Preamble release training in a double data-rate dynamic random access memory interface uses feedback from read operations to adjust the preamble release signal so that the preamble release signal continues to be activated close to the middle of the preamble. A first signal, and then a second signal, are generated in response to an initiation of a read operation. The first and second signals are characterized by a delay from the initiation of the read operation of one or more clock cycles plus a fine delay contributed by an adjustable delay circuit. The first signal is provided to a data strobe parking circuit that uses it to release or un-park the data strobe signal lines. The second signal is phase-compared with the data strobe signal associated with incoming data during the read operation. The adjustable delay circuit is adjusted in response to the result of the comparison.

As computers and computer processors increase in performance, memory access performance becomes a significant factor affecting overall system performance. If an interface that communicates data between a memory device and a memory controller or other application device operates more slowly than a processor can use data, the interface can reduce the data processing capacity of the entire computer. For dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices, which are commonly used as the main working memory for a computer, various interconnect technologies have been developed over the years. One such interconnect technology is used for synchronous DRAMs, or SDRAMs, which utilize a source synchronous interface, where the source of data during a data transfer is relied upon to provide a data strobe signal that is used by the target of the data transfer to capture such data as it is being transferred over a data line to the target. In particular, the capture of data on a data line is typically latched by the rising or falling edge of the data strobe signals, for example, so that the value transmitted on a data line when the data strobe signal transitions from low to high, or vice-versa, will be latched into a data latch in the target.
DRAM memory elements, such as double data rate (DDR) memory elements, contain multiple buses. A command and address bus is formed by a number of signals, such as, for example, a column-address strobe (CAS), row-address strobe (RAS), write enable (WE), clock enable (CKE), chip-select (CS), address (ADDR), bank address (BA) signals, and differential clock signals (CK and CKN). DDR3 memory elements operate with differential data strobe signals DQS and DQSN, which enable source synchronous data capture at twice the clock frequency. The data bus between the host logic circuitry and the DRAM includes the data signals (DQ) and data strobe signals (DQS and DQSN).
In DDR3 DRAM systems, data is transferred in bursts for both read and write operations, sending or receiving a series of four (referred to as burst chop 4 or BC4) or eight (referred to as burst length 8 or BL8) data words with each memory access. For read operations, data bursts of various lengths are transmitted by the DRAM edge-aligned with a data strobe signal. For write operations, data bursts of various lengths are received by the DRAM element with a 90-degree phase-delayed data strobe signal. The one or more data strobe signal lines between the host logic circuitry and the DRAM are bidirectional. The data strobe signal issued by the DRAM is used by the host logic circuitry to capture data during read operations. The data strobe signal issued by the host logic circuitry is used by the DRAM to capture data during write operations.
When the data bus is inactive, i.e., no data is being transferred, the data strobe signal lines assume a tristate or termination voltage level VTT that, for DDR3 DRAM systems, is one-half the supply voltage VDD. The termination voltage thus defines neither a logic-0 nor a logic-1 level. In a read operation, the host logic circuitry issues a read command and communicates a clock signal to the source DRAM. In response to the read command, and after a DRAM internal delay, the DRAM causes the data strobe signal lines to change state from the termination voltage to a "preamble" state that, for DDR3 DRAM systems, is a logic-0 level with a duration of a full cycle of the DRAM clock, or two cycles of CLK—2X. Following the preamble, the DRAM issues one or more bursts of data accompanied by the requisite data strobe signals. The host logic circuitry may use the preamble to prepare itself to receive the data. The host logic circuitry uses the data strobe signals to capture or register the data. The host logic circuitry registers the incoming data signals with the rising edges of the differential data strobe signals, i.e., the rising edges of both DQS and DQSN.
The host logic circuitry includes differential receivers to receive the data strobe signals. When both inputs of a differential receiver are driven to the termination voltage level VTT, the output of the differential receiver is undefined. If the undefined output were allowed to propagate to logic that handles incoming data, spurious edges on the data strobe signals could cause erroneous results. Therefore, the host logic circuitry commonly includes "parking" logic to force the output of the differential data strobe signal receivers to a defined logic value until the preamble arrives. The parking logic un-parks the data strobe signal during the preamble and then re-parks the data strobe signal during the postamble. The preamble thus serves as a window in which to un-park the differential data strobe signal receiver outputs. It is generally desirable to un-park the differential data strobe signal receiver outputs in the middle of the preamble. Therefore, methods have been developed to generate a parking control signal or preamble release signal that goes active in the middle of the preamble. Such methods include feedback-based training methods that seek the optimal delay value for a programmable delay element to delay activation of the parking control signal until the middle of the preamble.
A known training method involves setting or programming the programmable delay value and issuing a read command. In response to the read command, a pulse is propagated through the programmable delay element and thus delayed. The parking logic uses this delayed pulse as a preamble release signal to un-park the data strobe signal. When the memory responds to the read command by activating the data strobe signal (i.e., transitioning from the termination voltage to a preamble followed by a number of data strobe signal transitions), the incoming data strobe signal is sampled with a register clocked by the preamble release signal. If the data strobe signal is sampled during the preamble, the sampling register will sample or capture a logic-0. If the data strobe signal is sampled just after the first data strobe signal edge, the sampling register will sample or capture a logic-1. The procedure is repeated in an iterative manner, setting a different delay value on each iteration. From the results captured in the sampling register, an optimum delay value that places the preamble release signal in the middle of the preamble can be computed.
After the training method has been completed and the programmable delay element has been set to the optimal value, drift in the timing relationship between the host logic circuitry and the DRAM can cause the preamble release signal to lose alignment with the middle of the preamble. Periodically re-training the preamble release signal is possible but not an optimal solution because it requires periodically halting the memory system.

Continuous tuning of preamble release timing in a double data-rate memory device interface

Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.


A transmission method for the physical common packet channels having the power bias is disclosed in the invention. The power bias magnitudes are added in the physical common channels of the said transmission method between the last successfully accessed access prefix and the conflict detection prefix, between the access prefix and the power control prefix, and between the power control prefix and the control section of the messages. By utilizing the method of the invention, the access probability in the transmission procedure of the physical common packet channels can be increased, the average access time can be shortened, the interference with the other users can be reduced, and the comprehensive performance of the link can be improved.

In the physical common packet channels of the wide-band code division multiple access, a physical common packet channel is composed of an access prefix (AP), a conflict detection prefix (CD_P), a power control prefix (PCP), and the messages. The power transmitted by the access prefix is a climbing procedure: an initial access prefix is started to transmit by using an evaluated value of an open loop power, if the down-link acknowledgement information is not received, then the access prefix will be transmitted continuously by using the power bias of Δ P0. When the down-link acknowledgement information is received, then the conflict detection prefix will be transmitted by using the same power, after the acknowledgement information being received, the power control prefix and the messages will be transmitted by using the power bias of Δ Pp-m corresponding to the conflict detection prefix. An illustration diagram of the whole procedure is shown in FIG. 1.
Because the main function of the access prefix is used to determine an approximately suitable transmission power value, so the acquisition probability of which is not high under the power level of an access prefix which is the last one acquired successfully by the base station. However, the function of the conflict detection prefix is used to detect the conflict. Under the condition of a reasonable cost, the acquisition probability should be as high as possible. If the conflict detection prefixes are transmitted by the same power, then it will cause not only no conflict, but also no conflict detection prefix being able to be detected. Thus, this access procedure shall be restarted with a high cost. A method used presently is to increase the climbing steps of the access prefix, then the average power level and the acquisition probability of the access prefix, which is the last one acquired successfully, can be increased. The disadvantage thereof is the fluctuation of the power level (or the signal to noise ratio) of the access prefix, which is the last one accessed successfully, is large, so the object of the power control for making the access prefix climbing cannot be reached. However, the improvement of the acquisition performance of the conflict detection prefix is limited.
Power control prefixes subsequent to the conflict detection prefix are used to control the power, it can be seen from the above description, only an approximate power control can be obtained by using the climbing of the access prefix, this precision is not sufficient for demodulating the messages. Thus, the power control will be controlled by the power control prefixes to achieve a better power control result of the messages at the end of the power control prefix. The power control effect of the power control by using the power control prefix corresponds directly to the magnitude of the power of the power control prefix. If the power of the power control prefix is large, then the SIR evaluation of the base station will be more accurate, and the power control of the power control prefix will be more accurate. In contrast, the smaller the power of the power control prefix is, the more inaccurate the SIR evaluation of the base station is, and the worse the effect of the power control by using power control prefix will be. However, the power of the power control prefix cannot be increased limitlessly, because the increase of the power will cause the overhead and the interference with the other users. Thus, there is an optimum power bias value between the power of the power control prefix and the access prefix, which is the last one accessed successfully.
The demodulated power value of the subsequent messages is determined by the demodulation performance that the messages can reach, it is related to the frequency spread factor, encoding, and the channels of the messages, and the like. Normally, the value of which is different from the optimum power value of the power control prefix. Thus, there exists a power difference between the power control prefix and the control section of the messages. However, this power difference does not exist in the present physical common packet channels, thus, it is difficult to achieve the optimum comprehensive performance of the whole link.

Transmission method for physical common packet channels having a power bias


A method is provided to synthesize nanocomposites containing intercalated FeF2— or Fe2O3— nanoparticles in a graphitic carbon matrix by reaction of a volatile iron compound with a graphite fluoride (CFx) or a graphite oxide (COx). Additionally provided is a nanocomposite material containing intercalated FeF2— or Fe2O3— nanoparticles in a graphitic carbon matrix and its use as an electrochemically active material in particular for use in electrochemical storage cells.

The present invention provides new nanocomposites comprising a graphitic matrix in which nanosized iron fluoride or iron oxide particles are embedded. The invention further comprises a one-step method for preparing said composites and their use as electrode material.
Lithium ion batteries are key energy storage devices that power today's consumer electronics. However, their energy density still fall short for transportation and large scale power storage applications. One way to increase the energy density of battery is to use high energy density electrode materials. The present commercial Li-ion batteries use LiCoO2 or LiFePO4 based insertion positive electrode materials. While LiCoO2 is a layered compound with a specific capacity of 150 mAh/g, LiFePO4 is a framework compound whose capacity is 170 mAh/g. Even though both compounds show excellent reversibility with lithium, the specific capacity is limited by single electron redox reaction per molecule or even less.
A valid approach to increase the energy density of electrode material is to utilize all possible redox states of metal ion. The best candidates for this purpose are metal fluorides as they reversibly react with lithium at relatively high voltage (H. Li, J. Richter and J. Maier., Adv. Mater. (2003), 15, 736-739). However, to their disadvantage metal fluorides are electrical insulators. Further, when micron sized metal fluoride particles are used the capacity fades rapidly with cycling.
Among various metal fluorides, iron fluorides are important class due to their low cost and low toxicity. In this context, FeF2 is an interesting cathode material which has a thermodynamic reduction potential of 2.66 V versus lithium and has a theoretical specific capacity of 571 mAh/g to a gravimetric energy density of 1519 Wh/kg. However, FeF2 is an electrical insulator and needs to stay in intimate contact with electronic conductors in order to become electrochemically active.
To address these problems carbon-metal fluoride nanocomposites (CMFNCs) are proposed in U.S. 2004/0062994. These composites are prepared using mechanical high-energy milling of FeF2, FeF3, NH4FeF4, NiF, or CoF and activated carbon, carbon black, or expanded graphite. The total carbon content in the nanocomposites comprises about 5% to 50% by weight. Similar composites and a method for their preparation are described by Badway et al. (F. Badway, N. Pereira, F. Cosandey and G. G. Amatucci J. Electrochem. Soc., (2003), 150 (9), 1209-1218). However, the preparation of graphitic carbon-metal fluoride nanocomposites by simple milling leads to less stable interfaces between carbon and the respective metal compound. Hence, carbon may detach from the active material which is expanding and shrinking during charge-discharge cycles, so that more and more volume elements of the composite become inactive.
Plitz et al. presented a method for synthesising Carbon-Metal Fluoride Nanocomposites (CMFNCs) starting from insulative carbon fluoride (CF) as oxidizing agent and FeF2, NiF2, or CoF2 precursors (I. Plitz, F. Badway, J. Al-Sharab, A. DuPasquier, F. Cosandey, G. G. Amatucci "Structure and Electrochemistry of Carbon-Metal Fluoride Nanocomposites Fabricated by Solid-State Redox Conversion Reaction" (2005) Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 152(2) 307-315). Unfortunately, ball milling destroys any complex microstructure and the small nanocrystals can agglomerate much more easily. This state of the art system contains relatively large FeF3 nanoparticles in a range of about 20 nm. Moreover, the ball milling of active material with conductive carbon leads to nanocomposite structures where carbon flakes are weakly attached to the nanoparticles or structures where the particles are sitting loosely on top of the carbon/graphene surface. In all of these materials degradation occurs during charging and draining because the interface is not stable enough to deal with the associated volume expansion and shrinkage of the active electrode material, in particular when conversion materials are used.
A further disadvantage of the state of the art is the lack of an economic one-step synthesis which is easy to perform. The cited state of the art does not disclose iron nanoparticles or nanocomposites clamped into a highly conducting graphitic matrix.

Carbon-FeF2 and carbon-Fe203 nanocomposites, their preparation and use as electrochemical storage material


A computer-implemented method for analyzing digital holographic microscopy (DHM) data for hematology applications includes receiving a DHM image acquired using a digital holographic microscopy system. The DHM image comprises depictions of one or more cell objects and background. A reference image is generated based on the DHM image. This reference image may then be used to reconstruct a fringe pattern in the DHM image into an optical depth map.

Digital holographic microscopy (DHM), also known as interference phase microscopy, is an imaging technology that provides the ability to quantitatively track sub-nanometric optical thickness changes in transparent specimens. Unlike traditional digital microscopy, in which only intensity (amplitude) information about a specimen is captured, DHM captures both phase and intensity. The phase information, captured as a hologram, can be used to reconstruct extended morphological information (such as depth and surface characteristics) about the specimen using a computer algorithm. Modern DHM implementations offer several additional benefits, such as fast scanning/data acquisition speed, low noise, high resolution and the potential for label-free sample acquisition.
Off-axis DHM systems create holograms where there is a modulating sinusoidal fringe pattern over the entire field of view due to small angle between object and reference beam, in other words, plane waves impinging a sensor surface interfere destructively and constructively at the location at the sensor and thus forming the sinusoidal pattern. Furthermore as depicted in the FIG. 1A, in a specific set up the reference beam is created from the object beam using a pin hole at the location of the optical Fourier-plane (or conjugated plane to the Fourier-plane) to erase the object spatial signature and to provide a uniform plane waves for creating an interference or hologram image.
FIG. 1B shows sample reference fringe image, obtained in the absence of any objects in the plane of view (top) and a sample object image obtained with cells in the field of view (bottom). As shown in the FIG. 1B, the reconstruction involves a Fourier-transform based isolation of wave numbers around the modulating frequency off axis set up and finding the phase different in the corresponding waves of both an object and reference image. There will be an unwrapping step involved for cases where the optical depth difference causes absolute phase values larger than pi. The reference image in FIG. 1B is usually taken prior to the experiment or updated throughout with condition of having no object in the field of view and consistent background.

Auto-referencing in digital holographic microscopy reconstruction


The present invention relates to a surfactant composition containing a composition containing a diol derivative (I) and a surfactant:

Generally, alkanolamide surfactants, betaine surfactants and semi-polar surfactants (e.g., alkyldimethylamine oxide) are known as a thickener or foam-increasing agent and used currently as an auxiliary surfactant in various detergent fields.
Auxiliary surfactants mostly used today are alkanolamide surfactants and amidopropylbetaine.
Also, in WO-A 03/008527, there is a description that a hydroxyalkyl polyhydric ether compound obtained from a 1,2-epoxyalkane and an aliphatic diol is useful as a thickener of a detergent composition.
Also, in JP-A 63-57698, there is a description that an alkane-1,2-diol is formulated in an anionic surfactant to suppress irritation to the skin.
Conventionally, 1,2-alkanediol derivatives are reported as cosmetic bases or as a combination with a cationic surfactant and a polymer endoplasmic reticulum. For example in JP-B 59-46926, there is a description that a 1,2-alkanediol derivative is formulated as a cosmetic base to impart oily nature thereby improving a feel when a detergent containing the derivative is applied. JP-A 1-153610 discloses a hair cosmetic containing a cationic surfactant and a 1,2-alkanediol derivative and describes that the hair cosmetic increases the water-retentivity of the hair after the hair is rinsed and dried and imparts a wet feel and a smooth feel. Also, in JP-B 2576198, there is a description concerning the effects of protecting hairs and imparting a wet feel to hairs by a combination of a polymer endoplasmic reticulum and a 1,2-alkanediol derivative.

Abstract: wherein R1 is an alkyl or alkenyl group having 4 to 22 carbons, R2 is an alkyl or alkenyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms and one of R3 and R4 is a straight-chain or branched alkyl or alkenyl group having 4 to 22 carbon atoms and derived from R1 and the other is a hydrogen atom.


A multiunit charging device and method for preemptive data upload is provided. A multiunit charging device controls a first mobile device, received at a plurality of charging stations of the multiunit charging device, to upload first data via a communication unit. After upload of the first data has begun, the multiunit charging device detects that a second mobile device is received at the plurality of charging stations. When an amount of second data for upload at the second mobile device is smaller than a remaining amount of the first data for upload at the first mobile device, the multiunit charging device: preempts uploading of the first data at the first mobile device; and controls the second mobile device to upload the second data via the communication unit.

Body-worn cameras, and other types of mobile devices used by first responders, are often provided to first responders from a pool of devices. At the end of a shift, and the like, a first responder places a mobile device used during the shift into a networked multi-unit charger, which charges the mobile device and causes upload of data (e.g. which may include evidence, and the like) collected by the mobile device to a central storage device, such as a database. The upload of the data may be generally performed in order of receipt of mobile devices, such that data from a first received mobile device is uploaded, and when the upload ends, data from a next received mobile device is uploaded, etc. Alternatively, upload of the data from all the mobile devices may occur simultaneously. Such schemes can be inefficient.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

Multiunit charging device and method for preemptive data upload


A system for converting a continuous-time analog signal having a signal bandwidth to a discrete-time digital signal, the system includes a plurality of proportional filters configured to receive the continuous-time analog signal, each proportional filter having a different center frequency from all other proportional filters and each proportional filter having an operational bandwidth directly proportional to its center frequency, and a plurality of sample and hold circuits, each sample and hold circuit coupled to a respective one of the proportional filters.

Analog to digital converters with sufficient dynamic range and linearity become increasingly difficult to implement as the sampling rates increase. Improving the performance of wideband analog to digital converters is a long standing problem and a number of approaches have been developed to address this issue. One approach in the prior art is to use time interleaved analog to digital converters, which are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,926 to Corcoran, issued Mar. 15, 1994. In that approach the signal is fed to a bank of analog to digital converters and the sampling of the signal is time interleaved between the analog to digital converters (ADC) so that the first sample is taken by the first ADC, the second sample by the second ADC and so on until the last ADC takes a sample and then the sampling order repeats starting with the first ADC. The samples from the ADCs are then recombined. The sample rate of any one of the analog to digital converters is reduced; however, mismatches between the analog to digital converters can cause amplitude and phase errors.
Another approach is use a filter bank to filter the wideband input signal into a set of lower bandwidth input signals. The lower bandwidth input signals can then be converted to digital form with ADCs operating at lower sample rates and then the outputs from the ADCs are recombined. The filter bank approach for reducing ADC sample rates is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,142 to Velazquez et al. issued Oct. 22, 1996 and by U.S. Pat. No. 6,476,749 to Yeap et al. issued Nov. 5, 2002.
Such a system for analog to digital conversion 10 is shown in FIG. 1. The wideband input signal 12 is fed into filters 14, which subdivide the wideband input signal 12 into a set of lower bandwidth signals that are each then fed into sample and hold circuits 16 and then to analog to digital converters 18. The outputs of the analog to digital converters 18 are digitally recombined in digital recombiner 20 to form a digital output 22, which is the digital representation of input signal 12.
In the prior art the filters 14 have different center frequencies to cover the bandwidth of the wideband input signal; however, each filter 14 has the same operational bandwidth. This has the advantage that the hardware downstream of each filter 14 is identical including the sample and hold circuit 16 and the ADC 18. Because all of the operational bandwidths of the filters 14 are identical, each sample and hold circuit 16, as shown in FIG. 1, is clocked at the same rate.
A disadvantage of the prior art system is that capacitors in the sample and hold circuits 16 may see large signal swings and if, as a result, the sample and hold circuits 16 cannot react fast enough to the large signal swings the sample and hold circuit 16 will introduce errors that effectively limit the performance of the analog to digital conversion system. Because the performance of the sample and hold circuits 16 is a major limiter to the performance of the filter bank approach for wideband analog to digital conversion, any improvement to the performance of the sample and hold circuits 16 can help improve the signal to noise ratio and the signal to noise plus distortion ratio of the analog to digital conversion system.
What is needed is a system that improves the performance of the sample and hold circuits or limits large signal swings at the input of the sample and hold circuits. If the stress on the sample and hold circuits can be limited then the performance of the analog the digital conversion system can be improved. The embodiments of the present disclosure answer these and other needs.

Multi-rate analog to digital converter with proportional filter bank


The present invention relates to a gripping device for a hand held article. The gripping device has an encasement assembly for fitting on a hand grip portion of the article. The encasement assembly contains a controllable fluid, such as magnetorheological and electrorheological fluids. The gripping device also has an activating assembly for selectively applying a field to the controllable fluid to change its Theological behavior, e.g., increasing its viscosity. Thus, the controllable fluid can maintain the shape of the encasement assembly until the activating assembly withdraws the applied field therefrom. The present invention further relates to a manual implement that has the above gripping device fitted thereon and a method for using a manual implement having the above gripping device.

When using a hand held article, such as a pen, shaver, lighter, tool, and sporting equipments such as tennis, racquetball or tabletennis rackets, it is important that the user properly and comfortably holds the article. In doing so, the user can have better control of the article without incurring unnecessary fatigue to the user's hand. It has been found that the user's comfort increases as the hand position approaches its ergonomic or anatomic position.
Various attempts have been made to conform hand grips to an individual user's hand. One general approach is to provide a pre-contoured hand grip that conforms to an average user's hand. It is readily evident that such contoured hand grips are inadequate in conforming to individual users.
U.S. pat. Nos. 5,548,848 to Iuybrechts, 5,155,878 to Dellis, 4,934,024 to Sexton and 4,785,495 to Dellis disclose a hand grip that can be custom-molded to fit exactly the contours of a user's hand. These hand grips contain moldable materials such as thermoplastics. During the molding process, the thermoplastics are first heated to molten temperatures so that they can be molded to desired shapes. Once the molten thermoplastics are contoured to the desired shapes, they are cooled to the ambient temperature to solidify the thermoplastics to form the customized shapes.
Thus, heating and cooling means are required to practice the prior art hand grips. Typically, the molding process is carried out at a manufacturing plant, or a retailer store where a user normally purchases the article. It is not possible for individual users to make adjustment before each usage. Therefore, such hand grips are not practical for articles that require frequent contour customization by the user, or articles that are designed for multiple users.
It is therefore desirable to provide a hand grip that overcomes the above-mentioned deficiencies and can be easily adapted to conform to the user's hand.


A work equipment battery case that stores a battery cell for driving a battery powered work equipment, the battery case includes: a plate-like bottom on which the battery cell is placed; and a plate-like side formed to project from the bottom, and arranged at an outside of the battery cell placed on the bottom, wherein a mass of a part of the side is larger than a mass of the other part of the side.

As a battery powered work equipment, there has been known a forklift that loads and unloads cargo and moves the cargo by using a fork mounted on the front part of the body of the machine. The forklift described above travels and performs a cargo handling operation with a battery mounted on the body. The battery is mounted on the work equipment with the state in which plural battery cells are stored in a battery case (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).

Work equipment battery case and battery unit


An optical receiver is disclosed. The optical receiver includes a polarization holding fiber configured to receive a light emitted from a light source and a polarizer configured to be irradiated with the light output from the polarization holding fiber. A method for adjusting the optical receiver comprises: inputting a plurality of lights having different wavelengths to a polarization holding fiber; detecting intensities of a plurality of lights output from the polarization holding fiber; calculating an adjustment value for an angle of the polarization holding fiber based on a ratio between the detected intensities of the plurality of lights; and adjusting the angle of the polarization holding fiber based on the calculated adjustment value.

To an optical receiver such as an optical receiving device for coherent communication, an optical signal with multiplexed polarization or phases is input via a polarization holding fiber, and the optical signal is split depending on polarization by a polarization beam splitter (PBS). The split optical signal is separated depending on phases, for example, by a 90-degree optical hybrid device. The separated optical signals are converted into electric signals by light receiving elements. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-158096 discloses a technique in which an optical coupler as the 90-degree optical hybrid device is used in an optical receiving device for coherent communication.

Method for adjusting optical receiver and apparatus for adjusting polarization of optical receiver


A system and method of emulating a shared storage device includes determining a storage unit identifier (SUID) associated with a first local storage device in a first node of a distributed computing system, updating a first path handler to intercept storage requests including the SUID and being made on the first node and forwarding the storage requests to drivers for an emulated shared storage device, associating a second local storage device in a second node of the distributed computing system with the SUID, updating a second path handler to intercept storage requests including the SUID and being made on the second node and forwarding the storage requests to the drivers for the emulated shared storage device, and intercepting storage requests including the SUID and being made on the second node and forwarding the storage requests to the drivers for the emulated shared storage device.

Virtual machines (VMs) play an important role in computing solutions and especially in cloud computing. A VM provides a software-based implementation of a hardware system giving the appearance that the VM is a separate stand-alone computer with its own processors, registers, memory, and I/O devices such as storage devices. Like many computers, VMs typically have an operating system running on them in which a user may launch and execute any number of applications. However, VMs provide greater flexibility than separate hardware platforms. As an example, a hardware platform can host multiple VMs with each of the VMs being used to create separate and isolated computing environments. Thus, a single hardware platform can be made to appear as several separate and distinct computers. This makes it possible for that single hardware platform to effectively take the place of many separate hardware platforms subject to processing power and other resource limitations.
VMs also provide flexibility in other ways. Because each VM emulates a hardware environment, each VM on a hardware platform may run a different operating system sometimes referred to as a guest operating system. For example, this allows the same hardware platform to have multiple VMs, each running different versions of Linux™ or Microsoft Windows™. In some cases each of the VMs could be running different operating systems including some VMs running Linux™ and others running Microsoft Windows™. It is even possible for a VM to emulate a completely different hardware system so that the same hardware platform could have some VMs emulating x86 PCs even though the underlying hardware platform is a Macintosh™ computer or some other kind of server. A further advantage of VMs is that they are often not tied to a specific hardware platform and may be moved from one hardware platform to another in a computer system.
The advantages of VMs in a cloud computing solution are numerous. Because VMs are not physical hardware systems they may be installed or moved to any hardware platform in the cloud. Additional VMs may also be added to and/or removed from the cloud computing environment without having to purchase or shut down hardware platforms. Thus, within reason, a fixed number of hardware platforms in a cloud computing solution may give the appearance of any number of separate computers with separate computing environments. This gives the cloud computing provider the flexibility to add and remove customers, services, and processing capability without having to make hardware changes each time a change in customer, service, or processing capability occurs. The flexibility may even extend to the ability to move or migrate VMs from one hardware platform to another to better manage changes in usages and loads. Additionally, the isolation of the VMs allows each customer or service to have its own separate, isolated, and secure computing environment.
In order to implement a VM, several elements of a hardware system are emulated so that they may be shared between the VMs running on a hardware platform. The most common elements emulated are processors, memory, and input/output (I/O). Other than cases where a VM implements a different hardware platform, emulation and sharing of the processors is generally straight-forward as the processors and registers may be time-shared. Memory is often a bit more complex, but because memory is largely interchangeable and virtual memory systems are well understood, this is generally not a problem. In contrast, I/O presents greater challenges depending on the type of I/O. Computer networking I/O using sharable resources such as local area networks (LANs) like an Ethernet, and wide area networks (WANs) like the internet may generally be time-shared like the processors. Other I/O, such as a computer monitor cannot be easily shared between VMs as two or more VMs cannot easily or legibly use the display at the same time and the short time-sharing intervals of the VMs is not practical for use with computer users. I/O for storage such as disk drives and flash drives typically falls somewhere in the middle as while storage devices may be shared between VMs in much the same way that memory can, the larger capacity of storage devices may introduce extra complications when VMs are migrated between hardware platforms. Storage Area Networks (SANs) and Network-Attached Storage (NAS) and other shared storage solutions are one way of addressing these complications, but they typically require expensive systems that are hosted separately from the hardware platforms on which the VMs are running. SANs and NAS also do not generally address storage devices that are local to a hardware platform.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide improved methods and systems for managing storage devices in computing systems with virtual machines.
In the figures, elements having the same designations have the same or similar functions.

System and method for emulating shared storage


The microphones used in hearing devices normally possess different characteristic lines that are to be adapted to one another. For this purpose, the amplitude of an output signal of a first microphone and the amplitude of an output signal of a second microphone are measured. The output signal of the first microphone is subsequently filtered dependent on both measured amplitudes, such that the difference between the two output signals is reduced. One of the two microphones hereby serves as a reference, and an absolute normalization can be foregone.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method for reciprocal adaptation of a number of microphones of a hearing device. The present invention also concerns a corresponding circuit to adapt the microphones.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hearing impaired persons frequently suffer a reduced communication capability in the presence interfering noise. To improve the signal-to-noise ratio, directional microphone arrangements have been used for some time, the benefit of which is indisputable for hearing impaired persons. Frequently, either systems of the first order (meaning with two microphones) or of a higher order are used. The exclusion of noise signals received from behind the person, as well as focusing on frontally incident sounds, enables a better comprehension in everyday situations.
Directional microphones, however, are sensitive with regard to detunings of the transfer functions of the microphones according to magnitude and phase. The sensitivity to detuning increases with the order of the directional microphone system and with decreasing frequency. Such directional microphone systems are most sensitive to detuning at low frequencies.
In this context, European Application 0982971 discloses that a microphone can be described or characterized at low frequencies as a high-pass filter of the first order. As shown in FIG. 1 herein, a first microphone 1 can be characterized as a high-pass filter with the transfer function a/s-pol_ac1. The microphone 1 acquires a first input signal 2. This input signal 2, filtered with the high-pass filter effect of the microphone 1, is transduced into a first microphone output signal 4 with of a first compensation filter 3. The compensation filter 3 has the transfer function s-pol_ac1/s-pol_ideal. Both numerator and denominator can be represented as polynomials. The numerator polynomial of the compensation filter 3 is selected such that it corresponds to the denominator polynomial of the acoustic high-pass filter characteristic of the microphone 1. The denominator polynomial of the compensation filter 3 corresponds to the denominator polynomial of the high-pass filter characteristic of an ideal microphone. By multiplying both transfer functions of the high-pass filter characteristic (that characterizes the real microphone 1) and of the compensation filter 3, a normalization results with regard to the ideal microphone and the specific transfer function of the first microphone is compensated.
For hearing device microphones, in a simplified approach, in particular the acoustic high-pass effect at the lower edge of the usable frequency band must be examined with regard to detunings. Contaminations, aging or modified environmental influences particularly strongly affect this region of the high-pass effect and thus modify the amplitude and frequency response of the microphone in the particularly critical middle and lower frequency ranges. A possibility to reduce such detunings is to enforce the same high-pass cut-off frequency in all microphone paths.
In the same manner, the specific high-pass effect is compensated with the transfer function s/s-pol_ac2 of the second microphone 5 with a second compensation filter 6 having the transfer function s-pol_ac2/s-pol_ideal, such that a corresponding second microphone output signal 8 arises from the second microphone input signal 7. Here the denominator polynomial of the high-pass filter 5 is also eliminated via the numerator polynomial of the second compensation filter 6. With both of these compensation filters 3 and 6, the variations of the high-pass frequency from microphone-to-microphone (that in particular would lead to phase and amplitude errors at low frequencies) can be compensated, by setting the same cut-off frequencies in all microphone paths.
A method for relative, adaptive phase compensation by two microphones is generally designed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,229. A general block diagram for an adaptive system is thereby specified. The system has a block "acoustical delay compensation" that, in a type of pre-processing, compensates the linear phase difference of the microphone that is a consequence of the signal delay between the microphones. No adaptation rule, however, is specified.
Further internal circuitry act primarily on the input sensitivity difference of the microphones. Conclusions or inferences about the input sensitivity of the microphones can be drawn via a temporally averaged consideration of the input level at the microphones. Assuming that the incoming audio signals are received time-delayed but with approximately the same level by all microphones, the amplitude of the input sensitivities can be compensated by a compensation of the averaged input level at the microphones.

Circuit and method for adaptation of hearing device microphones


Methods, servo controllers, disk drives, and computer program products are provided for adapting compensation for repeatable runout (RRO) of sectors of a disk in a disk drive. RRO of a plurality of sectors of the disk is compensated. A status of whether the RRO compensation has been adapted is tracked for at least some of the sectors of the disk, and corresponding records are formed based on the statuses. The RRO compensation of the tracked sectors is selectively adapted or not adapted based on the records.

Computer disk drives store information on disks or platters. Typically, the information is stored on each disk in concentric tracks. The data tracks are usually divided into sectors. Information is written to and read from a storage surface(s) of a disk by a transducer. The transducer may include a read element separate from a write element, or the read and write elements may be integrated into a single read/write element. The transducer is mounted on an actuator arm capable of moving the transducer radially over the disk. Accordingly, the movement of the actuator arm allows the transducer to access different data tracks. The disk is rotated by a spindle motor to allow the transducer to access different sectors within each track on the disk.
The actuator arm is coupled to a motor or actuator, such as a voice coil motor (VCM), to move the actuator arm such that the transducer moves radially over the disk. Operation of the VCM is controlled by a servo control system. The servo control system generally performs two distinct functions: seek control and track following. The seek control function includes controllably moving the actuator arm such that the transducer is moved from an initial position to a target track position. In general, the seek function is initiated when a host computer associated with the computer disk drive issues a command to read data from or write data to a target track on the disk. Once the transducer has been moved sufficiently close to the target track by the seek function of the control system, the track following function of the servo control system is activated to center and maintain the transducer on the target track until the desired data transfers are completed.
The track following function of the servo control system generally includes maintaining the transducer at a desired position with respect to a track being followed (e.g., over a centerline of the track). Typically, the transducer must be moved slightly during track following to maintain a desired position over the track. This is because, due to various factors, the track may appear to move beneath the transducer. There are numerous outside influences which can make it difficult for the servo control system to maintain the desired position over the track, one such influence is known as "runout."
Runout generally refers to deviation from perfect circular motion and, more particularly, refers to variation in the distance between an external point of reference and a passing surface of a rotating object. "Repeatable runout" involves periodic deviations that occur with predictable regularity (hereafter "RRO"). "Nonrepeatable runout" involves random perturbations due, for example, to bearing slop, shock events, and so on (hereafter NRRO). In the context of a disk drive, RRO is "repeatable" because it occurs in sync with the spinning disk. RRO may be caused by one or more of the following mechanical sources: a) spindle motor runout; b) disk slippage; c) disk warping; d) disturbances converted to RRO during the Servo Writing process due to, for example, NRRO, vibrations, resonances, media defects, or disk distortion due to clamping of the head disk assembly (HDA). RRO may also be caused by electromagnetic imperfections due to low quality servo information (i.e., servo bursts), even if they were mechanically recorded on the ideal circle. Such low quality servo bursts can yield incorrect position information.
The control system may compensate for RRO by sensing the RRO for a servo sector and then moving the transducer to follow expected movement of a track. For example, the control system may feed forward a combination of sinusoidal currents, which correspond to the harmonics of the RRO, and that are combined with a current command to the actuator in an attempt to cancel the RRO. Because RRO can change over time, the compensation can also be adapted based on newly sensed RRO for servo sectors. The RRO compensation should be based on the RRO that is sensed for all sectors around a disk. However, a transducer is often commanded to various different tracks before it can complete a full revolution on a track. Consequently, adaptation of the RRO compensation may be performed in a piece-wise fashion while the transducer is not seeking.
RRO compensation may become significantly distorted, yielding incorrect feed forward currents, if the adaptation is repeatedly performed based on RRO that is sensed for only a portion of a disk. To avoid such distortion, when adaptation is forced to stop, such as due to a seek command, adaptation may not be allowed to resume until the transducer reaches the servo sector that immediately follows the last servo sector for which adaptation has completed. In this manner, the adaptation can be based on all servo sectors of the disk. For high storage density disks that have a significant number of servo sectors, a high seek rate may cause a significant delay in adaptation of the RRO compensation, and which may significantly decrease the ability of the control system to maintain the transducer on track during track following.

Adapting compensation for repeatable runout of sectors based on tracked sector adaptation status


The present invention relates to attaching aerodynamic wheel covers to the wheel of a truck or other heavy duty vehicle, and to a method of installation that requires less tooling for installation while substantially completely covering the wheel.

Owners and operators of trucks, tractors, trailers, recreational vehicles and other heavy duty vehicles desire to increase the gas mileage of such vehicles, particularly as gas prices rise, by adding aerodynamic enhancements. Such aerodynamic enhancements include adding wheel covers to such vehicles. Nuts and bolts typically extend out from the rims of the wheels on such vehicles, the rims may protrude or the wheels may be extremely concave increasing the drag and reducing the optimal performance of the vehicle. Owners of such vehicles also desire to customize them by providing decorative wheel covers to enhance the otherwise unattractive wheels thereof. Thus, there is a need for an aerodynamic wheel cover that is durable, enhances the performance and gas mileage of the vehicle by reducing drag and improving the overall performance and appearance of the vehicle and its wheels. There is need for a wheel cover assembly and installation method that is easy to install and can be quickly assembled for use on a heavy duty vehicle.
The mounting assembly and associated wheel cover mounting method disclosed herein improve the wheel cover installation and removal process since the method requires a reduced number of tools and can be accomplished faster and simpler, with fewer parts than existing wheel cover mounting methods and mechanisms.
A significant source of drag on tractor-trailers includes the wheel assemblies of the vehicle. Such lead to increased transportation costs which are ultimately passed on to the consumers in the price of delivered products. In general, the aerodynamic drag of a vehicle increases when air flow is affected by a wheel opening. Such is particularly significant with deep wheel openings commonly found on heavy duty vehicles.
Consequently, there is a need for wheel covers that decrease drag. Accordingly, embodiments described herein provide mounting assemblies, mechanisms and methods for attaching cover assemblies, particularly aerodynamic wheel cover assemblies, to wheel assemblies which do not require the removal of the nuts retaining the wheel to the hub of the axle. In addition, there is a need for such a wheel cover assembly which allows the air pressure of tires on such wheels to be easily checked and adjusted when installed on the vehicle wheel.

Aerodynamic wheel cover assembly and method of mounting


A collapsible cage/crate for pets having an inner framework within a soft-sided shell. The internal framework is integrated and manipulated by two locking hubs such that when the hubs are unlocked and urged towards each other, the crate collapses. In its deployed configuration, the crate provides an area for an animal to be confined whereas when the crate is collapsed the crate is compact and easy to transport. The outer shell of the crate is formed of fabric and includes one or more mesh panels in order to provide airflow into and out of the crate. Access is gained to the interior of the crate through one or more doors.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to cages/crates for dogs and other small animals, and more particularly to a pet crate that is collapsible and easily transportable, durable, easy to maintain, and inexpensive to manufacture.
2. Prior Art
The present invention relates primarily to collapsible/portable pet crates or cages that are lightweight, durable and compact. Many owners, trainers, breeders and veterinarians recommend dog crates as a convenient and humane tool for training puppies and to provide a safe environment for housebreaking, travel, and general control. Over time, the crate becomes the dog's den, which he regards as his home, rather than a cage that confines him. As such, portable crates are particularly useful for dogs at dog competitions such as agility, conformation and obedience trials due to their light weight and breathable nature and even more importantly because the dog can be put at ease due to his familiarity with the den, despite the significant stresses on the animal at such events.
Such portable crates are also utilized by families traveling with their pets so that the animals will have a familiar place to sleep. Not surprisingly, in such instances the more compact a crate is, the more likely it is to make it on the trip. Unfortunately, many crates are too large and cumbersome or they simply cannot be collapsed to a small enough size to travel. Further working against many prior art crates is that they are typically quite expensive to manufacture and assemble.
There is thus a need for an inexpensive collapsible crate that is easy to transport, yet durable enough to meet the needs of both human and animal.


The folding boat includes bow and stern members made up of a pair of tubes connectable to each other through a pin mechanism. A polarity of chines extend the length of the boat and are made up of connected tubes which can be disconnected amidships. Cockpit tubes serve to define a cockpit region and are interconnected by hinges and by pin clips to allow folding along two axis approximating one-forth of its assembled size.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a folding or collapsible boat that folds easily and quickly, and is light and portable to carry. More specifically, the invention relates to a light, portable, boat that folds easily and quickly within its own skin without requiring tools to assemble or disassemble the boat.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Folding or collapsible boats are well known and most designs have been commercially available for many years. As a general rule, most of the known prior art structures are made up of a complex arrangement of stringers and formers which are joined together with latches and clamps to form a relativity loose framework in which bow and stern halves are temporarily hinged together amidships. Typically the two halves of the framework are disconnected and when assembled, are rigidly connected together inside a skin to form the assembled boat. Such designs of folding kayaks and boats when disassembled result in a large number of disconnected pieces and require a considerable amount of time to reassemble, and a set of tools. Moreover, the assembly requires skill and care in following instructions and it is not unusual to lose an important piece of the structure when assembled.
French Patent Publication No. 2,572,050 discloses a dismantlable small craft of the canoe/kayak type which includes a hull made up of a flexible envelope held in shape and in tension by a frame consisting of a set of securely fastened tubes which can be retracted, but not taken apart. However, such a structure also includes a complicated arrangement requiring a protective tube perpendicular to the length of the craft, including screw fastenings which require assembly and disassembly with tools to fold and/or assemble the boat.
An alternative design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,170 which discloses a framework characterized by plural longitudinal members including forward and aft member portions, forward, aft, port and starboard chines and gunwale member portions, and forward and aft longitudinal deck members. The framework includes a cockpit structure with longitudinal members releasably interconnecting the cockpit structure with the bow and stern of the boat. The structure disclosed herein effectively permits the cockpit structure to be folded along one axis, parallel to the midportion thereof so as to bring the midportions closer together so that the kayak can be folded into a framework suitable for use as a backpack frame. Notwithstanding this folding structure, a closer review of the patent such as, for example, FIGS. 4-8 shows a series of screws, wingnuts, and other elements which need to be connected and disconnected resulting in a structure which is not easy to assemble or disassemble.
In accordance with the invention, these problems with the prior art are avoided and there is provided a folding boat with a waterproof fabric skin that sets up very quickly, is light, compact, portable, and requires little room to store when folded. Further, the need for any tools or accessories is avoided making the process of assembly that much easier.


An electrical connector assembly comprises a pin header connector and a socket connector for mating with the pin header connector. The pin header connector has a housing provided with a pair of opposed racks, the socket connector being provided with a pair of opposed levers each having a pinion. The levers can be swung by means of ganged handles to drive the socket connector into, and out of, mated relationship with the pin header connector. In the interest of simplifying the moulding of the pin header connector housing and of reducing its width, each rack projects above the upper edge of the pin header connector housing in substantially coplanar relationship with the respective side wall of that housing, the teeth of each rack overhanging the respective side wall.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical connector assembly comprising first and second mating electrical connectors, for example a pin header connector and a socket connector, having rack and pinion means for use in mating and unmating the connectors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a connector assembly is known, for example, from DE-U-8714016.0, which assembly comprises first and second mating electrical connectors, the first connector having a first insulating housing and the second connector having a second insulating housing, the first housing having side walls defining a receptacle having a mouth for receiving the second housing in mating relationship with the first housing, the side walls of the first housing being formed with a pair of opposed racks, and side walls of the second housing having thereon a pair of opposed levers each having a pinion for meshing with teeth of a respective one of the racks, the levers being swingable drive the housings into, and out of, fully mating relationship, when the pinions are meshed with the racks.
Such an assembly is for use in a crowded environment, for example, beneath the dash panel of a vehicle, where access to the connector assembly may be difficult when the housings of the assembly are to be mated and unmated in the course of electrical repairs to be made to the vehicle.
In a known connector assembly of the kind defined above, the racks are incorporated into the inner surfaces of the side walls of the receptacle of the first insulating housing so that complex tooling is needed in order to form the racks when the housing is being moulded. Because of the presence of the racks in said side walls, the side walls are of substantial thickness so that the width of the housing is increased, which is disadvantageous when the connector assembly, or indeed a bank of such assemblies is to be mounted in a crowded environment.


A fractional-N phase-lock loop (PLL) with a delay line loop (DLL) having a self-calibrating fractional delay element which controls the PLL feedback signal in such a manner that the delay intervals for the feedback signal are: increased when small fractional divisors (<1/2) causing a lagging phase relationship or large fractional divisors (>1/2) causing a leading phase relationship are sensed; and decreased when small fractional divisors (<1/2) causing a leading phase relationship or large fractional divisors (>1/2) causing a lagging phase relationship are sensed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fractional-N phase-lock loops (PLLs), and in particular, to fractional-N PLLs with a delay line loop (DLL).
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a fractional-N PLL is used to digitally synthesize signal frequencies using a non-integer counter 22 (integer plus fraction) in its feedback path. The fractional portion F of the counter 22 provides finer tuning resolution for a given reference frequency (originating from a reference oscillator 12) than an integer only counter. For a given tuning resolution, the fractional-N counter 22 has a smaller modulus than an integer counter and, therefore, results in faster phase lock and produces less close-in phase noise in the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 20.
However, such fractional counters 22 have been notorious for generating undesirable spurious noise at the fractional frequencies. Spurious noise elements ("spurs") occurring at the fractional frequency rate are introduced, typically, as a result of either poorly calibrated fractional delays within the loop or voltage dithering in the loop filter 18 due to the PLL charge being distributed over time.
One of the more common methods for performing a fractional count is that of integer averaging. For example, in order to obtain a fractional modulus of N+1/4 the counter 22 will divide by the modulus N for three successive cycles and then divide by N+1 for one cycle. At any given point in time, the instantaneous division is incorrect, but averaged over four cycles such division provides exactly N+1/4. However, the three successive cycles of division by N cause the loop phase error to accumulate in one direction, while the fourth cycle of division by N+1 causes one large phase error in the opposite direction. While the desired average frequency is thus maintained, these "jumps" in phase nonetheless produce signals at spurious frequencies which are related to the reference frequency.
In another approach involving fractional-N counters, a variable amount of electrical charge is injected into the loop filter 18 during each cycle of the reference signal 15 in an attempt to null out charge imbalances and eliminate voltage dither within the loop filter 18. However, this technique still tends to dump into the filter 18 electrical charge which is spread over time and still results in some amount of voltage dithering.
Referring to FIG. 2, another common fractional-N implementation adds a variable delay element 24 after the fractional-N counter 22 for supplementing the integer VCO delay steps. Since the counter 22 begins counting over each cycle without waiting for the output 25 of the delay element 24, each successive delay within the delay element 24 must be adjusted to cancel out the accumulated phase error. Delivery of a consistent N+1/4 output period would require division by N for three consecutive cycles accompanied by additional delay of 1/4, 2/4 and 3/4 of a VCO output period, respectively, followed by a division by N+1 with no added delay ("0/4"). If each one of such delays is a properly calibrated fractional percentage of the integer VCO period, each successive cycle will then be aligned in phase with the signal 15 from the reference counter 14, thereby resulting in minimal tuning line dither being produced by the phase detector 16. However, maintaining such proper calibration of each of the supplemental delays is difficult to do consistently.
Referring to FIG. 3, this technique can be represented as shown based upon a VCO signal period of one microsecond and corresponding delays of 1/4 of a VCO output period or 0.25 nanoseconds. The accumulator 26, which is a 4-bit adder, sums its summation output 27a with the fractional information 31b and is clocked by the output 23 from the fractional-N counter 22. The carry output 27b of the accumulator 26 serves as the modulus control signal M for the counter 22, and instructs the counter 22 to add the one additional count when more than one full VCO period of phase lag has accumulated (thereby preventing the variable delay gate range from being exceeded). The summation signal 27a is also used to increment the delays within the delay element 24.
Referring to FIG. 4, one conventional technique for maintaining calibration of the fractional replicas of the VCO period is to use a frequency-divided output 41a of the VCO 20 (FIG. 1) as a time reference within a DLL. This signal 41a is frequency-divided by two D-type flip-flops 46, 48 which are clocked by the prescaler output 41b of the counter 22. The first flip-flop output 47 drives a ramp generator 50, while the second output 49 clocks the accumulator 26 and drives the DLL phase detector 44. The output 51 of the ramp generator 50 is compared against two threshold signals 41c, 41d in two threshold comparators 42, 52, with the first result signal 43 also driving the DLL phase detector 44 and the second result signal 23 driving the PLL phase detector 16.
The first threshold signal 41c is generated by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) DAC1 (not shown). The second threshold signal 41d is generated by a circuit which sums the output of another DAC DAC2 with the output 27a from the accumulator 26.
The slope of the ramp signal 51 is modulated by a control signal 45 generated by the DLL phase detector 44 (by adjusting the value of the output from a constant current source which charges a capacitor within the ramp generator 50). When the input 47 to the ramp generator 50 is asserted, the ramp signal 51 rises at a constant rate beyond the threshold voltage 41c, thereby generating a pulse at the output 43 which is compared in phase to the frequency-divided VCO signal 49. This modulation feedback of the delay introduced by the ramp generator 50 forces the delay from node A to node C to equal the period of the prescaler output signal 41b.
The second threshold comparator 52 compares the ramp signal 51 to a threshold voltage 41d which is equal to or greater than the first threshold voltage 41c, depending upon the value of the summation output 27a from the accumulator 26. Hence, the corresponding delay in the phase of this comparator output 23 is modulated by the state of the output 27a from the accumulator 26.
Referring to FIG. 5, if a known calibration period t.sub.43a is established with the signal path set by threshold comparator 42, then an incremental change in the time delay (.DELTA..sub.1 =t.sub.23a -t.sub.43a) can be obtained which is proportional to the threshold voltages 41c (V.sub.41c), 41d (V.sub.41d) which are applied along the signal path as established by threshold comparator 52 (t.sub.23a =t.sub.43a *V.sub.41d /V.sub.41c).
While this circuit 40 provides for some calibration of the fractional VCO delay steps, a number of sources for errors still exist. For example, errors in matching the delay paths, e.g., the threshold comparators 42, 52, or errors in the symmetry of the charge pump within the DLL phase detector 44 will introduce fractional calibration errors.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a DLL which provides more accurate and consistent self-calibration of its fractional delays.

Fractional-N phase-lock loop with delay line loop having self-calibrating fractional delay element


Disclosed are a method and apparatus for displaying music points, and an electronic device and a medium. One specific embodiment of the method includes: acquiring audio material; analyzing initial music points in the audio material, wherein the initial music points include beat points and/or note starting points in the audio material; and on an operation interface of video clipping, displaying, according to the position of the audio material on a clip timeline and the positions of target music points in the audio material, identifiers of the target music points on the clip timeline, wherein the target music points are some of or all of the initial music points. According to the embodiment, the time for a user to process audio material and to make music points is reduced, and the flexibility of tools is also guaranteed.

With development of multimedia technology, music processing applications emerge one after another, and users' demands for music processing applications are also increasing day by day. At present, most music processing applications require users to mark music points in music themselves, but most users cannot hear the music points, even if the users can hear the music points, it takes a lot of time.

Method and apparatus for displaying music points, and electronic device and medium

BEIJING BYTEDANCE NETWORK TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


The electronic apparatus comprises a housing including a heat generating component and a heat sink. The housing can be displaced between a first usage form in which a ventilation port is set maintained in a standard opening shape and a second usage form in which the ventilation port is expanded to be larger than the standard opening shape. The heat sink has a plurality of heat radiation fins. The heat radiation range of the heat radiation fins expands when the housing is displaced from the first usage form to the second usage form and is reduced when the housing is displaced from the second usage form to the first usage form.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus such as a portable computer including a heat generating component, and particularly to a structure for improving the cooling performance of the heat generating component.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, various portable electric apparatuses represented by notebook-type portable computers, mobile information apparatuses, and the like have been supplied. These electronic apparatuses are equipped with MPUs (Micro Processing Units) for processing multimedia information. In these MPUs, the electric power consumption has steadily increased in accordance with the increase of the processing speed and the number of multiple functions, and the heat generation amount during operation tends to increase rapidly. Heat radiation of the MPU must hence be improved in order to guarantee a stable operation of the MPU. Therefore, various heat-radiation/cooling means such as a heat sink, electric fan, and the like are indispensable.
Conventionally, in a portable computer mounting a MPU having a large heat generation amount, a heat sink is provided on the circuit board equipped with the MPU. The heat sink is thermally connected with the MPU, and cooling air is forcedly sent to the heat sink through the electric fan.
In this conventional cooling method, cooling air serves as a medium which removes heat from the MPU. In many MPUS, therefore, the cooling performance depends on the current strength of cooling air. Meanwhile, portable computers are designed to have a thin compact housing for containing the MPU, a heat sink, and the like. It is therefore difficult to secure an ideal air flow inside the housing, so that the air can be properly exhausted. As a result of this, the lack of proper ventilation of the cooling air leads to a rise in the temperature of the MPU. Consequently, it is impossible to attain a satisfactory cooling performance for the MPU.
A portable computer having an exhaust port whose open area is expandable upon requirements is conventionally known as a measure which solves the above problem. In this portable computer, a part of the peripheral wall of the housing is constructed by a movable wall, and an end of this movable wall is exposed to the exhaust port. The movable wall can shift between a first position in which the exhaust port is defined to be a standard shape and a second position at which the exhaust port is enlarged more than the standard shape. When the movable wall is shifted from the first position to the second position, the open area of the exhaust port is increased so that the cooling air is more easily exhausted.
Therefore, cooling air can easily exit the housing, and accordingly, the amount of cooling air guided to the heat sink increases. Thus, thermal exchange can be efficiently carried out between cooling air and the heat sink, so that the cooling performance of the MPU can be improved.
However, according to conventional portable computers, an increase of the flow amount is very small in comparison with the heat generation amount, although the flow amount of cooling air guided to the heat sink is increased. In addition, the heat radiation area of the heat sink which contributes to heat radiation does not change but is maintained constantly. Therefore, a remarkable improvement of the cooling performance of the MPU cannot be expected even if the flow amount of cooling are guided to the heat sink increases.
MPUs for use in portable computers are expected to attain higher speeds and perform more functions in the near future. Hence, the heat generation amount of the MPU is assumed to increase remarkably. Therefore, it cannot be said that the conventional cooling method of merely expanding the open area of the exhaust port sufficiently respond to the increase of the heat generation amount of the MPU. Consequently, it is considered that the cooling performance of the MPU will be insufficient or be limited.
The present invention has an object of providing an electronic apparatus capable of greatly improving the heat radiation performance of a heat sink and of maintaining a proper operating environment temperature of a heat generating component.
To achieve the above object, an electronic apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises: a housing having a ventilation port and being able to be displaced between a first usage form in which the ventilation port is set in a standard opening shape, and a second usage form in which the ventilation port is enlarged to be larger than the standard opening shape; a heat generating component contained in the housing; and a heat sink thermally connected with the heat generating component and contained in the housing so as to face the ventilation port, the heat sink having a plurality of heat radiation fins whose heat radiation range expands when the housing is displaced from the first usage form to the second usage form and is reduced when the housing is displaced from the second usage form to the first usage form.
In this structure, heat from the heat generating component is transferred to the heat sink by thermal conduction, and is diffused in the housing through the surface of the heat sink and the heat radiation fins. When the housing of the electronic apparatus is displaced from the first usage form to the second usage form, the heat radiation fins are deformed so as to enlarge their heat radiation range. In this manner, the contact area between the heat radiation fins and air increases so that the heat from the heat generating component can be efficiently radiated.
Therefore, when the heat generation amount of the heat generating component increases, the heat radiation performance of the heat sink can be improved so as to comply with increase of the heat generation amount, by displacing the housing. Accordingly, it is possible to maintain a sufficient cooling performance of the heat generating component even if the installation space for the heat sink is limited due to downsizing of the housing.
To achieve the above object, an electronic apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention comprises: a housing including a heat generating component; and a heat sink contained in the housing for receiving heat from the heat generating component. The heat sink includes a plurality of heat radiation fins made of shape-memory alloy, the heat radiation fins stand up with an interval maintained between each other when the heat sink receives heat from the heat generating component and a temperature of the heat radiation fins reaches a shape-memory range, and the heat radiation fins are elastically deformed when the temperature of the heat radiation fins exits the shape-memory range.
In this structure, heat from the heat generating component is transferred to the heat sink by thermal conduction, and is diffused in the housing 4 through the surface of the heat sink and the heat radiation fins. In a stage before the temperature of the heat radiation fins reaches a shape-memory temperature, the heat radiation fins are in a flexible state and can be deformed into a free shape. Therefore, the heat radiation fins are deformed into a shape in which their heat radiation range is reduced while the heat generation amount of the heat generating component is small.
When the temperature of the heat radiation fins reaches the shape-memory temperature, these heat radiation fins stand up with an interval maintained between each other due to the shape-memory effect, so that the heat radiation range expands. Accordingly, adjacent heat radiation fins move apart from each other, so that gaps which allows air to pass are formed between the heat radiation fins each other. As a result of this, the contact area between the heat radiation fins and air increases so that the heat transferred to the heat radiation fins from the heat generating component can be efficiently radiated. Therefore, the heat radiation performance of the heat sink can be improved so as to comply with an increase of the heat generation amount of the heat generating component, by utilizing the shape-memory effect of the heat radiation fins.
To achieve the above object, an electronic apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention comprises: a housing including a heat generating component and having an exhaust port; a movable wall associated with the housing, forming part of the exhaust port, the movable wall being supported on the housing such that the movable wall is movable between a first position at which the exhaust port is defined by a standard opening shape and a second position at which the exhaust port is expanded to be larger than the standard opening shape; a heat sink thermally connected with the heat generating component and contained in the housing so as to face the exhaust port, the heat sink having a plurality of heat radiation fins whose heat radiation range expands when the movable wall is moved to the second position and is reduced when the movable wall is moved to the first position; and a fan contained in the housing, for blowing cooling air toward the heat sink such that the cooling air passes between the heat radiation fins and is exhausted to the outside of the housing through the exhaust port.
In this structure, heat from the heat generating component is transferred to the heat sink by thermal conduction, and is diffused in the housing through the surface of the heat sink and the heat radiation fins. The heat sink receives cooling air sent from the fan, so that the heat from the heat generating component transferred to the heat sink and the heat radiation fins is removed by the cooling air. The cooling air warmed up by thermal exchange with the heat sink is exhausted to the outside of the housing.
When the movable wall of the housing is moved from the first position to the second position, the opening shape of the exhaust port is expanded so that the exhaust resistance of the cooling air is reduced. In this manner, cooling air tends to come out from the inside of the housing, so that the flow amount of the cooling air increases. In addition, the heat radiation fins of the heat sink are deformed so as to enlarge their heat radiation range, following the expansion of the opening shape of the exhaust port. In this manner, the contact area between the heat radiation fins and air increases.
As a result of this, cooling air can be actively guided as much as possible to the heat radiation fins whose heat radiation range is expanded. The heat transferred to these heat radiation fins from the heat generating component can be efficiently radiated to the outside of the housing. Therefore, the heat radiation performance of the heat sink can be improved in compliance with increase of the heat generation amount of the heat generating component, so that it is possible to maintain the cooling performance of the heat generating component.
To achieve the above object, an electronic apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention comprises: a housing including a heat generating component; and a heat sink contained in the housing, thermally connected with the heat generating component, and having a plurality of heat radiation fins whose heat radiation range changes in accordance with a heat generation amount of the heat generating component.
In this structure, heat from the heat generating component is transferred to the heat sink by thermal conduction, and is diffused in the housing through the surface of the heat sink and the heat radiation fins. Since the heat radiation range of the heat radiation fins changes in accordance with the heat generation amount of the heat generating component, it is possible to improve the heat radiation performance of the heat sink in compliance with increase of the heat generation amount of the heat generating component. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the cooling performance of the heat generating component even if the installation space for the heat sink is limited due to downsizing of the housing.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.

Electronic apparatus having heat sink for cooling heat generating component


By using a bed material for cell culture having a surface composed of two domains of domain A coated with a temperature-responsive polymer and domain B composed of any one or a combination of a domain coated with a polymer having high affinity with cells, a domain coated with the temperature-responsive polymer in an amount different from the amount of the temperature-responsive polymer of domain A, and a domain coated with a polymer which responds to a temperature different from the temperature to which domain A responds, a method for the co-culture of a plurality of kinds of cells which has heretofore been difficult becomes possible.

Recently, the cell cultures with the purpose of the development of artificial organs and the development of regeneration medicine, safety evaluation, drugs and the like are noted and their techniques are variegated and have become more and more highly advanced. As an example, the co-culture method (coexistent culture) for culturing two or more kinds of cells on the same culture substrate can be mentioned.
Heretofore, cell culture has been conducted on a glass surface or on the surface of a synthetic polymer having been subjected to various treatments. For example, various vessels using polystyrene as the material which have been subjected to the treatment, for example, γ-ray irradiation and silicone coating are widespread as the cell culture vessels but none of them could sufficiently cope with various culture methods.
Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. Hei 6-104061/1994 describes a novel cell culture method comprising culturing cells on a cell culture substrate whose substrate surface has been coated with a polymer having an upper or lower critical solution temperature to water of 0 to 80° C. at a temperature of not higher than the upper critical solution temperature or not lower than the lower critical solution temperature, and then rendering the culture temperature a temperature of not lower than the upper critical solution temperature or not higher than the lower critical solution temperature to detach the cultured cells without treating with an enzyme. However, with the substrate illustrated herein, a temperature-responsive polymer is uniformly coated on the substrate surface, and accordingly all cultured cells on the substrate surface are detached, and this substrate could not fully cope with a wide variety of culture methods.
Further, it is very difficult to allow a plurality of kinds of cells to proliferate to effect co-culture by using the above described cell culture vessels. For example, co-culture (in consideration of the structure of the liver of the body of living) has been considered to be effective for the long-term culture of hepatocyte but it is impossible to effect the co-culture by simply mixing hepatocyte with fibroblasts or hepatocyte with endothelial cells.
Hepatocyte is by no means singly present in the liver. The liver is composed of a repetition of a fine structure of a so-called hepatic lobule which endothelial cells, stellate cells and the like in addition to the hepatocyte constitutes. Co-culture has been examined on the basis of the thought that hepatic nonparenchymal cells are important for the maintenance of the function of hepatocyte. Further, also from the observation that the hepatic differentiation function can be better maintained when hepatic nonparenchymal cells are included, the necessity of hepatic nonparenchymal cells are strongly suggested when the primary hepatocyte is incorporated into an artificial liver module. However, the method using conventional dishes realizes only an ultrashort-term co-culture alone and, in addition, except for the variation in the ratio of the number of both kinds of cells, a sufficient examination could not be done and the details could not be clarified.
Toner et al. fixed laminin in the form of a pattern on a silicone surface by irradiation with rays with the use of the photoresist technique [S. N. Bhatia, M. L. Yarmush and M. Toner, J. Biomed. Mater. Res., 34, 189-199 (1997)]. When hepatocyte was cultured on this surface, they attached only to the laminin-fixed domain to proliferate. Then, when fibroblasts were seeded, they attached on to the silicone domain due to their very high adhesion to achieve a co-culture system with the hepatocyte. However, any combination could not achieve the co-culture system, and the co-culture of hepatocyte with endothelial cells having not so high adhesion as that of fibroblast could not be achieved.
Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. Hei 4-94679/1992 developed the technology as illustrated in the above described Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. Hei 6-104061/1994 and described a method for culturing cells with the use of a substrate whose surface has been coated with a temperature-responsive polymer in the form of a pattern. However, the substrate as illustrated herein had weak cell affinity for its surface to which the temperature-responsive polymer had not attached, and was insufficient as the substrate for culturing a plurality of kinds of cells. As long as this substrate was used, it was impossible to detach an entire cell sheet extending over the substrate surface after the co-culture.

Bed material for cell culture, method for co-culture of cell and co-cultured cell sheet obtainable therefrom


The present invention is directed to an elastic polyurethane obtained by copolymerization of a polymer diol of a polyesterpolycarbonate diol utilizing a long-chain diol having methyl branches or a mixed diol of a polyester diol and a polycarbonate diol, with an organic diisocyanate and a chain extender. Elastic fibers obtained by spinning said polyurethane have low tensile stress at low tensile strain zone and high tensile stress at high tensile strain zone.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel polyurethane and elastic polyurethane fiber and a polyesterpolycarbonate diol used for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known polyurethanes are polyester-, polyether- and polycarbonate-based ones. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 101496/1973 and 22817/1987 disclose a polyurethane derived from 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol and a dicarboxylic acid and one from a polyester diol or polycarbonate diol obtained from 2-methyl-1,8-octanediol, respectively.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 33382/1990 discloses a polyester diol utilizing 2-methyl-1,8-octanediol and a polycarbonate diol utilizing 2-methyl-1,8-octanediol or 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol and also a polyurethane utilizing a mixture of the polyester diol and the polycarbonate diol as a starting material polymer diol. This polyurethane however cannot be formed into an elastic fiber exhibiting good elastic recovery characteristics at low temperatures.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 173117/1985 discloses an elastic fiber obtained from a polyurethane utilizing a polyester diol from hexamethylene glycol or 1,10-decanediol. This fiber, utilizing this long-chain diol having no branches, does not have sufficent elastic recovery property.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 713/1972, U.S. Pat. No. 3,097,192 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 97617/1988 disclose an elastic fiber of a polyurethane utilizing a polyester diol derived from 2,2,4- or 2,4,4-trimethylhexanediol and adipic acid, one of a polyurethane utilizing a polyester diol from 2,5-hexanediol or 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol and one of a polyurethane utilizing a polyester diol from (2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propane dodecanedioate) glycol, respectively. The use of these polyesterdiols however fail in providing the obtained fibers with high thermal resistance, elastic recovery and resistance to cold.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 190717/1989 discloses an elastic fiber of a polyurethane utilizing a polycarbonate diol from 1,6-hexanediol or 1,5-pentanediol. This fiber however is not satisfactory in the elongation.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 132858/1989 discloses a melt-blown nonwoven fabric of a polyurethane utilizing a polyester diol from 3-methyl-1,5-penetanediol.
An object of the present invention is to provide an elastic polyurethane fiber being excellent in all of resistance to chlorine, water and mildew, thermal resistance and resistance to cold, as well as having high elongation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an elastic polyurethane fiber having low tensile stress in the low tensile strain region and high tensile stress in the high tensile strain region.

Polyurethane, elastic polyurethane fiber and polyesterpolycarbonatediol used for the same