A light-sensing module and arrays of two or more light-sensing modules are described. Each light-sensing module comprises a mounting support structure that may include an air vehicle guidance section and an optical element adapted to direct incident light to a detector array that comprises an array of photodiodes and is attached to the mounting support structure. The detector array is adapted to receive the directed light and convert the received light to a set of electrical pulses via a plurality of photodetectors each of which is operatively coupled to an amplifier and a threshold circuit adapted to output a detection to a memory store adapted to associate a detection with a time-of-arrival. The light-sensing module may be adapted to output the associated detection and time-of-arrival. Air vehicles including the light-sensing modules are also disclosed.

The present invention, in several embodiments, relates to light-sensing modules and, more particularly, to arrays of light-sensing modules adapted to have overlapping fields-of-view with each module having a focal plane array and processing structure to receive focused incident optical energy and output detection locations, each detection location being associated with a time tag or time-of-detection. An air vehicle equipped with at least one light-sensing module is also encompassed by the present invention.
Sensors of electromagnetic energy and signals are typically mounted to a support structure either for stability, conveyance or both. In applications where the electromagnetic signals of interest are of wavelengths best measured by two or more sensors, a distributed array of sensor elements, e.g., antenna elements, are typically employed. In applications where the electromagnetic signals to be received by the sensor are small in wavelength relative to the mounting structure for the sensor, then, rather than being distributed, the sensor is typically placed in an unobstructed and prominent location upon or within its support structure. In applications where the support structure geometry, or the economies of multi-sensor suites, precludes or otherwise forecloses particular surface areas or volumes for mounting specific electromagnetic sensors, these sensors are not readily suited for deployment in a distributed fashion about a portion or portions of the mounting structure having one or more prominences that obstruct what would otherwise be an unobstructed field-of-view (FOV). The effects of an obstructive mounting structure are exacerbated in those instances where the rotations and translations of the mounting structure, including those of the front end or guidance section of an air vehicle such as a missile or projectile, may obstruct the line-of-sight between the sensor and an external electromagnetic source. Such effects may be particularly enhanced where the external electromagnetic source is intermittent or pulsed, particularly where the pulses are short in duration and long in frequency relative to the rotation rate of the sensor about its obstruction.

Light sensor module, focused light sensor array, and an air vehicle so equipped


A bearing apparatus is disclosed. Such a bearing apparatus may comprise a rotor including at least one bearing element mounted to the rotor and a stator including at least one bearing element mounted to the stator. At least one compliant member may be positioned between at least one selected bearing element of the at least one bearing element mounted to the rotor and the at least one bearing element mounted to the stator. Mechanical systems including such a bearing apparatus are disclosed, such as, for example, a motor for use in subterranean drilling. A method of assembling a bearing apparatus is disclosed. More specifically, a rotor and a stator each including at least one bearing element may be provided and a compressive force may be applied to the rotor and the stator to compress the bearing surfaces of the rotor and the stator against one another. Rotors and stators are disclosed.

Conventional bearing apparatuses including bearing surfaces that move relative to one another are known in the art. For example, conventional, so-called "thrust bearings" and some embodiments of radial bearings include bearing surfaces that at least partially contact and move or slide relative to one another. Such bearing surfaces may include a superhard material for resisting wear during use of the bearing. In one example, diamond (e.g., polycrystalline diamond) may comprise at least one or both of the bearing surfaces.
More particularly, one application for thrust bearings is drilling equipment utilized in the subterranean drilling arts. Particularly, drilling motors have been utilized for drilling boreholes into a subterranean formation, especially for oil or gas exploration. In a typical downhole drilling motor, the motor is suspended at the lower end of a string of drill pipe comprising a series of pipe sections connected together at joints and supported from the surface. A rotary drill bit (e.g., a fixed cutter drill bit, roller cone drill bit, a reamer, etc.) may be supported below the drilling motor (via pipe sections, drill collars, or other structural members as known in the art) or may be directly connected to the downhole motor, if desired. Drilling fluid, which is commonly called drilling mud, is circulated through the pipe string and the motor to generate torque within the motor for causing the rotary drill bit to rotate. Then, the drilling fluid is returned to the surface through the annular space between the drilled borehole and the drill string and may carry the cuttings of the subterranean formation to the surface. Further, as known in the art, downhole drilling motors may include thrust bearings. More particularly, conventional downhole drilling motors include a stator that does not rotate and is connected to a housing of the motor and a rotor that rotates with the output shaft of the downhole fluid motor. In one embodiment, the stator and the rotor are each provided with a plurality of hard bearing surfaces such as diamond elements. The stator and rotor are positioned adjacent one another so that the diamond bearing surfaces of the rotor and stator contact one another. As may be appreciated, proper alignment of the diamond surfaces of the rotor and the stator may be an important factor influencing the performance and life of such a thrust bearing structure. Examples of conventional diamond thrust bearings are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,410,054, 4,468,138, and 5,092,687.
Thus, it would be advantageous to provide improved bearing apparatuses and systems including same.

Bearing apparatuses, systems including same, and related methods


Described herein is a method for detecting, identifying and tracking hand, hand parts, and fingers on the hand (500) of a user within depth images of a three-dimensional scene. Arms of a user are detected, identified, segmented from the background of the depth images, and tracked with respect to time. Hands of the user are identified and tracked and the location and orientation of its parts, including the palm and the fingers (510, 520, 530, 540, 550) are determined and tracked in order to produce output information enabling gesture interactions.

Human to computer interactive systems and methods using gesture and movement recognition are technologies known from the computer vision domain. The recent range finding camera device based interactive systems, for example, a system using a 3D structured light camera, are also known to enable 3D gesture and movement recognition of users when performed in the field of view of the particular imaging device. In such systems, a human user is typically standing at least at 1 m from the camera and his movements and/or gestures need to be bold, that is, large enough to be detected by the 3D camera, the resolution of which is predefined and limited. For example, a typical 3D camera resolution is in accordance with quarter video graphics array (QVGA), that is, 320*240 pixels, and, therefore limits the accuracy of detectable movement or the capacity of detecting small objects, such as fingers, when they are situated far too away from the 3D imaging device. In such systems, it is generally not possible to detect and track reliably the hands of a user, and more particularly, the fingers of the hand at such distances. More precisely, most of the current 3D imaging devices are built to enable full skeletal tracking of a user in the range of between 1 m and 5 m from the camera. Moreover, most of these 3D imaging devices have technical specifications which do not allow them to perform measurements in the range from between 0 m and 1.5 m from the camera sensor.
However, with the development of some new technologies, among which is the 3D time-of-flight (ToF) cameras, it becomes possible to detect and to track features at different distances from the camera sensor, including features, such as the hands and/or fingers of a user, at distances less than 1 m, typically less than 0.5 m, form the camera sensor. This is termed "close interaction", and this is particularly adapted for enabling touch-less hand and finger gesture based interactions in a desktop environment or in other environments, such as in an automotive environment.
It is known to detect the presence of a plurality of parts of a human being within an image embedding colour channels for each pixel using detection of skin colour. Such a method is described in an article entitled "Real Time Tracking of Multiple Skin Colored Objects with a Possibly Moving Camera" by A. A. Argyros & M. I. A. Lourakis, in Proceedings of the European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV '04), Springer-Verlag, vol. 3, pages 368 to 379, May 11 to 14, 2004, Prague, Czech Republic. Here, blobs are detected based on a Bayesian classifier which is bootstrapped with a small training set of data, and, includes skin-colour probabilities to enable the classifier to cope with illumination changes as colour measurements may be disturbed by environmental illumination. This detection method basically enables the detection of hands and face of a user in a close interaction environment, and may when be combined with some tracking capabilities of these detected skin-colour blobs so that information about the position of the blobs in the image can be provided. Such information can then be used to provide input to gesture recognition systems, for example, to control in a simple way, the mouse of a computer without physical contact.
In another disclosure, a fast and robust segmentation technique based on the fusion of 2D/3D images for gesture recognition is described by S. E. Ghobadi, O. E. Loepprich, K. Hartmann, & O. Loffeld in an article entitled "Hand Segmentation using 2D/3D Images", Proceedings of Image and Vision Computing New Zealand 2007, pages 64 to 69, Hamilton, New Zealand, December 2007. A 3D ToF camera is used for generating an intensity image together with range information for each pixel of a Photonic Mixer Device (PMD) sensor. The intensity and range data are fused to provide input information to a segmentation algorithm relying on the K-Means mixed with expectation maximisation technique (KEM). The KEM combines K-Means clustering techniques with expectation maximisation technique so that centres of natural clusters are located in an initial step using the K-means, and, in a second step, soft probabilistic assignments of expectation maximisation are used to find local maxima iteratively and thus refine position and borders of the found clusters. In a simple environment in which the background is uniform and at a sufficient distance from the objects to be segmented, the fused data enables a proper segmentation in real time of the hand of a user from his/her body, face, arm or other objects in the scene whatever the illumination conditions. Robustness of the method in the environment being considered is said to satisfy a use as the first step of processing technique in 2D/3D gesture tracking and gesture recognition. In another article entitled "Tracking the Articulated Motion of Two Strongly interacting Hands" by I. Oikonomidis, N. Kyriazis & A. A. Argyros, (http://www.ics.forth.gr/˜argyros/mypapers/2012 06 cvpr twohands.pdf), particle swarm optimisation (PSO) is used to process signals from a RGB-D sensor, that is, a colour sensor that also provides depth information. The method performs marker-less visual observations to track the full articulation of two hands interacting with one another in a complex, unconstrained manner. The method described achieves complete detection and tracking of two interacting hands by directly attributing sensory information to the joint articulation of two synthetic and symmetric 3D hand models of known size and kinematics. For given articulations of the two hands, a prediction of what the RGB-D sensor would perceive is obtained by simulating the image acquisition process, for example, by producing synthetic depth maps for the specific camera-scene calibrations. Having established a parametric process that produces comparable data to the actual input, tracking is performed by searching for the parameters that produce depth maps which are most similar to the actual input. Tracking is performed in an online fashion, where, at each step and for every new input, an optimisation step is performed, and using a variant of PSO, the discrepancy between the actual RGB-D input and simulated depth maps generated from hypothesised articulations is minimised, the best scoring hypothesis constituting the solution for the current input. The discrepancy measure is carefully formulated so that robustness is achieved with computational efficiency and temporal continuity being utilised at each optimisation step.
Forearm and hand segmentation is also described in "Fingertip Detection for Hand Pose Recognition" by M. K. Bhuyan et al., International Journal on Computer Science and Engineering (ISCSE), Vol. 4, No. 3, March 2012. Here, a method for fingertip detection and finger type recognition is proposed in which fingertips are located in the hand region using Bayesian rule based skin colour segmentation. Morphological operations are then performed in the segmented hand region by observing some key geometric features. A final probabilistic modeling of the geometric features of finger movements is then performed so that a finger type recognition process is significantly made more robust, especially in the context of providing valuable information for finger spelling in sign language recognition and gesture animation.
In an article entitled "Real-time hand posture recognition using range data" by S. Malassiotis & M. G. Strintzis, Image and Vision Computing, 26 (2008), pages 1027 to 1037, a method is described in which arm segmentation, hand-forearm segmentation, hand pose estimation and gesture classification are performed in order to recognise complex hand postures such as those encountered in sign language alphabets. Three-dimensional image data is captured and processed in accordance with the method by utilising three-dimensional hand geometry to recognise sign language postures and/or gestures.
WO-A-03/071410 describes another method for enabling a person to interact with an electronic device using gestures and poses. The method includes obtaining position information for a plurality of discrete regions of a body part of the person. The position information includes depth values of each discrete region of the body part relative to a reference position. A depth image of a 3D scene is captured using a 3D sensor system and processed to segment one or more regions of interest from the background of the scene, each region of interest including a hand whose gestures are to be detected. Each gesture is classified and compared to a set of different hand gestures.
Despite hand detection and modelling being widely addressed in the literature, none of the documents described above provides for the detection and tracking of the parts of the hands and their parameters including fingers, palm and orientation, at distances close to the imaging device using a depth map from a 3D imaging sensor as input information, and without the use of any colour information, nor the use of any hand model or skeletal representation having articulations.


A process for the preparation and modification of additives, with a zeolite base and a high silica alumina ratio (SAR) like the ZSM-5, to increase the yield of propene and LPG in low severity FCC operations, that seeks to maximize the production of medium-distillates with low aromaticity and to minimize molecular cracking in the LCO range. The additives involved guarantee an increase in light olefin yields without altering the yield or the quality of the LCO produced. The innovative process includes surprising actions from rare earths (RE) on the active sites of zeolite, that at once partially block their pores and, in this way, make molecular cracking in the medium-distillate range difficult, which preferably occur at low reaction temperatures and keeps the remaining sites quite active. These sites are sufficiently active to crack smaller molecules in the gasoline range, guaranteeing an overall increase in light olefins and allowing the additive involved to be used industrially in operations to maximize medium-distillates in an FCC unit. This new additive may be obtained by modifying any commercial ZSM-5 zeolite additive.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a process for the preparation and modification of additives, based on zeolite with a high silica-alumina ratio (SAR), such as ZSM-5 (Zeolite Socony Mobile In. 5) capable of increasing the production of LPG and of propene in low-severity operations in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) units, in order to maximize the production of medium-distillate fractions with low aromaticity.
The present invention provides a method for obtaining modified additives, which minimizes molecular cracking in an LCO range and makes an increase in gasoline octane possible in low-severity operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) is performed by the contact of hydrocarbons with a fine particulate matter catalyst in a pipe reaction zone or riser. Loads that are commonly submitted to FCC processing are, usually, petroleum refinery process streams that come from longitudinally segmented vacuum towers, called heavy Vacuum Gas Oil (VGO), or chains that are heavier than before coming from the bottom of atmospheric towers, called Atmospheric Residue (AR), or even mixtures of these two streams. Typically, these streams, have a density in the range of 8 to 28 o API, and must be chemically processed using a process such as the catalytic cracking process, which fundamentally alters its chemical composition, converting them into lighter, and more valuable hydrocarbon streams.
From the time of its initial conception, the FCC process has been a process essentially aimed at the production of high octane gasoline, and is also responsible for the production of LPG. The medium distillates (LCO) produced by this process represent between 15% and 25% of the total yield and correspond to a distillation range that typically goes from 200° C. and 340° C. Normally, LCOs have a high concentration of aromatics, which may surpass 80% of the total composition, a fact that makes it difficult to incorporate into the diesel pool. The current and future scenario points to a slow down in the consumption of gasoline and an increase in diesel oil. With the increase in the demand for high quality medium-distillates to the detriment of the gasoline market in mind, changes in the mode of operation of FCC units have been discussed, for the purpose of increasing medium-distillate production in FCC processing. Nevertheless, the high concentration of aromatics in LCO is responsible for its high density and its abysmal explosive quality in diesel motors (low cetane number). The high level of aromatics also makes it difficult for hydrotreatment processing to improve their properties for this purpose.
For the purpose of increasing the yield of medium-distillates and at the same time reduce the level of aromatics; several works discuss modifications in the catalytic system and in the operational fluctuations in order to attain a reduction in the severity of the process. Among the operational conditions a reduction in the reaction temperature and a reduction to the catalyst-to-oil ratio (CTO) are included. The form of operation most commonly used to maximize medium-distillates in the FCC process use a reduced reaction temperature at extremely low numbers (between 450° C. and 500° C.), low activity catalyst, and minimized catalyst circulation. All these measures achieve an increase in the yield and improve the quality (by a reduction of aromatics) of the LCO produced. On the other hand, they reduce the conversion with a subsequent reduction in the production of LPG and propene, which in turn reduces the octane of the gasoline. Some important references on this issue are listed below: 1) Distillate yield from the FCC: process and catalyst changes for maximization of LCO: Catalysts Courier, R. W. Peterman; 2) Hydrocarbon Publishing Company: Advanced hydrotreating and hydrocarbon technology to produce ultra2-clean diesel fuel, 2004; 3) Studies on maximizing diesel oil production from FCC: Fifth international symposium on the advances in fluid catalytic cracking, (218th National meeting, American Chemical society, 1999); 4) New development boosts production of middle distillate from FCC: Oil and Gas Journal (August, 1970).
The industrial application of additives, based on zeolite with a high silica-alumina ratio (SAR), such as ZSM-5 (Zeolite Socony Mobile), began in 1983. Since then, ZSM-5 has been used with great success in FCC processing as an active component of the additives, to increase yield in light hydrocarbons, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and light olefins of high aggregate value, such as propene and isobutene.
It has also been observed that the use of this additive promotes an increase in octane in gasoline, accompanied with a reduction in the yield of that fraction. The literature relative to this issue may be verified in the publications: 1) F. Degnan, G. K. Chitnis, P. H. Schipper, History of ZSM-5 fluid cracking additive development at Mobil, Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 35-36 (2000) 245-252; 2) S. P. Donnelly, S. Mizzahi, P. T, Sparrel, A. Huss, Jr., P. H. Schipper and J. A. Herbst, How ZSM-5 works in FCC, Division of Petroleum Chemistry, ACS Meeting, Aug. 30-Sep. 4, New Orleans, 1987; 3) A. S. Kishna, C. R. Hsieh, A. R. English, T. A. Picoraro, C. W. Kuehler, Additives improve CFC process, Hydrocarbon Processing, November (1991) 59-66. Notwithstanding, it uses a reaction temperature on the order of 540° C. to maximize gasoline. Under these conditions, practically no change is seen in the yield or the quality of LCO.
Studies carried out in the Petrobras Research Center have proven that the use of ZSM-5 additives in catalytic cracking processing that operate at low severity by reducing the reaction temperature, promote a reduction in LCO yield and an increase in aromatics. Thus, the presence of this commercial additive in FCC operations to maximize medium-distillates becomes harmful, since its effects are contrary to the main objective of the operation.
The present invention proposes the alternative of using ZSM-5 in soft fluid catalytic cracking (MFCC), in other words, in typical low severity fluid catalytic cracking operations. Using this innovative method this additive is modified by the depositing rare earths, in order to promote a partial blockage of the zeolite pores, making the molecular cracking difficult in the LCO range and, in turn, keeping the remaining sites active or sufficient to perform cracking of smaller molecules, in the gasoline range, guaranteeing an overall increase in light olefins.
In the specialized literature, the use of zeolite ZSM-5 is widely cited as being used in conjunction with rare earths in various applications, such as in the production of light olefins, the reclamation of CO2/CH4 to obtain synthesis gas, n-butane dehydrogenation and cracking, catalytic reduction of NOx by propene and aromatization of C6-olefin flows to BTX (benzene, toluene, and xilenes). The use of rare-earth-exchanged ultrastable Y (REUSY) zeolite is also cited in FCC to promote a greater catalytic tolerance to vanadium and to increase gasoline yield in detriment to gas yield. The use of rare-earth-exchanged ultrastable Y (REUSY) zeolite in FCC catalysts has the objective of improving the FCC catalyst's stability when in the presence of vanadium and to increase gasoline yield in detriment to gas yield. An increase in the level of rare-earth-exchanged Y zeolite promotes transfer reactions of hydrogen in the FCC process, resulting in an increase in the formation of aromatic compounds through dehydrogenation reactions of naphthenic compounds. However, this effect is contrary to the desired effect for these applications of this invention. The literature relative to the use of the exchanged rare earth in ZSM-5, may be verified in the written publications described below: 1) Zhicheng, S. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,690; 2) Zhang, W. D., et al. Preparation of La2NiO4/ZSM-5 catalyst and catalytic performance m CO2/CH4 reforming to Syngas. Applied Catalysis A: General, v. 223, p. 85-102, 2002; 3) Wakui, K. et al. Dehydrogenative cracking of n-butane using double-stage reaction. Applied Catalysis A: General, v. 230, p. 195-202, 2002; 4) Yokoyama, C. and Misono, M. Selective reduction of nitrogen monoxide by propene over cerium-doped zeolites. Catalysis Today, v. 22, n. 1, p. 59-72, 1994.
The China Petro-Chemicals Corporation possesses a patent citing the formula for a Pentasil type zeolite catalyst, modified with phosphorus and rare earths, for the production of light olefins.
The catalyst consists of a mixture of zeolite (1-50% p/p), kaolin (0-70%) and inorganic oxides (5-99% p/p). The zeolite mixture consists of rare earth exchanged zeolite Y (REY), the concentration of which ranges between 0 and 25% p/p, and between 75 and 100% p/p of a Pentasil type zeolite containing phosphorus and rare earths. However, this patent seeks to improve the catalyst activity in typical FCC processing conditions and, therefore, it does not take into account the amount nor the quality of the LCO fraction.
Wakui et al. studied pure ZSM-5 cracking of n-butane for high conversions. The authors observed that with rare earth exchanged ZSM-5 zeolites more ethene is formed in detriment to the formation of aromatic compounds. They discuss the fact that rare earths in ZSM-5 favor monomolecular cracking reactions in detriment to bimolecular reactions such as, for example, the transfer of hydrogen. Thus, this type of application seeks to crack compounds with low molecular weight, in conditions that are much more drastic than the conditions which apply to the present invention.

Additive to maximize GLP and propene suitable for use in low-severity operations of a fluid catalytic cracking unit and its preparatory process


A new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe plant named ‘Beauty of Lisse’, characterized by its upright plant habit; rapid growth rate; green and yellow green-colored foliage; freely and uniform flowering habit; and light red purple-colored flowers arranged on upright inflorescences.

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe plant, botanically known as Astilbe hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Beauty of Lisse'.
The new Astilbe is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new fast-growing Astilbe cultivars with attractive foliage and flower coloration.
The new Astilbe originated from a cross-pollination of two unnamed Astilbe hybrida selections. The new Astilbe was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands on the basis of its unique foliage coloration.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by divisions in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new Astilbe are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A high efficiency pool heating system (10) includes a power circuit (12) and heat pump circuit (14). Each circuit having a working fluid flowing therein. In the power circuit, a heater (16) vaporizes the working fluid which is periodically delivered and exhausted through a valve section (32) to a driving section (28) of a power unit (26). The driving section drives a driven section (30) which operates as a compressor for the working fluid in the heat pump circuit. Fluid exhausted from the driven section of the power unit is passed to a first portion (48) of a heat exchanger (46) which is in fluid communication with the water of a pool. In the heat exchanger, the working fluid in the power circuit is condensed to a liquid. Thereafter, the liquid is passed through the power circuit back to the heater where it is again vaporized. In the heat pump circuit vaporized working fluid is compressed in the driven end of the power unit and delivered to a second portion (50) of the heat exchanger wherein the working fluid delivers heat to the pool water and is condensed. Thereafter, the liquid in the heat pump circuit is passed through a flow expander (98) and into an evaporator (102) wherein the working fluid absorbs heat from atmosphere and vaporizes. The fluid is then delivered to the driven end of the power unit to complete the heat pump circuit.

Heaters for heating water in swimming pools are well known in the prior art. The majority of pool heaters presently in use are gas fired. In such devices, the hot products of combustion are passed through a heat exchanger. Water from the pool is also passed through the heat exchanger and absorbs heat from the products of combustion. While such gas fired units are reliable, they are inefficient. The best theoretical coefficient of performance for such a system is 1:1. Of course the coefficient of performance will always be somewhat less due to losses. This makes a conventional gas fired pool heater expensive to operate.
Other types of pool heaters known in the prior art are electrically powered heat pumps. Such systems use a working fluid such as Freon 22 or other refrigerant, to absorb heat from the atmosphere in an evaporator, resulting in vaporization of the working fluid. The working fluid is then compressed in a compressor and passed to a heat exchanger or condenser that is in heat transfer relation with the pool water. In the heat exchanger the working fluid delivers heat to the pool water and is condensed to a liquid. Thereafter the liquid working fluid flows through an expansion device and returns to the evaporator to complete the cycle. The working fluid continuously flows in the heat pump system to deliver heat from the atmosphere to the pool water.
Because a heat pump system uses heat available from the atmosphere to heat the pool water, such systems may have coefficients of performance in the range of 4:1. However electric heat pump systems may be more expensive to operate than gas fired systems because electricity generally costs more than natural gas. Electric heat pump systems also have a disadvantage in that when the ambient temperature is low, the efficiency of the heat pump system falls. As a result, it is usually necessary to have a supplemental heating system such as a gas fired heater or an electrical resistance heater. Electric heat pump systems also characteristically require more maintenance than gas fired systems which adds to their overall cost.
The need to have a supplemental heating system with a heat pump system increases when the pool is heated in combination with a "hot tub" or spa. People enjoy using their spas year round. In colder climates during the winter a heat pump system alone will not satisfactorily heat the spa water.
Thus, there exists a need for a pool and spa heating system that is less expensive to operate than those known in the prior art, has higher efficiency, is more reliable and can be used in cold weather. There further exists a need for a novel power unit that may be used in such a pool heating, or other type of heat transfer system.

High efficiency pool heating system and power unit

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This invention is concerned with lightpipes and lightpipe arrays designed to redirect light from a mounted light source, such as a light-emitting diode (LED), or from an array of mounted light sources. The lightpipe and lightpipe array are advantageously designed to be mounted to a surface not directly in contact with the light source(s) or the surface on which the light source(s) is (are) attached and to redirect light such that light exits the lightpipe at an elevation between the elevation of the light-emitting end of the light source and the elevation of the surface mounting such light source after a plurality of light reflections within a lightpipe(s). Several methods for attachment of the lightpipes to a mounting panel are described. A preferred embodiment of the invention features attachment of the lightpipe or lightpipe array to a mounting panel using a bezel or bezels which substantially prevent interference from stray light sources and prevent light from mixing between lightpipes of an array. Another embodiment of the invention is in the form of an illuminated pushbutton end of a switchcap arrangement utilizing a vertically directed light source and an escutcheon to substantially prevent light from mixing between vertically adjacent switchcaps arrangement.

1. Field
The present invention is in the general field of fiber optics, more specifically in the field of lightpipes for transmitting and redirecting light through a solid medium that is light-transmissive.
2. State of the Art
Since the 1970's, right-angle, circuit-board-mounted, lighted indicators have been used to provide visual status information relating to the functions of electronic equipment with which they are used. These have typically been "through-hole" light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with leads bent at a right angle so the direction of light is parallel to the usually horizontally positioned, printed circuit boards on which they are mounted. They are typically directed through a usually vertically positioned front panel of the equipment concerned. Many manufacturers have designed right-angle, plastic housings for mounting flush on the circuit boards to which the LEDs are secured, resulting in easier and more precise X, Y, and Z directional alignment and better stability. A housing provides an alignment advantage over an LED with bent leads when soldering the LED to the circuit board, as well as when installing the circuit board assembly in the equipment chassis.
Some of these housings are designed with means to lock multiple housings together to form an either horizontally side-by-side or vertically aligned array of LEDs. Unfortunately, the design of many of these housings requires that the LED be inserted into the housing by hand and that the LED housing assembly be inserted into the circuit board by hand. Also, those housings that are designed to be locked together typically require human labor to assemble the array. For these reasons, as well as the fact that the housing itself is costly, LEDs in housings have been significantly more expensive than an LED by itself.
Also in the 1970's, lightpipe and fiber optic technology started to gain popularity as a means to redirect and transmit light, either for simple visual indication or for data communication. Later, in the late 1980's and the early 1990's with the increasing popularity of surface mounted LEDs, manufacturers developed ways to combine the automatic insertion advantages of surface mounted LEDs with the alignment advantages of LED housings, this by designing lightpipes and lightpipe arrays which mount to the circuit board and redirect light in the desired direction. These so-called "lightpipes" are again an increased cost over LEDs by themselves, but they require less hand labor to assemble and install and are not required to be installed on the circuit board before the soldering process. An aesthetic benefit of such lightpipes is that it is easy to create various shapes of lightpipe transmission surfaces, for example, as by making a square or triangle shaped indicator using a round LED as the light source.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,130,761, 5,327,328, and 5,349,504 disclose lightpipes or lightpipe arrays fabricated from a transparent material, each providing means for mounting the lightpipe or lightpipe array to the circuit board so that the X Y Z alignment issue is adequately addressed. The two latter of these patents also go into detail as to how lightpipes solve problems of weight, stability, and clearance for automatic equipment encountered when using LED housings. It should be noted that U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,328 refers to a method of connecting multiple lightpipes in such a way that an array can be molded as a single piece, while still substantially reducing light mixing from adjacent light sources. Although this method is somewhat successful, we have discovered that, under low light conditions, such method allows "crosstalk" between adjacent lightpipes which may be unacceptable in more critical applications.
The advantages of lightpipes over simple LEDs and LEDs with housings are widely recognized and account for their increasing popularity. Until recently, current use of lightpipes and lightpipe arrays all involved mounting them on the same circuit boards or panels on which the LED is directly mounted. With these known mounting systems, as well as with LEDs and LED housings, the process of assembling the circuit board in the chassis typically requires careful and sometimes difficult alignment of lightpipes with their corresponding holes in the chassis to ensure that the lightpipes are not scratched, dislodged, broken, or otherwise damaged. Mechanical tolerances between lightpipe, circuit board, circuit board-to-chassis mounting, and chassis can make this a time consuming and difficult procedure. Also, once installed in the chassis, the lightpipes are subject to damage due to the shifting of the circuit board and other mechanical components of the assembly through either normal or abusive handling of the equipment.
To overcome these problems, we determined that the lightpipe or lightpipe array must not be directly secured to the same board or panel on which the light source is secured. A creative solution was to mount the lightpipes on the front panel where they "float" above the light sources. Our lightpipe invention was completed before recently granted U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,440 was issued, which patent discloses a lightpipe array whereby the lightpipe has no direct contact with the LED or the surface on which the LED is mounted. As with our invention, the lightpipe is mounted on the front panel, addressing the aforementioned assembly and handling difficulties. However, the disclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,440, is (as well as current lightpipes in use are) limited to redirecting the light parallel to the mounting surface of the light source, at or above, but never below, the light-emitting end of the light source relative to the mounting surface. Redirecting light so it is emitted between the light-emitting end of the light source and the mounting surface for the light source has solved the problems remaining from the invention disclosed by the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,440. Our improvement provides the advantage of tighter vertical spacing of components within the assembly. This tighter vertical spacing may be necessary in a cramped assembly or may simply provide more freedom to choose the locations of lightpipes on the panel. With our equipment, the tighter vertical spacing was absolutely necessary.
Another problem with current designs is that, for lightpipe arrays, close spacing of adjacent lightpipes exhibit what may be an unacceptable amount of crosstalk between adjacent light sources and lightpipes which likely accounts for the wide spacing of adjacent lightpipes in U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,440.

Apparatus for showing light at a distance from a light source


Disclosed is a zipper for a reclosable thermoplastic bag having opposing rib and groove profiles wherein at least one of the opposing zipper profiles has an longitudinally extending part interlockable and substantially free of interdigitation with the opposing profile and wherein the part is structurally discontinuous along its length. When the rib and groove profiles are interlocked, an audible clicking sound and/or a vibratory or bumpy feel perceptible to the touch is imparted.. Further disclosed is a process and apparatus for making the zipper wherein a zipper profile is extruded and indentions are formed within and along it.

This invention relates to a reclosable thermoplastic bag having a zipper that creates clicking noise when the zipper is being opened or closed. Further, the zipper imparts a vibration or bumpy feel which is tactile and readily perceptible to the touch when the zipper is closed.
The problem addressed by the present invention pertains to the determination of closure or nonclosure of the zipper of a reclosable bag. Such determination is often difficult save with a close visual examination.
One means of aiding the determination of the state of closure is to utilize a zipper which imparts a visual color change upon closure. Different colors may be utilized in each of the opposing zipper profiles to produce a third distinct color when interlocked. Zippers utilizing such a color change are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,186,786 and 4,285,105. The disadvantage of using such a color change is that it may occur when the opposing zipper profiles are brought in overlapping proximity instead of only when the profiles are interlocked.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a nonvisual means of determining the state of closure of a zipper for a reclosable bag. Desirably, the zipper would impart a vibratory or bumpy feel perceptible to the touch, and, further desirably, emanate an audible sound along the zipper as it is closed or interlocked.
Prior art zippers on reclosable bags typically impart an audible click only at the point where the opposing zipper profiles are initially interlocked and at the end of the zipper. Further, such zippers do not impart a vibratory or bumpy feel at all. Prior art zippers of such bags do not impart audible clicking sounds along its length between the ends of the zipper as it is being closed or interlocked.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a thermoplastic zipper that imparts a vibration perceptible to the touch, and, further preferably, emanates an audible clicking sound along its length when being closed so that the fact of closure can be confirmed by sound and feel. Accordingly, there exists a need for a reclosable bag having a zipper that imparts a vibration perceptible to the touch, and, further preferably, emanates an audible clicking sound continually along it from end to end.

Method of making a zipper for reclosable thermoplastic bag


Remote energy transmitting circuits 30, 35, 36, 37 sequentially transmit a first RF signal when activated by the controller 60. A remote unit 14 in the tire receives the first RF signal, and when the pressure in the tire is greater than a predetermined pressure, the remote unit 14 transmits a second RF signal. Via the remote receiver 20, the controller 60 determines whether the second RF signal is received within a predetermined time after transmitting the first RF signal. When the second RF signal is not received within the predetermined time, the controller 60 assumes a pressure detection failure and causes a display to indicate this condition.

A traditional measurement that is necessary for safe operation of a motor vehicle is tire pressure. With the use of electronics it is possible to measure the pressure of each tire and provide continuous monitoring of the pressure to a driver of the vehicle.
Such a system generally includes a controller mounted on the motor vehicle and remote circuitry located in each tire for detecting the tire pressure, and transmitting the detected tire pressure to the controller. The controller receives the detected tire pressure and presents it to the driver.
As will be appreciated, providing power for, and communicating with, the remote circuitry in each tire of the vehicle can present considerable difficulty.
A known method of accomplishing this is to have a battery located in each tire to provide power for the remote circuitry, and to have a radio transmitter for transmitting the detected tire pressure using a radio frequency signal. This method was developed by Epic Technologies and disclosed on page 59 of an article in Engineering News published on Oct. 9, 1995. However, with this method replacement of the batteries is inconvenient, and in addition because of the high temperature and humidity in which the battery has to operate, the efficiency of the battery is adversely affected.
Another known method is to have a transponder mounted in each tire. An on-board antenna mounted on the vehicle body, close to each tire, radiates a radio frequency (RF) signal which provides sufficient power to the transponder for it to transmit an encoded signal. The encoded signal is received by an on-board controller and decoded. The decoded information identifies which tire on the vehicle transmitted the decoded signal, and indicates the detected, tire pressure in that tire. This method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,850 assigned to Texas Instruments Inc.
While this method overcomes the disadvantages of using a battery, a disadvantage of this method is that the transponder requires complex circuitry to encode identification information and tire pressure data prior to transmission of the encoded signal. Consequently, due to the complexity of the circuitry required in each tire this method is expensive to implement.
In addition, dependent on the strength of the RF signal transmitted by the on-board antenna and the distance between the on-board antenna and the transponder in a tire, the power provided to the transponder will vary. Consequently, the strength of the signal transmitted by the transponder can also vary, which can affect the reliability of the operation of the transponder.
When the vehicle is in motion, the rotating transponder in the tire can come within range of the on-board antenna for sufficient periods to have reliable transponder operation. However, when the vehicle is stationary, dependent on the stationary position of the transponder in the tire, the variations in signal strength could cause unreliable transponder operation. This in turn leads to unreliable tire pressure detection.


A dosimetry device for charged particle radiation that can be exclusive of cables and connectors between substrates is provided. A plurality of first electrodes are formed on one surface of a printed circuit board, a second electrode substrate having a second electrode opposing each of the plurality of first electrodes through an ionized space is provided, and a signal processing circuit is provided on the other surface opposing the surface of the printed circuit board. The signal processing circuit includes at least one amplifying circuit, a plurality of integrating capacitors corresponding to the amplifying circuit for integrating charge at each corresponding one of the first electrodes, and at least one selector switch that switchably connects each of the integrating capacitors to the amplifying circuit. The printed circuit board may be a multi-layer printed circuit board.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dosimetry device used to measure the dose distribution of charged particle radiation.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional dosimetry device for charged particle radiation is disclosed for example in "A pixel chamber to monitor the beam performances in hadrontherapy," Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, A519, pp. 674 to 686, 2004.
The dosimetry device for charged particle radiation disclosed by the publication includes a high voltage electrode (cathode electrode), an ionization chamber including a spacing frame and a frame having a plurality of anode electrodes arranged in a matrix, and a signal processing circuit that processes a signal from each of the anode electrodes. An ionized space forms between the high voltage electrode (cathode electrode) and each of the anode electrodes, and high voltage is applied between the high voltage electrode (cathode electrode) and each of the anode electrodes through the ionized space. When charged particles enter the ionized space, the air inside the ionized space is excited and ions are generated, the ions are attracted by corresponding anode electrodes, and charge is generated at the anode electrode. The charge at each of the anode electrodes can be read by the signal processing circuit to measure the dose distribution of the charged particles in the ionized space.

Dosimetry device for charged particle radiation


In some implementations, a method is provided. The method may allow a powered device to determine the maximum power available from power supply equipment. The method includes determining the length of a cable connecting the powered device to the power supply equipment based on the resistance of the cable. The method further includes determining the maximum power available to the powered device based on the length of the cable. The powered device may then be operated based on the maximum power available.

Powered devices (PDs), such as access points, draw power from power supply equipment (PSE), such as switches. PSE may provide power and data to PDs via cabling of various types and lengths. The IEEE 802.3af specification standardizes cabling length, power output (by class) and other aspects of the PSE/PD infrastructure, to enable compatibility among different devices. For example, the IEEE 802.3af specification specifies that PSE can deliver limited power and data to PDs via CAT5 cables and that 30 watts and 100 meters is the standard power output and standard cabling length respectively. Although PSE may be rated for a specific power output, the actual power delivered to a PD is less depending on cable characteristics such as size and length as well as the amount of current through the cable.

Maximum power detection for powered devices


Commercially available voice recognition systems are generally speaker-dependent, with the voice recognition system first being trained to the voice of the speaker before it can be used. A disadvantage with this method is that modified reference data has to be buffered and permanently saved in several steps when the speaker adaptation algorithm is executed, and thus requires a lot of memory space. This primarily negatively affects applications on devices with restricted processor power and limited memory space, such as mobile radio terminals for example. A method of speaker adaptation for a Hidden Markov Model based voice recognition system may address these issues. In the method, the memory space requirement and thus also the processor power required can be considerably reduced. This is achieved by using modified reference data in a speaker adaptation algorithm to adapt a new speaker to a reference speaker. The modified reference data is processed in compressed form.

The present invention relates to a method of speaker adaptation for a Hidden Markov Model based voice recognition system.
Voice recognition systems can be employed in many fields. For example, possible areas of use are dialog systems that permit purely voice communication between a speaker and an information or booking machine over the telephone. Other areas of application of a voice recognition system are operation of an infotainment system in the car by the driver and control of an operation assistance system by the surgeon if use of a keyboard entails disadvantages. Another important area of use is dictation systems, which enable texts to be written faster and more easily.
It is incomparably harder to recognize the voice of a random speaker than to recognize a known speaker. This is because of the wide variations in how different people speak. For this reason there are speaker-dependent and non-speaker-dependent voice recognition systems. Speaker-dependent voice recognition systems can only be used by a speaker known to the system, but for this speaker achieve a particularly high level of recognition. Non-speaker-dependent voice recognition systems can be used by any speaker, but the level of recognition lags way behind that of a speaker-dependent voice recognition system. In many applications, speaker-dependent voice recognition systems cannot be used, as for example in the case of telephone information and booking systems. However, if only a restricted group of people uses a voice recognition system, as for example in the case of a dictation system, a speaker-dependent voice recognition system is frequently used.
Commercially available voice recognition systems are generally speaker-dependent, with the voice recognition system first being trained to the voice of the speaker before it can be used.
In practice two methods are frequently used for speaker adaptation. In a first method of vocal tract length normalization (VTLN) the frequency axis of the voice spectrum is stretched or compressed linearly in order to align the spectrum to that of a reference speaker.
In a second method the voice signal remains unaltered. Instead, acoustic models of the voice recognition system, mostly in the form of reference data of a reference speaker, are adapted to the new speaker using a linear transformation. This method has more free parameters and hence is more flexible than vocal tract length normalization.
A disadvantage of the second method is that the modified reference data has to be buffered and permanently saved in several steps when the voice adaptation algorithm is executed. This requires a lot of memory space, which primarily negatively affects applications on devices with restricted processor power and limited memory space, such as mobile radio terminals for example.

Method of speaker adaptation for a hidden markov model based voice recognition system


A method and an apparatus for setting a gamma reference voltage, and a driving circuit are provided, which decrease a driving voltage of a display apparatus and reduce power consumption by resetting the gamma reference voltage of the display apparatus. The method comprises: acquiring a dielectric constant of a liquid crystal capacitor according to a first gamma reference voltage (101); acquiring a value of the liquid crystal capacitor according to the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal capacitor (102); acquiring a feedback voltage according to the value of the liquid crystal capacitor, acquiring a second gamma reference voltage according to the feedback voltage, and updating the first gamma reference voltage to the second gamma reference voltage (103). The method and apparatus for setting a gamma reference voltage, and the driving circuit may be applied to production and manufacture of a liquid crystal display.

With continuous improvements of the liquid crystal display technique, liquid crystal display products are used widely. With an enhancement of awareness of energy conservation, people's performance requirements on low power consumption of the liquid crystal display products are higher. In the prior art, in order to make sure the gamma reference voltage is not lower than a driving voltage value in case that the gamma reference voltage is decreased due to a capacitive coupling, a liquid crystal display apparatus adds feedback voltages to gamma reference voltages for different gray scales when setting the gamma reference voltages for the different gray scales, so that display quality of the liquid crystal display apparatus can be ensured not to be affected.
The feedback voltages needed to be added are different because gamma reference voltages for respective different gray scales decrease different amounts in case that the gamma reference voltages for the different gray scales decrease due to the capacitive coupling. However, the same feedback voltage, which is a maximum value among the feedback voltages needed to be added for the different gray scales, is added to the gamma reference voltages for the respective different gray scales in the prior art. Therefore, the gamma reference voltages corresponding to part of the gray scales are greater than the gamma reference voltages required actually, which may increase the driving voltage of the display apparatus and in turn increase the power consumption.

Method and apparatus for setting gamma reference voltage, driving circuit and display apparatus


An image forming system includes a printer and a personal computer coupled via through a communication line. The printer includes an inquiry section that sends an inquiry to request apparatus information on the image forming apparatus. The printer includes a status detection section, a status storage section, a notification information storage section, and an information response section. The status detection section detects the status of the printer. The status storage section stores the detected status. The notification information storage section stores notification information that should be sent to the information processing apparatus. The information response section generates the apparatus information. The apparatus information includes the status and the notification information when the image forming apparatus receives the inquiry from the information processing apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image forming apparatus (e.g., printer) and an image forming system in which information can be transmitted from the image forming apparatus to users who use information processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
One conventional system configuration is such that a plurality of personal computers and a printer are linked through a network and the personal computers are always informed of the status of the printer.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-239725 discloses one such system. A personal computer requests a printer to send information on the current status of the printer and the printer sends the information to the personal computer. The information is displayed on a display of the personal computer. The users receive messages from the printer through, for example, an e-mail message. Such messages include a message that a system maintenance operation will be conducted at a specific date and a time and a message that the printer will be busy at a specific time frame.
The aforementioned information on the current status of the printer and messages are sent through different means, and therefore cause the following inconvenience.
E-mail messages require involvement of maintenance personnel to be sent to individual users on a recipient-to-recipient basis. Some of the users may be omitted inadvertently. One way of ensuring that the messages are delivered to individual recipients is to send the same messages a plurality of times. This increases the mail-handling time of the system and imposes a heavy load on the network. Moreover, the users receive the same e-mails many times.
Users may well forget the information sent through an e-mail if the e-mail is sent many days earlier than a scheduled event that the mail is intended to inform the users.

Image forming apparatus and image forming system


In a surface acoustic wave resonator according to an embodiment, a quartz-crystal substrate includes an AT-cut 0° X-propagation first quartz-crystal substrate and a Z-cut second quartz-crystal substrate bonded over the first quartz-crystal substrate. A propagation direction of a surface acoustic wave in the second quartz-crystal substrate is inclined from an X-axis of a crystal by 27 to 33°, 87 to 93°, or 147 to 153°, and a thickness of the second quartz-crystal substrate is 0.2 to 1.0 times a wavelength of the surface acoustic wave.

The present disclosure relates to a surface acoustic wave resonator, its manufacturing method, and a radio circuit.
As mobile communication apparatuses such as mobile phones have evolved, there has been a demand for improving the performance of surface acoustic wave (SAW: Surface Acoustic Wave) filters. In a surface acoustic wave resonator constituting a part of such an SAW filter, it has been required, for example, to widen a bandwidth by improving an electromechanical coupling coefficient K2, and to lower the absolute value of a temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF: Temperature Coefficient of Frequency). As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2018-026695, 2019-004308, and 2019-145920, the inventors of the present application have developed in the past surface acoustic wave resonators in which a piezoelectric crystal substrate is bonded over a quartz-crystal substrate.

Surface acoustic wave resonator, its manufacturing method, and radio circuit


A rotational angle sensor and a method for manufacturing the same, and a throttle control device with a rotational angle sensor, which may lower the cost, are provided. The rotational angle sensor includes each sensor IC 50(1), 50(2) for detecting a rotational angle of a rotor based on a magnetic field generated between a pair of magnets respectively disposed across the rotational axis of the rotor; each main terminal 61, 62, 63, 64 connected with each connection terminal 55, 56, 57 of each sensor IC 50(1), 50(2); and a holder member 90 for holding each sensor IC 50(1), 50(2) and connection portions of each main terminal 61, 62, 63, 64 on each sensor IC 50(1), 50(2) side. A sensor assembly 100 is constructed to form the sensor ICs 50(1), 50(2), the main terminals 61, 62, 63, 64 and the holder member 90 into an assembly. A potting material 102 is potted into the holder member 90.

Some electronically-control-type throttle control devices used for controlling an intake air flow into an engine of such as an automobile include rotational angle sensors serving as throttle sensors for detecting a rotational angle of a motor shaft of an electric motor, which drives a throttle valve (see Patent Document 1 for example).
Some rotational angle sensors used for these throttle control devices include magnetic detectors for detecting a rotational angle of a rotor based on a magnetic field generated between a pair of magnets respectively disposed across the rotational axis of the rotor, and a printed circuit board electrically connected with each connection terminal of the magnetic detectors (see Patent Document 2 for example).
Further, others include magnetic detectors for detecting a rotational angle of a rotor based on magnetic fields generated between a pair of magnets respectively disposed across the rotational axis of the rotor, in which the respective connection terminals are connected with magnetic-detector-side connections of each wiring terminal (equivalent to terminals integrally formed with main terminals and subterminals herein), which can connect terminal pins of external connectors, in such a manner that the respective wiring terminals and the magnetic detector are integrated by integrally resin molding (see Patent Document 3 for example).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-264777    Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-57071    Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-289610
According to the rotational angle sensors of the aforementioned Patent Document 2, the problem has been that using a printed circuit board, which is generally perceived as expensive, forces the cost to be increased.
Further, according to the rotational angle sensors of Patent Document 3, the problem has been that a die for integrally resin molding (primary molding) the magnetic detector and each wiring terminal is required, which increases equipment expenses, thereby to force the overall cost to be increased.

Rotational angle sensor and method manufacturing same, and throttle control device with rotational angle sensor


A method for locating a rail vehicle with a rail vehicle position determination device on a route includes reading positions of reference marks, passed by the rail vehicle, along the route of the rail vehicle and evaluating additional distance information. In order to locate a rail vehicle with little expenditure and with comparatively high accuracy, in the case of a route with at least one track section bounded by axle counting sensor units and having an axle counting evaluator, information on the number of axles from the axle counting evaluator is transferred to the rail vehicle position determination device for determining the position of a rail vehicle. In the rail vehicle position determination device, the position of an axle of the rail vehicle corresponding to the information on the number of axles is determined using route topology data present there, and this position is used as a further reference mark.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for locating a rail vehicle with a rail vehicle position determination device on a route by means of reading the positions of reference marks along the route passed by the rail vehicle and by evaluating additional distance data.
In a known method of this type (W. Fenner, P. Neumann, J. Trinckauf "Bahnsicherungstechnik" ["Railway Safety Technology"], 2003, Page 83) balises are used as reference marks, as well as odometers on-board the rail vehicles with which additional distance data can be acquired. The balises serve here to calibrate the odometer.
Brief Summary of the Invention
The object underlying the invention is to further develop the known method, so that with little effort a rail vehicle can be located with a comparatively high level of accuracy.
With a method as specified above according to the invention, to achieve this object in the case of a route with at least one track section with an axle counter evaluator that is bordered by axle counter sensor units, information on the number of axles is transferred from the axle counter evaluator to the rail vehicle position determination device; in the rail vehicle position determination device, using existing track topology data the position of an axle of the rail vehicle that corresponds to the information on the number of axles is determined and this position is used as a further reference mark.
A major advantage of the method according to the invention is that the existing axle counter evaluators on the track sections with axle counter sensor units are assigned an additional function, in that they are used in conjunction with the rail vehicle position determination devices to form further reference marks in addition to the usual reference marks formed by the balises. Location uncertainty can then be reduced in particular where the distance between the reference marks/balises is relatively large and track sections with axle counter sensor units exist anyway and according to the invention are used to form further reference marks.
In the method according to the invention, the information on the number of axles can be transferred in different ways to the rail vehicle position determination device. It is advantageous if the information on the number of axles is transferred from the axle counter evaluator directly to the rail vehicle position determination device, as in this case the transmission route is short and the transmission time is also therefore short. The determination of the position of the axle of the rail vehicle that corresponds to the information on the number of axles can therefore take place easily and very precisely. If in this case the transfer takes place advantageously via a radio link, then any additional effort is comparatively low, as an ordinarily already existing reception device of the rail vehicle position determination device can also be used for this.
In this respect an embodiment of the method according to the invention is more advantageous in which the information on the number of axles is transferred from the axle counter evaluator via a train protection unit to the rail vehicle position determination device. Here it is advantageous if the information on the number of axles is transferred from the axle counter evaluator via a communications link to the train protection unit and from this via a message link to the rail vehicle position determination device. Here, existing information transfer methods can be utilized, for example CBTC solutions for metro systems.
In this embodiment of the method according to the invention, in order to avoid inaccuracies in determining the position of the axle of the rail vehicle that corresponds to the information on the number of axles, a time synchronization is performed advantageously between the axle counter evaluator and the rail vehicle position determination device, which can take place for example by means of time stamps.
In order to be able to determine the position of the axle that corresponds to the information on the number of axles and thereby the location of the rail vehicle particularly reliably and also precisely, it is deemed advantageous in the case of a further axle counter evaluator assigned to a subsequent track section to transfer further information on the number of axles from this further axle counter evaluator to the rail vehicle position determination device and to use the further information on the number of axles as redundant information on the number of axles in determining the position of the axle in the rail vehicle position determination device.


A multiprocessor system includes a plurality of master devices, at least one slave device, and a system bus connecting the master devices to the at least one slave device. At least one of the master devices includes at least one cache memory, and the system bus processes a data write or data read request corresponding a transaction issued to the slave device from at least one of the master devices prior to termination of a snooping operation on the master devices.

1. Technical Field
The inventive concept is directed to multiprocessor systems and methods for managing a cache memory thereof.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In a typical computing system, a processor reads data from an external memory and stores the read data in a cache memory. When the processor executes operations using the read data, the processor reads the read data not from the external memory, but from the cache memory. Use of the cache memory allows commands to be executed at higher speed because access between the processor and the external memory has a higher latency than access between the processor and the cache memory.
A multiprocessor-based system include several processors, where each processor includes a cache memory. In recent years, multiprocessor-based systems have been introduced in not only high-performance systems such as servers and personal computers (PCs) but also mobile devices. However, since mobile device typically make use of hardware accelerators to a larger extent than other devices, they may have trouble maintaining cache coherency. Further, inconsistent caches in mobile devices may have a significant effect on system performance.

Multiprocessor system and method for managing cache memory thereof


A data transmission/reception system can lessen a skew between data and clock signal by substantially reducing a data reception error. The data transmission/reception system using a first clock signal and a second clock signal having a phase difference corresponding to a half of data bit period as compared with the first clock signal includes a skew information extracting unit and a timing control unit. The skew information extracting unit obtains and outputs skew edge information data necessary for a skew removal by sampling data transmitted in a training operating mode as one of the first and second clock signals in a receiving side. The timing control unit receives the skew edge information data through a transmitting side, and compares its phase with a phase of the transmitted data and controls a timing between transmission data and a transmission sampling clock signal applied to a transmission output unit according to the phase comparison result. Time taken in a training operation can be relatively shortened, and circuits of the receiving side can be simplified and power consumption can be relatively reduced.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a data transmission, and more particularly, to a skew removal circuit and method capable of reducing a skew between data and clock signal.
2. Description
A data transmission speed performed in a data transmission/reception system constructed of semiconductor device, i.e., CPU and semiconductor memory device, is becoming faster day by day according to the requirement of users. However, time jitter of PLL/DLL, offset generated by a process error of transmitter/receiver and a signal interference of transmission channel etc. cause a skew occurrence between data and a clock signal that samples data, thus this becomes the factor of limiting a data transmission speed increase.
In general, when the transmission speed of data becomes increased, voltage margin and time margin of data necessary for identifying bit information of data are more reduced. That is, to exactly identify data transmitted from a transmitting side without error at a receiving side, it is required to precisely place a clock signal to sample data at a position having a relatively largest time margin of data, i.e., center part of data.
For that, a conventional parallel link interface method has been employed a source synchronous scheme. In the source synchronous scheme, transmitting side transmits together with data and clock signal to be sampled to receiving side, and receiving side extracts the data and clock signal. But, in the source synchronous scheme, skew is generated by a mismatch between a data line and a sampling clock line and thus there is caused a limit in a high-speed operation having a very fast transmission speed.
Therefore, a skew removal method employing a clock data recovery (hereinafter, referred to as 'CDR') to remove skew between data and a clock signal has been mainly used in the field of serial link interface. In the skew removal method using the CDR, transmission data is oversampled at a receiving side, and a phase of transmission sampling clock of a transmitting side is controlled according to sampled information. Then, clock signal sampling the data (hereinafter, referred to as 'sampling clock') is controlled to have a relatively largest time margin for data to be sampled at the receiving side.
FIG. 1 illustrates a signal timing for a correlation between clock signals and data used in the CDR scheme according to a conventional art.
Referring to FIG. 1, two kinds of clock signals are shown for three cases in a lower part of data waveform. An edge clock Clk_edge with a reference character C1 is positioned in timing at an edge portion of 1 bit data, and data clock Clk_data with a reference character C2 is positioned in timing on a center part of the 1 bit data. A time interval between the data clock Clk_data and the edge clock Clk_edge corresponds to a half (0.5 UI) of data bit period UI as T_bit. In the drawing, the data clock Clk_data corresponds to the sampling clock and is a clock signal necessary for identifying data. On the other hand, the edge clock Clk_edge is a clock signal necessary for extracting edge information of data. In the following description, for example, when the edge clock is called a first clock signal, the data clock will be called a second clock signal.
In FIG. 1, for example, when data is changed from logic 0 to logic 1 or from logic 1 to logic 0, an early/late phase correlation between data and sampling clock Clk_data can be obtained by using the edge clock Clk_edge. For example, when the sampling clock Clk_data is positioned in timing after a center part of data bit period as shown in a second case S2 and so the data is delayed or the sampling clock Clk_data is advanced corresponding to a generated skew SKEW1, skew between data and sampling clock is removed and becomes like the first case shown in S1. Meanwhile, to the contrary, when sampling clock is positioned in timing before a center part of data bit period like a third case shown in S3, skew between data and sampling clock can be removed by advancing in timing corresponding to an interval of skew SKEW2 the data or shifting in timing the sampling clock.
Consequently, in the conventional CDR scheme using all of edge clock and data clock as illustrated in FIG. 1, data sampled as edge clock in 1 bit data period and data sampled as data clock can be obtained. Thus, the conventional CDR scheme obtains two information for 1 bit data period and so is called '×2 oversampling' in view of a sampling technique. For example, when the edge clock Clk_edge tracks an edge of data, the data clock Clk_data is shifted 0.5 UI (Unit Interval) from the edge clock, and thus the timing is automatically matched to the center of data eye. Therefore, skew between data and sampling clock is substantially reduced by controlling a phase of sampling clock signal through use of oversampled information.
The conventional CDR scheme may be advantageous by the characteristic that a sampling clock signal tracks a phase change of data and maintains a proper sampling position even during a transmission of data. That is, there is no special operation change even when temperature or voltage is changed.
However, the conventional CDR scheme necessarily requires a specific clock signal, i.e., edge clock Clk_edge, to identify edge information of data. When edge clock is used in addition to sampling clock in the receiving side, power consumption of the receiving side is added corresponding to that. Furthermore, the conventional CDR scheme must additionally include a reception circuit for identifying data and sampling clock and detecting an edge of data, and a phase control circuit for changing a phase of clock signal. The conventional CDR scheme has an overhead for circuits and so its application to the parallel link interface method as an interface method of DRAM etc. is not simple.
As another conventional art, a skew compensation scheme using a training method is known in a parallel link interface used in a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) etc.
In the skew compensation scheme using the training method, circuits can be realized on a small area as compared with the conventional CDR scheme and a skew removal function of almost the same level as the CDR scheme can be provided. Further, unlike the conventional CDR scheme, a specific circuit for an edge detection of data is not adapted at a receiving side.
The skew compensation scheme using a training method principally used in semiconductor memory devices such as DRAM etc. is described as follows, referring to FIG. 2.
With reference to FIG. 2 illustrating signal timings providing a correlation between clock signals and training data used in the training method, training data showing a 1 bit data period and a plurality of clock signals S1-S5 sequentially phase-shifted corresponding to a unit step are positioned being spaced in a lower part of the data.
In the training method, a phase shift operation is performed mainly in a transmitting side such as a memory controller etc., not in a semiconductor memory device as a receiving side.
In a training mode of the transmitting side, training data is transmitted at a frequency lower than a normal transmission operation of data. Then, the training data is stored in a data receiving part such as the semiconductor memory device etc. The memory controller reads the stored training data in synchronous to each of the plurality of clock signals S1-S5. That is, the training data is individually sampled by the clock signals S1-S5 phase-shifted corresponding to each step.
When a phase of sampling clock signal is changed by a time interval corresponding to 1 bit data period, the memory controller detects a reception error by comparing the transmitted training data with the individually sampled data. In this case, when phase information of sampling clock signals corresponding to sampling data having an error occurrence is detected, a sampling clock signal having a relatively smallest skew occurrence can be extracted. For example, in FIG. 2, when sampling clock signals S1-S4, S12-S15 having a fail F are detected, sampling clock signals S5-S11 having a relatively low probability for error occurrence can be obtained. That is, in FIG. 2, a sampling clock signal S8 with reference number 22 is obtained as a sampling clock signal having a relatively smallest skew.
However, in the skew removal method using the training data described above with reference to FIG. 2, an operating time of training mode is relatively long as compared with the conventional CDR scheme described referring to FIG. 1. Thus, the performance in a normal operation of system becomes fall when the operation of system is performed too frequently. Furthermore, even though a skew is changed by a temperature or voltage change, data must be still sampled as sampling clock signal having a skew occurrence before the training operation is performed. That is, data reception error may be caused.
As described above, in the skew compensation scheme using the training data there is an advantage an area of circuit is relatively small at a data receiving side, but time taken in a skew removal operation is relatively long and operation stability is weakened due to a temperature and voltage change.
Accordingly, some embodiments of the invention provide a semiconductor device capable of realizing circuits of compact size and substantially reducing power consumption.
Some embodiments of the invention provide a data transmission/reception system capable of shortening time to remove or reduce a skew between data and a clock signal as compared with a conventional skew compensation scheme using training data. The system comprises a skew removal circuit for reducing a circuit overhead of a receiving side and relatively lessening time taken in a training operation.
Some embodiments of the invention provide a data transmission/reception system and a skew removal method capable of realizing circuits in a receiving side more simply and so reducing power consumption.
Some embodiments of the invention provide a skew removal circuit capable of reducing a circuit area of a receiving side without employing an oversampling scheme.
Some embodiments of the invention provide a skew removal circuit and a skew removal method thereof, capable of reducing a circuit overhead of a transmitting side even in employing an oversampling scheme.
Some embodiments of the invention provide a skew removal circuit of an oversampling scheme capable of shortening a skew removal operating time in a circuit of a transmitting side.
Some embodiments of the invention provide an improved skew removal circuit capable of producing increase/decrease information data for a removal of skew in a semiconductor memory device.
Some embodiments of the invention provide a skew removal circuit and a skew removal method thereof, capable of solving a dynamic skew problem that a skew between data and clock signal is frequently changed by a temperature or voltage change. The skew removal can be performed in real time in a normal operating section to access data.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a data transmission/reception system using a first clock signal and a second clock signal having a phase difference corresponding to a half of data bit period as compared with the first clock signal, comprises a skew information extracting unit for obtaining and outputting skew edge information data necessary for a skew removal by sampling data transmitted in a training operating mode as one of the first and second clock signals in a receiving side; and a timing control unit for receiving the skew edge information data through a transmitting side, and comparing its phase with the transmitted data and controlling a timing between transmission data and transmission sampling clock signal applied to a transmission output unit according to the phase comparison result.
In sampling the transmission data as the first clock signal, the transmission sampling clock signal of the transmitting side is traced to the second clock signal, and in sampling the transmission data as the second clock signal, the transmission sampling clock signal of the transmitting side is traced to the first clock signal.
When the first clock signal is an edge clock, the second clock signal is a data clock for a sampling of data.
The training operating mode may be performed when the transmitting side provides a command to the receiving side or may be automatically performed for a time interval that an access operation of data is not performed.
Further, when the skew information extracting unit is adapted in a semiconductor memory device, the timing control unit may be adapted in a memory controller.
In the configuration according to the embodiment of the invention, time taken in a training operation can be relatively reduced, and a circuit adapted in a receiving side can become relatively more simplified and power consumption can be reduced as compared with a conventional clock data recovery circuit. In addition, a dynamic skew problem that a skew between data and clock signal is frequently changed by a temperature or voltage change, can be solved by performing a skew removal for a refresh time period or performing a skew removal by applying a specific command.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a data transmission/reception system using a first clock signal and a second clock signal having a phase difference corresponding to a half of data bit period as compared with the first clock signal, comprises a skew removal circuit, the skew removal circuit including an increase/decrease information data extracting unit for obtaining increase/decrease information data necessary for a skew removal by individually sampling data transmitted in a training operating mode as the first and second clock signals in a receiving side and by comparing phases from its sampling result, and for outputting the data through a read request of the data; and a control unit for receiving the increase/decrease information data in a transmitting side, and controlling a phase of transmission sampling clock signal applied to a transmission output unit or controlling a timing of transmission data.
The transmission sampling clock signal of the transmitting side is traced to the second clock signal, and when the first clock signal is an edge clock, the second clock signal is a data clock for a sampling of data.
The training operating mode may be performed when the transmitting side provides a command to the receiving side or may be automatically performed for a time interval that an access operation of data is not performed. Further, when the increase/decrease information data extracting unit is adapted in a semiconductor memory device, the phase control unit may be adapted in a memory controller.
As described above, according to some embodiments of the invention, a circuit overhead of transmitting side can be lessened, and a skew removal operating time in a transmitting-side circuit can be shortened. Further, a skew removal is performed in a normal write operating mode or refresh time interval, or the skew removal is performed by using an applied specific command, thereby performing a skew removal operation in real time and furthermore solving a dynamic skew problem that a skew between data and clock signal is changed very often by a temperature or voltage change.

Circuit and method for removing skew in data transmitting/receiving system


An automated laboratory slide management and interpretation system and method in which slides are stained and then digitally imaged and the images are interpreted prior to referral to a diagnostician or placement in storage. The interpretation of the images involves the application of pattern recognition principles to compare the digitized images to known sample patterns from a variety of sources. Additionally, based on the results of the interpretation, the slide may undergo additional testing or staining, and additional samples may be prepared and tested. The specimens may be delivered to the diagnostician along with a tentative diagnosis.

In various settings, examination of biological specimens is required for diagnostic purposes. Generally speaking, pathologists and other diagnosticians collect and study samples from patients, and utilize microscopic examination, and other devices to assess the samples at cellular levels. Numerous steps typically are involved in pathology and other diagnostic process, including the collection of biological samples such a blood and tissue, processing the samples, preparation of microscope slides, staining, examination, re-testing or re-staining, collecting additional samples, re-examination of the samples, and ultimately the offering of diagnostic findings. Numerous medical or veterinary personnel may be involved in the diagnostic processes, including surgeons, phlebotomists or other operating personnel collecting samples, pathologist, histologists and other personnel processing, transporting and examining the samples and so on. The complexity of the tissue handling procedures from operating theatre to laboratory and back to diagnosticians or surgeons have become increasingly complex in large medical environments where high volumes of samples need to be handled, processed and examined on a daily basis.
Various steps of the tissue handling procedures have been automated using instruments each of which typically are controlled by a dedicated computer or an on-board computerized controller. In some laboratories, information can be shared between automated instruments and/or a networked laboratory or hospital information system, such as to store patient or tracking data. One example of an automated instrument is an automated tissue processing system in which biological samples are fixed and infiltrated with paraffin in an automated fashion. Such a tissue processing systems are the TISSUE-TEK® VIP™ and the TISSUE-TEK® XPRESS® processing systems available from Sakura Finetek U.S.A., Inc. of Torrance, Calif.
Another example of automation is an automated microscope slide coverslipper, which applies coverslips to microscope slides in an automated fashion. An example of such an automated coverslipper is the TISSUE-TEK® SCA™ coverslipper available from Sakura Finetek U.S.A., Inc. of Torrance, Calif. A further example of automation in laboratories is an automated microscope slide stainer, in which various stains, other reagents and washes are automatically applied to batches of microscope slides. An example of such an automated slide stainer is the TISSUE-TEK® DRS™ stainer system available from Sakura Finetek U.S.A., Inc. of Torrance, Calif.
Despite the assistance of automated instruments, pathologists, other diagnosticians and laboratory personnel typically must be involved in numerous steps during the processing and examination of biological samples. For example, once a sample has been stained, the sectioned stained sample on a microscope slide typically is physically examined under a microscope. This typically involves transport of the microscope slide to a diagnostician who is located outside the laboratory, or in other cases may involve a diagnostician going to the laboratory to examine the microscope slide. Following this initial examination step, the diagnostician evaluates whether additional testing is required. Such additional testing might involve collecting further samples from a patient, or further testing of samples already collected. For example, the diagnostician may require that the existing sample be sectioned further and a different staining regimen or other protocol be applied. This can result in iterations of one or more of collection, grossing, processing, infiltration, embedding, sectioning, coverslipping, staining, examination etc. All of this can result in time delays, as well as tissue impairment. Following the iterations of additional tests and procedures, the pathologist repeats the examination process, and may then request still further tests in an iterative fashion until an ultimate finding is reached. Even with automated instruments in these processes, there are numerous transport, and human interventions required.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method of biological specimen processing and examination that increases automation and accuracy involved in automation, reduces the amount of transport of processed specimens in the examination process, and reduces lag times, inconvenience and potential for degradation involved in iterative diagnostic and processing steps. Moreover there is a need for increased speed in these processes to enhance diagnosis and treatment.

Automated system of processing biological specimens and method


Replacing a source hypervisor by a target hypervisor in a system having a first level hypervisor managing multiple logical partitions to share a set of resources of a server. The source hypervisor enabling at least one source virtual machine to share resources that are assigned to a source logical partition of the multiple logical partitions where the source hypervisor runs, the target hypervisor enabling at least one target virtual machine to share resources that are assigned to a target logical partition of the multiple logical partitions where the target hypervisor runs, wherein memory segments of a physical memory of the server are assigned to the at least one source virtual machine.

One or more aspects of the invention relate to virtual environment systems, and more particularly to hypervisor replacement.
Computer virtualization becomes one of the more important technologies for different sized companies. It increases the computational efficiency and flexibility of a computing hardware platform.
Hypervisors play an increasingly critical role in IT infrastructures. Availability is a critical requirement for a virtualized environment. One of the challenges to overcome is hypervisor maintenance.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


In a zoom lens ZL1 having a plurality of lens groups G1 to G2 which are disposed in order from an object, where a refractive index average value of the lens components which constitute the zoom lens ZL1 is defined as ndav and a refractive index average value of the lens components which constitute the first lens group G1 which is disposed to closest to the object among the plurality of lens groups G1 to G2 is defined as ndGlav, the zoom lens ZL1 is constituted to satisfy the conditional expression ndav≧1.80 and to satisfy the conditional expression ndGlav≧1.85.

In recent years, portability has become important for optical apparatuses such as digital still cameras that comprise a solid-state image pickup apparatus and steps toward miniaturization of zoom lenses which are photographic lenses have been taken. In this regard, an example in which miniaturization of an entire optical system is performed by using glass with a high refractive index is also illustrated (See Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2001-318315, for example).

Zoom lens, optical apparatus, and method for forming an image of an object