An improved housing for scroll compressor has the end cap housing formed integrally with the fixed scroll member. The end cap housing is preferably welded to a tubular housing enclosing the scroll compressor. Most preferably, the end housing has inner and outer tubular portions and the tubular housing extends upwardly into a channel between the inner and outer tubular portions. A muffler is preferably formed integrally with the end cap and extends to a side of the end cap. The present invention further includes heat transfer fins extend from the end cap. The positioning of the muffler to the side decreases the overall length of the compressor. The use of the fins increases the efficiency of compression as heat is removed from the compression chambers. The use of the unique combined end cap and fixed scroll which is welded to the tubular housing simplifies assembly. The invention also extends to an embodiment wherein the combined outer housing and fixed scroll are formed of two separate pieces with the first piece being formed of steel, and a second piece being formed of a material into which it will be more practical to machine the complex scroll wrap. In another embodiment, heat pipes are mounted into the end face of the outer housing to assist in conducting heat away from the fixed scroll.

This invention relates to improvements in scroll compressor housings.
Scroll compressors are being utilized in many refrigerant compression operations, since they have many functional benefits when compared to other types of compressors. Thus, scroll compressors are becoming adopted by the compression industry for many applications. There are challenges, however, with scroll compressors.
Typically, a scroll compressor consists of a fixed scroll having a base with a generally spiral wrap extending from the base towards an orbiting scroll. The orbiting scroll has a base with a spiral wrap extending towards the fixed scroll. The orbiting scroll orbits relative to the fixed scroll and compression chambers between the intermeshing scroll wraps are compressed.
It is a desire of the scroll compression industry to minimize the size of the scroll compressor. In particular, it is desirable to minimize the axial length of the scroll compressor. Further, it has been a challenge to remove heat from the scroll compression chambers. Typically, in a sealed scroll compressor, the fixed scroll is mounted at some distance away from an outer housing. Thus, the outer housing is exposed to the ambient environment, but the fixed scroll is separated from the ambient environment, and thus has been somewhat difficult to cool.
The prior art has proposed combining the fixed scroll with the outer housing. However, in general, these designs have proposed bolting the combined fixed scroll and outer housing to a second housing along interface planes. With such a combination it would be difficult to achieve proper positioning of the scroll members, as there is no adjustability provided. Moreover, it is not believed these proposals have ever been in production. To the extent they have, they would be very difficult to assemble.
In a disclosed embodiment of this invention, a scroll compressor comprises a fixed scroll formed integrally with an outer housing. The compressor is preferably in a sealed canister with a generally tubular housing welded to the combined outer housing and fixed scroll. Preferably, the outer housing is positioned on a radially outer surface of the tubular housing and welded.
More preferably, a muffler is formed integrally with the combined housing and fixed scroll. The muffler preferably extends to the side of the compressor such that it does not increase the overall axial length. Fins also extend from the combined housing and fixed scroll in a direction away from the fixed scroll wrap. The fins provide cooling to remove heat from the compression chambers. Preferably, the muffler and the fins extend away from the base of the fixed scroll member for an approximately equal distance.
In a most preferred embodiment, the combined housing and fixed scroll includes inner and outer tubular portions with the tubular housing member fitting between the inner and outer portions. The tubular housing member can move into and out of a channel formed between the inner and outer tubular portions to allow relative adjustment of the position of the housings. In this way, the position of the scroll members can be carefully controlled. Other housing would also come within the scope of this invention. As one example, only the inner portion need be utilized, with the outer guide portion being eliminated. The tubular housing would still be guided along the inner guide portion and welded.
In a method of assembling the scroll compressor according to this invention, a pump unit is initially assembled by securing the main crankcase bearing to the combined fixed scroll and outer housing. The orbiting scroll is captured between the crankcase and the fixed scroll. This sub-assembly is then welded to the tubular housing member. Thus, the main crankcase bearing is directly and rigidly secured to the outer housing through this outer weld joint. This provides additional strength to the bearing attachment.
In further embodiments of this invention, the one piece fixed scroll and outer housing may be preferably formed of two parts. A cast iron portion may form the fixed scroll, while a steel portion forms the outer housing. The cast iron portion is preferably pressed into the outer housing, with a generally planar interface between the two ensuring the two will be in tight contact to ensure proper positioning and good heat transfer. This two-piece part will be beneficial in that forming the entire combined member of the cast steel could be costly, and it may be difficult to cast the thin scroll wraps. It potentially also may be complicated to machine steel wraps. Thus, having the two-piece part, provides the outer housing formed of steel, with the scroll wraps formed of a more easily machined material such as cast iron or aluminum.
In a further embodiment of this invention, heat pipes are attached to the outer surface of the one-piece fixed scroll and outer housing. The heat pipes are preferably utilized in combination with fins which attach to the several heat pipes. Further, the condenser fan may be mounted adjacent to the end of the housing such that the fan will draw air over the heat pipes and fins. While heat pipes are shown as the heat exchanger attached to the outer surface of the fixed scroll and outer housing, it should be understood that other separate heat exchangers attached to the housing would come within the scope of this invention.
These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.

Scroll compressor with integral outer housing and a fixed scroll member


The invention provides a lubricating composition containing a lubricating composition comprising an oil of lubricating viscosity and a polyester. The invention further relates to a method of lubricating a mechanical device (such as an internal combustion engine) with the lubricating composition. The invention further relates to the use of the polyester as a dispersant.

In order to reduce deposit formation, detergents and dispersants are known to assist in maintaining reduced amounts of deposits on engine components. The lubricant industry has a number of tests used to evaluate a lubricant's ability to handle deposits and sludge including the Sequence VG, Sequence IIIG, TDi, Cat 1N, and OM501LA.
With recent changes to engine specifications there is an increasing demand on the lubricant to reduce deposits. For instance, the new ILSAC GF-5 specification requires a 4.0 weighted piston deposit rating in the Sequence IIIG (vs. 3.5 for GF-4).
International Application WO2007/128740 (published 15 November, 2007) discloses the use of one or more poly (hydroxycarboxylic acid) amide salt in combination with one or more antiwear additive. Such compositions were useful for dispersing preformed sludge deposits.
International Application WO2009/053413 (published 30 Apr. 2009) and European Patent Application EP2055729 (published 6 May 2009) both disclose compositions comprising base oil and one or more poly (hydroxycarboxylic acid) amide salt derivatives. The lubricating oils were useful for reducing wear and friction.
International Application WO2009/156393 (published 30 Dec. 2009) discloses a lubricant with one or more poly (hydroxycarboxylic acid) amide salt with TBN less than 10. The Lubricant ameliorated piston deposits in fired engine tests such as the TU5 and Sequence IIIF.
International Application WO2010/012756 (published 4 Feb. 2010) and US Patent Application US2010/0024286 (published 4 Feb. 2010) both disclose a fuel composition comprising a fuel and one or more poly (hydroxycarboxylic acid) amide salts. Such fuels offered benefits such as improved lubricity by HFRR, Improved inlet valve deposits in fired engine tests and improved sludge dispersancy in the Sequence VG engine test.
International Application WO2010/014678 (published 4 Feb. 2010) discloses a poly (hydroxycarboxylic acid) amide salt derivative wherein the anionic portion of the salt does not contain sulphur. The molecules described showed lower phosphorus volatility in Selby NOACK testing in fully formulated fluids than similar materials that had sulphur-containing anions.
International Application WO2010/015706 (published 11 Feb. 2010) discloses a lubricant comprising base oil, a poly (hydroxycarboxylic acid) amide salt and one or more detergents. The composition is useful for dispersing preformed sludge deposits.
International Application WO2010/012763 (published 4 Feb. 2010) and US Patent Application US2010/0024287 (published 4 Feb. 2010) both disclose a fuel composition comprising a fuel and one or more poly (hydroxycarboxylic acid) derivative having a terminal acid group. The fuels of the disclosed composition demonstrated some improved lubricity characteristics.

Lubricating composition containing a dispersant


The prevent invention relates to a shutter of a leaf spring type supported at a filler neck portion of a fuel filler pipe by a shutter support portion within the filler pipe. The invention aims to improve a durability in opening and closing action of the shutter. The shutter according to the invention is formed to have an arm portion extending from a shutter working portion, the arm portion being elastically deformed when the shutter opens, and a turned end portion extending from the arm portion toward the shutter working portion. The turned end portion is held by the shutter support portion at a location near the shutter working portion such that deformation of the turned end portion is not restricted when it elastically deforms in accordance with the opening movement of the shutter. Alternatively, the shutter main body, the shutter working portion and the arm portion which elastically deforms when the shutter working portion opens are integrally formed from a piece of spring plate, so that the number of component parts is reduced and attachment work of the shutter to the filler pipe is facilitated.

1. Industrial Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvement of a fuel erroneous supply prevention shutter provided in a filler neck portion of a filler pipe in an automobile.
2. Prior Art
There is provided in a filler neck portion of a filler pipe a shutter for preventing inadequate supply of different fuel. When a fuel exclusive for a car is supplied by a supply nozzle having a particular nozzle shape, the shutter is opened to admit the fuel supplying nozzle into the filler pipe so as to supply fuel to a fuel tank. In case of the inadequate kind of fuel, however, the shutter serves to inhibit the supplying nozzle from being inserted through a nozzle restricting passage formed in the filler neck portion. Further, when a distal end portion of the supplying nozzle is forced against the shutter to open it and to supply the fuel from the supplying nozzle, an automatically shut-off mechanism provided on the supplying nozzle operates to close the nozzle valve of the supplying nozzle in response to the existence of the shutter.
As examples of a conventional shutter having such function, there are listed both a shutter of a leaf spring type as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,562 or 4,770,677, and a shutter actuated by a coil spring as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,950.
In the latter shutter employing the coil spring, the number of component parts is large so that assembling work becomes tedious. On the contrary, the former shutter of a leaf spring type has an advantage in that it can be constituted simply.
However, the structure of the conventional shutter of the leaf spring type, has a fault of durability in opening and closing action which is a function of the shutter. This is because it is difficult to design the leaf spring such that it maintains a certain biasing force to suitably close the passage and it can be used within an elastic range.
Basically, if the deformable portion of the shutter is sufficiently elongated, stress is distributed without concentration and the deformable portion can bend within the elastic range. However, the deformable portion having a sufficient length cannot be formed under restraint of the inner space, where the shutter is to be housed, depending on a diameter of the filler pipe.
From the viewpoint of character of the leaf spring, unless the leaf spring is used within the elastic range of the spring character, it loses its elasticity because of metal fatigue during repetition of opening and closing movement, so that the shutter will not be again restored to the closing state.
The present invention aims to provide a fuel erroneous supply prevention shutter of a leaf spring type whose durability in opening and closing action is improved.

Fuel erroneous supply prevention shutter


A variable damping valve of a shock absorber is capable of properly adjusting a damping force according to read conditions, travel conditions and the like while a vehicle is traveling, thereby improving ride comfort and control stability. A flow of oil is controlled to generate a damping force and the damping force is simultaneously adjusted according to pressure in a pilot chamber. The damping valve comprises an upper retainer communicating with a high-pressure side and a main valve installed below the upper retainer. The main valve comprises a valve body defining a pilot chamber, a disk ring installed on a top surface of the valve body, and a housing for containing the valve body and the disk ring and integrally confining the valve body and the disk ring by being curled at upper and lower ends of the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a variable damping valve of a shock absorber, and more particularly, to a shock absorber mounted with a variable damping valve capable of properly adjusting a damping force according to road conditions, travel conditions and the like while a vehicle is traveling, thereby improving ride comfort and control stability.
2. Description of the Related Art
A shock absorber of a suspension system mounted in a vehicle is a vibration-proof and shock-absorbing apparatus installed between an axle and a vehicle body to improve ride comfort by absorbing a vibration or shock transmitted from a road to the axle when the vehicle travels. The interior of the shock absorber is filled with oil and/or gas.
Shock absorbers include a variable damping shock absorber adapted to properly adjust a damping characteristic according to road and travel conditions so as to improve ride comfort or control stability. The variable damping shock absorber has a configuration in which a variable damping valve for adjusting a damping force is provided at a side surface of an outer tube of a conventional shock absorber.
Conventional variable damping valves are classified into a normal type variable valve and a reverse type variable valve according to methods of controlling a damping force in response to the movement of a vehicle. The reverse type variable valve is characterized in that compression and extension strokes are controlled by an additional valve in response to the movement of a vehicle. Thus, in the reverse type variable valve, a weak damping force is generated during the extension stroke and a strong damping force is generated during the compression stroke, or a strong damping force is generated during the extension stroke and a weak damping force is generated during the compression stroke. However, since the reverse type variable valve employs such an additional valve, there are disadvantages in that production costs thereof increase and the use of the additional valve results in a relatively larger size and deteriorated mountability.
In the normal type variable valve, a single valve is used to control damping forces during both the compression and extension strokes. Thus, in the normal type variable valve, strong damping forces or weak damping forces are generated during both the compression and extension strokes.
A conventional reverse type variable valve is disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 1997-58101 entitled "Damping force-adjustable hydraulic shock absorber," wherein a damping force generating valve 11 is connected to a side of a variable damping shock absorber 1. The damping force generating valve will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
Since compression-side and extension-side valve mechanisms of the damping force generating valve 11 have the substantially same structure, an enlarged view common to them is shown in FIG. 2.
As shown in the figures, the damping force generating valve 11 is constructed in such a manner that two bottomed cylindrical valve bodies 13 and 14 are fitted into a bottomed cylindrical case 12, a proportional solenoid actuator 15 (hereinafter, referred to as "actuator 15") is mounted in an opening of the case 12, and the interior of the case 12 is partitioned into three fluid chambers 12a, 12b and 12c by the valve bodies 13 and 14.
Annular sealing members 16 and 17 are fitted into openings of the valve bodies 13 and 14, respectively, and a cylindrical guide member 18 threadly coupled to the actuator 15 penetrates through the valve bodies 13 and 14 and the sealing members 16 and 17 and is then secured by a nut 19. A sidewall of the case 12 is provided with connection holes 20, 21 and 22 communicating respectively with the fluid chamber 12a, 12b and 12c. The connection holes 20, 21 and 22 are connected to a cylinder through flow passages of the shock absorber, respectively.
A plurality of circumferentially arranged flow passages 26 and 27 (inlet passages) (only two flow passages are shown in FIG. 1) are formed at lower portions of the valve bodies 13 and 14 to axially penetrate through the valve bodies, respectively. Further, on an inner wall at the lower portion of each of the valve bodies 13 and 14, an annular inner sealing part 28 or 29 (see FIG. 2) is provided to protrude at an inner peripheral side of the passage 26 or 27, an annular valve seat 30 or 31 (see FIG. 2) is provided to protrude at an outer peripheral side of the passage 26 or 27, and an annular outer sealing part 32 or 33 (see FIG. 2) is provided outside the annular valve seat 30 or 31 and in the vicinity of a sidewall of the valve body 13 or 14. Annular grooves 34 and 35 are formed between the valve seats 30 and 31 and the outer sealing parts 32 and 33, respectively. The grooves 34 and 35 communicate with the fluid chambers (as at 12b and 12c in FIG. 1) through flow passages 36 and 37 (outlet passages), respectively.
As shown in FIG. 2, a disk-shaped orifice plate 38 or 39, which will be described later, and a spacer 40 or 41 are stacked on the inner sealing part 36 or 37 of each of the valve bodies 13 and 14. A disk valve 42 or 43 is stacked thereon; a retainer disk 44 or 45 with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the disk valve 42 or 43 is additionally stacked thereon; a plurality of disk-shaped leaf springs 46 or 47 (spring means) (only three leaf springs are shown in the figure) with a diameter smaller than that of the retainer disk 44 or 45, and a spacer 48 or 49 are further stacked thereon; and an outer periphery of the disk valve 42 or 43 is placed on the valve seat 30 or 31.
A flexible sealing ring 50 or 51 is fitted into the valve body 13 or 14. An inner periphery of the flexible sealing ring comes into contact with an outer periphery of the retainer disk 44 or 45 while slightly overlapping with each other, and an outer periphery of the flexible sealing ring comes into contact with the outer sealing part 32 or 33. A retainer ring 52 or 53 comes into contact with the top of the outer periphery of the flexible sealing ring 50 or 51, and an outer periphery of an annular sealing spring 54 or 55 comes into contact with the top of the retainer ring. The sealing member 16 or 17 fitted into the valve body 13 or 14 is in contact with the inner peripheries of the spacer 48 or 49 and the sealing spring 54 or 55, and secures the inner peripheries of the disk valve 42 or 43, the retainer disks 44 or 45 and the leaf springs 46 or 47 to the inner sealing part 28 or 29 and simultaneously secures the outer periphery of the sealing ring 50 or 51 to the outer sealing part 32 or 33.
The sealing member 16 or 17, the retainer disk 44 or 45, and the sealing ring 50 or 51 define a pilot chamber 56 or 57 at the rear of the disk valve 42 or 43 within the valve body 13 or 14. At this time, the sealing spring 54 or 55 seals a gap between the valve body 13 or 14 and the sealing member 16 or 17. Further, to securely seal a contact portion of the retainer disk 44 or 45 and the sealing ring 50 or 51, the sealing ring 50 or 51 is assembled in such a manner that the outer periphery thereof is at a level slightly lower than that of the inner periphery thereof with respect to the bottom of the valve body 13 or 14, thereby pressing down the retainer disk 44 or 45. In the figures, reference numerals 58, 59, 60, 61 and 62 designate O-rings.
A sidewall of the guide member 18 is provided with ports 63 and 64 communicating respectively with the pilot chambers 56 and 57, and ports 65 and 66 communicating respectively with the fluid chambers 12b and 12c. The orifice plate 38 or 39 mounted on the inner sealing part 28 or 29 is provided with fixed orifices 67 or 68. An upstream passage is constructed by the fixed orifices 67 or 68, a cut-away portion 69 or 70 of the inner sealing part and a groove 71 or 72 of an outer periphery of the guide member 18. With the upstream passage, the flow passage 26 or 27, and the port 63 or 64, i.e., pilot chamber 56 or 57, communicate with each other. A spool 73 is slidably fitted into the guide member 18 to adjust the area of the flow passage (downstream passage) between the port 63 or 65 and the port 64 or 66. The spool 73 is urged (forced) toward the actuator 15 by a compression spring 74 and is moved against the pressing force of the spring 74 by an actuating rod 75 of the actuator 15, so that the areas of flow passages of the port 63 and the port 66 (variable orifice) can be adjusted.
However, in such a conventional structure, the respective pilot chambers 56 and 57 formed at the rears of the disk valves 42 and 43 within the valve bodies 13 and 14 by being partitioned by the sealing members 16 and 17, the retainer disks 44 and 45, and the sealing rings 50 and 51 have a very complicated structure in which the sealing rings 50 and 51 are fixed by the retainers 52 and 53 placed thereon. If the retainers 52 and 53 have uneven top and bottom surfaces, unbalance occurs in the pressing forces of the retainers 50 and 51. This causes a problem in that pressure in the pilot chambers 56 and 57 becomes unstable, resulting in dispersion of a damping force. That is, the occurrence of the dispersion in the pilot chambers 56 and 57 greatly deteriorates the performance of the shock absorber.

Variable damping valve of shock absorber


An integrated circuit (1) comprises a monitor (M1, M3, M3) operable to produce monitor data in dependence upon a measured parameter of the integrated circuit (1); and a self test controller (28) connected to receive monitor data from the monitor (M1, M2, M3). The self-test controller is also operable to output self test data from the integrated circuit. The monitor includes an output shift register (SR1, SR2, SR3) and is operable to output monitor data through the shift register (SR1, SR2, SR3). Such a system enables simplified communication of system self test results on an integrated circuit.

Advances in manufacturing technology have enabled larger and denser circuits to be placed on single semi-conductor integrated circuits. This is especially the case when the circuits are realised as regular or cellular structures, for example Random Access Memory. A major problem associated with high density device is that of testing. In order to maintain higher reliability, device test procedures need to provide good coverage of possible faults that occur in the integrated circuit.
One technique for providing testing of an integrated circuit is the so-called SIST architecture (signal integrity self-test architecture). The purpose of SIST architecture is to allow real time monitoring of important parameters which characterise the electrical behaviour of the integrated circuit. For example, monitors can be provided to detect cross talk, supply noise, substrate noise, temperature, switching activity, clock duty cycle etc. An SIST architecture has the advantage that testing can be performed before use during a test and debug process, and also during use (on-line).
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a block diagram illustrating an integrated circuit including previously considered Signal Integrity Self Test (SIST) architecture. The integrated circuit 1 comprises a number of functional cores or modules 2. These modules may perform analogue, digital or memory functions. For simplicity, it has been assumed that all cores are the same size. It will be readily appreciated that such techniques are not limited to an integrated circuit having cores of the same size. In addition, the normal interconnections and buses, which perform communication controls between the different functional cores, have been omitted from the diagram for the sake of clarity.
The integrated circuit 1 includes a monitor control block 4 which communicates with a number of monitors (not shown in FIG. 1) using a monitor selection bus 6. A reference and compare circuit 8 outputs a self-test signal from an output 10 in dependence upon received signals from the monitors. The monitors supply monitor output signals via a bus structure 12. The monitors are intended to be designed as standard cells, so that they can be located anywhere within each standard-cell block.
FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a functional core 2 from the integrated circuit of FIG. 1. The core 2 includes a plurality of monitors 16 connected to a decoder 14 and to the bus structure 12. In FIG. 2, the functional blocks relating to the function of the core have been omitted for the sake of clarity. FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary core having four monitors 16. It will be readily appreciated that the core can be provided with any number of monitors in dependence upon the parameters to be measured. As mentioned above, different sensors are used to monitor different phenomena: cross talk, supply noise, substrate noise, temperature, switching activity, clock duty-cycle, etc.
The SIST architecture (FIG. 1) allows access to each individual monitor in a core using the monitor selection bus 6, which is controlled by the monitor control block 4. The monitor control block 4 includes a memory, which contains specific codes through which a certain monitor in a specific core can be selected. The output of the selected monitor is usually converted to a DC value or into a differential signal, which is then connected to the bus structure 12. This bus structure 12 may either be connected directly to a bondpad 10 of the integrated circuit, or, as shown, it may be connected to the reference and compare circuit 8. In one particular example, the reference and compare circuit 8 operates to determine whether the output signal from the monitor is within a certain allowed range. The reference and compare block 8 may contain reference values for each kind of monitor.
The monitor control block 4 can be placed on the integrated circuit, but can also be an external controller, for example a software program or an analysis tool. In all cases, it is necessary to provide a means to communicate between all monitors 16 and the monitor control block 4.
Such previously considered SIST architectures have the disadvantage that interfacing between the SIST monitors and the controller is complex. It is therefore desirable to provide a simplified interfacing technique for SIST architectures.

Intergrated circuit self-test architecture


A battery pack comprises a lower-stage battery stack and an upper-stage battery stack. The upper-stage battery stack is separated from the lower-stage battery stack in a vehicle height direction. A middle frame that is a reinforcing member is arranged at a height position that matches a height position of a separation space between the upper-stage battery stack and the lower-stage battery stack in terms of a position in the vehicle height direction. Longitudinal frames of the middle frame project outward from the upper-stage battery stack in a vehicle width direction.

In a vehicle, such as an electric car, in which a rotating electric machine is used as a driving source, a battery is mounted as a power source for the vehicle. For example, in the publication of JP 2010-153130 A, a battery pack is stored under a floor panel that constitutes a floor surface of a vehicle chamber.
The battery pack, which is a heavy weight, is fixed to a framework member of the vehicle. For example, a lower frame that is the framework member is provided on a bottom surface of the battery pack, and the lower frame projects outward from the battery pack in a vehicle width direction. Meanwhile, a pair of side members that are the framework members are provided on both sides of the floor panel in the vehicle width direction and extend in a vehicle front-rear direction. Portions of the lower frame that project from the battery pack are fastened to the side members with nuts and bolts or the like.
A plurality of battery stacks are stored in the battery pack. In this storage, arrangement of the battery stacks is determined to follow a floor shape of the vehicle. For example, a floor surface of a luggage space behind the vehicle chamber is raised above a floor surface of a passenger space. In a rear portion of the battery pack disposed along this floor surface shape under a floor, the battery stacks are stacked in two stages, upper and lower.
To acquire a space of a cooling air flow path and a conduction wire (a cable) in the lower-stage battery stack, the upper-stage battery stack is separated from the lower-stage battery stack in a vehicle height direction. For example, a bracket that is a support member extends from a bottom surface of a case tray that stores the battery stack in a vehicle height direction, and the upper-stage battery stack is supported (raised and supported) by the bracket.
Additionally, when the lower frame of the bottom surface of the battery pack is fastened to the pair of side members, the battery pack is disposed between the pair of side members. At this time, a position of at least a part of the battery pack matches a position of each side member in a vehicle height direction.
When collision of a side surface of the vehicle (hereinafter appropriately referred to as side collision) occurs in such an arrangement as described above, the battery pack that is the heavy weight is energized in the vehicle width direction due to inertia (laterally shaken). At this time, there is concern that the upper-stage battery stack comes in contact with the side member that is present on a side of the battery stack.
That is, the lower-stage battery stack is fixed to a lower arm, and the lower arm is fixed to the side member. Therefore, there is structurally low possibility that the lower-stage battery stack comes in contact with the side member. On the other hand, the upper-stage battery stack is fixed to the lower arm via a support member such as the bracket in a state where the battery stack is separated (floated) from the lower-stage battery stack. When the upper-stage battery stack is energized in the vehicle width direction during the side collision, the bracket undergoes buckling deformation, depending on a strength of the bracket. Consequently, there is concern that the upper-stage battery stack moves in the vehicle width direction to be in contact with the side member as it is.
It is considered that to inhibit the buckling deformation of the bracket, the strength of the bracket (the support member) is increased, for example, by use of a steel plate having a large thickness. However, for example, there is concern that change in thickness also causes increase in weight of the upper-stage battery pack, and a complicated operation of calculating the strength again to change the thickness is required to cope with such change in design.
To solve the problem, it is an advantage of the present disclosure to provide a vehicle lower structure in which it is possible to inhibit transmission of a collision load to an upper-stage battery stack during side collision irrespective of a strength of a support member of the upper-stage battery stack.


A semiconductor device that writes data to, instead of a defective memory cell, another memory cell is provided. The semiconductor device includes a first circuit and a second circuit over the first circuit; the first circuit corresponds to a memory portion and includes a memory cell and a redundant memory cell; a second circuit corresponds to a control portion and includes a third circuit and a fourth circuit. The memory cell is electrically connected to the third circuit, the redundant memory cell is electrically connected to the third circuit, and the third circuit is electrically connected to the fourth circuit. The fourth circuit has a function of sending data to be written to the memory cell or the redundant memory cell to the third circuit, and the third circuit has a function of bringing the memory cell and the fourth circuit into a non-conduction state and the redundant memory cell and the fourth circuit into a conduction state to send the data to the redundant memory cell when the memory cell is a defective cell.

Electronic components such as central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), memory devices, and sensors have been used in various electronic devices such as personal computers, smartphones, and digital cameras; the electronic components have been improved in various aspects such as miniaturization and low power consumption.
The amount of data used by the electronic devices or the like has been increased in recent years. As data increase, errors of data (defective bit) increase; thus, error correction techniques have been improved. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a memory system which has a simplified defective-block-control system and can efficiently use a memory.

Semiconductor device comprising memory cells

SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.


A portable card, such as a credit card, having therein electronics, such as a processor, and a deformable switching element or sensor, where the deformation or bending of the sensor/switch is determined and used for controlling the electronics. In one aspect, bending of a piezo element provides power for bringing a processor out of a sleep mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable cards, such as ID cards, information cards, or payment cards, having an electric circuit which transitions from one mode to the other when instructed to do so by a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
This type of technology may be used for a variety of purposes. One purpose is seen as a switch in e.g. a payment card or identification card in which a processor or other electronic circuit is operated or receives instructions from the user via a switch. In order to increase the life time of the card, it is desired that the processor and switch use power only when required.
Normally, such cards comprise mechanical domes or membrane switches which are to be depressed by the user in order to e.g. activate the processor. Such switches have a number of disadvantages. Domes extend from the generally flat surface of the card and the production/lamination process of the card may render the dome switch useless. Both switch solutions require a current flow during operation, and a switch, which is permanently deformed in the depressed state, may swiftly deplete the power source of the card.
Different types of card sensors or the like may be seen in US2003/169574, DE19947180, JP02307792, DE10342054 and WO03/027949.
Another purpose for the present deformable sensing means is for use in detecting or determining deformation of the card for e.g. providing visible information to a user. Tops providing information while rotating may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,966 or US 2005/0277360). In http://www.loadsmorestuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=1085 and http://web.mit.edu/6.111/www/s2005/PROJECT/Groups/1/main.html, products are seen which provide information while being waved. These products, however, are stiff boxes, and seem to be quite simple set-ups.

Electronic payment, information, or ID card with a deformation sensing means


Provided are a ramp circuit and a DC-DC converter. The ramp circuit generates a current flowing in a resistor using voltages affected by an output voltage and an input voltage of a DC-DC converter, and generates a ramp signal through copying of the current and charging and discharging of a capacitor using a current mirror unit. The ramp signal is generated by considering the input voltage and the output voltage, and thus the ramp signal has an optimal slope to provide an adaptive response to state change in the input voltage and the output voltage. The DC-DC converter uses such a ramp circuit to facilitate its operation.

1. Field
The following description relates to a direct current (DC)-DC converter. The following description also relates to a ramp circuit that improves output characteristics by appropriately compensating a slope of a ramp signal according to an input voltage and an output voltage of a current-controlled mode DC-DC converter, and a corresponding DC-DC converter.
2. Description of Related Art
DC-DC converters include an inductor and a power switch, and are configured to store input power in the inductor and transmit the power. It is theoretically possible for a DC-DC converters have 100% efficiency, or close to such efficiency. Therefore, as recent integrated circuit technology has developed, two or more DC-DC converters are used as an efficient power management circuit in the field of portable apparatus design. Such DC-DC converters are also used in fields of design for apparatuses that require considerable power, such as displays for computers, home appliances, or lights for vehicles.
DC-DC converters are divided into two types of DC-DC converters, including DC-DC converters that use a voltage-controlled mode and DC-DC converters that use a current-controlled mode, according to the control method that is used in the DC-DC converter.
A voltage-controlled mode DC-DC converter includes a simple design because the voltage-controlled mode DC-DC converter generates a pulse for driving a power switch only using a specific output voltage. However, because the DC-DC converter operates in a switching frequency lower than an LC resonant frequency in order to have stable frequency stability, the voltage-controlled mode DC-DC converter has a small frequency range.
Alternatively, because a current-controlled mode DC-DC converter generates a pulse for driving a power switch using an inductor current, the current-controlled mode DC-DC converter operates more stably than in the voltage-controlled mode, without a limitation of an LC resonant frequency. The current-controlled mode DC-DC converter must sense the inductor current stably without reduction of an efficiency. However, the current-controlled mode DC-DC converter reduces the number of devices outside the chip or a size of the device by comparison to a DC-DC converter in the voltage-controlled mode. Therefore, the current-controlled mode DC-DC converter is used in various fields for purposes where these aspects are beneficial.
The current-controlled mode DC-DC converter uses a ramp signal as a signal for generating a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal. The PWM signal produced from the ramp signal is used to remove sub-harmonic oscillation produced by the DC-DC converter. Thus, in the current-controlled mode DC-DC converter, when an output power is larger than an input power, a PWM signal has a duty ratio of 50% or more, and an inductor current operates in a continuous current mode (CCM). When the current-control mode DC-DC converter operates in a CCM mode, and requires a duty ratio 50% or more, there is sub-harmonic oscillation. For example, there is sub-harmonic oscillation in which the inductor current is oscillated in a 1/N frequency of a base wave is caused due to characteristics of an inductor. When the duty ratio is 50% or less, the sub-harmonic oscillation is not caused, and hence the ramp signal is not used.
The ramp signal used for preventing the sub-harmonic oscillation of the current-controlled mode DC-DC converter has a sawtooth shape having a certain slope. The ramp signal is closely related to a sensing signal used for sensing a current flowing in an inductor or a power switch. That is, the ramp signal has to be output so as to remove the sub-harmonic oscillation, after slope compensation is performed, to provide a suitable slope to be used as the sensing signal. The slope compensation of the ramp signal is described with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a waveform diagram illustrating a relationship between a sensing signal and a slope of a ramp signal in a current-controlled mode DC-DC converter. Hereinafter, a current-controlled mode DC-DC converter is referred to simply as a DC-DC converter, although certain aspects of certain examples may also apply to a voltage-controlled mode DC-DC converter.
In FIG. 1, (a) is a waveform of a sensing signal (SENSE), (b) is a waveform of a ramp signal (RAMP), and (c) is a waveform of a signal (VISEN) in which the sensing signal and the ramp signal are combined. The signals are signals that are applied to a non-inverting (+) terminal of a comparator configured to generate a PWM signal for the DC-DC converter. In FIG. 1, the reference numeral m1 denotes a rising slope of the sensing signal, m2 denotes a falling slope of the sensing signal, and m3 denotes a slope value of the ramp signal.
The suitable slope compensation in the DC-DC converter of FIG. 1 has to satisfy a condition in which the slope m3 of the ramp signal is at least twice as large as the falling slope m2 of the sensing signal.
That is, Equation 1 is as follows, and summarizes a condition for the relationships between the slopes.m3≧(m2−m1)×0.5  Equation 1
Here, m1≧Vin/L, m2≧(Vout−Vin)/L. Vin is the input voltage, and Vout is the output voltage.
The slope m3 and falling slope m2 have opposite signs, because slope m3 must have a value that compensates for falling slope m2.
A magnitude of the rising slope m1 of the sensing signal is proportional to an input voltage of the DC-DC converter. Additionally, a magnitude of the falling slope m2 of the sensing signal is proportional to a difference between an output voltage and the input voltage of the DC-DC converter. Therefore, when the input voltage is increased, the falling slope m2 decreases, and when the output voltage is increased, the falling slope m2 increases.
Theoretically, when a value of the slope m3 of the ramp signal is set to 0.5 times of m2, slope compensation is successful for all duty ratios.
However, due to relationships between the rising slope and the falling slope and between the input voltage and the output voltage, the value of the slope m3 of the ramp signal has to be set based on both the output voltage and the input voltage. When the value of the slope m3 of the ramp signal is not suitably compensated, several issues arise. When the slope m3 of the ramp signal is too small, the sub-harmonic oscillation is not removed properly. When the slope m3 of the ramp signal is too large, input/output characteristics of the DC-DC converter are degraded. For example, a dynamic characteristic of the DC-DC converter is degraded or usable power is reduced.
To maintain a stable operation state of the DC-DC converter, the slope m3 of the ramp signal is restricted to have a suitable value. Thus, as described above, compensation is continuously made to maintain the slope as being at least twice larger than (m2−m1), as presented in Equation 1, above. To this end, a ramp circuit for slope compensation is used. Such a ramp circuit compensates slope m3 to cause it to maintain a suitable value.
FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a configuration of a ramp circuit.
The ramp circuit 10 includes an operation amplifier 12. The operation amplifier 12 receives a first voltage (VA) that is affected by an output voltage, applied to a non-inverting (+) terminal of the operation amplifier 12.
The ramp circuit 10 also includes a first PMOS transistor 14 to which a power voltage (VDD) is applied to its source, and a first NMOS transistor 16 of which a drain is connected to a drain of the first PMOS transistor 14. An output signal of the operational amplifier 12 is input to a gate of the first NMOS transistor 16, and a source signal of the first NMOS transistor 16 is applied to an inverting (−) terminal of the operational amplifier 12.
A resistor (R) of which one side is connected to a ground is also connected to a source of the first NMOS transistor 16.
A second voltage (NA) of the operational amplifier 12 is applied to a node a between the first NMOS transistor 16 and the resistor (R).
The ramp circuit 10 also includes a second PMOS transistor 18 that forms a current mirror structure with the first PMOS transistor 14. The second PMOS transistor 18 receives the power voltage (VDD) at a source. A capacitor (C) of which one side is grounded is connected to a drain of the second PMOS transistor 18. An output terminal, which outputs a ramp signal (RAMP), is connected to a node b between the second PMOS transistor 18 at a drain and the capacitor (C). A switch (SW), configured to turn on and off according to a reset signal (RESET), is connected parallel to the capacitor (C).
The ramp circuit 10 for slope compensation copies a current flowing through the resistor (R), that is, a current value VA/R in which an interlock voltage (VA) is divided by the resistor (R) using a current mirror structure to the second PMOS transistor 18. The ramp circuit 10 charges/discharges a current flowing through the drain of the second PMOS transistor 18 into the capacitor (C). Accordingly, the ramp signal (RAMP) generated according to the charge/discharge operation is output through an output terminal connected to the node b.
However, the ramp circuit in this approach generates the ramp signal by considering only output voltage, as described above.
When a slope of the ramp signal is set by considering a case in which an input voltage is at its lowest, excessive slope compensation is potentially performed when the input voltage is increased. Thus, the excessive slope compensation potentially leads to slope compensation that is more than a preset driving range, to impair dynamic characteristics of the DC-DC converter.
When the input voltage is reduced with respect to the driving range that the ramp circuit is able to compensate for, the slope compensation is not accomplished, and thus the sub-harmonic oscillation is still present. This means that the ramp circuit, which is used for eliminating the sub-harmonic oscillation, is not functioning properly.
As described above, since the slope-compensated ramp signal is generated in the previous examples based only on the output voltage of the DC-DC converter, the scenario in which an oscillation or degradation of input/output characteristics of the DC-DC converter is generated by a change in the input voltage, is not completely eliminated.

Ramp circuit and direct current (DC)-DC converter thereof


A machine and methods measure a characteristic of an optical signal incident upon a detector characterized by one or more dynamic response parameters. One method receives an output signal from the detector and compares that output signal and a computationally determined response of the detector to a known optical signal incident upon the detector. The response is based on said one or more dynamic parameters. The method determines the characteristic based on a relationship between the output signal and the computationally determined response. Another method observes an output signal from an optical detector detecting one or more optical signals, accesses a characteristic curve of detector response, compares the observed output signal to the characteristic curve, and calculates at least one characteristic of one or more optical signals based on a relationship of the observed output signal and the characteristic curve.

Optical power or energy meters measure the power and/or energy from a light source, such as a laser. A typical optical meter utilizes a light sensor or detector that converts an optical signal into an electrical signal, such as a voltage signal. Typical detectors include pyroelectric detectors, which are based on the pyroelectric effect of ferro-electric crystals to produce a voltage output signal proportional to the optical energy incident on the detector, and thermopile detectors, which employ thermocouples to produce a voltage output signal proportional to the power in an optical signal incident on the detector.
Conventional optical meters measure the optical signal's attributes by directly observing the detector's output signal and extracting information from that output signal alone. For example, a pyroelectric detector's peak output voltage measured from the signal's baseline is proportional to the optical energy in a pulse incident upon the detector, provided the laser pulse width is small enough that it can be assumed to be an impulse. Circuitry can register that peak voltage and thereby provide a measure of the optical pulse energy. However, the dynamic response of the detector limits how quickly such measurements can be taken, especially when the optical signal incident upon the detector comprises a train of periodic pulses, as is typically the case. Present optical meters are thus limited to operate at pulse repetition rates less than about 2 kHz (2000 pulses per second) in most circumstances.

Machine and method for measuring a characteristic of an optical signal


A projection display apparatus is provided that is capable of reducing speckle noise, with no image of a flaw or dust noticeable in or on a screen even if it exists in or on an optical component. The projection display apparatus includes a glass rod that makes uniform an optical beam emitted from a laser beam source; a lens that focuses an optical beam passing through the glass rod; a diffusion layer that provides an optical path difference distribution to the optical beam focused using the focusing element, the diffusion layer being optically conjugated with an incident end of the glass rod by the focusing element; a display device that spatially modulates the optical beam provided with the optical path difference distribution by the diffusion layer; and a magnification projection lens that projects on a screen an optical beam modulated by the modulator.

Conventional projection display apparatuses represent images by conducting to a DMD (digital micro-mirror device)™ or an optical valve, an optical beam emitted from an optical source via optical elements such as lenses and mirrors and then projecting an output imaging beam on a screen. In such conventional display apparatuses, the above-described optical element provides an optical path difference to the optical beam, which leads to mutual interference between optical beams, thereby causing speckle (or speckle noise) to occur. Thus, in order to reduce occurrence of the speckle, an optical component causing a slight optical path difference is arranged to be placed in an optical path. Furthermore, in order to effectively reduce the occurrence of the speckle, a drive unit causes rotation of optical components placed, as is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-90881, thereby generating various speckle noise patterns and then reducing the speckle noise by visually averaging the patterns.
However, as shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-90881, a problem is that when a flaw exists in or dust on the optical component for an apparatus having an optical component causing an optical path difference simply disposed in an optical path, the image of the flaw or dust is projected on the screen, thus resulting in an image defect on the screen, which leads to a reduction in image quality.


Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a channel change method and a related apparatus. The channel change method includes: receiving a live stream of a first channel, where the live stream of the first channel includes N media file sets; separately encoding the live stream of the first channel in different coding manners, to generate both a main stream and a sub stream; and generating a playlist of the first channel according to channel information of the first channel, coding information of the main stream, and coding information of the sub stream. The playlist instructs the client to perform channel change according to the main stream and the sub stream in response to that a client sends a channel change instruction.

OTT is short for "Over The Top", meaning that various application services are provided for a user by means of the Internet. Such applications are different from communications services currently provided by an operator. These applications only utilize a network of the operator, while services are provided by a third party other than the operator. Currently, typical OTT services include an Internet television service (OTT video service), Apple's APP Store, and the like.
The term "Over The Top" is derived from physical exercises such as basketball and means "overhead pass", meaning that basketball players pass a basketball back and forth over their heads so that the basketball reaches a destination. An Internet enterprise develops services of the enterprise by using a broadband network of a telecom operator, for example, Google, Apple, Skype, or Netflix outside China, or QQ in China. For example, Netflix network videos and applications in various mobile application stores are all OTT. Many OTT service providers service and charge users directly, so that an operator becomes a simple "transmission pipeline", and cannot touch huge values of transmission in the pipeline.
In recent years, OTT video services are in a trend of fast development. Not only conventional video websites have marched into the OTT field, but conventional telecom operators have also started to set foot in OTT services to take their share. For example, a 4K video service that was launched by Deutsche Telekom in 2016 is in a mode of IPTV+OTT. Like conventional IPTV services, main scenarios of OTT services also include live broadcast and on-demand broadcast. A difference is that conventional IPTV services mostly use the RTP/RTSP protocol, mostly with a bottom layer based on the UDP protocol of unreliable transmission, but OTT live broadcast and on-demand broadcast usually use a streaming media protocol such as HLS/DASH/MSS with a bottom layer based on the TCP protocol of reliable transmission. In addition, conventional IPTV services of a telecom operator include on-demand broadcast and live broadcast, and the live broadcast usually assumes an RTP multicast manner. This manner has a relatively high requirement on a network, usually requiring a dedicated network for a special purpose. If the telecom operator intends to provide, in one network, both common data services (such as broadband Internet access) and video services such as live broadcast and on-demand broadcast, OTT services are more appropriate than conventional IPTV services because OTT services mostly assume a unicast manner. Therefore, in comparison with conventional IPTV services, OTT services have an apparent advantage.
However, conventional IPTV live services have developed for many years, a relatively stable FCC solution of CBR multicast+variable speed unicast+multicast switching has taken form, and a corresponding IETF standard (draft-ietf-avt-rapid-acquisition-for-rtp) has also taken form. This can limit a channel change delay in IPTV live broadcast to approximately 1 second, and a depth of a resulting time deviation is also controllable. For a live service in an OTT scenario, because a bottom-layer streaming protocol and transmission manner have changed, the FCC solution of IPTV is no longer applicable, and the mainstream protocol HLS/DASH/MSS used for OTT also lacks an FCC-related recommendation or standard. Therefore, for a live service in an OTT scenario, a channel change delay is relatively large, and a time deviation resulting from channel change is also relatively large.


A thruster is described which is utilized, especially among other applications, for the tracking or orbital correction of a spacecraft, which comprises a housing configured as an anode, an expansion nozzle and a rod-shaped electrically insulated cathode centrally retained therein. The cathode is disposed in a combustion chamber into which propellant or propulsive gases are injected. The tip of the cathode is spaced so as to form a small air gap from the constricted cross-section of the nozzle neck. An electric arc is ignited between the anode and the cathode during the gas flow, from which arc the propellant gases receive additional thermal energy.

Thrusters for propulsion units which are designated arc jets by the specialized community, have become known through the publication "Cathode Erosion Tests for 30 kW Arcjets" by W.D. Deininger, A. Chopra and K.D. Goodfellow, A/AA 89-2264, among other publications, which was published on the occasion of the 25th Joint Propulsion Conference A/AA/ASME/SAE/ASEE, Monterey, CA, July 10-12, 1989. The propulsion gas, which typically may be ammonia NH.sub.3 or a mixture of ammonia, nitrogen N.sub.2 and hydrogen gas H.sub.2, which is produced by a thermal and/or catalytic decomposition of hydrazine N.sub.2 H.sub.4, is directed in these prior art thrusters through a bore which is disposed in the side wall of a plenum chamber and into the plenum chamber itself. The gas, which has a temperature on the order of 500.degree.-600.degree. C., upon its entry into the plenum chamber, is heated by an electric arc, which is formed between the anode (positive terminal) and the cathode's (negative terminal), to temperatures of 10.degree.-15,000.degree. C. prior to leaving the expansion nozzle and producing the desired forward thrust or propulsion effect.
The electric arc, which builds up after ignition in the gas flow of the thruster, extends from the anode (positive terminal) to the generally cone-shaped tip portion of the cathode (the negative terminal) through the neck of the nozzle or the constricted region. The electric arc, which exists between the anode and the cathode, transfers the largest portion of its kinetic energy to the rotating propulsion gas in the nozzle's constricted region. The electric arc is formed precisely along the central axis of the constricted region.
The region, in which the electric arc emerges from the inside wall of the expansion nozzle, is highly stressed thermally by wall temperatures which exceed 2000.degree. C. In order to achieve as stable an electric arc as possible, it is desired to provide a rotating flow of the propulsion gases in the nozzle neck or constricted region. A high rotational velocity for the propulsion gas is also an important precondition for a tight gas flow which is produced in the region of the constricted region of the nozzle neck, and because of the high velocity during rotation, for as much heat as possible being transferred from the electric arc to the gas.
In order to obtain a rotating gas stream, the propulsion gas in such thrusters is introduced into the plenum chamber with a tangential flow component, through bores arranged in the side wall of the plenum chamber or in an annularly-shaped insulator, which is provided between the cathode and the anode surrounding the cathode.


A magnetic tunnel effect type magnetic head comprising a first soft magnetic conductive layer which is to provide a lower shielding layer 24, a metal oxide layer 25 and a first nonmagnetic conductive layer, formed on the first soft magnetic conductive layer, to provide a lower gap layer 26, a magnetic tunnel junction layer 34 formed on the first nonmagnetic conductive layer to provide a magnetic tunnel junction element 27, a second nonmagnetic conductive layer formed on the magnetic tunnel junction layer 34 to provide an upper gap layer 28; and a second soft magnetic conductive layer formed on the second nonmagnetic conductive layer to provide an upper shielding layer 29, the metal oxide layer 25 in the lower gap layer 26 being formed beneath at least the magnetic tunnel junction layer 27.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic tunnel effect type magnetic head used in a hard disc drive, magnetic tape drive, etc. to read signals from a magnetic recording medium under the magnetic tunnel effect, and a method for producing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known as a so-called magnetic tunnel effect that in a laminated structure having a thin insulative layer sandwiched between a pair of magnetic layers, when a predetermined voltage is applied between the pair of magnetic layers, the conductance of a so-called tunnel current varies depending upon the relative angle of magnetization between the pair of magnetic layers. That is, the laminated structure having the thin insulative layer sandwiched between the pair of magnetic layers shows a magneto-resistive effect to the tunnel current flowing through the insulative layer.
With the magnetic tunnel effect, it is possible to theoretically calculate the magneto-resistive coefficient or ratio between the pair of magnetic layers owing to the polarizability of the magnetic layers when magnetized, and more specifically, to have a magneto-resistive coefficient or ratio of about 40% in case the pair of magnetic layers is formed from Fe.
Thus, as a magneto-resistive effect element, the magnetic tunnel junction element (will be referred to as "TMR element" hereunder) having a laminated structure having a thin insulative layer sandwiched between a pair of magnetic layers has been attracting the attention in the field of this art. Especially in the field of magnetic heads, attention is focused on a so-called magnetic tunnel effect type magnetic head (will be referred to as "TMR head" hereunder) using the TMR element as a magneto-sensitive element to detect a magnetic signal from a magnetic recording medium.
The above TMR head is a shielded TMR head in which for example a TMR element is sandwiched between a pair of magnetic shielding layers with gap layers laid between them. By permitting the pair of magnetic shielding layers to work as electrodes, the gap between the pair of shielding layers and TMR element can be reduced.
That is, the conventional shielded MR head is composed of a soft magnetic layer which is to be a lower shielding layer, a nonmagnetic nonconductive layer formed on the soft magnetic layer and which is to be a lower gap layer, an MR (magneto-resistive) element formed on the nonmagnetic nonconductive layer and a pair of conductive layers formed at both ends, respectively, of the MR element, a nonmagnetic nonconductive layer formed on the MR element and pair of conductive layers and which is to be an upper gap layer, and a soft magnetic layer formed on the nonmagnetic nonconductive layer and which is to be an upper shielding layer.
In the shielded MR head, as the gap is decreased for a higher recording density, the nonmagnetic nonconductive layer which is to be the gap layer is thinner. More specifically, because of steps formed by the pair of conductive layers disposed on the opposite ends of the MR element, it is difficult to form the upper nonmagnetic nonconductive layer to a uniform thickness over the MR element. In case the distance between the pair of magnetic shielding layers and the MR element, that is, the so-called gap length, is decreased for playing back a signal recorded with a high density in a magnetic recording medium, it is extremely difficult to secure an insulation between the pair of magnetic shielding layers and the MR element.
On the contrary, in the TMR head, the pair of magnetic shielding layers function as electrodes so that the gap layer can be made thin and thus the distance between the pair of magnetic shielding layers and the TMR element can be decreased. Therefore, in the TMR head, the gap can be made narrow to enable a high density of recording to a magnetic recording medium.
In the conventional shielded TMR head, the pair of magnetic shielding layers having the TMR element sandwiched with the gap layers between them serves also as a magnetic shield which prevents a portion, not to be read, of a signal magnetic field from a magnetic recording medium from being led to the TMR element. For this purpose, the pair of magnetic shielding layers is formed from soft magnetic layers having a conductivity such as NiFe, FeAlSi or the like.
For the magnetic shielding function of the pair of magnetic shielding layers in the shielded TMR head, the soft magnetic layers which are to be the pair of magnetic shielding layers is as thick as about several micrometers (μm) while an insulative layer of aluminum oxide for example, sandwiched between the pair of magnetic layers, of a magnetic tunnel junction layer which is to be the TMR element is as thin as about 1 nm.
In such a shielded TMR head, since the soft magnetic layers for the pair of magnetic shielding layers is very thick, the surface of the soft magnetic layer is very rough. For this reason, for production of the shielded TMR head, the soft magnetic layer, after formed, had to be polished by the so-called chemical and mechanical polishing (CMP) so that the surface of the soft magnetic layer on the lower shielding layer, on which the magnetic tunnel junction layer is to be formed, could be smooth.
Generally, however, the surface roughness of the soft magnetic layer, resulted from the chemical and mechanical polishing (CMP), is on the order of 0.3 nm in center line average height Ra. Thus, in the shielded TMR head, since the insulative layer of the magnetic tunnel junction layer which is to be the TMR element is as thin as about 1 nm, when the surface roughness of the soft magnetic layer at the lower shielding layer side is about 0.3 nm in center line average height Ra, the insulative layer of the magnetic tunnel junction layer is ruptured between the pair of magnetic layers and put into contact with each other, resulting in an electric short-circuit as the case may be.
In this case, since the tunnel current flowing via the insulative layer of the TMR element decreases in the TMR head, so the magneto-resistive coefficient of the TMR element also decreases with a result that the playback output will be considerably small.

Magnetic tunnel effect type magnetic head, and method of producing same


A method for phase-voltage based motor period measurement includes generating a commanded phase voltage and applying the commanded phase voltage to a first phase voltage input of an electric motor, a second phase voltage input of the electric motor, and a third phase voltage input of the electric motor, measuring a first period of a phase voltage associated with the first phase voltage input and the second phase voltage input and comparing the measured first period to a frequency of the commanded phase voltage, and, in response to a determination that the measured first period of the phase voltage associated with the first phase voltage input and the second phase voltage input is outside of a range of the frequency associated with the commanded phase voltage, identifying a fault associated with the first integrated circuit or signal path.

Vehicles, such as cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles, cross-overs, mini-vans, or other suitable vehicles, typically include various electric motors, such as permanent magnet motors or other suitable electric motors. Such electric motors may be used for various aspects of vehicle control or operation, such as vehicle prolusion or other suitable aspects of vehicle control or operation.
In a typical electric motor, application of torque requires knowledge (e.g. by a controller of the vehicle) of motor position. However, when the circuitry for obtaining the motor position is faulted, the system associated with the electric motor is placed in a safe state of operation. Typically, this may include the controller or other suitable component determining a particular safe state of operation in which to place the system associated with the electric motor. To determine the particular safe state, the controller or other suitable component typically measures a speed of the electric motor. The controller or other suitable component may then use the measured speed of the motor to determine the particular safe state of operation.

Systems and methods for phase-voltage based motor period measurement and controlled signal path fault detection


A dual filter system for diesel fuel is provided, which allows the operator to keep the diesel engine running while inspecting or replacing one of the two fuel filters. The system includes an upper block which is divided into two identical mirror image sections. Each section has a shutoff valve, a fuel filter and a one-way check valve. Fuel is introduced into a common passageway and flows equally to each side of the upper block. Fuel is fed through each filter and filtered fuel moves through the one-way check valve to a common outport. In order to inspect or replace one filter, the fuel to the filter to be replaced is simply, shut off by the cutoff valve. All of the fuel then flows through the opposite side. The one-way check valves prevent fuel flowing through the opposite side from flowing back into the side which is being serviced. Air bleed valves are also provided in order to put the new filter side back in operation.

This invention relates to the field of diesel engines. More particularly, a Dual Filter System for Diesel Engines is provided which allows the continuous operation of the engine even when it is necessary to change the filter.
Diesel engines are manufactured by companies such as General Motors, Detroit, Fairbanks-Morse, Alco and others. Diesel engines require diesel fuel which much necessarily be filtered prior to the fuel being fed into the engine for combustion. Diesel engine blocks are made of steel. Fuel pumps supply diesel fuel by way of high pressure hoses from the fuel tanks. The fuel must first pass through the filter system and is then fed into the fuel injectors.
Today the most common type of filter is a two filter system which is partially covered by a site bowl. The purpose of the clear site bowl is to view the fuel and the filters. However, a major drawback of the current filter systems is that the diesel engine needs to be shut off in order to change either of the filters. On barges, for example, shutting off a diesel engine can cause quite an economic burden. This is particularly true during cold weather conditions where shutting off the engine would cause added hardship. It is desirable that most diesel engines used in barges and in other applications run continuously for months or even years. However, because the fuel filter systems currently in use require the engine to be shut down in order to change the filter, it has heretofore been impossible to run the engines as desired. It is an object of this invention to provide a diesel fuel system which allows the engine to be running when the filter or filters are being changed.
Another problem with the current filter system is that when the filters become plugged, line pressure can rise to the point where the site bowl disintegrates showering the engine room and occupants with glass and hot fuel at the rate of 4.5 gallons per minute. This, of course, poses a great danger of injury to the inhabitants of the engine room. There also have been numerous instances of engine room fires and other such calamitous results.
Utilizing the present system, a filter can be taken out and inspected while the engine is running and replaced if necessary. While the site bowl system required shutting the engine down to inspect the filters, this requirement is not present in the instant invention. It is another object of this invention to provide a diesel fuel filter system which allows the inspection of the filter without shutting the engine down and without the necessity of using a dangerous site glass.
Diesel engines are used in every tow boat and railroad locomotive. They are also used in power plants, generators and oil rigs in the United States, Canada and South America. While each particular diesel engine may have its own distinct physical requirements, the instant system is interchangeable with the other site glass filter systems now in use because the instant system uses the same mounting bolt pattern as the older systems. The instant invention can also be remotely mounted on the bulkhead or engine room wall in order to retrofit the new unit to existing engines. It is a still further object of this invention to provide a dual filter system which is readily interchangeable with the current, more dangerous systems now in use.
Other advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reading the below described Specification.
This new dual filter system comprises an upper block with identical left and right halves. The upper block right and left halves also contain lower right and left filters respectively. Fuel is fed into a central port and then to the right and left halves equally. The fuel in each half then circulates into the fuel filter, back up out of the fuel filter, through a one-way check valve, and back into a central fuel outlet port. Each half has a shutoff valve which enables the operator to shut off that half. When fuel is shut off to half of the system, the engine may still run utilizing the fuel fed from the other side. The existence of the one-way check valve prohibits fuel from the open side from running back through the closed side. Because one side may thus be completely shut off from a fuel supply, the fuel filter from that side may be removed, inspected, and replaced if necessary.


Command cycles incorporate mechanisms to inform a host processor in advance of a need to service the memory so that the host can respond when it suits the host, but in time for the service to be performed before a catastrophic failure. The regular host cycle need not be interrupted for such notification.

Prior systems based on isochronous processors have typically relied on read only memory (ROM) for rapid access to code that needs to be rapidly executed by the processor. ROM has long been a preferred code storage device for executable applications where uninterrupted and predictable access is an issue. However, ROM cannot be easily reprogrammed or programmed at the last minute. A ROM is typically masked out long in advance for a the specific code/application and once masked and subsequently manufactured it cannot be changed in most scenarios. This thus results in large inventories of product that may or may not be well received in the marketplace. For consumer related devices where inventory must be produced before demand can be accurately gauged, this may result in unsold inventory.
While use of flash memory allows for different programs to be loaded on the same hardware quickly and easily, use of certain types of flash memory is problematic in isochronous systems due to the operations that the memory performs to ensure data reliability. The background operations performed to ensure data integrity result in unpredictable latency times when reading data from the flash memory. This is especially true for NAND flash memory.
In an isochronous system that incorporates NAND flash memory the unpredictable latency times of the flash memory are problematic. This is particularly true for read operations.
NAND memory typically includes memory management operations to accommodate for the physical limitations of the NAND memory cells. These operations may be taking place when a read command is received, and thus the called for data may not be immediately received.

Managing processing delays in an isochronous system


A bone screw has a screw head and a threaded shank. An axial bore into which a plurality of radial bores set at a distance from each other open, extends through the threaded shaft. The axial bore is open at the screw head side end, and the radial bores are also open at the radially outer end. The axial bore is closed in an axial direction in the area of the end of the screw shank that lies opposite the screw head.

The invention relates to a bone screw that comprises a screw head and a threaded shank, wherein an axial bore into which a plurality of radial bores set at a distance from each other open, extends through the threaded shaft, and said axial bore is open at the screw head side end, the radial bores each also being open at the radially outer end.
A like bone screw is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,282.
In the course of the surgical treatment of bone fractures of the human skeleton, for example, a bone screw is intended to attach a bone fixation plate to the fractured bone in order to immobilize the fractured bone, thus allowing it to grow together again. Usually, such bone screws and the bone fixation plate are made of medical grade stainless steel or titanium.
The bone fixation plate comprises several bores, through each of which one bone screw is screwed into the bone. After the bone screw has been screwed into the bone completely, the screw head is countersunk in the bone fixation plate and fixed as free from play as possible.
The bone screw comprises a threaded shank with a self-cutting thread that drives itself into the bone, thus ensuring the thrust of the screw into the bone.
After the bone screw has been screwed into the bone, the bone fixation plate must be fixed to the bone, as permanently and free from play as possible. This is also dependent on the support the bone screw itself finds in the bone into which it is screwed. Normally, the support of the screw in the bone is improving in the course of time by bone growing, thus causing bony tissue to form around the threaded shank of the bone screw and to adhere to same on all sides.
This, however, can only be observed in younger patients with a healthy bone structure. In elderly patients, bony growth and, thus, the formation of bony tissue is strongly reduced. In case of osteoporosis patients, the situation is even more problematic, since such patients are, in addition, suffering from a decrease in bony substance with an increased susceptibility to fractures.
In such critical cases, the bony tissue fails to give any permanent support to the bone screw. For that reason, the bone screw requires reliable fixation in the bone by being cemented in the bone with bone cement.
Usually, a like bone cement is made from polymethyl methacrylate or related compounds. Normally, the bone cement, when in the processing state, is available as paste or as high-viscosity fluid.
At present, the procedure of cementing a bone screw in the bone comprises smearing the threaded shank with bone cement and then screwing it into the bone. When the screw is screwed in, however, the major part of the cement is stripped from the threaded shank, thus being prevented from entering into the bone at all.
Predrilling the screw hole and filling the cement into the bone beforehand is likewise of disadvantage because the bone cement is pressed out of the drilled hole when the bone screw is screwed in. Moreover, predrilling of the screw hole is not desired in most of the cases.
The bone screw known from the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,282 comprises a screw head and a threaded shank. An axial bore that passes completely through the screw, thus being open at either end, extends through the threaded shank. A plurality of radial bores that are open at their radially outer end extend from the axial bore.
This known bone screw is intended to evacuate air and liquids from the bone into which it is screwed, by connecting a vacuum pump to the screw head by means of an appropriate device.
The vacuum is intended to cause the bone cement that has been injected into the bone at a different place to distribute and spread in the bony tissue in an improved manner.
Moreover, the bone screw is intended to put liquid drugs into the bone therethrough. Although it is, in principle, suitable, the bone screw is not intended to attach the bone fixation plate to the bone. Neither is the bone screw itself cemented in the bone; instead, the cement mentioned is used to cement an endoprosthesis that is implanted at a different place of the bone.


Systems and methods are presented that enable robot commands to be determined based on the pose of an object. A method is described for determining the orientation and pose of an object using indistinguishable points. The resolution of the pose detection is based on the robot'command vocabulary. A system is described for controlling a robot by pose detection using unlabelled points.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to determining robot commands, specifically determining robot commands from the pose of an object.
2. Description of Background Art
Controlling robots presents a particular user-interface challenge. Sophisticated robots are capable of executing an extremely broad command set, requiring that the user interface for controlling these robots be receptive to input having a high number of degrees of freedom. On the other hand, robot applications frequently demand that control of the robot be quick, intuitive, and noninvasive.
Previous approaches to controlling robots have focused on manipulating a control device. For example, a user may select robot commands by using a joystick, typing on a keyboard, or moving a model of the robot configured for teleoperation. However, such methods are generally limited in the number of degrees of freedom of the commands they can be used to select, or in some cases are non-intuitive for users, requiring a high degree of training to operate.
Therefore, what is needed are systems and methods for determining robot commands that do not require the manipulation of a control device.


In use in a battery, a first spiral-wound battery element and associated wiring generates a first magnetic field and a second spiral-wound battery element and associated wiring generates a second magnetic field. The first element, the second element and the wiring may be arranged within a casing so that the first magnetic field is proximate to the second magnetic field and oriented in an opposite polarity. Conveniently, it may be shown that the total magnetic field generated by the battery has significantly lower magnitude than the total magnetic field generated by a conventional battery for the same current drain and same wiring structure.

In the mobile telephone standard known as Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), a time division multiple access (TDMA) is used for transmit and receive RF signals. Before the transmit time slot, the RF power amplifier is enabled and it stays on for approximately 588 us until the transmit operation is completed. This scenario repeats every approximately 4.6 ms, and the output signal is then called transmit burst. The operation of the power amplifier requires large DC current to be withdrawn from the battery. In some cases this current can exceed 2 amperes. This current will be switched on and off based on the same TDMA control signals which will cause pulses of large current at frequency of 217 Hz.
Unfortunately, an unintended result of the burst transmission system is a magnetic signal radiating from a mobile telephone employing the GSM standard. The electromagnetic signal has components centered at 217 Hz (fundamental frequency) and centered at frequencies that are multiples (harmonics) of 217 Hz. Other scenarios may likewise result in large current draws from a battery and consequent generation of electromagnetic signals, but the above scenario is a representative situation in which they may occur.

Rechargeable battery with reduced magnetic leak


A gas turbine transition duct having a reduced pressure loss is disclosed. The transition duct of the preferred embodiment comprises a panel assembly having a first panel fixed to a second panel and a mounting assembly for securing the transition duct to a turbine inlet. The first panel includes a means for augmenting the heat transfer from the first panel while the second panel includes a plurality of first cooling holes for directing cooling air through the second panel. Specific details are provided regarding the first cooling holes and multiple embodiments are disclosed for the heat transfer augmentation of the transition duct first panel.

Operators of gas turbine engines used in generating electricity at powerplants desire to have the most efficient operations possible in order to maximize their profitability and limit the amount of emissions produced and excess heat lost. In addition to maintenance costs, one of the highest costs associated with operating a gas turbine at a powerplant, is the cost of the fuel burned in the gas turbine, either gas, liquid, or coal. Increasing the efficiency of the gas turbine will result in an increase in electrical generation capacity for a given amount of fuel burned. Alternatively, if additional electrical generation is not possible or desired, the required level of electricity can be generated at a lower fuel consumption rate. Under either scenario the powerplant operator achieves a significant cost savings while simultaneously increasing the powerplant efficiency.
A significant way to increase the gas turbine engine performance is to provide the turbine with a higher supply pressure from the combustor. For a combustion system having a known pressure loss, this can be accomplished by reducing the pressure losses to the air that occurs in the region between the compressor outlet and the combustion chamber. One specific component in this region is the transition duct, which connects the combustion chamber to the turbine inlet, thereby transferring the hot combustion gases to the turbine. These gases can often times reach temperatures upwards of 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, in order to provide a transition duct capable of extended exposure to these elevated temperatures, careful attention must be paid to the cooling of the transition duct. Often times cooling air is not used in the most efficient manner with regards to limiting the amount of pressure loss that occurs when cooling the transition duct. As a result an unnecessary drop in supply pressure to the turbine occurs, yielding a lower turbine efficiency and engine performance.
Referring to FIG. 1, a transition duct 10 of the prior art is shown in partial cross section. Transition duct 10 comprises an inner wall 11, an impingement sleeve 12, thereby forming a cooling channel 13 therebetween. Impingement sleeve 12 includes a plurality of cooling holes 14 that allow cooling air, which is indicated by the arrows, to enter cooling channel 13 and impinge along inner wall 11 to cool the transition duct. Directing a large plenum of air through cooling holes 14 causes a substantial pressure drop to occur in the air flow. It has been estimated, that for the gas turbine in which transition duct 10 is designed to operate, approximately 1.5% of the total air supply pressure from the compressor is lost due to the geometry of impingement sleeve 12 including cooling holes 14. Utilizing an alternate cooling configuration for transition duct 10 can recover a majority of this pressure loss.
The present invention seeks to overcome the shortfalls of the prior art by providing a transition duct that utilizes an improved cooling configuration that has a substantially lower pressure loss than that of the prior art.

Transition duct apparatus having reduced pressure loss


A road finisher is provided for producing a paving layer on a subgrade on which the road finisher is movable along a paving direction during a paving run. The road finisher is adapted to use distance measurements to the subgrade, which can be provided to a leveling system of the road finisher, equally as measured values for determining the thickness of a layer. A respective method for determining the layer thickness is provided.

In practice, road finishers are used for the construction of traffic routes and surfaces. Road finishers are capable of receiving material, e.g., from a truck, and paving it according to the requirements of road construction.
Typically, so-called leveling systems are used on road finishers to control the evenness of the paved layer. These systems usually control the height of the paving screed installed on the road finisher on the basis of a scanned reference. The reference used is, for instance, the subgrade on which the road finisher is moving, a gutter plate, a curbstone or a reference wire stretched along the paving section. Level sensors are used for scanning the reference. So-called multiplex systems, which use a plurality of sensors to scan the relative level of the subgrade and the layer being paved, are gaining in importance. In principle, a reference value for controlling the paving screed's height is then calculated by averaging. This can be done with two separate systems for the left and right side of the paving screed.
One of the main paving targets is the layer thickness produced. Maintaining a predetermined layer thickness is not only a quality criterion, but also has a significant influence on the economic efficiency of the construction project. If the contractor falls short of the required layer thickness, this can result in financial deductions in retrospect. If, on the other hand, the layer thickness is exceeded, this leads to increased asphalt consumption and thus to significantly higher costs. Control of the layer thickness is therefore essential for paving. The road finisher operator must therefore check at regular intervals whether the road finisher is paving the required layer thickness.
Even today, the layer thickness is still checked by manually piercing gauges or by means of a folding rule. The disadvantage of this approach is that the layer thickness is only determined at certain points. In addition, the accuracy of manual measurements is determined by the skill of the operator. The values determined in this way are often relatively inaccurate and can of course not be digitally processed for automation or documentation purposes.
As a further measuring method for determining the layer thickness paved, the measurement by means of magnetic field induction is known. Here, metal reflector foils are applied to the subgrade prior to the actual paving of the road and can be measured by a measuring device to determine the layer thickness after it has been paved. This enables the layer thickness applied to the reflector foil to be measured by the measuring device after paving. However, this method of determining the layer thickness is not available in real time. In addition, the pre-applied reflector foils can weaken the layer compound. Efforts to automate the process are known, but have not been able to establish themselves in practice due to the complicated structure. This may also be due to the fact that the layer thickness measurement can only be carried out at certain points, as in the case of the previously described practice using manual measurement.
There are also solutions for layer thickness determination in use, which are so-called "hang-on systems", i.e., attachment modules specially designed for mounting on the road finisher, which, without being integrated into the machine system of the road finisher, have to be mounted separately on the road finisher in a special way for layer thickness determination and determine the layer thickness independently. The disadvantage of such "hang-on systems" is that their use makes the structure of the road finisher more complicated, because sensor hardware components in particular are added to the road finisher. In addition, the separate transport and attachment of such additional modules and their independent mode of operation requires additional transport, storage and attachment equipment as well as trained operating personnel, which makes the use of the road finisher at the construction site more complicated and increases the manufacturing costs. Another problem with such "hang-on systems" is that there may be differences between the real layer thickness and the detected layer thickness if the subgrade to be built over is uneven or if the paving screed's angle of attack changes.

Road finisher and method for determining the layer thickness of a paving layer produced


In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a garment for regulating a temperature of a wearer is provided. The garment includes a fabric configured to be worn by the wearer. The fabric includes channels parallel to a primary surface of the fabric. The garment includes a branched tube network for circulating a working fluid. The branched tube network is disposed in the channels of the fabric. The branched tube network includes a plurality of tubes wherein at least one end of each tube of the plurality of tubes is branched and connected to two daughter tubes, or more, the connection having a branch angle of between 1 and 359 degrees, inclusive. The tube network has at least two levels of branches.

Clothing may be considered a portable environment or a second skin. If clothing can be made to possess a thermal regulatory function, for example, providing cooling when the wearer feels hot and heating when the wearer feels cold, it can help with survival in extreme environments, improve comfort in moderate thermal conditions, and save significant energy when heating and cooling a larger space.
One of the most effective ways of providing heating or cooling to the wearer is to distribute/circulate warm or cool fluid in the microclimate next to skin. If the next-to-skin temperature is too high, a cool fluid is distributed/circulated through fine tubes embedded in the clothing; if the next-to-skin temperature is too low, warm fluid is distributed through fine tubes embedded in the clothing. The fluid can be, for example, one or more liquids and/or gases. For example, the fluid may be air.
In so distributing/circulating a fluid, it is advantageous to minimize pressure drop or pumping power. There is a long-felt need to minimize the pressure drop caused by the distribution network (e.g., tubes), while maintaining the effectiveness of heat transfer.

Branched tube network and temperature regulating garment with branched tube network