin or desmethyl-vancomycin scaffold, in particular, alkylation or acylation of the amino substituent on the amino-substituted sugar moiety on this scaffold with certain acyl groups; and/or conversion of the acid moiety on the macrocyclic ring of this scaffolds to certain substituted amides. Also provided are methods for synthesis of the compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds, and methods of use of the compounds for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases, especially bacterial infections.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel semi-synthetic glycopeptides having antibacterial activity, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds, and to a medical method of treatment.
2. Description of Related Art
The emergence of drug resistant bacterial strains has highlighted the need for synthesizing and identifying antibiotics with improved activity. Naturally occurring glycopeptide antibiotics used to combat bacterial infections include vancomycin and desmethyl-vancomycin compounds having the following structure:
wherein R4 is CH3 for vancomycin, and H for desmethyl-vancomycin.
These compounds are used to treat and prevent bacterial infection, but as with other antibacterial agents, bacterial strains having resistance or insufficient susceptibility to these compounds have been identified, and these compounds have been found to have limited effect against certain bacterial caused by glycopeptide resistant enterococci. Therefore, there is a continuing need to identify new derivative compounds which possess improved antibacterial activity, which have less potential for developing resistance, which possess improved effectiveness against bacterial infections that resist treatment with currently available antibiotics, or which possess unexpected selectivity against target microorganisms.

Semi-synthetic rearranged vancomycin/desmethyl-vancomycin-based glycopeptides with antibiotic activity


A timing device that includes an anode layer, a cathode layer and an electrolyte attached to a base layer. The anode layer and the cathode layer are placed adjacent to one another along an axis of the timing device. Upon activation of the timing device the anode layer is depleted away from the cathode layer until the timing device is fully expired. Once the timing device is expired, a change is seen indicating that the timing device has expired. In some embodiments, a color change indicates that the timing device has expired. In some embodiments, as the timing device expires electronically readable information is uncovered.

Galvanic cells, or Voltaic cells derive electrical energy from chemical reactions taking place within the cell. They generally consist of two different metals and an electrolyte. When the dissimilar metals come in contact with a common electrolyte, a potential difference is created between the metals. Once an electron path is provided, external to the cell itself, electrons flow from the anode to the cathode. Electrons flow from the anode to the cathode, depleting atoms of electrons, causing the remaining atoms to become ions.
These cells are more generally referred to within the public domain as batteries and are more predominantly used as a means of storing electrical energy.
However, some applications of these cells, like certain timing systems, temperature indicators and visual indicators, capitalize on other attributes inherent to these cells. One particular attribute of interest is the transformation of molecules within the anode from atom to ion and the subsequent change in optical properties. The optical properties of the anode change from opaque to transparent as atoms become ions.
The change in optical properties is relied upon within certain timing systems, temperature indicators and visual indicators, also referred to as time dependent color changing labels. Within these applications anode material consists of a thin metal film which has been deposited by evaporation or sputter or similar technique and configured on the same plane or nearly the same plane as a cathode such that when an electrolyte is introduced, anode atoms begin to deplete themselves of electrons and transform into ions, beginning at a point closest to the cathode. As depletion continues an ion rich transparent region begins to expand in a direction away from the cathode.
As the optical properties of the anode change from opaque to transparent backgrounds that used to lay hidden become visible. The expansion of the transparent region reveals various colors, text and/or patterns which have been printed just behind the anode. Progression of the transparent region indicates that increasing intervals of time have expired based on the appearance of colors text and/or patterns. This describes the general operation of some expiration indicators or color changing labels.

Timing system and device and method for making the same


A system and method for generating electric power using a generator coupled to a turboexpander is disclosed. The system includes one or more thermal pumps configured for heating a fluid to generate a pressurized gas. A portion of the pressurized gas is discharged to a buffer chamber for further utilization in a Rankine system. A further portion of the pressurized gas is expanded in a turboexpander for driving a generator for generating electric power. Optionally, the system includes a pump to pressurize a portion of the fluid depending on the systems operating condition. The system further includes one or more sensors for sensing temperature and pressure and outputs one or more signals representative of the sensed state. The system includes a control unit for receiving the signals and outputs one or more control signals for controlling the flow of gases and liquid in the valves and the check valve.

The disclosure relates generally to a system and method for generating power and more particularly, to a system and method for generating electric power, using a turboexpander coupled to a thermal pump.
In a typical power generation application, a power plant using a Rankine system utilizes a pump to feed a pressurized liquid from a condenser to a boiler or a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is used to vaporize the liquid to a gas. Further, a turboexpander is coupled to the heat exchanger to receive the gas and expand the gas for driving a generator to generate electric power. The pump used to feed the pressurized liquid to the heat exchanger, generally consumes a significant portion of the electric power generated from the generator. This significantly reduces the overall efficiency of the power plant.
Thus, there is a need for an improved system and method for increasing the efficiency of the power plant.

System and method for generating electric power


A capacitive discharge ignition system for an internal combustion engine and for use with a generator powered current source comprises a storage capacitor, at least one power thyristor for discharging the storage capacitor to transfer energy to at least one coil triggered in synchronism with an internal combustion engine with which the ignition system may be associated. A triggering circuit biases the power thyristor to discharge the storage capacitor. A shut-off circuit comprises a solid state device for switching the output of the generator to ground interrupting the flow of current to the power thyristor. A circuit sensing current flow in the triggering circuit generates a control and gates the solid state device into conduction in response to the control signal.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to capacitive discharge ignition systems in which a storage capacitor is charged by a generator or alternator and is discharged by a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) or thyristor switch triggered conducting in synchronism with the engine.
2. Description of Related Art
The Problem of turning SCRs off in capacitive discharge ignition systems is well known. Once triggered to conduct, the SCR remains conducting until the current source stops and the triggering pulse is removed. A number of patents have addressed shutting down the anode-to-cathode current from the source charging the storage capacitor. These have all related to direct current to direct current converter power supplies which can be electronically shut-down. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,583,378; 3,800,771; 3,838,328; and 4,069,801. The output of an alternator or generator cannot be switched off as with direct current converter power supplies. The output being an alternating current will periodically pass through zero. At this time, the SCR will shut down. However, it is desired to shut down the SCR immediately, that is, without waiting for the next polarity reversal of the alternator or generator. The applicant's circuit is directed to the shutting off of the power SCR in a capacitive discharge ignition system supplied by a generator or alternator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,184 specifically addresses these shortcomings, but does so at the cost of added circuit complexity. The present invention reduces power loss and provides simplified circuitry.

Silicon-controlled rectifier shut-off circuit for capacitive discharge ignition system


A 3D-NAND memory includes a transistor formed in a first side of a periphery circuit substrate, a memory cell stack formed over a first side of a cell array substrate, and a first connection structure formed over an opposing second side of the cell array substrate. The memory cell stack includes a doped region formed in the first side of the cell array substrate and coupled to the first connection structure through a first VIA, a common source structure that extends from the doped region toward the first side of the periphery circuit substrate, and a second connection structure that is positioned over and coupled to the common source structure. The first side of the cell array substrate and the first side of the periphery circuit substrate are aligned facing each other so that the transistor is coupled to the second connection structure.

As critical dimensions of devices in integrated circuits shrink to the limits of common memory cell technologies, designers have been looking to techniques for stacking multiple planes of memory cells to achieve greater storage capacity, and to achieve lower costs per bit.
A 3D-NAND memory device is an exemplary device of stacking multiple planes of memory cells to achieve greater storage capacity, and to achieve lower costs per bit. In a related 3D NAND architecture, periphery circuits take up about 20-30% of die area, which lowers NAND bit density. As 3D NAND technology continues to progress to 128 layers and above, the periphery circuits will likely take up more than 50% of the total die area.
In a cross-stacking structure, the periphery circuits which handle data I/O as well as memory cell operations are processed on a separate wafer (CMOS wafer) using a logic technology node (i.e., 14 nm, 7 nm) that enables the desired I/O speed and functions. Once the processing of a cell array wafer is completed, the two wafers are connected electrically through millions of metal vertical interconnect accesses (VIAs) that are formed simultaneously across the whole wafer in one process step. By using the innovative cross-stacking structure, the periphery circuits are now above cell array chip formed in the cell array wafer, which enables much higher NAND bit density than related 3D NAND with limited increase in total cost.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

3D NAND memory device and method of forming the same


This disclosure relates to technology that provides dynamically configurable access to customized digital content associated with a machine-readable label (“MRL”). A MRL may be designed, printed and distributed to viewers. After distribution, the MRL may be collected by an owner who activates the collectible MRL and associates the MRL with customized content. At a time they are generated, a collectible MRL may be associated with a default scan destination. The default scan destination may be encoded in a data zone of the collectible MRL. The information encoded in a data zone of the collectible MRL may not be changeable after the MRL is distributed or fixed in tangible form. The disclosed technology provides apparatus and methods for customizing content associated with a MRL even after the MRL has been fixed in tangible form.

MRLs, such as quick-response ("QR") codes, provide businesses with a fast and efficient medium for connecting with consumers. Instructions, such as URLs, contact information and other alphanumeric information may be encoded in an MRL. Businesses may leverage a MRL to guide consumers to a desired destination (real or virtual) where the customers can access products, services and information provided by the business. However, a scanning device is needed to scan and interpret the instructions encoded in an MRL.
In 2010, 62.6 million people in the United States used smartphones. In 2020 that number is predicted to more than quadruple to 272.6 million. Commensurate with increased smartphone use is integration of technology into smartphones that scans and interprets an MRL. Today, many smartphones include a native camera application that recognizes MRLs such as QR codes. There is no need to download and install a separate application or use a separate reader to scan an MRL.
MRLs potentially offer an inexpensive means of providing consumers with easy access to products, services or information. Consumers are already using their smartphones to search for information about a product/service of interest. Now, businesses can tap into this tendency by using MRLs to guide consumers to targeted content associated with a product/service. Furthermore, MRLs are inexpensive and easy to print on a variety of surfaces such as business cards, product packaging, posters or marketing materials.
Despite the proliferation of mobile devices, widespread adoption of MRLs still faces a significant hurdle. Deployment of a MRL is a cumbersome, multi-step process. A customer must create navigate to an online location (e.g., website) that provides access to a MRL generator. The customer utilizes the generator to design an aesthetic appearance of an MRL. The design process may include inputting a destination location or other information that will be encoded into the MRL.
The customer must then take steps to present the generated MRL to the public. These steps may include ordering tangible copies of the generated MRL, waiting for the ordered copies to arrive and then affixing the ordered copies to a surface. These multiple steps present an obstacle to seamless, mass deployment of MRLs.
Another hurdle facing widespread adoption of MRLs is that conventionally, instructions encoded in a MRL may be static and not easily changed. MRLs may be printed and affixed to real property or other tangible surfaces. For example, a MRL may be positioned at a fixed location or on a specific object (e.g., a bicycle, hat, shirt, car). Contact information or a URL associated with a business may change. Yet, a MRL affixed to a tangible surface may still encode old contact information or an old URL. It is costly to remove an old MRL and replace it with an updated MRL.
It would be desirable to provide apparatus and methods for deploying MRLs on offline surfaces and then allowing the MRLs to be collected and configured on-demand by a customer. It would be desirable to provide apparatus and methods for MRLs that may be printed and distributed, without any knowledge of content that may be linked to the MRL or intended owner of the MRL. It would be desirable to provide apparatus and methods for distributing static MRLs such as QR codes that are dynamically configurable to provide access to customized content after being generated. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide apparatus and methods for COLLECTIBLE MACHINE-READABLE CODES.


A voice reinforcement system extracts a portion of a converted speech signal and redirects it towards a listening area where it may be added with the original signal. The system includes a speech input, a filter, and a converter. The speech input generates an intermediate signal from a speech signal. The filter extracts a portion of the signal extending above a cutoff frequency. The converter converts the filtered signal to an aural signal directed towards a listening area.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to speech intelligibility, and more particularly, to a system that isolates and reinforces speech sounds.
2. Related Art
Speech reinforcement systems may be used to improve communication. The intelligibility of human speech may be based on consonant sounds. When these sounds are masked or are not heard by a listener, the listener's ability to comprehend the speech may be impaired.
Speech recognition systems process input voice signals. These signals may be redirected to a listener or a group of listeners to help them understand the speech. Some systems redirect an entire voice signal to an intended listener. As a result, these systems may produce feedback. To prevent feedback, special algorithms may need to further process the signals. These algorithms may create delays that diminish the intelligibility of the signal. Therefore, a need exists for an improved voice reinforcement system.


A reflectometry system includes at least one measurement means for measuring a reference signal retro-propagated in at least one transmission line, at least one analog-digital converter for converting at least one measured signal into a set of at least one first digital signal and one second digital signal, at least one complex correlator configured to correlate the real reference signal with a complex signal whose real part is formed by a first digital signal of the set and whose imaginary part is formed by a second digital signal of the set, so as to produce a first reflectogram corresponding to the real part of the complex signal and a second reflectogram corresponding to the imaginary part of the complex signal, an analysis module for analyzing at least the first reflectogram and the second reflectogram so as to identify the presence of defects in at least one transmission line.

Cables are ubiquitous in all electrical systems, for power supply or transmission of information. These cables are subject to the same constraints as the systems that they link and can be prone to failures. It is therefore necessary to be able to analyze their state and to provide information on the detection of defects, but also their location and their type, so as to aid maintenance. The usual reflectometry methods allow tests of this type.
Reflectometry methods use a principle much like that of radar: an electrical signal, the probe signal or reference signal, which is usually of high frequency or broadband, is injected at one or more places in the cable to be tested. The signal propagates in the cable or the network and returns part of its energy when it encounters an electrical discontinuity. An electrical discontinuity can be the result, for example, of a branch-off, of the end of the cable or of a defect or more generally of a break in the signal propagation conditions in the cable. It results from a defect which locally modifies the characteristic impedance of the cable by causing a discontinuity in its lineal parameters.
The analysis of the signals returned at the injection point makes it possible to deduce therefrom information on the presence and the location of these discontinuities, therefore possible defects. An analysis in the time domain or frequency domain is customarily carried out. These methods are designated by the acronyms TDR from the expression "Time Domain Reflectometry" and FDR from the expression "Frequency Domain Reflectometry".
The invention enters the field of application of wired-diagnosis methods and applies to any type of electrical cable, especially energy transmission cables or communication cables, in fixed or mobile installations. The cables concerned can be coaxial, bifilar, in parallel lines, in twisted pairs or other, provided it is possible to inject a reflectometry signal thereinto at a point of the cable and to measure its reflection at the same point or at another point.
A reflectometry system is customarily used to diagnose the state of health of a transmission line, for example a single cable, by connecting the system at a point of the cable. However, in the case of complex installations, for example of a network of energy transmission, of power supply or of communication cables, in a building or a vehicle, for example an aircraft, the cables can be grouped into cable bundles. To analyze each cable of a bundle, it is then necessary to connect the system successively to each of the cables. Such a procedure gives rise to a processing time which can be crippling in particular when the time for access to the installations is limited. For example, for the case of a vehicle, such as an aircraft, the analysis time for the cables on board the vehicle impacts the overall time during which the vehicle may not be used. Moreover, when involved with detecting intermittent defects, that is to say of short duration, arising on several cables simultaneously, the use of a single diagnosis apparatus does not allow sufficiently fast analysis. Indeed, in such a scenario, the diagnosis apparatus is associated with a switching system to connect the apparatus successively to the various cables. The temporal switching thus carried out affects the capability to detect defects whose duration is short with respect to the switching time proportional to the number of cables to be diagnosed.
Another problem is related to the processing capabilities of a reflectometry system. In general, such a system comprises a digital-analog converter for converting the digital reference signal into an analog signal so as to inject it into the cable, an analog-digital converter to carry out the inverse operation on the measured signal and a correlator which carries out the calculation of the inter-correlation between the reference signal and the measured signal. The correlator can be implemented on a processor or on an integrated circuit of the ASIC or FPGA type. On account of technological limitations, the processing frequency or clock frequency of the device which implements the correlation function is generally lower than the sampling frequency of the analog-digital converter. Indeed, the inter-correlation calculation operation requires a significant number of operations and the modules for digital calculation (be they implemented via a digital processor or an integrated circuit) are not generally capable of operating at frequencies as high as an analog-digital converter. Therefore, it is not possible to process the signal at the output of the analog-digital converter at the speed at which it is received.
There therefore exists a general problem consisting in increasing the processing capabilities of a reflectometry system so as to make it possible to process several transmission lines simultaneously but also so as to allow calculation of the correlation function at a rate close or equal to the sampling frequency of the received signal.

Reflectometry system for analysing defects in at least one transmission line, the system comprising a complex correlator

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