Correction data units for data packets of a data stream are generated. A correction data unit is based on a set of the data packets of the stream. The stream is transmitted over a lossy communication channel. A performance measure to be optimized is selected, which relates to the recovery of lost data packets of the stream. A coding requirement is determined. For the generation of the correction data units, it is determined, within the constraints of the coding requirement and based on previously generated correction data units, which of the data packets in the stream to include in the set on which the generation of the correction data unit is to be based to thereby optimize the selected performance measure. A generated correction data unit is generated based on a respective set of the data packets of the stream. The generated correction data units are included in the stream.

There are many situations in which a data stream is transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver over a communication channel. A communication channel may exist in one (or more) of many different possible networks. For example, a communication channel may exist in the internet or in a wireless network such as a mobile telecommunications network. The data in a data stream may be divided into data packets for transmission over a communication channel. The protocol for dividing the data into data packets (e.g. the form of the headers of the data packets, and other such implementation details) may depend upon the nature of the communication channel on which the data is to be transmitted, e.g. the type of network through which the data packet is to be transmitted. The data may be encoded by an encoder prior to transmission from the transmitter and decoded by a decoder after reception at the receiver.
In an ideal system, the communication channel is lossless such that every data packet transmitted from the transmitter over the communication channel is received at the receiver. However, in real physical systems, the communication channel may be lossy, meaning that some of the transmitted data packets will be lost on the communication channel and as such will not be received at the receiver. This may be detrimental. Correction schemes can be used to help recover, at the receiver, at least some of the lost data packets.
As an example, forward error correction (FEC) is one correction scheme which can be used to combat packet loss in a communication channel FEC produces redundant data (as FEC data units) in addition to the original data packets and includes the FEC data units in the data stream which is transmitted over the communication channel. The redundant FEC data units may be placed in their own packets, separate to the data packets in the data stream. Alternatively, or additionally, the FEC data units may be appended (or "piggybacked") to the original data packets in the data stream. When some of the original data packets are lost in the communication channel, the successfully arrived FEC data units and the successfully arrived data packets can be used to recover (at least some of) the lost data packets. That is, FEC reduces the packet loss seen by a decoder of the receiver, compared to the actual packet loss in the communication channel.
FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c illustrate three examples of how a FEC data unit may be generated. As illustrated in FIG. 1a, a FEC data unit 104 may be generated as an exact copy of an original data packet 102 of the data stream. By including both the data packet 102 and the FEC data unit 104 in the data stream, the data in the data packet 102 is transmitted twice. Therefore if the data packet 102 is lost during transmission but the FEC data unit 104 is successfully received then the data in the data packet 102 can be successfully recovered at the receiver (using the FEC data unit 104). As illustrated in FIG. 1b a module 108 may be used to generate a FEC data unit 110 which is a copy of an original data packet 106 encoded at a lower bit rate. If the data packet 106 is lost during transmission but the FEC data unit 110 is successfully received then the data in the data packet 106 can be at least partially recovered at the receiver based on the FEC data unit 110. It should be noted that if the data packets 102 and 106 have the same size (e.g. the same number of bits) then the FEC data unit 110 will have a smaller size (e.g. fewer bits) than the FEC data unit 104. Therefore, although the FEC data unit 104 may be more useful in recovering the data packet 102 than the FEC data unit 110 is in recovering the data packet 106, it may be beneficial to generate FEC data units as shown in FIG. 1b since the FEC data unit 110 uses less of the available bit rate on the communication channel for the data stream than the FEC data unit 104 uses. As illustrated in FIG. 1c a mixing module 118 may be used to generate a FEC data unit 120 from a plurality of the original data packets, e.g. data packets 112, 114 and 116. Finite field (Galois field) arithmetic may be used to combine original data packets. For example the mixing module 118 may determine the bit-by-bit result of an XOR function applied to the three data packets 112, 114 and 116 to generate the FEC data unit 120. In another approach, data packets 112, 114 and 116 are combined byte-by-byte using Galois field GF(28) arithmetic to generate the FEC data unit 120. In this sense the FEC data unit 120 is the result of combining or mixing the original data packets 112, 114 and 116. If one of the data packets 112, 114 and 116 is lost during transmission but the other two data packets and the FEC data unit 120 are successfully received then the data in the lost data packet can be successfully recovered at the receiver (using the other two data packets and the FEC data unit 120).
It can therefore be seen that FEC data units may be generated in a number of different ways. Different FEC schemes describe different ways in which the FEC data units are to be generated. A FEC scheme may describe factors relating to the generation of the FEC data units, such as: the number of FEC data units that are generated; which data packets are used to generate the FEC data units; how the FEC data units are transmitted (e.g. as separate packets or by appending the FEC data units to the data packets); and where in the data stream the FEC data units are placed. The loss-recovery performance of a FEC scheme describes the ability of the FEC scheme to recover lost data packets at the receiver using the FEC data units.
Generally, increasing the number of FEC data units in the data stream improves the loss-recovery performance of a FEC scheme. However, increasing the number of FEC data units in the data stream comes at a cost of bit rate efficiency. If the coding bit rate of original data packets is kept unchanged, then increased redundancy (e.g. by increasing the number of FEC data units in the data stream) leads to increased total bit rate. Alternatively, if the total bit rate available for the data stream on the communication channel is constrained, then increased redundancy (e.g. by increasing the number of FEC data units in the data stream) comes at a price of reduced coding bit rate of the original data packets. It is therefore an aim to balance the conflicting factors of the loss-recovery performance of the FEC with the bit rate efficiency of the data stream.
One class of algorithm for designing an appropriate FEC scheme is based on error-correcting and erasure codes known from communication theory. One example of such codes is Reed-Solomon codes. The codes are designed according to certain scenarios in which the FEC may operate, to ensure recovery of all lost data packets if the number of lost data packets does not exceed a predetermined maximum.
Another class of algorithm for designing an appropriate FEC scheme is based on training. Training is performed offline. Given channel conditions, and coding requirements for the FEC data units (e.g. (i) the FEC overhead which sets the ratio of redundant data relative to the original data in the data stream, for example the number of FEC data units relative to the number of original data packets in the data stream, and (ii) the FEC depth which sets the maximum allowable displacement in the data stream between the oldest and the newest data packet that can be protected by (or combined into) each FEC data unit), optimal combinations/mixings of the original data packets are trained to optimize for a loss-recovery performance within an optimization window. Since the number of relevant channel conditions, FEC overheads, and FEC depths can be high, the number of trained schemes can be high too.
The classes of algorithm for designing an appropriate FEC scheme described above determine an appropriate FEC scheme for use within an optimization window. That is, a FEC scheme is set for the optimization window with the aim of optimizing the performance of the FEC during the optimization window. The optimization window may be a length of time (e.g. ten seconds) or the optimization window may be a number of data packets of the data stream (e.g. a hundred data packets). At the end of the optimization window, the FEC scheme may be set again for the next optimization window.


A projection optical system including a first optical system configured to form a second image conjugate to a first image and a second optical system configured to include a reflective optical element which reflects light from the second image and to project a third image conjugate to the second image onto a projection surface is provided, wherein the first optical system includes a stop and at least one optical element with a positive refractive power and at least one optical element with a negative refractive power which are provided between the stop and the second image, and an optical element with a strongest positive refractive power in the at least one optical element with a positive refractive power is provided between the stop and an optical element with a strongest negative refractive power in the at least one optical element with a negative refractive power.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a projection optical system and an image projecting apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an enlarging projection system has attracted attention which uses a displaying device (referred to as a light valve, below) in which a transmission-type or reflection-type dot matrix liquid crystal and a DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device) is used and which enlarges and projects an image displayed on the light valve onto a screen so as to exhibit it as a large image.
However, it is not easy to obtain a large-format liquid crystal displaying device with no defect in the production thereof in order to increase the surface area of a light valve, itself, for projecting a large image, and if it were obtained, it would be extremely expensive.
In such a situation, when a light valve such as a transmission-type (or reflection-type) liquid crystal and a DMD is used and an image displayed thereon is enlarged and projected, the size of a screen is not restricted and it is possible to obtain a powerful large image. Therefore, an image-enlarging projection apparatus (projector) has been widely utilized in an office, a school, or home.
However, when a situation of practical utilization of a projector is assumed, a location for setting a projector may be problematic.
For example, when a front-type projector for projecting an image in front in an office is utilized by a few people in a relatively small conference room, no small restriction is provided on a location for setting a projector due to, for example, the size of a projected image, a projection distance, connection with a PC, a table layout for comfortable discussion, and a problem of less usability thereof may occur. Also, in particular, when a presentation material is projected on a projector and explained, a presenter may be forced to stand between the projector and a screen. Then, a shadow of the presenter may be reflected on the screen and a problem may occur such that an audience cannot see a portion of a projected image.
Recently, various kinds of devices for reducing a projection distance with respect to a large screen have been developed increasingly. However, for example, a projection distance of at least about 1 m is required for a front-type one in order to obtain an image with a diagonal size of 50-60 inches in a conventional technique, and at such a distance, a problem often occurs such that the shadow of a presenter reflects on a screen.
Also, a rear-type displaying device, namely, a rear projector, has bee provided in which a projector is contained in a cabinet and rear projection is made on a screen provided on the front face of the cabinet so as to allow an enlarged image to be seen from the side of front face of the cabinet, and a thin-type one is needed in order to realize reduction of the depth thereof. Herein, even if several times of folding are made with, for example, plane mirrors in a housing, there is a limitation on miniaturization of the device, itself, and therefore, reduction of a projection distance of an optical system is desired increasingly.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-040326 discloses a conventional technique for a reflection-type imaging optical system, which aims to provide a reflection-type imaging optical system which can suppress size increasing of an imaging optical system and attain a wide angle of view. As a practical example thereof, a reflection-type imaging optical system with four (first to fourth) reflection mirrors is provided, wherein the first reflection mirror has a concave surface and the second to fourth reflection mirrors are convex ones. Also, at least one reflection mirror of each reflection mirror is formed into a shape of free-form surface so as to ensure the desired projection performance.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-174853 discloses a conventional technique relating and being limited to a rear-projection-type display device, in which the projection distance to a screen has been reduced. As a method for reducing the depth of the device, there is provided a conventional technique for reducing the projection distance by, for example, arranging a pair of concave mirrors and a convex mirror having a diverging function in an optical path from a displaying optical unit to a rear-surface reflection mirror in the order of the concave mirrors and the convex mirror from the side of displaying optical unit.
Japanese Examined Patent Application No. H06-091641 discloses a conventional technique relating to a video projector. There are descriptions of a rear-projection-type video projector intended to provide a thin-type one in which the first mirror surface of a television set is formed into a convex shape.
A common problem to the conventional techniques described above is to use many aspheric surfaces including a free-form surface in order to maintain an imaging performance and realize a wide angle of view, and accordingly, it is necessary to keep a strict precision of the distance between respective surfaces as well as a precision of the surface shape. Particularly, since the influence of an error in regard to the precision of a mirror surface is large in a type including the reflection mirrors in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-040326, there is a problem of setting of a comparatively narrower tolerance among these conventional projection-optical systems.
Also, when composed of only reflection mirrors, there is provided a merit of no generation of a chromatic aberration in principle. On the other hand, it is necessary to insert a color combining prism such as a cross prism and a Philips prism and a chromatic aberration is caused in case of an image forming system which forms a color image by combining plural colors. Therefore, if the projection optical system is composed of only reflection mirrors, there is provided a demerit such that the chromatic aberration cannot be compensated for.
Thus, in regard to the projection optical system, projection-type image displaying device and image displaying system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-061959, a lens system and plural reflective surfaces having a power are used in the projection optical system. Therefore, it is possible to compensate for a chromatic aberration caused by, for example, the color combining prism, by using the lens system. However, 3-5 aspheric mirrors are used in the practical examples and the cost is high. Also, it is necessary to set the surface precision and positional precision of the reflective surfaces to be extremely high similarly to the publicly known case described above, and there is a problem of a strict precision of assembly for the optical system. Furthermore, since light beams emitted from an image forming element is not telecentric, the brightness at an image plane may not be uniform or it may be necessary to make the effective angular range of a film of the color combining prism be wider than the divergence angle of light emitted from the light valve, whereby the separation characteristic may be degraded.
Also, in regard to the projection optical system, enlarging projection optical system, enlarging projection apparatus and image projecting apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-258620, a lens system and plural reflective surfaces having a power are used in the projection optical system. Since enlargement is attained by using one rotationally aspherical reflective surface, the cost is saved and the precision of assembly is totally lowered compared to the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-061959. However, since the lens system is parallel decentered and tilted with respect to the optical axis in practical examples 1-5, it is very difficult to conduct the centering thereof. Also, a lens system is used without decentering in practical example 6, but the diameter of a lens that is closest to a screen is large due to the lens configuration, and therefore, the cost is high. That is, since the lens configuration is positive, negative and negative, the diameter of the last lens is large, which is a factor of cost increase.
In such a situation, the inventor(s) considered to provide a more compact projection optical system.
Also, the inventor(s) considered to provide an image projecting apparatus which includes a more compact projection optical system.

Projection optical system and image projecting apparatus


A networked system includes a plurality of endpoint devices that each include a compute device and a display device. A virtual desktop configuration system is coupled to the plurality of the plurality of endpoint devices via a network and is configured to retrieve display device characteristics associated with the display device in at least one of the plurality of endpoint devices, configure virtual desktop display characteristics for a virtual desktop based on the display device characteristics, and transmit virtual desktop images having the virtual desktop display characteristics to the compute device in the at least one of the plurality of endpoint devices to cause that compute device in that endpoint device to display the virtual desktop images on the display device in that endpoint device.

The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to configuring virtual desktops for information handling systems.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems such as, for example, desktop computing devices, laptop/notebook computing devices, table computing devices, mobile phones, and/or other computing devices known in the art, include display devices that are utilized to display images, and it may be desirable to display configure those images according to display device capabilities, user preferences, and/or organizational requirements. Conventionally, protocols such as the Display Data Channel (DDC) protocol are utilized between the computing device and its display device to detect the display device capabilities, as well as store user preferences and organizational requirements in order to allow the computing device to configure images and display them on the display device in a manner that is optimized for the display device while also satisfying user preferences and organizational requirements. However, as many businesses move to a remote-work paradigm, the use of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to provide virtual desktops and display associated virtual desktop images is increasing proportionally due to the benefits it provides in relation to security, operational simplicity, and/or other benefits known in the art, and conventional VDI systems do not consider the display device capabilities when configuring the virtual desktop images for the computing device to display on their display devices, often resulting in a non-optimized experience with the display device, for the user, and/or with regard to the organization. Furthermore, users may regularly utilize different computing devices to access their virtual desktops, and thus user preferences and/or organizational requirements must continually be set for the corresponding display devices if the virtual desktop is to be displayed according to the preferences of a particular user or organization.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide virtual desktop configuration system that addresses the issues discussed above.


A method and apparatus for charging energy supplies in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The present invention relates to a UAV that comprises an inductive charging device that utilizes the electromagnetic field emanated by overhead/utility power lines, to charge the energy supplies. The UAV also includes a releasable latch for holding power lines to allow for the perching of the UAV on power lines during the charging process. The latch and the inductive charging device may be provided on a single device, a battery augmentation trap (BAT). The UAV may be perched in an upright orientation to allow for takeoff after the charging of energy supplies on the power line.

An unmanned aerial vehicle, commonly referred to a UAV, is an aircraft with no onboard pilot. UAVs may be expendable or recoverable and may fly autonomously or remotely. In autonomous applications, the vehicle is either pre-programmed with flight plans or may have the ability to determine its own flight plan based on a prescribed mission. UAVs are commonly employed by the Navy, Army, and Air Force for military purposes. UAVs are also employed in the private sector to perform services such as, crop dusting, forest fire monitoring, aerial photography, and meteorological, environmental, or other forms of surveillance.
Currently, electrically powered UAVs are limited in range and duration by the size and weight of the batteries which they can carry. Batteries can make up a significant percentage of the available payload weight. Consequently, there is an inherent tradeoff between duration and useful payload. Because of these constraints, the flight times of electrically powered UAVs are typically limited to less than one hour. Additionally, the distance traveled from a base location is also limited. Also of concern is that UAV batteries slowly lose their energy even when they are completely powered down. This limits the ability of UAVs to shut down for extended periods of time and then be useful again if the vehicle cannot be recharged. Because of these problems, it is desired to have a means to recharge UAV batteries that does not require a return to the base location. It is also desired to have a means to recharge the batteries that enables the UAV to perform job functions in a more efficient manner.

Battery charging arrangement for unmanned aerial vehicle utilizing the electromagnetic field associated with utility power lines to generate power to inductively charge energy supplies

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


The frequency of an adjacent channel signal is reduced by a down converter (12), wherein the signal (adjacent channel signal) in a predetermined band centered around the adjacent channel frequency passes through a band-pass filter (22). At this time, a signal out of the predetermined band among the signals output from the down converter (12) by the band-pass filter (22) passes through the filter (22). An FFT section (32) outputs the signal having passed through the band-pass filter (22) by making it correspond with a frequency so that a first power measuring section (34) is used for power measurement on the basis of only the signal in a predetermined band. Therefore, power on an adjacent signal is accurately measured upon reception of a measurement signal.

Conventionally, ACLR (Adjacent Channel Leakage Power Ratio) has been measured in W-CDMA system and the like. The adjacent channel leakage power ratio implies a ratio between the power of a center channel and the power of a predetermined adjacent channel. Usually, the adjacent channel leakage power ratio is defined as a ratio between powers within predetermined bands. To obtain a power within the predetermined band, usually, a filter is used to limit the bands, and the power is obtained based on a signal after limiting the bands.
The following section describes how to measure the adjacent channel leakage power ratio in the W-CDMA system. In the W-CDMA system, the adjacent channel leakage power ratio is determined as ten times of a common logarithm (log) of a ratio between the power within a band centered around the center channel frequency and the power within a band separated from the center channel frequency by ±5 MHz or ±10 MHz. As the filter for limiting the bands, an RRC filter (Root Raised Cosine Filter: 3.84 MHz, roll off factor: 0.22) is used. The RRC filter is a filter provides root raised cosine response. FIG. 8 shows how to measure the adjacent channel leakage power ratio according to prior art.
A signal to be measured on which the adjacent channel leakage power ratio is measured is passed through RRC filters 110 which pass signals in predetermined bands centered around a center channel frequency, the center channel frequency ±5 MHz, and the center channel frequency ±10 MHz. Then, the power measuring unit 120 obtains powers P0M, P+5M, P−5M, P+10M, and P−10M in the respective bands based on signals which have passed through the RRC filters. Then, finally, adjacent channel leakage power ratio measuring unit 130 obtains common logarithms (logs) of ratios between the powers of the individual adjacent channels P+5M, P−5M, P+10M, and P−10M and the power of the center channel P0M, and multiplies the logarithms by 10, thereby obtaining the adjacent channel leakage power ratios. Note that when the RRC filter passes a signal in the predetermined band centered around the center channel frequency, the RRC filter sufficiently attenuates a signal outside the predetermined band.
Note that measurement may be conducted while the center frequency of the signal to be measured is moved by ±5 MHz and ±10 MHz to meet the widened band of the signal band. In this case, the band to be measured is lowered (down-converted) to a baseband signal.
However, when the RRC filter is used to pass a signal only in a predetermined band centered around a frequency displaced from the center channel frequency by a certain offset (such as 5 and 10 MHz), the RRC filter does not sufficiently attenuate the signals other than the signal in the predetermined band. Thus, when the powers of the individual adjacent channels P+5M, P−5M, P+10M, and P−10M are obtained, the power outside the bands of the adjacent channels are added to the powers of the adjacent channels, the powers of the adjacent channels are not obtained correctly. In this way, there exists such a problem that the power of the channel is not obtained correctly due to the inferior characteristic of the band-pass filter such as the RRC filter.
Thus, the object of the present invention is to provide a channel power measuring apparatus and the like which can precisely measure the power of a channel such as an adjacent channel.

Adjacent channel leakage power ratio measuring apparatus, channel power measuring apparatus method, program, and recording medium with recording the program


An apparatus and method for damping vibrations within a physical object that is subject to vibration. In one version, a highly flexible enclosure includes at least one interior cavity that is substantially filled with a damping material in which the flexible enclosure is wrapped and secured about the exterior of the physical object.

Certain physical objects may encounter different forms of vibrational loading in the course of their use. By way of example, a railroad car running board is used to define a narrow walkway along either a side or a roof of a railway car. Typically, running boards are made from steel and mounted to a railroad car via brackets at various attachment points using threaded fasteners or other suitable means.
As would be expected in the course of typical use, the running boards typically wear out, usually failing at one or more attachment points between the running board and the brackets and usually as a result of damage caused by vibrational loads that are transferred from the railroad car to the running board via the mounting brackets. These vibrational loads excite the fundamental natural frequencies of the running boards, thereby resulting in increased stress. It can be imagined that other physical objects having similar mounting schemes can be subject to similar wear and failure modes in the course of use/operation.


According to one embodiment, a solid state imaging device includes an image CDS processing unit that outputs a pixel signal based on a difference between a pixel voltage read from a pixel during a reset period and a pixel voltage read from the pixel during a signal read period, a temperature sensor that outputs a diode voltage when a diode current is changed, a temperature CDS processing unit that outputs a temperature measurement value based on a difference of the diode voltage at the time when the diode current is changed, and a timing generator that controls the reset period, the signal read period, and timing of changing the diode current of the temperature sensor.

In a solid state imaging device, noise and defects in a captured image may become obvious as temperature increases, or distortion may occur in a captured image due to variation of temperature. Therefore, a temperature sensor is mounted in a solid state imaging device and an image signal is corrected based on the temperature of the solid state imaging device.
Conventionally, there is an imaging element circuit and an A/D conversion circuit for an imaging element, and in addition to the imaging element circuit, there are a diode used as a temperature sensor and an A/D conversion circuit for the temperature sensor. Specifically, a circuit block related to temperature measurement is present independently of a signal processing circuit block for the imaging element, and correction is performed in a temperature correction circuit in a later stage by using stored temperature measurement data.
When a diode is used as a temperature sensor, current-voltage characteristics of the diode cannot be represented by a linear approximate equation. In other words, current and voltage are not in a proportional relationship, so measurement accuracy is insufficient when using a method of obtaining temperature from the current-voltage characteristics of the diode.


A system and method for electrochemical force microscopy are provided. The system and method are based on a multidimensional detection scheme that is sensitive to forces experienced by a biased electrode in a solution. The multidimensional approach allows separation of fast processes, such as double layer charging, and charge relaxation, and slow processes, such as diffusion and faradaic reactions, as well as capturing the bias dependence of the response. The time-resolved and bias measurements can also allow probing both linear (small bias range) and non-linear (large bias range) electrochemical regimes and potentially the de-convolution of charge dynamics and diffusion processes from steric effects and electrochemical reactivity.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for the mapping of electronic, ionic, and electrochemical processes at a solid-liquid interface.
Understanding the local electrostatic, electrochemical, and double layer ion distribution at the solid-liquid interface is important in the study of corrosion, sensing, energy storage, and biological processes. These phenomena are governed by charge transport, diffusion, and electrostatic screening by mobile charge species from a bulk electrolyte, as well as a diverse set of electrochemical reactions at the solid-liquid interface. Understanding such complex processes requires techniques capable of mapping with a lateral resolution below the micron level. Traditional microscopic electrochemical methods based on current measurements in the time-domain or the frequency-domain do not allow measurements significantly below a fabricated device level, however. To date, scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM)1 is the standard in measuring the local electrochemical behavior at solid-liquid interfaces. The spatial resolution of SECM requires the use of an ultra-micro electrode probe that limits the achievable resolution to micron scales, much larger than those achievable using standard scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques.
In ambient or vacuum environments, SPM techniques based on force detection can lead to a significant improvement over current based detection. For example, electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM) is capable of probing electrochemical reactivity and ionic flows in solids with nanometer resolution. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) is another example, widely used for the measurement of the surface potential distribution at gas-solid interface. Force based detection offers several major advantages over current detection based technologies: (a) the resolution to probe nanometer-scale volumes, (b) significantly improved sensitivity (i.e., enhanced signal to noise ratio), and (c) spectroscopy imaging capabilities. However, in order to gain an understanding of the local electrostatic, electrochemical, and double layer ion distribution, force based SPM techniques must be extended to the solid-liquid interface.
To date, KPFM is only operational under vacuum or ambient environments and in non-polar liquids. KPFM operation in polar liquids is complicated by the presence of mobile ions, preventing measurements under conditions relevant for biological or energy research, for example. The present application provides an SPM strategy to probe charge dynamics and electrokinetic phenomena in a technique referred to herein as electrochemical force microscopy. As discussed herein, electrochemical force microscopy can provide quantitative force-based electrochemical measurements of complex electrochemical reactions at the solid-liquid interface.


The present invention features a three-dimensional chessboard. This three-dimensional chessboard features a cube with chess game patterns shown on its faces. An arbitrary number of chess pieces may be held onto the exterior surface, or faces of the cube, by mechanical supports, temporary adhesives, Velcro.RTM., gravity, magnetism and elastic forces. The inventive cube is rotatable about an axis that intersects it through one corner of the cube and extends to the opposite, diagonal corner of the cube. The cube can be suspended by hanging one end of it to a cord, which may be tied to any overhead support. Supporting the cube in this fashion lends the board an artistic appearance, and allows a user to see, at almost any rotational position, fifty percent of the board. The three-dimensional board may also be supported upon one corner by a support base. Finally, the chessboard and game pieces can be the subject of a computer program that allows one or more players to manipulate images of the game pieces relative to the image of the chessboard.

Chess is a popular board game of antique origins. Throughout the ages, people have undertaken to perfect and refine the game. While new strategies and moves are always being invented, so, too, are attempts to add variations to the game's physical aspects and apparatus thereof. Several attempts have been made recently to provide a new, or a modified, chess set. One such endeavor includes a flat, hexagonal chessboard designed for three players, as is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,205 (issued on Sep. 12, 1967).
Another variation of a chess game is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,359,003 (issued on Dec. 19, 1967), in which two, three-dimensional chess- and checkers game boards are illustrated. The chess- and checkerboards are mounted on a globe and a cylinder. The globe and the cylinder have their own, respective supports, as well as the means to hold the pieces in place upon the boards.
In still another variation of a checkerboard game, a three-dimensional board-game apparatus is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,709 (issued on Sep. 14, 1971). In this invention, a cubical form, supported from the bottom side, uses five, checkerboard-like cubical faces.
The present invention provides a new, three-dimensional chessboard enabling a wide variety of opportunities for creating new chess games, as well as for developing and enhancing both visual and mental abilities. The three-dimensional game can also be represented in a computer program in which data representing the board and game pieces can be stored and in which a display can be used by one or more players who manipulate the game pieces displayed, relative to the displayed board.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved, three-dimensional chess game.
It is another object of this invention to provide a three-dimensional chess game having aesthetic appeal.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a three-dimensional chess game that has new rules.


Mixed crystal pigments of the quinacridone series New quinacridone mixed crystal pigments consisting of. a) from 85 to 99% by weight of unsubstituted .beta.-phase quinacridone of the formula (I) ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are hydrogen atoms and b) from 1 to 15% by weight of one or more substituted quinacridones of the formula (I) in which the substituents R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are identical or different and are chlorine, bromine or fluorine atoms or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy or carboxamido groups which can be substituted by C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl groups, and R.sup.1 may additionally be hydrogen, are valuable quinacridones in the red-violet range.

Quinacridones are known compounds which are used as pigments. In practice, stringent requirements are placed on their fastness and color properties. On the industrial scale they are prepared by oxidizing dihydroquinacridones in an alkali medium in the presence of solvents and then dry- or wet-grinding the resulting coarsely crystalline crude pigments, or by ring closure of 2,5-dianilinoterephthalic acid in polyphosphoric acid or polyphosphoric ester and then phase-converting and finishing the resulting finely divided crude pigments with organic solvents.
The preparation of quinacridone mixed crystal pigments is described in the following patent documents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,980 describes the preparation of quinacridone mixed crystal pigments, consisting of unsubstituted quinacridone and 4,11-dichloroquinacridone, which are, however, in the y phase of the unsubstituted quinacridone.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,160,510 describes the preparation of quinacridone mixed crystal pigments by dry-milling the crude pigment mixtures with salt and then solvent-treating the isolated ground materials or by precipitating the pigment mixtures with sulfuric acid and then solvent-treating the dried finely divided crude pigments.


A fixing device thermally fixes an unfixed toner image onto a recording sheet and includes: a rotatable heating element that is endless and includes a resistive heating layer that generates heat upon application of voltage; a power source for placing voltage across the resistive heating layer; an ammeter for measuring the electric current flowing through the resistive heating layer, and a controller for determining whether the resistive heating layer has a scratch by monitoring an amount of change between a value of electric current that flows through the resistive heating in absence of a scratch and a value of electric current actually measured by the ammeter. The resistive heating layer exhibits resistivity anisotropy satisfying R1<R2, where R1 and R2 denote a volume resistivity of the resistive heating layer in a direction of voltage application and that in a direction perpendicular to the direction of voltage application, respectively.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fixing devices installed in an image forming apparatus, such as a printer or a copier, and in particular to a technique of detecting abnormal heating in a fixing device having a resistive heating layer as a heating element.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, more and more image forming apparatuses, such as printers and copiers, employ a fixing device having, as a heating element, a resistive heating layer that generates heat by Joule heating upon passage of current. In such a fixing device, the heating element generates heat by feeding power directly to the resistive heating layer, which is effective to improve the heat utilization efficiency and to shorten the warm-up time.
The resistive heating layer is formed from insulating material, such as heat-resistant resin, and conductive material, such as metal, dispersed in the insulating material. In addition, since direct contact with the resistive heating layer may cause an electric shock, it is common to coat the resistive heating layer with an insulating layer. For example, JP patent application publication No. 2009-109997 discloses a fixing device having, as a heating element, a resistive heating layer coated with an insulating layer.
However, a typical insulating layer is as thin as the order of a few hundreds of micrometers and therefore vulnerable to scratches by contact with a foreign object or a recording sheet. If a scratch is deep enough to reach the resistive heating layer and extends in a direction not parallel to the current flow direction (especially in the direction perpendicular to the current flow direction), the current tends to collect intensively at locations around the ends of the scratch as a result of bypassing the scratch. Consequently, the current density becomes locally high at such locations of the resistive heating layer, which in turn causes heat generation to abnormally high temperatures at such locations.
Since leaving such abnormal heating may result in damaging the fixing device, it is necessary to accurately detect occurrence of abnormal heating to timely take an appropriate measure, such as shutting off the power supply to the fixing device, to avoid or minimize damage to the fixing device.
The fixing device is equipped with a temperature sensor, such as a thermistor or a thermostat. Therefore, occurrence of abnormal heating in the resistive heating layer is detected by the temperature sensor, so that a necessary measure can be taken to prevent damage to the fixing device.
Unfortunately, however, the temperature sensor, such as a thermistor or thermostat, installed in the fixing device typically has a narrow sensing range and may not be able to detect occurrence of abnormal heating, depending on the location in the resistive heating layer where abnormal heating takes place.
One method to solve the above problem is to monitor the current flowing through the resistive heating layer to detect occurrence of abnormal heating from a change in the value of an electric current between the normal operation time and the time of abnormal heating. While this method solves the above problem as the entire resistive heating layer is included in the sensing range, the amount of change in the electric current is usually small. This method is therefore susceptible to measurement errors associated with the current detection circuit and presents another problem of high probability of false-positive and false-negative results in detection of abnormal heating.


A computer system that detects for a PCI Express compliant endpoint device is described. Specifically, the computer system clocks transmit and receive circuits at a first frequency and initiates a training sequence. If the endpoint device successfully trains at the first frequency, the endpoint device is PCI Express compliant. Otherwise, the computer system initiates another training sequence at a second frequency.

Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) is a computer bus design standard for connecting peripheral components to computers. A PCI bus typically routes signals between a central processing unit (CPU), various other chips on the motherboard, and cards that are plugged into PCI bus slot connectors. The PCI bus, however, is independent of the CPU chip implemented in a computer system. Thus, the PCI bus is adapted for use in many different kinds of computers or other high-tech hardware. Earlier versions of the PCI standard included PCI 2.2 and PCI-X.
PCI Express is the third generation of PCI architecture. PCI Express offers higher input/output (I/O) bandwidth than its predecessors. Traditional PCI attributes, such as its usage model and software interfaces, are maintained. However, the previous parallel bus implementation has been replaced by a link-to-link serial interface. Further, a split-transaction protocol is implemented with attributed packets that are prioritized and optimally delivered to their target.

Autodetection of a PCI express device operating at a wireless RF mitigation frequency


A game board and rules that allow three players to play a game based on traditional checkers but requiring additional moves through a triangular central field of play. In one version, the central field is composed of three concentric equilateral triangles made up of discs. In another version there are two concentric equilateral triangles of discs arranged around a triangular central void. The rules of play differ between the two versions because of the difference in configuration of the game board.

The classic game of "checkers" has been varied in many ways over the years. It is usually a two-person game in which one-half of the classic checkerboard comprising 32 squares—16 of one color (usually black) and 16 of another color (usually red) —is the domain of one player and the other one-half is the domain of a second player.
There are variations of checkers for more than two players, but few are for three players.
There are variations of checkers and other board games that have been implemented on personal computers, on a host network or in an integral small device for a single player, typically, to play against the device. It is contemplated that the version of checkers disclosed herein may also be so implemented using appropriate software or a suitable microchip to allow the device to take the part of two of the three players.
The present variation of the classic checkers board game makes changes in the game and how it is played, but includes the possibility of using conventional checker pieces (albeit in three colors instead of two) or using other types of pieces as "checkers."


A new cultivar of Lobelia named ‘KLELE08623’ particularly characterized by vibrant blue flowers, and a uniform and semi-trailing growth habit, is disclosed.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia, botanically known as Lobelia erinus, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'KLELE08623'. 'KLELE08623' originated from a controlled cross made in May 2005 in Stuttgart, Germany between the female Lobelia plant, 'KLELE06114' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,680) and the proprietary male Lobelia plant, '05 0357' (unpatented). A single plant selection was subsequently chosen for further evaluation and for asexual propagation.
The new cultivar was first propagated in June 2006 by vegetative cuttings in Stuttgart, Germany and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings and in-vitro propagation in Stuttgart, Germany over a three-year period (about five generations). 'KLELE08623' has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.
Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Canada on Mar. 31, 2008. 'KLELE08623' has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing date of this application.


A neural interfacing device is disclosed. The neural interfacing device may include at least one microneedle electrode. The microneedle electrode may have one or more microneedles. The one or more microneedles may be shaped and positioned such that when the neural interfacing device is applied to a nerve, the one or more microneedles penetrate a nerve epineurium without any portion of the microneedle electrode penetrating any nerve axon beyond a depth of 500 micrometers.

Implementations described herein relate generally to neural interfacing devices configured to electrically stimulate and/or record electrical activity of nerves.
Electrical stimulation can be employed for stimulating, inhibiting, or otherwise manipulating nerves, including peripheral nerves, cranial nerves, optic nerves, spinal nerves, autonomic nerves, nerve ganglia, plexuses of nerves, nervous tissue, and the like. The effects of electrical stimulation on a nerve and characteristics of neural recordings can be at least, partially controlled by the characteristics of the electrode used to contact the nerve. A major challenge in the art is minimizing the electrical current or voltage delivered by the electrode required to achieve the desired effect on the target nerve.
Existing approaches for interfacing nerves include interfaces that are affixed external to various tissue layers that typically surround nerves. Electrodes in these configurations are separated from target axons by one or more layers of tissue such as epineural tissue, connective tissues, fatty tissues, etc. that can be of high electrical impedance. In a stimulation setting, these tissues can require that more charge be delivered from the stimulating electrode to achieve the desired effect on target axons and in a recording setting obscure signals from target axons. Extraneural interfaces can also face challenges of migrating in space over time with respect to target axons.
Previous studies have shown that selective stimulation and/or recording capabilities are enhanced in interfascilar or intraneural interfaces, but these approaches are significantly invasive to the nerve. Additionally, their long-term efficacy and safety depend heavily upon the surgical technique used to implant them, and the electrodes are prone to damage from motion.
Accordingly, a need exists for improved neural interface and systems and methods thereof that are minimally invasive, reduce the required charge to be delivered to a nerve, increase the fidelity of recorded nerve activity, and provide stability to maintain the electrode position on the nerve.


It is an object of this invention to provide a differential amplifying apparatus capable of increasing the speed at which a standby state is changed to a normal state and reducing distorted waves. The present differential amplifying apparatus comprises: a differential circuit (1); an output circuit (2); bias voltage generating circuits (608, 610); a switch (609) for controlling the bias voltage generating circuits; a transistor (201) and a capacitor (203) connected in series between the output of the bias voltage generating circuit and a ground; a transistor (202) connected in parallel with the capacitor (203). A signal having the same polarity as a signal STBY controlling the switch (609) is supplied to the gate of the transistor (201), while a signal having a polarity opposite to that of the signal STBY is supplied to the gate of the transistor (202). Electric charge in a parasitic capacitance 611 of a bias signal VBIAS is also discharged through the capacitor (203) added separately from a resistor (610), thereby reducing the discharge time.

A conventional differential amplifying apparatus is configured as shown in FIG. 9 or 11.
In the following description, a "P channel MOS transistor" is represented as a "P-ch transistor". An "N channel MOS transistor" is represented as an "N-ch transistor".
First, the differential amplifying apparatus shown in FIG. 9 is explained.
This differential amplifying apparatus is composed of a differential circuit 1; an output circuit 2; a bias voltage generating circuit composed of a P-ch transistor and a resistor R; and a controlling P-ch transistor that connects a bias voltage VBIAS to a power supply voltage to turn off the current through the differential circuit 1 and output circuit 2.
The differential circuit 1 is composed of P-ch transistors 601, 602, and 603 and N-ch transistors 604 and 605.
The P-ch transistor 601 has its source connected to a power supply voltage VDD to provide the constant bias VBIAS to its gate in order to function as a constant current source.
The sources of the two P-ch transistors 602 and 603 are both connected to the drain of the P-ch transistor 601. The drain of the N-ch transistor 604 is connected to the drain of the P-ch transistor 602, and the drain of the N-ch transistor 605 is connected to the drain of the P-ch transistor 603.
The sources of the N-ch transistors 604 and 605 are connected together for grounding, and the gates of these transistors are connected together and to the drain of the P-ch transistor 603, that is, the drain of the N-ch transistor 605.
In the output circuit 2, the source of the constant-current source transistor 606 consisting of a P-ch transistor is connected to the power supply voltage VDD, and the constant bias VBIAS is applied to the gate of the constant-current source transistor 606. The drain of the controlling transistor 607 consisting of an N-ch transistor is connected to the drain of the constant-current source transistor 606, the source of the controlling transistor 607 is grounded, and the gate of the controlling transistor 607 is connected to the drain of the P-ch transistor 602 that is an output terminal of the differential circuit 1.
The P-ch transistor 608 constituting a bias voltage generating circuit has its source connected to the power supply voltage VDD and its gate connected to its drain. The drain terminal is grounded via a resistor 610.
In the connection between the P-ch transistor 608 and resistor 610, a constant voltage is determined by design parameters such as the width and length of the gate of the P-ch transistor 608 and the resistance value of the resistor 610. This voltage VBIAS is supplied as a gate voltage for the transistor for biasing the differential circuit 1 and output circuit 2.
If the differential amplifying apparatus in FIG. 9 is applied to a TFT liquid crystal driving apparatus, as many circuits as the pixels are required. Thus, several-hundred differential circuits must be arranged in the same semiconductor apparatus.
To reduce increasing current consumption, the P-ch transistor 608 and resistor 610 must be designed to provide a minimum amount of current required. Thus, in the differential circuit used for the liquid crystal driving apparatus, the bias voltage VBIAS is relatively close to the power supply voltage (.apprxeq.VDD-1 volt) and several-ten K.OMEGA. is selected as the resistance value R to provide a low current.
The P-ch transistor 609 has its source connected to the power supply voltage VDD, its gate connected to a standby control signal STBY, and its drain connected to the bias voltage VnIAS. Reference numeral 611 designates a parasitic capacitance generated in the wiring for the bias voltage signal VBIAS and represented by a capacitance value C1.
Next, the operation of the differential amplifying apparatus shown in FIG. 9 is described with reference to FIG. 10.
In a normal state, the standby control signal STBY is at an "H" level and the P-ch transistor 609 is turned off. Thus, the bias voltage VBIAS is generated and determined by the P-ch transistor 608 and resistor 610.
The differential circuit 1 has an inverting input terminal V- and a non-inverting input terminal V+. The inverting input terminal is connected to an output terminal Vo, and the differential circuit 1 and output circuit 2 constitute a null amplifier. Thus, if a Vin signal is input to the non-inverting input terminal V+, a voltage almost the same as Vin is generated at the output terminal Vo.
Next, the STBY signal is changed to an "L" level. Then, the P-ch transistor 609 is turned on to increase the bias voltage VBIAS up to the power supply voltage VDD.
The voltage VrIAS is set at about (VDD-1 voltage) due to a low-current-consumption design. Thus, the voltage can be increased up to the power supply voltage at a high speed depending on the designed size of the P-ch transistor 609.
At this point, the gate voltages of the P-ch transistor 601 in the differential circuit 1 and the P-ch transistor 606 in the output circuit 2 increase up to the power supply voltage VDD to prevent a current from flowing through the transistors 601 and 606. Thus, the differential circuit 1 and output circuit 2 consume no current and are in a standby state. The voltage at the output terminal Vo becomes indeterminate.
Next, the STBY signal is changed to an "H" level to switch the standby state to a normal operation state. This causes the P-ch transistor 609 to be turned off. VBIAS, which has increased up to the power supply voltage, has the parasitic capacitance 611 of the capacitance value C1 in which charges constituting the power supply potential are accumulated. The resistance value R of the resistor 610 serves to discharge the charges accumulated in the parasitic capacitance and to reduce VBIAS down to the normal operation potential (.apprxeq.VDD-1 voltage).
FIG. 11 shows another conventional differential amplifying apparatus.
In the differential amplifying apparatus in FIG. 11, the P-ch transistors of the differential and output circuits 1 and 2 shown in FIG. 9 are replaced by N-ch transistors.
The differential circuit 3 is composed of N-ch transistors 701, 702, and 703 and P-ch transistors 704 and 705.
The N-ch transistor 701 has its source connected to VSS to provide a constant bias VBIAN to its gate in order to function as a constant current source.
The sources of the two N-ch transistors 702 and 703 are both connected to the drain of the N-ch transistor 701. The drain of the P-ch transistor 704 is connected to the drain of the N-ch transistor 702, and the drain of the P-ch transistor 705 is connected to the drain of the N-ch transistor 703.
The sources of the P-ch transistors 704 and 705 are connected together and to the power supply voltage VDD, and the gates of these transistors are connected together and to the drain of the N-ch transistor 703, that is, the drain of the P-ch transistor 705.
The output circuit 4 is composed of the N-ch transistor 706 and the P-ch transistor 707. The N-ch transistor 706 has its source grounded to provide the constant bias VBIASN to its gate in order to function as a constant current source.
The drain of the P-ch transistor 707 is connected to the drain of the N-ch transistor 706, and the P-ch transistor 707 has its source connected to the power supply voltage VDD and its gate connected to the drain of the N-ch transistor 702 that is an output terminal of the differential circuit 3.
The P-ch transistor 608 constituting a bias voltage generating circuit has its source connected to the power supply voltage VDD and its gate connected to its drain. The drain terminal is grounded via the resistor 610. In the connection between the P-ch transistor 608 and resistor 610, a constant voltage is determined by design parameters such as the width and length of the gate of the P-ch transistor 608 and the resistance value R of the resistor 610.
This voltage VBIAS is supplied as a gate voltage for the transistor for biasing the differential circuit 3 and output circuit 4. The bias voltage VBIAS is connected to the gate of the P-ch transistor 708, and the P-ch transistor 708 has its source connected to the power supply voltage VDD and its drain connected to the drain of the N-ch transistor 709. The N-ch transistor 709 has its gate connected to its drain and its source grounded.
The drain of the N-ch transistor 709 is supplied as the bias voltage VBIASN to the gates of the N-ch transistor 701 in the differential circuit 3 and the N-ch transistor 706 in the output circuit 4.
As in FIG. 9, the bias circuit is designed for VBIASN that can prevent a large amount of currents from being consumed.
The P-ch transistor 609 has its source connected to the power supply voltage VDD, its gate connected to the standby control signal STBY, and its drain connected to the bias voltage VBIAS. Reference numeral 710 designates a parasitic capacitance generated in the wiring for the bias voltage signal VBIASN and represented as a capacitance value C3.
FIG. 12 is a timing chart of FIG. 11.
In a normal state, the standby control signal STBY is at an "H" level and the P-ch transistor 609 is turned off. Thus, the bias voltage VBIAS is generated and determined by the P-ch transistor 608 and resistor 610. In addition, the P-ch and N-ch transistors 708 and 709 generate the bias voltage VBIASN. The differential circuit 3 and output circuit 4 constitute a null amplifier, as in FIG. 9. Thus, if the Vin signal is input to the non-inverting input terminal V+, a voltage almost the same as Vin is generated at the output terminal Vo.
Next, the STBY signal is changed to an "L" level. Then, the P-ch transistor 609 is turned on to increase the bias voltage VBIAS up to the power supply voltage VDD. In addition, the gate voltage of the P-ch transistor 708 increases up to the power supply voltage VDD to prevent a current from flowing, thereby reducing the operating drain voltage of the N-ch transistor 709 down to VSS and thus reducing VBIASN down to VSS.
The voltage VBIASN is set at about (VSS+1 voltage) due to the low-current-consumption design. Thus, the voltage can be reduced down to VSS at a high speed depending on the designed size of the N-ch transistor 709.
At this point, the gate voltages of the N-ch transistor 701 in the differential circuit 3 and the N-ch transistor 706 in the output circuit 4 decrease down to VSS to prevent a current from flowing through the N-ch transistors 701 and 706. Thus, the differential circuit 3 and output circuit 4 consume no current and are in a standby state. The voltage at the output terminal Vo becomes indeterminate.
Next, the STBY signal is changed to an "H" level to switch the standby state to the normal operation state. This causes the P-ch transistor 609 to be turned off. VBIASN, which has decreased down to VSS, has a parasitic capacitance 710 in which charges constituting the VSS potential are accumulated. Since the resistance of the P-ch transistor 708 is set at a large value due to the low-current-consumption design, a desired amount of charges are filled in the parasitic capacitance to increase VBIASN up to the normal operating potential (.apprxeq.VSS+1 voltage).

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A pipeline monitoring unit and method are disclosed. The unit includes a pressure monitoring unit couplable to a pipeline and arranged to monitor fluid pressure in the pipeline over time when coupled to the pipeline and generate data on the fluid pressure at a first sampling rate. A processing unit is arranged to process the data from the pressure monitoring unit to downsample at least a portion of the data from the pressure monitoring unit to a second sampling rate, the second sampling rate being less than the first sampling rate, to generate working data and monitor the samples in the working data for samples having predetermined characteristics to identify a transient event. Upon identifying a transient event, data including at least a portion of the data from the pressure monitoring unit having the first sampling rate is communicated to a remote system for analysis.

Operational distribution pipes contain a fluid (water, for example) whose pressure is constantly fluctuating. Some fluctuations are high in magnitude and occur over hours or days and others are lower in magnitude but happen at a much higher frequency (in the order of 1 Hz). In comparison, a transient event is a rapid, unusual, short duration deviation from normal operation (typically a few seconds) which is large in magnitude.
In water supply networks, pipe pressure must be carefully controlled in order to maintain a consistent supply to the customer, protect the network infrastructure and adhere to regulatory guidelines and laws. Unfortunately the control systems currently in place do not always maintain a constant pressure. Indeed, given the nature of the network, it is practically impossible to do so, and aspects of the control system's operation often give rise to pressure transient events.
There are many causes of pressure transient events on water pipes. For some of these events, the cause can be easily identified but for other events the cause is not clear. A non-exhaustive list of events which cause a pressure transient would include:                Fast opening/closing of a valve on a long supply line resulting in a water hammer effect.        Equipment failure (pump, PRV (pressure regulating valve)).        Water main burst.        Diurnal usage pattern.        Configuration changes (opening/closing of boundary valves).        Pumping events (filling water towers etc.).        Un-moderated industrial and commercial customers.
Pressure transients can stir up the sediment in the pipe, causing water discolouration and brown water events. These events are monitored by the regulator in the United Kingdom and will result in low performance scores for the operating company and possible fines. Pipelines which have corroded, have failing joints or have been otherwise damaged can be caused to fail by a pressure transient. A low pressure transient (below the surrounding pressure) can cause water to be drawn into the main, via a leak for example, bringing with it potentially harmful unclean and uncontrolled water.
Trying to discriminate real transients from the background noise using rate detection and thresholding is prone to: error, missing key events, and producing false positives. Such an approach has been adopted in the past with varying degrees of success. The pressure data for such an analysis is commonly acquired by a logging device attached to the pipeline that stores all measured pressure values for a duration of, typically, several weeks. The logger is then retrieved, the data down-loaded into a computer and then analysed. The fundamental disadvantage with this approach is that the operator of the pipeline does not receive any information about a transient event until some considerable time after it has happened. The information is then so out of date that its value has diminished considerably.


An electrophoretic display device includes a substrate, an electrode formed on a surface of the substrate, and a liquid which contains charged particles and is held on the substrate. Each of the charged particles includes pigment particles, a coating material for coating the pigment particles, and a resinous material containing a plurality of pigment particles coated with the coating material. The liquid contains a charge control agent for electrically charging the resinous material.

In recent years, with development of information equipment, the needs for low-power and thin display apparatus have grown, so that extensive study and development have been made on display apparatuses fitted to these needs. Of these display apparatuses, a liquid crystal display apparatus has been developed actively as a display apparatus capable of meeting the needs by electrically controlling alignment of liquid crystal molecules to change optical characteristics-of the liquid crystal and has been brought into the commercial stage.
From the viewpoints of low power consumption and alleviation of eyestrain, reflection-type display apparatuses, an electrophoretic display device wherein charged particles dispersed in an insulating solvent are moved between electrodes to effect display, has been proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application (JP-A) Hei 9-185087 and Japanese Patent No. 2551783.
As basic drive schemes of the electrophoretic display device, a scheme wherein charged particles (electrophoretic particles) are moved in a horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 1 and a scheme wherein charged particles are moved in a vertical direction as shown in FIG. 2, have been proposed. In either of these schemes, a dispersion liquid comprising charged particles and a dispersion medium is used as a display medium. Further, there has been also provided an electrophoretic display device using microcapsules each containing charged particles and a dispersion medium as a display medium as shown in FIG. 3.
In the respective structures of these electrophoretic display devices, electrophoretic particles are moved depending on a charge polarity of the electrophoretic particles and a polarity of a voltage applied to both electrodes. As a result, different states in position of the electrophoretic particles are optically recognized to cause a contrast.
In the electrophoretic display devices, stable control of migration of the charged electrophoretic particles is important for display performances in terms of a high contrast and durability performances.
With respect to the electrophoretic particles for use in the electrophoretic display devices, JP-A Hei 3-249736, JP-A Hei 3-249737, JP-A Hei 3-249738, JP-A Hei 3-249739, and JP-A Hei 4-166918 have been proposed. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,590,696 has been proposed with respect to the dispersion liquid.
However, in the conventional electrophoretic display devices, chargeability and dispersibility of the electrophoretic particles are insufficient, so that these arises such a problem that a stable image cannot be retained.


A fluid seal assembly consists of a seal element of compliant material that is retainingly carried by a seal carrier. The seal carrier includes one or more elements of relatively rigid material defining a sealing face with a seal-receiving groove interrupting the sealing face. The seal-receiving groove has groove-defining walls each of which has a proximal end at the sealing face and a distal end. The groove-defining walls serve as seal contact surfaces. The seal contact surfaces are configured such that the seal-receiving groove narrows toward its distal end. The seal-receiving groove has a depth and a breadth suitable for accepting the seal element, with the seal element projecting past the sealing face when compressed to be in contact with the seal contact surfaces.

An established method of configuring elastomeric seals, typical of O-ring type seals, to seal the gap between assembled first and second close-fitting solid components, separated by an extrusion gap, is to provide a resilient, compliant, and substantially incompressible seal element (mechanical properties characteristic of elastomers) in a generally rectangular seal groove of a controlled depth (defining the groove bottom surface) and width (defining the groove sidewall surfaces) placed in the first component, referred to herein as the seal carrier, adjacent to a seal surface provided in the second component, referred to herein as the workpiece. The unconstrained seal element depth is selected to exceed the sum of the groove depth and gap between the seal carrier and the seal surface of the workpiece, so that interference is created between the seal element and the groove bottom and workpiece seal surfaces of the assembled components. This interference tends to deform the compliant elastomer by compression in a direction normal to the seal surface and, due to its substantially incompressible bulk properties, elongation in the transverse direction. To accommodate the elongation, the seal groove width typically slightly exceeds the seal element's deformed width to volumetrically accommodate this deformation. This is typically desirable to promote pressure activation and avoid pressure entrapment in the cavities between the sidewall and the seal element.
Configured thus, the seal element is forced into contact with the workpiece surface and the groove bottom where, as is known in the art, the initiation of the seal function is dependent on arranging the design parameters of geometry, surface roughness, elastomer compliance, and amount of interference to ensure that the initial contact stress distribution is sufficient to result in conforming contact both between the seal element and the workpiece surface and between the seal element and the seal groove bottom. However, the effectiveness of this type of seal in some applications is limited, especially where surface roughness of the workpiece is high and cannot be readily controlled, and where the extrusion gap tolerances are loose. In such applications, it can be difficult or impossible to arrange the available design parameters to provide the amount of interference required to achieve a reliable seal, within the allowable deformation limits of the available elastomeric materials with respect to material properties, and within seal load constraints.
Also, the established method of installing an elastomeric seal is to stretch the seal element over the seal carrier into the fixed-geometry groove. This method of installation becomes increasingly difficult as the seal element thickness become large relative to the seal length.
The present invention addresses the foregoing problems.


A disposable device for treating a condition of a ureter or kidney having a cylindrical body about 1-2 mm in diameter by about 5 to 10 mm in length and having a top and bottom end. The body is made of absorbent material that expands upon contact with pharmaceutical agent and bodily fluids and includes a string connected to the bottom end of the body for removing the device. The device can be used to treat a condition of the ureter or kidney by inserting into the ureter or kidney, delivering a pharmaceutical agent, and removing the device after it has been impregnated with fluid. The device can be included in a kit with an insertion device and/or appropriate pharmaceutical agents.

Urothelial cancer is one of the most common cancers, affecting approximately 81,000 adults in the United States each year. Bladder cancer occurs in men more frequently than it does in women and usually affects older adults, though it can happen at any age. Urothelial cancer accounts for 90% of all bladder cancer and 10 to 15% kidney cancers.
In contrast, urothelial cancers of the upper urinary tract are relatively rare but are difficult to treat.
Current treatments for upper tract urothelial carcinomas include Nephron sparing or conservative management, especially if the cancer is low grade. These treatments aim to ablate and destroy the tumor deploying a small scope attached to a camera up into the ureter and kidney. This can be combined with chemotherapy or immunotherapy in the pelvis or the ureter. Chemotherapy can include delivering mitomycin-c in gel form, or alternatively, immunotherapy agents such as BCG, or chemotherapy such as mitomycin-c, gemcitabine, and docetaxel can be continuously dripped into the upper urinary tract via a tiny hollow tube. Robotic or open surgical treatment to remove all or part of the ureter, kidney and bladder for cancer is utilized depending on the location, size, grade and stage of the cancer. Surgery is reserved for those patients in whom local therapy failed or who originally presented with advanced disease.
There is desire for devices and improved methods of treating upper urothelial conditions. There is a desire for a device that will allow for immunotherapy and chemotherapy to dwell in the ureter and kidney, without agents draining immediately from the upper urinary tract.
It is also desirable to have a removable device that can absorb and deliver therapeutic agents to a ureter or kidney.
International Patent Application Publication WO 1994026215 by Uromed Corp. is directed to balloons for blocking the urethra. It describes an expandable deformable member (sponge) made of hydrophilic material which expands when moisture contacts it. The device, as illustrated in embodiments 1 through 3, would be difficult to manufacture and they rely on a cumbersome string apparatus. Patients would be required to manipulate different strings to activate/deactivate device, much like a two-string system used to raise and lower Venetian blinds. Embodiments 4 and 5 rely on coupling of proximal thermo-sensitive plug or sponge to a solid polyurethane cylindrical shaft with a distal meatal plate. Advancing a solid shaft up urethra is potentially dangerous, as minimal torqueing of the solid shaft could injure the urethra. Moreover, a meatal plate at urethral meatus would be uncomfortable and risk abrading delicate meatal tissue. Also, because the device is intended to be reusable, issues of the ability to satisfactorily disinfect a re-usable plug are to be questioned, especially if a sponge is used as the plug. These devices are not meant for the upper urothelial cavities and only address incontinence.
EP 0193406 to Medtronic, Inc. is directed to a urethral plug that comprises a hydrophilic, body fluid swelling hydrogel. However, this is aimed at a plug rather than a disposable absorber. As noted with the previous device, radial flanges or flaps, intended to serve as an umbrella at meatus and prevent migration of a device into the bladder, would be uncomfortable and risk abrading delicate meatal tissue. Furthermore, all hydrophilic hydrogels proposed for this device are non-biodegradable and therefore not optimal for disposable product.
There are reports of vaginal tampons being accidentally inserted into the urethra. These tampons are much too large for the opening and cause pain. Moreover, vaginal tampons are not designed to absorb urine or the amount of liquid discharged by many with incontinence issues.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,338 generally discloses the concept of a tampon that could be inserted into the urethra. The body of the tampon is provided with a withdrawal handle means protruding from the body and connected with an anchor part encapsulated in the body and having a relatively large bearing face against the surrounding molded material of the body. The handle and anchor part are made from a material with a knitted structure, to provide a three-dimensional bond to the molded material of the body. The anchor part is designed as a soft flexible element oriented in said longitudinal direction. However, no details are provided of how a urothelial tampon would differ from one suited for vaginal or anal insertion and a physical embodiment of a urothelial tampon is heretofore unknown by the inventor.
There is a need for devices that can be inserted in the ureters and urothelial cavities and/or kidneys, rather than the vagina.
There is a need for devices that can comfortably be inserted into the ureters and kidney to facilitate delivery of pharmaceutical agents, which can hold in place agents that work best if they are allowed to dwell in the ureter and renal pelvic spaces, that can be easily removed, preferably on an outpatient basis, and that do not abrade delicate tissue.

Device and methods for treating urothelial conditions


An apparatus having image forming units to form respective toner images of different colors on a toner-image receiving medium, each unit including an image carrier, a static-latent-image forming portion to form a static latent image on the image carrier, a developing portion to apply a toner of the corresponding color to the image carrier, for forming the toner image on the image carrier, and a toner transferring portion to transfer the toner image from the image carrier to the medium, wherein the image forming units are disposed so as to be opposed to the medium and operable to sequentially transfer the toner images from the image carriers to the medium, and the developing portion of each unit is operable to adsorb the toner remaining on the image carrier after the toner image is transferred to the medium, and wherein at least the image forming unit located at the most upstream position of the apparatus is provided with a dust removing portion to remove, from the image carrier, a dust which has been transferred to the image carrier during a transfer of the toner image from the image carrier to the medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an image forming such as a color laser printer.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A conventional image forming apparatus such as a color laser printer is arranged to form a static latent image on a surface of an image carrier such as a photosensitive or photoconductive drum, and apply a toner to the surface of the image carrier, for thereby forming a toner image on the image carrier. This process is repeated for each of four toner images of different colors, which are formed on the respective image carriers, using respective yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) and black (K) toners, so that a color image is formed on a recording medium such as a sheet of paper, with the toner images of different colors being sequentially transferred from the respective image carriers to the recording medium.
The toner image of each color is transmitted from the corresponding image carrier directly to the recording medium while the recording medium is fed by a conveyor belt, or indirectly to the recording medium via an intermediate image transfer belt. In the latter method, the toner images of different colors are first transferred from the image carriers to the intermediate image transfer belt, to form the color image on the transfer belt, and the thus formed color image is transferred from the transfer belt to the recording medium. In either of these two methods, the toners inevitably remain on the surfaces of the image carriers after the toner images are transferred the surfaces.
To remove the remaining toner from each image carrier, the conventional image forming apparatus is provided with a cleaner mechanism such as a blade device, which is arranged to remove the toner by scraping the surface of the image carrier. Alternatively, a developing device of the image forming apparatus which includes a developing roller operable to apply the toner to the surface of the image carrier is electrically controlled such that a portion of the toner which remains on the image carrier and which does not form the toner image is adsorbed onto the surface of the developing roller. In the latter case, the image forming apparatus which is not provided with a cleaner mechanism may be referred to as a "cleanerless type" image forming apparatus". An example of this cleanerless type is disclosed in JP-3154757B2 (JP-5053482A).
The image forming apparatus of the cleanerless type is advantageous in that the size of the apparatus can be reduced in the absence of a cleaner mechanism for removing the remaining toner from the surface of the image carrier. However, the apparatus still suffers from difficulty to remove paper dust which tends to adhere to the surface of the image carrier during a transfer of the toner image from the image carrier to the recording medium. In the presence of the paper dust on the image carrier, the toner may adhere to the paper dust and may be transferred together with the paper dust to the recording medium, giving rise to a risk of undesirable formation of unintended colored spots (generally called "paper dust spots") on the recording medium.
That is, the paper dust produced by the recording medium in the form of paper sheets tends to adhere directly to the image carrier, or indirectly to the image carrier via the intermediate image transfer belt. In the image forming apparatus of the cleanerless type, the paper dust cannot be removed from the image carrier, leading to the risk of formation of the paper dust spots on the recording medium.


A shock tube package system and a method of deploying a shock tube package system is provided. The system includes a coreless bundle of shock tubing. The system further includes an outer covering disposed about the periphery of the bundle of shock tubing. The outer covering being made from a flexible or ela In an embodiment, the outer covering is made from a flexible or elastic material such as a textile.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to igniting devices and systems for explosives and, more particularly, to fuse cord and packaging for fuse cord.
Shock tubes are a type of fuse cord or blasting cord used in non-electric blast initiation systems. Shock tubing typically comprises an elongated, hollow, flexible, small-diameter tube, the inner surface of which is coated with a reactive substance, e.g., a thin layer of detonating or deflagrating explosive composition. Most commonly, this composition consists of a mixture of HMX and aluminum powder. Other shock tube designs encompass multiple plastic layers to provide improved tensile strength and abrasion resistance.
In commercial blasting applications, the shock tubing provides a signal transmission device to transmit a signal to multiple blasting caps in mining or quarrying applications. When initiated, the interior coating of the shock tube transmits a low energy shock wave that travels down the interior of the tube, but without breaching the tube sidewall. A detonator affixed to the end of the tubing is initiated by the shock wave, thereby setting off an attached explosive charge. In military applications shock tube-based initiation systems are used because of their relative safety. In particular, since the system is non-electric, it is not affected by stray electrical currents so cannot be accidentally initiated by electrical signals. Also, the system does not require special electrical blasting machines as would be required if an electric blasting cap system was used.
In commercial applications, a firing device containing a percussion primer is typically used to initiate the shock tube. For military applications, a self-contained system is desirable. In military systems, an end fitting can be used to position a percussion primer on the end of the shock tube.
In the field, a spring-loaded firing pin device is typically attached to the assembly and used to fire the percussion primer for initiating the shock tube.
Still other shock tubes have been developed for the military with the firing device permanently affixed to the shock tube lead in the factory. This results in a totally self-contained initiation system being delivered in one package to the field. The length of shock tube on a spool can vary from 80 feet to 1,000+feet. The length of shock tube allows the field blaster to retreat a safe distance between the charge the detonator is initiating and the firing device that initiates the blast. This system is very robust and useful and has been deployed extensively in military field applications. However the use of a spool (and, of course, box) greatly increases the overall weight and volume of the shock tube package. For covert operations, it is extremely desirable to have a self-contained detonator assembly that is easily carried by a person or one that will fit into a pocket on a vest.
It should be appreciated that in covert operations it is desired to keep noise associated with the deployment of the shock tube to maintain an element of surprise during a mission. Without being limited by any theory, it has been found that in some instances the rubbing of the shock tube against the washers or end plates of the shock tube assembly, including the heat shrink skin, creates a resonance that amplifies the sound level.
Accordingly, while existing shock tubes are suitable for their intended use the need for improvement remains, particularly in providing a shock tube that generates less noise during deployment.

Coreless-coil shock tube system with reduced noise

ENSIGN-BICKFORD AEROSPACE & DEFENSE COMPANY


A programmable switch includes at least one or more pass transistors having a control voltage that is greater than the data path reference voltage that is selected by a corresponding pass transistor. The control voltage is provided by a higher voltage power supply than the power supply that provides the data path reference voltage. In one embodiment, the higher voltage supply is a quiet supply that is not loaded with devices that switch during normal operation of the programmable switch such as CMOS devices. In another embodiment, the power supply that provides a voltage to an I/O circuit of the probable switch is the power supply that is utilized to provide the control voltage to the pass transistors. In a particular embodiment, the pass transistors comprise higher voltage tolerant devices than other devices in the programmable device. In a particular embodiment, the higher voltage supply is at least the data path reference voltage plus the threshold voltage of the pass transistors.

The present invention relates generally to integrated circuits, and more specifically to switches that are capable of being programmed.
A programmable switch typically utilizes wide multiplexers consisting of n-channel pass gates in which the gate voltage of the selected path is referenced to the same power supply as the logic gates that drive the inputs and sense the outputs. The wide multiplexer circuits are used to program route connections within a programmable logic device (PLD). To minimize die area, n-channel pass gates are used as the switching elements to select a desired data signal path on which a data signal is passed. A programmable circuit such as a latch or an electrically erasable link drives the pass transistor gate voltage. The voltage provided at the gate of the pass transistor in the selected path is typically the same voltage as the power supply to the logic gates in the circuit. Since the n-channel pass transistor conduction turns off when the output reaches the power supply voltage less the threshold voltage (VPWRxe2x88x92VT), a p-channel transistor configured as a half-latch is typically used to restore the signal level to a full swing. However, such a circuit configuration is slow, particularly for the rising edge, which is a result of the transistor conductance decreasing as the output voltage rises. Since the n-channel pass transistor gate voltage is at VPWR, the circuit can drive the voltage only to VPWRxe2x88x92VT. The speed of such a circuit is limited by the channel conductance of the pass transistor, which reduces as the output voltage increases. As the total switching activity of the circuit increases, the load on the power supply increases which reduces the power supply voltage and increases the circuit delay.
A programmable switch circuit is constructed with pass transistors wherein the gate of the selected path thereof is driven to a higher voltage. The higher voltage is achieved by distributing a xe2x80x9cquietxe2x80x9d supply voltage that is not loaded with circuits that switch during normal operation. In this manner, the gate voltage is driven to nearly the largest value that the process can reliably allow. The gate voltage will not reduce as total switching load of the chip increases. One advantage provided by such a circuit configuration in accordance with the present invention is reduction in propagation delay resulting from an increase in the average conductance of the n-channel pass transistor and increasing the range in which the output voltage is driven, which in one embodiment is VPWR+less VT.


A mining machine management system includes: a position information detector which is mounted on a mining machine enabled to travel on a route in a mine and detects position information about the mining machine; an operation information detector which is mounted on the mining machine and detects operation information about the mining machine; and a processor which obtains accumulated data of the operation information in a predetermined section of the route based on the position information and the operation information.

In mining sites in a mine, mining machines such as a hydraulic excavator and a dump track operate. In these years, information about a mining machine is acquired via wireless communications. Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique in which a traveling state of a mobile unit is acquired using a GPS (Global Positioning System).

Management system and management method of mining machine


In some embodiments, a system and/or method may include a fairing system for vehicles. The fairing system may include a roofing extender. The roofing extender may be couplable rearward of a roof of a vehicle. In some embodiments, a frontward portion of the roofing extender may be coupled to the roof of the vehicle such that the roofing extender pivots, at the frontward portion, relative to the roof of the vehicle. In some embodiments, a rearward portion of the roofing extender may be coupled to the vehicle with a resilient member which allows the roofing extender to pivot relative to the roof of the vehicle within a specified range as needed before returning to set start point. In some embodiments, the roofing extender functions to adjust airflow over the roof of the vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to vehicle fairings. More particularly, the disclosure generally relates to a method and system for adjusting airflow over the roof of a vehicle using a roofing extender.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Vehicles (e.g., trucks and/or tractor-trailer combinations) are available in many different configurations. The aerodynamic properties of the configurations may have a significant effect on the fuel efficiency of the vehicles. As such, systems for improving the aerodynamic performance of vehicles (e.g., load-carrying vehicles) have been developed.
It is known in the art that the roof fairing is a component on a long haul tractor that reduces aerodynamic drag and thereby improves fuel efficiency of the tractor-trailer vehicle. However, conventional roof fairings are not aerodynamically optimal because they need to provide clearance at the top area behind the cab for one or more of the following reasons: a roof extension mounted behind the roof fairing may become damaged when a portion of the trailer contacts the extension such as when the tractor and trailer articulate; and the tractor may be configured with exhaust stacks that would interfere with a roof extension.
It may be advantageous to provide a fairing which is deflectable within a range without incurring damage.

Aerodynamic and deflectable roof fairing attachment for tractor-trailer vehicles


A test system may include a master test station and slave test stations. The test stations may receive devices under test such as portable wireless electronic devices. Each test station may have adjustable antenna structures coupled to test equipment. The adjustable antenna structures may include antenna support structures on which test antennas are mounted and rail along which the antenna support structures and test antennas are moved by a pneumatic positioner. A rotatable platform may be provided in each test station to support the device under test in that test station. By making a series of over-the-air test measurements in the master test station while adjusting the antenna system and device positioning system, a satisfactory location for the active test antenna and device position may be identified. This configuration may then be used in performing single-point over-the-air tests in the slave test stations.

This relates to electronic devices and, more particularly, to systems for testing wireless electronic devices.
Electronic devices such as cellular telephones and other portable devices are often provided with wireless circuitry. For example, cellular telephones contain wireless radio-frequency transceiver circuitry for communicating using cellular telephones bands. Electronic devices may also contain circuitry for communicating using wireless local area network communications bands and other communications bands of interest.
During manufacturing, wireless tests are performed on electronic devices to ensure that the devices are operating satisfactorily. For example, single-point over-the-air tests are performed with an antenna in a single fixed position within a wireless test chamber to determine whether devices exhibit desired levels of wireless receiver sensitivity or other performance characteristics under a variety of operating conditions. In a typical over-the-air test of this type, a wireless electronic device under test is placed within a test chamber to allow wireless measurements to be made. Using trial and error, the device can be manually positioned relative to a test antenna in the test chamber until the device has been oriented properly to allow the test antenna to gather sufficiently strong signals for wireless test measurements. This type of manual process can be cumbersome and prone to error.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved testing systems for wireless electronic devices.

Test system having test stations with adjustable antennas