The invention relates to the use of certain lactam derivatives corresponding to the formula I

This invention concerns the use of lactam derivatives as pharmaceutical compounds, new lactam derivatives as well as processes for their preparation.
Excessive formation of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-xcex1), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and xcex3-interferon (IFN-xcex3), are pivotal in the pathogenesis of the Graft-versus-Host-Syndrome, transplant rejection and other immunologically triggered diseases such as Morbus Behcet, aphthous stomatitis, erythema nodosum leprosum, Morbus Boeck, cutaneous lupus erythematodes and rheumatoid arthritis. Modulation of cytokine release, e. g. using cyclosporin A or glucocorticoids, is a therapeutical option in these pathological situations. The problem of therapy by immunosuppressants, however, is that blockade of the immune system entails opportunistic infections, e.g. by fungi or viruses. Therefore, compounds which only partly suppress cellular immune reactions promise improvements of therapy. At present, no satisfactory compounds are available for this purpose. Thus, there has remained a need for further immunomodulating substances.
Thalidomide has been used since the late 1960""s in the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum and several other disease entities such as Morbus Behcet, Lupus erythematodes, stomatitis aphthosa and Graft-versus-Host-Syndrome [The Lancet 1988, 117; N. Engl. J. Med. 326, 1055 (1992); Eur. J. Dermatol. 4, 9 (1994)]. During treatment with thalidomide there is no impairment of immunocompetence, and during all these years no association of thalidomide therapy with opportunistic infections has been reported. These findings correspond to experimental data where thalidomide, in contrast to typical immunosuppressants, does not reduce the release of cytokines TNF-xcex1, IL-2 and IFN-xcex3 below detection limits. Furthermore, and also in contrast to cyclosporin A and dexamethasone, thalidomide has not been reported to inhibit the proliferation of immunocompetent lymphocytes.
It has now been found that certain lactam derivatives have similar or superior activity compared to thalidomide in certain pharmacological models while not being teratogenic.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to the use of a lactam derivative of formula I
in which X is CH2, S or Se and R is a C1-6-alkyl or the benzyl group and wherein Z and Zxe2x80x2 are different and denote CH2 or CO or Z and Zxe2x80x2 are both CO, in racemic or optically active form as a pharmaceutical agent.
The lactam derivatives of formula I, in particular those lactam derivatives of formula I in which R is a C1-3-alkyl group, i.e. a methyl-, ethyl-, propyl- or isopropyl group, are broadly immunomodulatory, especially immunosuppressive. Therefore the lactam derivatives of formula I are preferably used as immunomodulatory and/or immunosuppressive therapeutic agents.
Furthermore, lactam derivatives of formula I are especially suitable to reduce neoangiogenesis. Neoangiogenesis, i.e. the pathological formation of new blood vessels, is an undesirable reaction associated with immunological diseases such as Morbus Crohn and infections with mycobacterium leprae [Int. J. Leprosy 9, 193 (1941)] and granulomatous diseases.
In order to treat diseases of the immune system, such as Graft-versus-Host-disease, graft rejection, Morbus Behcet, Lupus erythematodes, autoimmune consequences of chronic infections, Morbus Crohn or Kawasaki syndrome lactam derivatives of formula I may be administered orally, intravenously, intraperitoneally, intradermally or intramuscularly, intranasally as well as topically, e.g. in the case of infections of the skin, the mucous membranes or the eyes. The amount dispensed to patients varies according to the weight of these patients and the route of administration, the indication and the severity of disease. Usually 1 to 10 mg/kg of a lactam derivative of formula I are administered.
Examples of suitable preparations for oral administration include tablets, sugar-coated tablets, capsules, granulates, drops, syrups and suspensions, for parenteral, topical or inhalatory administration solutions, suspensions, easily reconstituted dry preparations as well as sprays. Lactam derivatives of formula I may also be administered cutaneously in a depot in soluble form or by a patch, if necessary with additives that enhance penetration through the skin. Orally or cutaneously administerable formulations of these lactam derivatives can have the property of prolonged or sustained release.
All the above-mentioned types of pharmaceutical preparations are known per se and, since the lactam compounds according to the invention are chemically stable, incorporating them into these formulations is within the skill of a skilled pharmaceutical chemist. In the preparation of pharmaceuticals the appropriate care must be taken when choosing excipients, e.g. vehicles, fillers, solvents, diluents, coloring agents, flavoring agents, binders and disintegrants, and, in particular when preparing parenterally administrable preparations stability and isotonicity of liquid formulations has to be ensured.
Further the present invention relates to hitherto unknown lactam derivatives of formula I
wherein X is CH2, S, or Se and R is a C1-6-alkyl- or the benzyl group, Z and Zxe2x80x2 are different and denote CH2 or CO, or Z and Zxe2x80x2 are both CO with the proviso, that X is not S, when Z is CO and Zxe2x80x2 is CH2, in racemic or in optically active form.
The compounds of formula I according to the invention show configurational stability. Compounds of formula I in which R is a methyl, ethyl, propyl or isopropyl group are preferred.
Depending on the meaning of the variable X, different methods have to be used to prepare the lactam derivatives of formula I. The subject matter of the invention therefore also includes several processes for preparing the lactam compounds according to the invention.
One aspect of the invention is a process for preparing a lactam derivative of formula I
wherein X is CH2 and R is a C1-6-alkyl group or the benzyl group, Z and Zxe2x80x2 are different and denote CH2 or CO, or Z and Zxe2x80x2 are both CO, characterized in that a compound of formula II
is reduced with zinc, lithium aluminum hydride or a complex borohydride at a temperature between +20xc2x0 C. and +100xc2x0 C.
Preferably the reaction is performed in a solvent. Suitable solvents include aliphatic carboxylic acids with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, for example formic acid, ethanoic acid, propanoic acid, butanoic acid, pentanoic acid, hexanoic acid, or mixtures of these acids, and/or aliphatic ethers, for example diethyl ether, diisopropyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, or mixtures of such ethers.
Examples of suitable complex borohydrides include the borane/tetrahydrofuran complex, lithium triethyl borohydride and lithium diisopropylamino borohydride.
Compounds of formula II can be obtained in a known manner by reaction of compounds of formula V
with phthalic anhydrides, followed by an oxidation reaction.
The invention also relates to a process for preparing a lactam derivative of formula I
wherein X is CH2 and R is a C1-6-alkyl group or the benzyl group, Z and Zxe2x80x2 are different and denote CH2 or CO, or Z and Zxe2x80x2 are both CO, characterized in that a compound of formula
is reacted with a basic compound and subsequently with a C1-6-alkyl halide or a benzyl halide.
The reaction of a compound of formula III, which compounds are accessible via a method described in Acta Pharmaceutica Suecica 9, 431 (1972), with a basic compound, for example methyllithium, butyllithium, 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyl disilazane, lithium diisopropylamide, or an alkali alcoholate, is preferably performed in anhydrous solvents, especially in aliphatic or cyclic ethers, for example diethyl ether, diisopropyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, and/or dioxane at a temperature between xe2x88x9278xc2x0 C. and 0xc2x0 C. The following alkylation with a C1-6-alkyl halide or a benzyl halide, especially with a C1-3-alkyl chloride, -bromide, or -iodide is preferably performed at temperatures between xe2x88x9230xc2x0 C. and +20xc2x0 C.
The invention additionally relates to a process for preparing a lactam derivative of formula I
wherein X is S or Se, and R is a C1-6-alkyl group or the benzyl group, Z and Zxe2x80x2 are different and denote CH2 or CO, or Z and Zxe2x80x2 are both CO, with the proviso, that X is not S, when Z is CO and Zxe2x80x2 is CH2, characterized in that a compound of formula IV
wherein Hal and Halxe2x80x2 have the same or different meanings and represent a chlorine or bromine atom, is reacted with a compound of formula V
in the presence of a base at a temperature between xe2x88x9220xc2x0 C. and +50xc2x0 C.
Preferably a compound of formula IV in which Hal and Halxe2x80x2 represent chlorine atoms is reacted in the presence of a solvent, for example N,N-dimethylformamide, and a base, for example triethylamine, pyridine and/or diisopropyl ethyl amine. Compounds of formula IV can be prepared by a process described in published European Patent Application Nos. EP 54,672 and EP 354,412.
Compounds of formula VI
are accessible via a process which is described in EP 54,672.

Lactam derivatives as immunomodulating agents

Abstract: as pharmaceutical compounds with immunomodulatory activity, to new lactam derivatives, and to processes for preparing these derivatives.


A control apparatus for an automotive vehicle having an automatic transmission and an engine capable of controlling a resistance to its rotary motion. The control apparatus is adapted to change an output torque of the engine temporarily during a shifting action of the automatic transmission. The control apparatus includes inertia-phase torque changing means for changing an inertia torque of the engine during the shifting action, by controlling the resistance of the rotary motion of the engine. This inertia-phase torque changing means may be adapted to change the inertia torque during a switching of an operating state of a lock-up clutch which is provided in a fluid-operated power transmitting device interposed between the automatic transmission and the engine.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a vehicle control apparatus adapted to control an engine during a shifting action of an automatic transmission which is arranged to receive an output of the engine, or during a switching of an operating state of a lock-up clutch provided in a fluid-operated transmitting device interposed between the engine and the automatic transmission. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with techniques for controlling a torque transmitted to the automatic transmission during the shifting action of the automatic transmission or during the switching of the operating state of the lock-up clutch.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
There is known a vehicle control apparatus for an automotive vehicle having an automatic transmission and an engine capable of controlling or changing its rotational speed thereof by itself. The control apparatus is adapted to temporarily reduce an output torque of the engine during a shifting action of the automatic transmission which receives the output torque from the engine, for the purpose of reducing a shifting shock of the automatic transmission. That is, during a shift-up action of the automatic transmission, the output torque of the engine is reduced temporarily in an inertia phase. During a shift-down action of the automatic transmission, the output torque of the engine is reduced temporarily upon completion of the shift-down action of the automatic transmission. An example of such a control apparatus is disclosed in JP-A-2001-182820 (publication of unexamined Japanese Patent Application laid open in 2001). Another example of the control apparatus is disclosed in JP-A-H11-36909 (publication of unexamined Japanese Patent Application laid open in 1999), wherein the output torque of the engine is temporarily reduced in the process of the shift-up action by retarding an ignition timing of the engine as shown in FIG. 14 of the publication.
However, in the conventional control apparatuses, the shifting shock of the transmission is not necessarily reduced to a sufficiently small degree, due to restrictions or limitations in an amount of the reduction of the engine output torque and also in the timing at which the output torque is to be reduced. For example, where the output torque is intended to be temporarily reduced by retarding of an ignition timing of the engine, the ignition timing can not be retarded by such a large extent that would overload a catalytic converter of the vehicle. Thus, such a restriction or limitation makes it impossible to sufficiently reduce the engine output torque and the shifting shock.

Vehicle control apparatus having means for changing inertia torque of engine during shifting action or during switching of operating state of lock-up clutch


Embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatus and methods to provide power to a communications unit. In one embodiment of the present invention, a system includes a first communications network to engage in communications with the communications unit and a second communications network to provide power to the communications unit.

The marketplace has seen a proliferation of subscribers to wireless communications services. Subscribers turn to such services for a myriad of reasons. Among those reasons are the services being offered in connection with what are referred to as Personal Communications Service (PCS) communications (e.g., Interim Standard 136 (IS-136) compliant communications), which can include voice and data messaging capabilities. Furthermore, the subscriber to a wireless service typically has a choice of service providers in the area of interest. In contrast to land-line telephone communication networks where typically one local service provider is assigned to a given region, there may be three or four service providers within a given region of interest depending on how many service providers have been allocated in accordance with frequency band allocations. Thus, it is becoming more and more desirable to have those advantages of wireless communication available at the home on a fixed basis in addition to providing wireless communication capabilities of a mobile nature.
A problem arises in connection with providing power to the fixed wireless transceiver. In one configuration the power would be derived from local power sources such as a power (e.g., electric) utility via connection of a converter to a standard 60 Hz, 110 volt electrical outlet. This powering capability, however, is vulnerable to power outages. As a consequence, should the utility suffer some power failure of any prolonged duration, the wireless transceiver, even if it can operate in the short term on battery power, will eventually become inoperative due to an absence of a power supply.
It is known in the prior art as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,138 to Heald et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,514 to Snyder, U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,711 to Shimanuki, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,200 to Hestad et al. to derive power for a communication instrument from a land-line connection to a central office. FIG. 1A shows an illustration of a known method of providing power to a communications device. A subscriber premises 10 can include a land-line telephone 15 connected via land-line 20 to central office 30. The land-line 20 can provide both a communication path and power for land-line telephone 15. For example, the land-line 20 can include a set of communications wires 22 that can carry communications signals (e.g., voice signals) to and from land-line telephone 15. Land-line 20 can also include a set of power wires 21 that can provide power to the land-line telephone 15. One intent of providing the power for the land-line telephone 15 from the central office 30 was to support operations of the land-line telephone 15 such as dialing capabilities, power for the internal circuitry of the phone, power to ring the telephone, etc. The power that has been supplied by the central office, as indicated in the above cited patents, has also come to be used to provide power to other communication elements which interface with the land-line 20 to provide communications over the land-line. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,138, the system provides power to a base station unit that carries communications to the land-line phone from a computer. The other patents show examples of other communication equipment powered by the land-line over which the communication occurs. However, in each of those configurations, the communication device engages in communications over the same land-line that provides power to the communications device.
FIG. 1B shows a known subscriber premises including communications appliances. As illustrated in FIG. 1B, it has become common for a single location, such as a subscriber premises (e.g., a residence, a business premises, etc), to include many other communication appliances in addition to wireless communications devices. These additional communications appliances typically connect to disparate networks which support varied communications and can be powered by different methods and means. For example, a subscriber premises 10 can include one or more communication appliances such as a television 110, a personal computer 120, a telephone 130, a telephone handset 75, etc. Each of these communication devices can interface to an external network. For example, television 110 can be in communication with a satellite broadcast system (e.g., a Direct Broadcast System (DBS)) via a satellite dish 193 and satellite 190. Television 110 can also be in communication with a wireless cable system and/or a broadcast television antenna 113 that receives over-the-air television signals. Television 110 can also be in communication with a cable head end 155 of a cable network 150 via cable 151 coupled to cable television interface unit 152 located at the subscriber premises 10. As used to describe embodiments of the present invention, the term coupled encompasses a direct connection and an indirect connection, and the term communication encompasses a direct communication and an indirect communication. Cable television interface unit 152 is typically powered by a connection of a power converter to a standard 60 Hz, 110 volt electrical outlet. The cable television interface unit 152 can be, for example, a set top box associated with the cable network 150.
Personal computer (PC) 120 can be coupled to a telecommunications network such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN) 160 via a local exchange carrier (LEC) 165 and a telephone interface unit 122. Telephone interface unit 122 typically receives power from at least one of land-line 20 from LEC 165, a connection of a power converter to a standard 60 Hz, 110 volt electrical outlet (e.g., a modem drawing power from a power supply of PC 120 coupled to an electrical outlet), etc. The PC 120 can be connected to a data network such as an Internet protocol (IP) network 170 by an Internet service provider (ISP) 175 coupled to the LEC 165.
Telephone unit 130 can be coupled to the telephone interface unit 122 for a connection to the PSTN 160 and can receive power from land-line 20 to LEC 165. Handset 75 can be part of a fixed wireless system. In a fixed wireless system, a fixed wireless base station 72 (e.g., a receiver/transmitter including a wireless interface unit, etc.) can communication with a handset 75. The fixed wireless base station 72 can communicate via antennae 73 and wireless base station 183 with a wireless switch 180 (e.g., at a wireless switching center). The fixed wireless communications can be via over-the-air transmissions with wireless base station 183 assigned to the area in which the subscriber premises 10 are located. A fixed wireless system can be deemed to be a "fixed" wireless system in that a transceiver (e.g., fixed wireless base station 72) for over-the-air communications are not mobile, but rather stationary and associated with a given subscriber premises. A fixed wireless system, however, can include a portable component such as handset 75 in communication with a fixed wireless base station 72 at a given subscriber premises 10. A known fixed wireless bases station typically draws power from a connection of a power converter to a standard 60 Hz, 110 volt electrical outlet, and either engages in communications over the same land-line that provides power to the communications appliance or is susceptible to power utility power outages.
In view of the foregoing, it can be appreciated that a substantial need exists for methods and apparatus which can advantageously provide a more reliable source of power to a communications device to avoid a disruption of service in the event of power outages.

Method and system for providing power to a communications device


A gaseous component treatment sheet of the present invention has a gas-permeable base film and a particulate remover for removing a predetermined gaseous component, and the particulate remover is dispersed in the base film. A protective layer and/or an adhesive layer can be laminated further on the base film. Since the gaseous component treatment sheet is a sheet-like member including the base film for holding the particulate remover, the size and the shape can be adjusted easily.

Conventionally, displays and light emitting elements used in mobile equipment or the like include EL elements (electroluminescent elements) as illuminants. However, such an EL element has a disadvantage, that is, the initial light emitting performance in light emission luminance, light-emission uniformity or the like deteriorates considerably due to the use at a high temperature or aging. This deterioration in the light-emitting performance is caused by a dark spot within the EL element. The dark spot is a portion not emitting light, and it is formed due to moisture adsorbed on the surface of the constituents or the materials, and also due to water vapor, oxygen and organic vapor entering from exterior.
Regarding a hard disk for a computer, the disk drive head will be damaged due to the internal fine particles and the disk surface will be soiled by the organic vapor.
The above-mentioned problems can be solved by the use of an adsorptive member that is manufactured by encapsulating an adsorbent for adsorbing organic vapors or the like in a porous container. For example, JP 11(1999)-57377 A describes in FIG. 6 an adsorbent-encapsulating porous vessel that holds an adsorbent 52 in a vessel formed by sealing the peripheral parts of a pair of polytetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter, referred to as 'PTFE') porous films 51.
For corresponding to miniaturization of mobile equipment and the trend for automated attachment of adsorptive members, the EL element and adsorptive members to be incorporated in the EL element are preferably adjustable in size and shape. However, since the above-described conventional adsorptive members are shaped as vessels, the sizes and shapes have been under a certain restriction. The restriction causes difficulty in adjustment of the sizes and shapes of the EL elements.

Sheet for treating gaseous ingredient and electroluminescent element employing the same


Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for transferring ownership privileges. In one aspect, a method includes identifying an ownership privilege in a system that permits users to acquire a write lock on one or more resources in a plurality of resources. The ownership privilege for a first plurality of users located in a first geographic region is revoked based at least partly on a determination that a current time of day in a different, second geographic region satisfies a criteria. The ownership privilege is granted to a different second plurality of users located in the second geographic location responsive to the determination.

This specification relates to digital data processing and, in particular, to document management systems.
Data management systems store and control access to resources such as files and other types of data. Distributed data management systems provide access to resources for users in remote locations. Users can access files through a network such as the Internet. Files may be stored on a remote server, or they may be replicated at various times to other servers throughout the network.


A submergible motor having a universal motor base facilitates replacement of an internal filter while in the field. The submergible motor is designed for use in production wells and includes a generally tubular housing with a shaft lying generally along the axis of the tubular housing. The housing includes a mounting structure to which a universal motor base may be selectively attached and removed. Within the universal motor base is a filter assembly attached by threaded fasteners to permit easy removal of the filter for servicing or replacement.

Submergible motors are used in a variety of applications where power must be provided in a fluid environment. For example, submergible motors are used in submergible pumping systems utilized in pumping oil and/or other useful fluids from producing wells. In this application, the submergible motor, along with the rest of the submergible pumping system, is inserted into a wellbore and lowered until submerged in the desired oil and/or other fluids. The desired fluids collect in the wellbore and are raised to a point above the earth's surface via the submergible pumping system powered by the submergible motor.
A typical submergible motor, used to pump production fluids from beneath the earth's surface, has an outer housing substantially sealed from the production fluid environment and sized to fit within standard wellbore casings. An exemplary submergible motor is a three-phase induction-type motor having a shaft rotatably mounted within the housing such that it is in general alignment with the axis of the wellbore when residing in the wellbore.
Because of the environments in which such submergible motors are used and the often substantial thrust exerted by these motors, a liquid lubricant, such as mineral oil, is circulated internally. The internal lubricant serves to lubricate the bearings in which the shaft is mounted. It also assists in conducting motor generated heat to the motor housing, and ultimately, to the production fluids in which the motor is submerged.
The lubricating fluid often is contained in a reservoir at the base of the motor, from where it is pumped to the bearings and other components requiring lubrication. In a typical system, the shaft has an axial bore exposed to the fluid in the reservoir as well as cross-drilled bores at each of the bearings and other components requiring lubrication. As the shaft spins, a pumping action is established that moves the liquid lubricant up the axial bore and through the transverse openings to the components requiring lubrication. A filter is disposed either above the reservoir or in the reservoir and interrupts the path of lubricant flow to filter grit or other particles that may cause abrasion and wear if permitted to contact the bearings or other lubricated components.
In existing submergible motors, the filter is not serviceable in the field. Periodically, the submergible motor, along with the rest of the submergible pumping system, must be removed from the well for servicing. The submergible motor is disconnected from the remainder of the submergible pumping system and shipped back to the factory or a servicing location. The motor is then disassembled so that the filter can be cleaned or replaced. Disassembly of conventional motors, sometimes requires the breaking or removal of weldments, making servicing of the filter difficult in a field environment. Of course, the cost and delay associated with shipping motors to a servicing center are undesirable.
It would be advantageous to have a submergible motor that could be disassembled and reassembled in the field, at least to the extent permitting removal and replacement of the internal filter.

Field replaceable motor oil filter for a submergible motor


A still image signal output apparatus connected to at least one still image filing apparatus is comprised of a first memory for storing a data signal representative of a transmission sequence of the still image signal, a second memory having at least a pair of frame memories each for storing one frame of the still image signal in accordance with the data signal, a third memory for storing a plurality of frames of the still image signal in accordance with the data signal, a processor circuit for controlling a supply of the still image signal stored in the third memory to the second memory and the still image signal stored in the still image filing apparatus to the third memory in accordance with the data signal when a still image signal stored in the second memory is output therefrom.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to still image signal output apparatus and, more particularly to a still image signal output apparatus utilized in broadcast stations or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
The assignee of the present application has previously proposed a still image filing apparatus suitable for producing television programs in the broadcast stations, for example (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2-285863 or the like). However, according to this previously-proposed still image filing apparatus, when a magnetooptical disk, for example, is utilized as a record medium, the access to the still image stored takes a lot of time while the magnetooptical disk has a considerably large storage capacity and can store a large number of still images. For example, when a video signal is recorded in the form of a component digital signal, for example, the access for one still image needs several seconds (e.g., about 2.0 seconds). As a result, the transmission of the still image is limited by this access time and cannot be carried out in an interval shorter than this access time. If one still image filing apparatus is simultaneously accessed by a plurality of users, then the access time is extended more.

Apparatus for transmitting still images retrieved from a still image filling apparatus


A method of resizing an image having a plurality of data unit blocks is disclosed. Each data unit block is a pixel matrix. The method includes the steps of generating column pseudo-pixel matrix corresponding to a data unit block, decimating/interpolating the data unit block in column direction to generate a scaled column-pixel matrix, filtering the scaled column-pixel matrix and the column pseudo-pixel matrix to generate a filtered column-pixel matrix, storing the filtered column-pixel matrix in a first buffer, generating a row pseudo-pixel matrix corresponding to the filtered column-pixel matrix stored in the first buffer, decimating/interpolating each the filtered column-pixel matrix to generate a scaled row-pixel matrix, and filtering the scaled row-pixel matrix and the row pseudo-pixel matrix to generate a resized row-pixel matrix.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing of digital images, more particularly to a method and apparatus for scaling a digital image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital signal processing of digital images is well known in the art. In digital image processing system, scaling or resizing an image is an important function. A conventional flat display provides various resolutions such as 640 pixels by 480 pixels, 800 pixels by 600 pixels, 1024 pixels by 768 pixels, 1280 pixels by 1024 pixels, while the amount of pixels is adjustable. Different scaling methods cause different clarity and contrast of image output. In traditional duplication and removal method, duplicating a pixel based on required scale produces an addition of pixels with identical intensity. However, by using such method, a saw edge of an image is shown as the image is enlarged by non-integrate times (e.g. 1.33 times) or a much higher enlargement, while a distortion of the image occurs as the image is shrunk. By contrast, another method using linear interpolation by which an addition of pixels is produced depending on location and intensity of adjacent pixels has a better image quality without an obvious saw edge of the scaled image. Such prior art methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,704,463, and references cited from S. Ramachandran, S. Srinivasan, "Design and FPGA Implementation of a Video Scalar with on-chip reduced memory utilization," dsd, p. 206, Euromicro Symposium on Digital Systems Design (DSD '03), 2003, and A. Ramaswamy, Y. Nijim, "Polyphase Implementation of a Video Scalar", Signals, Systems and Computers, Asilomar conference, Monterey, Calif., USA, pp. 1691-1694, Vol. 2, 1997, which hereby incorporated by reference. This invention presents a novel scheme to scale the image with filtering method in data unit block (DUB) and removing the opaque area generated during the filtering process.

Method and apparatus of removing opaque area as rescaling an image


A system for providing DC power on local telephone lines, such as telephone lines in a building or office, for powering devices and circuitry associated with communications over those telephone lines, as well as other functions. Desired voltage and power levels are supplied over local telephone lines by separating the DC power component from the central office or private branch exchange with a DC blocking filter while passing all AC telephony signals. A distinct DC power is then imposed over the telephone line for powering both the telephony service as well as other loads. Conventional telephone off-hook detection is simulated for compatibility with the central office or private branch exchange. The functions required may be integrated, partially or fully within a telephone outlet.

Conventional analog telephony (also known as "Plain Old Telephone Service", or "POTS") is based on a central office (CO) or private branch exchange (PBX) connected to telephone sets using a wire pair known as a 'subscriber loop'. In most cases, the telephone set side of the wiring in a building is terminated using telephone outlets, into which the telephone sets are connected. The PBX/CO provides a low-voltage (usually around 48 VDC) low-power direct current in order to detect a telephone off-hook/on-hook condition of a telephone connected to that line. In a conventional analog telephone, lifting the handset off the cradle (off-hook condition), closes a switch that places a resistive load across the line, causing a direct current to flow in the subscriber loop. This current is detected at the PBX/CO to signal the telephone off-hook condition, and also for legacy 'Pulse Dialing' switching systems. Although originally intended only for detecting the telephone off-hook condition and Pulse Dialing, this DC power has also been widely used to provide low-voltage electrical power for other purposes, such as electronic circuitry used in telephonic devices and related apparatus associated with use of the telephone lines for communication and data transmission.
For purposes of this invention, any facility providing a local telephone line to one or more telephones is considered to be functionally equivalent to a Private Branch Exchange (PBX), a Central Office (CO), or similar system, and is herein denoted by the term "PBX/CO".
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a basic in-house PBX/CO-to-telephone connection arrangement 10. A PBX/CO 11 has a 2-wire telephone line local or subscriber loop constituted by wiring 14 to which telephone sets 13a and 13b are connected via respective 2-wire connecting lines. A "telephone set" includes, but is not limited to, telephones, fax machines, dial up modems, and any other telephonic devices. In most cases, the telephone sets connect to the telephone wiring by means of telephone outlets 12a and 12b, respectively.
While wiring 14 in a premises is normally based on a serial or "daisy-chained" topology, wherein the wiring is connected from one outlet to the next in a linear manner; other topologies such as star, tree, or any arbitrary topology may also be used. Regardless of the topology, however, the telephone wiring system within a residence always uses wired media: two or four copper wires terminating in one or more outlets that provide direct access to these wires for connecting to telephone sets.
The term "telephone outlet" herein denotes an electromechanical device that facilitates easy, rapid connection and disconnection of external devices to and from telephone wiring installed within a building. A telephone outlet commonly has a fixed connection to the wiring, and permits the easy connection of external devices as desired, commonly by means of an integrated connector in a faceplate. The outlet is normally mechanically attached to, or mounted in, a wall. A "telephone outlet", as used herein, can also be a device composed of a part that has a fixed connection to the wiring and is mechanically attached to, or mounted in, a wall, and a part that is removably mechanically attached and electrically connected to the first-mentioned part, i.e. a device in which the first part is which is a jack or connector used for both electrical connection and mechanical attachment. The term "wall" herein denotes any interior or exterior surface of a building, including, but not limited to, ceilings and floors, in addition to vertical walls.
It would be desirable to have the possibility of carrying power over active telephone lines in addition to the telephone signals. This would, among other things, obviate the need to install additional cabling in installations wherein telephone wiring already exists. For example, power carried over a telephone line may be used to power repeaters, as well as any other mediation devices throughout the telephone wiring, multi-features telephone sets, and other telephony related and non-telephony devices. The powering is usually required when the connected telephones are off-hook and on-hook.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,160 to Dichter and U.S. patent application Publication 2002/0003873 to Rabenko et al. disclose carrying AC power over active telephone wiring, using frequency domain multiplexing (FDM) in order to avoid interference with the telephony signals, as well as other signals carried over the telephone wiring. This approach to supplying power has drawbacks due to the radiation limitation imposed on non-shielded telephone wiring, for example by the FCC. Furthermore, such implementation requires very complex and expensive filtering circuits.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,157,716 to Ortel discloses a technique for carrying DC power over active telephone lines. Based on a diode and on the impedances exhibited in the various on- and off-hook states, DC current can be imposed and extracted using the telephone lines. Using DC powering reduces the radiation and filtering problems associated with the AC powering. However, the technique disclosed by Ortel allows only for a very limited amount of power to be carried over the telephone wiring.
A general prior art system 20 is shown in FIG. 2 and differs from system 10 by including a Power Supply Coupler (PSC) 21, which is supplied with power from power supply 22 and couples that power onto active telephone wiring 14. Power supply 22 is powered from the utility AC mains via a standard plug 25. A load Coupler 23 extracts the power from the telephone line and feeds a load 24. In such a system, power supply 22 feeds load 24 using the active telephone wiring 14, with the goal of minimum interference to the telephone signals carried simultaneously over the wiring 14.
It would be highly advantageous to have a system for providing increased amounts of DC power to power remote devices via active telephone lines, such as those served by a PBX/CO in a building or within an office. This goal is met by the present invention.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for providing DC power on local telephone lines


A safety device for protecting a head of a user including two rods fixed on top of the vehicle, two slides slidably engaged on each of the rods, a cap coupled to the slides for engagement on the head of the user, and springs engaged on the rods and biased and engaged with the slides in order to absorb shocks transmitted to the head of the user.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a safety device for a vehicle, and more particularly to a safety device for protecting the head of the driver.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
A typical safety device for automobiles is shown in FIG. 5 and includes an air bag 90 formed above the steering wheel 92 when the automobile strikes on something or car accident happens. However, the air bag can be used one time only, if the air bag is filled with air inadvertently, the user can not restore the air bag by himself, it may cost a lot of money to restore the air bag.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantage of the conventional safety devices for vehicles.

Safety device for protecting the head of a driver


In a method for dynamically highlighting repetitive text in electronic documents, obtaining one or more user preferences related to a user reading an electronic document. The method further includes determining whether the electronic document contains one or more repetitive text associations, wherein a repetitive text association is data that provides one or more indications of repetitive text segments interspersed within a document. In response to determining that the electronic document contains one or more repetitive text associations, the method further includes identifying one or more repetitive text segments in the electronic document corresponding to the one or more repetitive text associations and determining a time duration expended by the user reading an instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments within the electronic document. The method further includes highlighting the identified one or more repetitive text segments within the electronic document based one or more obtained user preferences.

The present invention relates generally to the field of software, and more particularly to document applications on computerized devices.
Reading electronic documents has become as ubiquitous as electronic devices themselves. As computer technology evolves and more printed content becomes available in electronic formats, more people are reading documents obtained from the Internet, and publishers are offering an increased number of electronic documents. In addition, as the cost of producing CD's, DVD's, and e-publishing has dropped, and the ease of use and the availability of smaller, mobile electronic devices has increased, people's reading habits have changed. Users that once only had access to the Internet through desktop and laptop computers can now access electronic documents via smartphones, tablet computers, wearable devices, and dedicated e-Book readers. Touch screens and gyroscopic sensors on tablet computers, smartphones, and other electronic device have reduced or virtually eliminated the need for a discreet mouse and keyboard. Gaze tracking and voice recognition capabilities can convert many of these electronic device to hands-free use. E-Book readers themselves have transformed from black & white or monochrome screen book replacements to full-color, multimedia electronic devices capable of supporting computer applications as well as displaying e-Books and other electronic documents.
From a publishers perspective, documents that are expensive to produce, limited to niche markets, or suffered from the content becoming quickly outdated, such as textbooks and training manuals, are prime candidates for being supplied as electronic documents. Users of electronic devices expect rapid responses to their needs as well as a high level of convenience. Different users may have differing reading styles. One user chooses to skim an electronic document quickly, jumping around looking for items of interest. Another user chooses to read systematically, devoting more time to locate information used in differing contexts. Electronic documents, electronic document readers, and electronic document presentation software provide the user a variety of capabilities and improved collaboration tools.

Dynamic highlighting of repetitions in electronic documents

International Business Machines Corporation


An assembly for safely supporting an occupant in a vehicle such as, but not limited to, a watercraft and including a seat assembly and a support frame. A connector assembly is disposed and structured to movably interconnect the seat assembly to said support frame along a first rotational axis. A mount assembly is connected to the vehicle and includes an attachment assembly disposed and structured to movably interconnect the support frame to the mount assembly along a second rotational axis. The support frame and the connector assembly associated therewith as well as the mount assembly and the attachment assembly associated therewith are cooperatively disposed and structured to orient said first and second rotational axes in substantially perpendicular relation to one another, such that the seat assembly will be able to move in a substantially gimbal-like fashion relative to the movement of the vehicle while traveling.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a safety seat assembly designed primarily, but not exclusively, for use on a watercraft. A support frame supports and movably connects the seat assembly about a first rotational axis and an attachment assembly movably connects the support frame, about a second rotational axis, to a mount assembly secured to the vehicle, wherein the first and second rotational axes are disposed in substantially perpendicular relation to one another.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of safety seats, particularly including child seats is universally recognized as an important and even necessary accessory for protecting children and infants traveling in motor vehicles. Moreover, the use of some type of supporting seat assembly for children is mandated by either state or local regulations. As such, relatively sophisticated structural advancements have been made in the design and operative features of child safety seats in an effort to better protect a child occupant against trauma in emergency situations. In addition, such advancements are also directed to the use of lightweight, high strength materials which not only serve to protect an infant but facilitate the installation and removal of the safety seat from an intended location within a motor vehicle.
In spite of the various improvements found in modern day, commercially available child safety seats, the basic function thereof is to at least partially enclose and thereby protect the occupant against forcible trauma. In addition a common goal of such devices is to retain the child within the vehicle, typically through the use of various types of restraining harness and like devices. However, even in light of the widespread use and availability of child safety seats, they are not normally designed and structured to maintain the child in a predetermined orientation during unusual or extreme movements of the vehicle during travel, except of course when the vehicle is involved in a collision. By way of example, when an automobile or like motor vehicle is involved in a sharp turn at relatively high speeds, the safety seat and child occupant is subjected to relatively strong lateral forces which tend to displace the occupant from an intended comfortable and protected position. Similar forces are exerted on the seat structure and child occupant during deceleration as well as unusual acceleration of the vehicle. During such relatively extreme movements of the vehicle, conventional safety seats do not normally adapt to the tendency of the seat and occupant to be displaced from a preferred, normally intended orientation.
Another category of vehicles for which known or conventional child safety seats are generally considered to be unsatisfactory is marine craft. More specifically, it is of course known to include various floatation devices on pleasure boats as well as other watercraft. As such, floatation devices are available which are specifically designed for infants and small children. However, there is a general lack of product development in the area of child safety seats or occupant supporting structures specifically intended to protect a child on a marine craft, which are also capable of maintaining an occupant in an above surface, floating position in an emergency situation.
It is acknowledged that safety seats or like supporting structures incorporating some type of floatation assembly are known. However, such devices typically lack sufficient structural versatility to include the operative features of absorbing shock in emergency situations while maintaining the child occupant in a preferred orientation during unusual movements of the watercraft, such as during harsh weather conditions, high speed turns or other unusual maneuvers. Of course it is well recognized that relatively small boats encounter numerous conditions while traveling which exert lateral or swaying forces on the watercraft. Such forces are transferred to the occupants, requiring the use of restraint devices or necessitating that the occupants brace themselves. Obviously, small children and infants normally would not have the strength or the foresight to assume a restraining position or take other protective measures during unusual maneuvering or other conditions which would effect the swaying, tilting, etc. of the boat.
Therefore there is a need in the area of child safety for a seat or other occupant support structure capable of protecting an occupant, regardless of age, against forcible trauma, while simultaneously maintaining the occupant in a preferred, substantially upright position normally assumed by an occupant when traveling in a vehicle. In addition such a device should be specifically, but not exclusively, adaptable for use on a marine craft so as to protect a child occupant against drowning during emergency conditions.


An adjustment-free cushioning air cylinder includes an air cylinder body, a piston, a first check valve, an upper air way, a second check valve and a lower air way. An air chamber is formed inside the air cylinder body. The piston slides in the air chamber. One end of the piston extends to the external of the air cylinder body. The piston does a reciprocating movement in the air chamber and divides the air chamber into an upper air chamber and a lower air chamber. The first check valve is disposed in the piston, one end of the first check valve is connected to the upper air chamber, and the other end is connected to the lower air chamber. The upper air way connects the upper air chamber with the outside. The adjustment-free cushioning air cylinder of the invention does not need to adjust the entering flow rate of the air, but the entering flow rate can be automatically adjusted to produce cushioning resistance as the user is walking according to the walking speed. The present invention has a simple structure, high cushioning performance, lower cost, and is not easy to damage, thus can greatly improve the product competitiveness.

The air cylinder is a structure which controls air pressure by using the piston's stretch out and draw back and has characteristics of accepting accumulation of pressures and automatically returning after removing external forces due to the compressibility of air pressure. Thus, it is applicable in a lot of living goods such as trunk of the car, automatic door closer, and sports equipment, and apparently an extremely broad range of applications in the market.
The air cylinder is also applied to prosthesis joint and used as medical device providing cushioning function as an alternative of joint. In the common design of the prosthesis joint, the functional purpose is realized mainly by filling the cylinder with air having a predetermined pressure and then cooperating with the operation of the piston rod.
The air needs to be filled and adjusted to reach particular pressure value before the assembly, while after a period of use, the air pressure in the air cylinder body will be gradually leaked, which further leads to lack of air resistance and the defect that the cushioning effect is reduced.
On the other hand, in order to guide the circulation of the internal air, the air cylinder requires additional air flow channel structure, which increases the production complexity and the weight of air cylinder.
In conclusion, the traditional cushioning air cylinder seals the air in the inner of the cylinder body to circulate, which usually requires complex mechanism to reduce the leaking speed of the air; however the defect of air leakage under long-term use has not been overcome yet, the users still have to endure the trouble of repairing and readjustment, and are unable to feel substantial convenience and adequacy.


Systems and methods for transitioning a torque source between speed control and torque control modes during a vehicle creep mode are disclosed. In one example, torque of an electric machine is adjusted in response to a torque converter model. The torque converter model provides for a locked or unlocked torque converter clutch.

A hybrid vehicle may include an engine and an electric machine to provide torque to propel the vehicle. The electric machine may operate more smoothly at low speeds as compared to the engine. Therefore, it may be desirable to operate the hybrid vehicle in an electric only mode where the electric machine is the sole torque source when the vehicle is operated at low speeds. One operating mode where vehicle speed is low is creep mode. Creep mode may be a mode where driver demand torque is zero or a small torque less than a threshold torque, vehicle speed is less than a threshold speed, and vehicle brakes are not applied. During creep mode, a torque source (e.g., an engine and/or an electric machine) may supply a small amount of torque to allow the vehicle to creep at a slow speed (e.g., less than 8 KPH) or to hold the vehicle stationary on a small positive incline. It may be desirable to transition the torque source between speed control mode and torque control mode while the vehicle is in creep mode based on vehicle operating conditions. However, if torque from the torque source is not supplied smoothly in the transition from speed control mode to torque control mode, a driver may experience undesirable vehicle motion while the vehicle is creeping. Consequently, the driver may not experience smooth vehicle motion during creep.
The inventors herein have recognized the above-mentioned disadvantages and have developed a driveline method, comprising: adjusting torque of a torque source in response to a virtual torque converter impeller speed when a torque converter clutch is locked.
By adjusting torque output of a torque source in response to a virtual torque converter impeller speed, it may be possible to provide the technical result of improving transitions of the torque source from speed control mode to torque control mode during a vehicle creep mode. For example, an electric machine may be a torque source for a hybrid vehicle. The electric machine may be operated in a speed control mode while a vehicle is in a creep mode and while a torque converter clutch of a torque converter receiving torque from the electric machine is in an open state. The electric machine may be transitioned from the speed control mode to a torque control mode when the torque converter clutch is locked during the vehicle creep mode to improve driveline efficiency. Electric machine torque may be adjusted during the transition based on a virtual torque converter impeller speed. The virtual torque converter impeller speed is an input into a torque converter model that outputs torque converter impeller torque. The electric machine torque is adjusted to maintain the torque converter impeller torque so that driveline torque disturbances may be reduced.
The present description may provide several advantages. Specifically, the approach may improve driveline speed control mode to torque control mode transitions. Further, the approach may provide for reduced driveline torque disturbances. Further still, the approach may reduce degradation of driveline components.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Methods and system for transitioning between control modes while creeping


A downhole perforating device includes: a perforating gun having incorporated therein at least two shape charges; an elongated detonating cord incorporated with the perforating gun and extending along a length of the perforating gun, the detonating cord including: a flexible jacket surrounding an explosive; and a communication medium extending within or attached onto the flexible jacket layer.

A hydrocarbon well is typically lined by a well casing. The well casing is normally made of metal and is essentially impervious to well fluids. Thus, in order to harvest hydrocarbons, holes are created in the casing to allow well fluids to flow from a formation into the inside of the casing. Normally, the holes are created by detonating shape charges thereby propelling a mass though the well casing and into the surrounding formation. The holes in the well casing and the formation encourage flow of well fluid.
A perforating gun is used to perforate the casing and the formation. A perforating gun typically has a number of shape charges. The shape charges can be held in place by a sleeve that is located within an outer tube. Plural perforating guns can be connected in a string to create a perforating gun string.
The present application discusses some embodiments that address a number of issues associated therewith.


A blinder for sight-aimed devices comprising one or more thin leaves of fiber-reinforced polymer, optionally within a fabric envelope.

Unwanted visual input disrupts aiming of any sight-aimed targeted device. In a preferred embodiment of the current invention, the sight-aimed device may be a target rifle, especially a biathlon target rifle. Therefore the person aiming the targeted device may herein be referred to as a shooter. Shooters who are highly skilled, especially competitive shooters, often employ some kind of visual aid to block or reduce unwanted visual input. Such an aiming aid is commonly called a blinder, an eye blinder, or an aiming blinder. All three aforementioned terms will be used interchangeably herein to refer to a device that blocks unnecessary or unwanted visual input for someone aiming a sight-aimed device.
Aiming blinders are especially helpful in competitions where optical magnifying sights are disallowed, and outdoors where bright sky and sun can make sighting difficult.
Aiming blinders present problems because they need to be vertically and horizontally large compared to the dimensions of a firearm and its sight, while also being in the correct locations relative to the shooter's eyes. Aiming blinders are frequently used to diminish or block out the image formed by the non-sighting eye, which is not aligned with the sighting axis but forms a competing and parallax-shifted image in the brain.
Blinders are also often used to block out or diminish direct sunlight, regions of bright sky or clouds, bright snow, distractions, and sometimes wind, rain and snow. Heads are usually much wider than firearms, which otherwise are held close to the body, so blinders are frequently the widest part of a firearm. Additionally, human field of view is broad, and targets often subtend a small portion of that field of view, so blinders often must have substantial vertical size to block unhelpful or bright light from above or below.
Seeing requires assembling a visual image in the brain and interpreting it, and although people do it without conscious effort, seeing is a skill. Highly skilled shooters have preferences and abilities and operate in a wide range of conditions. Although some shooters learn a skill that enables them to suppress the image formed by the non-sighting eye, most shooters need some form of blinder for the non-sighting eye. But because of such variations, as well as variations in conditions, different shapes of blinders are used for different shooters under differing conditions. An aiming blinder that blocks some input to both eyes while allowing the sighting eye to see through a hole or slot is referred to herein as a two sided blinder or full blinder. A blinder that substantially reduces visual input to the left eye, while allowing most input to the right eye, is referred to herein as a left blinder or left eye blinder. A blinder that substantially reduces visual input to the right eye, while allowing most input to the left eye, is referred to herein as a right blinder or right eye blinder. The illustrations and figures make the variations clear, but all such shapes which block or diminish some visual input are to be considered blinders.
A lateral protrusion of such size is a major problem for carrying and storage, especially in cases such as the sport of biathlon. Biathletes carry their rifles on their backs for many kilometers, all the while crushing blinders between a heavy rifle and an athlete's back. Therefore necessary characteristics for a biathlon blinder are robustness and extreme flexibility so that the blinder neither disintegrates nor injures the athlete's back. For the same reasons, the need to be fairly large but robust and flexible, biathlon blinders are usually heavy, commonly being made of thick neoprene rubber. Since biathlon is a timed event and all equipment must be carried up and down substantial hills and then held steady while shooting, heavy blinders are undesirable. Additionally, resumption of design shape when shooting is important, especially in a timed event.
Prior art for biathlon blinders consists of membranes formed of elastomer, usually neoprene rubber, thereby providing adequate robustness and flexibility. Important drawbacks to conventional blinders stem from the characteristics of elastomers: their flexibility comes at the expense of strength and stiffness. Therefore blinders made from elastomer are heavy, and don't retain their shape without adding a substantial amount of material, which makes them even heavier. Some prior art uses malleable metal strips fastened to an elastomer membrane as a means to address shape retention, but the malleable nature of the strips causes them to be deformed while the rifle is being carried, therefore requiring time spent on manual readjustment at each shooting station. Metal strips that are elastic instead of malleable have proved unsuitable, being either too stiff while being carried or else failing under extreme bending.
For the reasons outlined above, current biathlon blinders are heavy, clumsy, and don't retain their shape well.
The current invention addresses the aforementioned problems by use of a radical change in materials. Across almost all materials, stiffness and strength are positively correlated, while elongation is inversely correlated. Rubber has low strength but high elongation and nearly zero stiffness, or elastic modulus, and is therefore highly flexible. But beam theory posits a different approach to achieving high flexibility while maintaining tear strength: use very high strength, rather than low strength materials, but in extremely thin sections. Tearing strength grows or decays linearly with section thickness, while stiffness rises or decays as the cube of section thickness. Therefore a material 10 times stronger and 10 times stiffer but one fifth the thickness will form a sheet with twice the tearing strength but more flexible by a factor of 125/10. This is the approach developed in the current invention.


A device for governing the idling rpm of an internal combustion engine which prevents a leakage. A closing element is axially and radially displaceable by a second spring and maintained to be angularly movable on the valve element and/or the regulator housing. Frustoconical surfaces are advantageously embodied on the closing element, the regulator housing and the valve element, so that the closing element can be centered on the conical seats. The springs are disposed parallel to each other, and the closing element is acted upon by a spring force in the closing direction and the valve element is acted upon by a spring force in the opening direction. The device is particularly suited for governing the idling rpm of a mixture-compressing, spark-ignition internal combustion engine by means of controlling the quantity of aspirated air flowing in a flow line to the engine.

The invention is based on a device for governing the idling rpm of an internal combustion engine as defined hereinafter. A device of this type is already known (European Patent 0 153 962 B1), in which an undesired leakage flow can occur due to manufacturing or assembly misalignments in flow lines, the closing element and valve element.
In addition, in the known device, the springs that act upon the closing element and the valve element are disposed such that their spring forces are partially mutually compensating, because of which the regulating properties of the device are negatively affected. A particular disadvantage in this case is that the closing position of the valve element and the opening position of the closing element coincide, which counteracts a stable closed state of the device, particularly during vibration excitation. To assure a stable closed state of the closing element, a spring force as large as possible that acts on the closing element is required, the effect of which is that, on the other hand, a correspondingly strong spring force is necessary to open the valve element, because of the driving capacity necessary for operating the device increases.

Device for governing the idling rpm of an integral combustion engine


A method for measuring motion of a user, which is adapted to apply to output signals proportional to rotation and translational motion of the carrier, respectively from angular rate sensors and acceleration sensors, is more suitable for emerging MEMS angular rate and acceleration sensors. Compared with a conventional IMU, said processing method utilizes a feedforward open-loop signal processing scheme to obtain highly accurate motion measurements by means of signal digitizing, temperature control, sensor error and misalignment calibrations, attitude updating, and damping control loops, and dramatically shrinks said size of mechanical and electronic hardware and power consumption, meanwhile, obtains highly accurate motion measurements.

1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates to a method for measuring motion of a user, and more particularly to a method for a inertial measurement unit process for measuring motion of a vehicle, wherein output signals of an angular rate producer and acceleration producer, including an angular rate device array and an acceleration device array, or an angular rate and acceleration simulator, are processed to obtain highly accurate attitude and heading measurements of a carrier under dynamic environments, and thermal control processing steps are incorporated to stabilize and optimize the performance of motion measurements.
2. Description of Related Arts
Generally, conventional methods for determining the motion of a carrier are to employ inertial angular rate devices and acceleration devices, such as gyros and accelerometers, radio positioning systems, and hybrid systems.
In principle, inertial motion measurement methods depend on three orthogonally mounted inertial rate sensors and three orthogonally mounted accelerometers to obtain three-axis rate and acceleration measurement signals. The three orthogonally mounted inertial rate sensors and three orthogonally mounted accelerometers with additional supporting mechanical structure and electronics devices are conventionally called an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). The existing IMUs may be cataloged into Platform IMU and Strapdown IMU.
In the Platform IMU, rate sensor and accelerometers are installed on a stabilized platform. Attitude measurements can be directly picked off from the platform structure. But attitude rate measurements can not be directly obtained from the platform. Moreover, there are highly accurate feedback controlling loops associated with the platform.
Compared with the platform IMU, in the strapdown IMU, rate sensors and accelerometers are directly fixed in the carrier and move with the carrier. The output signals of strapdown rate sensors and accelerometers are expressed in the carrier body frame. The attitude and attitude rate measurements can be obtained by means of a series of computations.
Conventional inertial rate sensors include Floated Integrating Gyros (FIG), Dynamically Tuned Gyros (DTG), Ring Laser Gyros (RLG), Fiber-Optic Gyros (FOG), Electrostatic Gyros (ESG), Josephson Junction Gyros (JJG), Hemisperical Resonating Gyros (HRG), etc.
Conventional accelerometer includes Pulsed Integrating Pendulous Accelerometer (PIPA), Pendulous Integrating Gyro Accelerometer (PIGA), etc.
The processing methods in conventional IMUs vary with types of gyros and accelerometers used in the IMUs. Because conventional gyros and accelerometers have big size, large power consumption, and moving mass, complex feedback controlling loops are required to obtain stable motion measurements. For example, dynamic-tuned gyros and accelerometers need force-rebalance loops to create a moving mass idle position. There are often pulse modulation force-rebalance circuits associated with dynamic-tuned gyros and accelerometer based IMUs.
New horizons are opening up for inertial sensor device technologies. MEMS (MicroElectronicMechanicalSystem) inertial sensors offer tremendous cost, size, reliability improvements for guidance, navigation, and control systems, compared with conventional inertial sensors. It is well-known that the silicon revolution began over three decades ago, with the introduction of the first integrated circuit. The integrated circuit has changed virtually every aspect of our lives. The hallmark of the integrated circuit industry over the past three decades has been the exponential increase in the number of transistors incorporated onto a single piece of silicon. This rapid advance in the number of transistors per chip leads to integrated circuits with continuously increasing capability and performance. As time has progressed, large, expensive, complex systems have been replaced by small high performance, inexpensive integrated circuits. While the growth in the functionality of microelectronic circuits has been truly phenomenal, for the most part, this growth has been limited to the processing power of the chip.
MEMS, or, as stated more simply. micromachines, are considered the next logical step in the silicon revolution. It is believed that this coming step will be different, and more important than simply packing more transistors onto silicon. The hallmark of the next thirty years of the silicon revolution will be the incorporation of new types of functionality onto the chip structures, which will enable the chip to, not only think, but to sense, act, and communicate as well.
Prolific MEMS angular rate sensor approaches have been developed to meet the need for inexpensive yet reliable angular rate sensors in fields ranging from automotive to consumer electronics. Single input axis MEMS angular rate sensors are based on either translational resonance, such as tuning forks, or structural mode resonance, such as vibrating rings. Moreover, Dual Input Axis MEMS Angular Rate Sensors may be based on angular resonance of a rotating rigid rotor suspended by torsional springs. The inherent symmetry of the circular design allows angular rate measurement about two axes simultaneously. Preferred MEMS angular rate sensors are mostly based on an electronically-driven tuning fork method. Such MEMS gyros operate in accordance with the dynamic theory (Coriolis Effect) that when an angular rate is applied to a translating body, a Coriolis force is generated. When this angular rate is applied, the axis of an oscillating tuning fork, its tines receive a Coriolis force, which then produces torsional forces about the sensor axis. These forces are proportional to the applied angular rate, which then can be measured capacitively, as shown in FIG. 16.
MEMS devices can be fabricated by bulk micromachining (chemical etching) single crystal silicon or by surface micromachining layers of ploysilicon. Surface micromachined devices are typically a few microns to 10 microns thick while bulk machining produces devices 100 to 500 microns thick. Angular rate sensors created with surface machining have very low masses and are presently not sensitive enough for military applications but are useful for automotive applications. Bulk machining produces devices with far greater mass but it is a much more expensive technology. Allied Signal produces bulk machined inertial sensors. The advantage of surface machining is the low cost and the ease of incorporating the electronics close to the sensor.
FIG. 17 depicts the basis of the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory design based on an electronically-driven tuning fork method. The MEMS angular rate sensor measures angular rate voltage signals by picking-off a signal generated by an electromechanical oscillating mass as it deviates from its plane of oscillation under the Coriolis force effect when submitted to a rotation about an axis perpendicular to the plane of oscillation. Two vibrating proof masses are attached by springs to each other and to the surrounding stationary material. The vibrating (dither) proof masses are driven in opposite directions by electrostatic comb drive motors to maintain lateral in-plane oscillation. The dither motion is in the plane of the wafer. When an angular rate is applied to the MEMS device about the input axis (which is in the plane of the tines), the proof masses are caused to oscillate out of plane by a Coriolis force due to Coriolis effect. The resulting out-of-plane up and down oscillation motion amplitude, proportional to the input angular rate, is detected and measured by capacitive pickoff plates underneath the proof masses. The device can either be designed for closed loop or open loop operation. Running the device closed loop adds more complexity but less cross coupling and better linearity. The comb drives move the masses out of phase with respect to each other. The masses will then respond in opposite directions to the Corilois force.
Several MEMS accelerometers incorporate piezoresistive bridges such as those used in early micromechnical pressure gauges. More accurate accelerometers are the force rebalance type that uses closed-loop capacitive sensing and electrostatic forcing. Draper""s micromechnical accelerometer is a typical example, where the accelerometer is a monolithic silicon structure consisting of a torsional pendulum with capacitive readout and electrostatic torquer. Analog Device""s MEMS accelerometer has interdigitated ploysilicon capacitive structure fabricated with on-chip BiMOS process to include a precision voltage reference, local oscillators, amplifiers, demodulators, force rebalance loop and self-test functions.
Analog Device""s MEMS accelerometer is a combination of springs, masses, motion sensing and actuation cells. It consists of a variable differential air capacitor whose plates are etched into the suspended polysilicon layer. The moving plate of the capacitor is formed by a large number of xe2x80x9cfingersxe2x80x9d extending from the xe2x80x9cbeamxe2x80x9d, a proof mass supported by tethers anchored to the substrate. Tethers provide the mechanical spring constant that forces the proof mass to return to its original position when at rest or at constant velocity, as shown in FIG. 18, which shows a micromachined sensor unit. The fixed plates of the capacitor are formed by a number of matching pairs of fixed fingers positioned on either side of the moving fingers attached to the beam, and anchored to the substrate.
When responding to an applied acceleration or under gravity, the proof mass"" inertia causes it to move along a predetermined axis, relative to the rest of the chip, as shown in FIG. 19. As the fingers extending from the beam move between the fixed fingers, capacitance change is being sensed and used to measure the amplitude of the force that led to the displacement of the beam.
To sense the change in capacitance between the fixed and moving plates, two 2 MHz square wave signals of equal amplitude, but 180xc2x0 out of phase from each other, are applied to the fingers forming the fixed plates of the capacitor. At rest, the space between each one of the fixed plates and the moving plate is equidistant, and both signals are coupled to the movable plate where they subtract from each other resulting in a waveform of zero amplitude.
As soon as the chip experiences acceleration, the distance between one of the fixed plates and the movable plate increases while the distance between the other fixed plate and the movable plate decreases, resulting in capacitance imbalance. More of one of the two square wave signals gets coupled into the moving plate than the other, and the resulting signal at the output of the movable plate is a square wave signal whose amplitude is proportional to the magnitude of the acceleration, and whose phase is indicative of the direction of the acceleration.
The signal is then fed into a buffer amplifier and further into a phase-sensitive demodulator (synchronized on the same oscillator that generates the 1 MHz square wave excitation signals), which acts as a full wave-rectifier and low pass filter (with the use of an external capacitor). The output is a low frequency signal (dc to 1 kHz bandwidth), whose amplitude and polarity are proportional to acceleration and direction respectively. The synchronous demodulator drives a preamplifier whose output is made available to the user.
FIG. 20 shows the silhouette of the sensor structure used in Analog Device""s MEMS accelerometer, ADXL 50. The microscopic sensor structure is surrounded by signal conditioning circuitry on the same chip. The sensor has numerous fingers along each side of the movable center member; they constitute the center plates of a parallel set of differential capacitors. Pairs of fixed fingers attached to the substrate interleave with the beam fingers to form the outer capacitor plates. The beam is supported by tethers, which serve as mechanical springs. The voltage on the moving plates is read via the electrically conductive tether anchors that support the beam.
A main objective of the present invention is to provide a method of measuring motion, which successfully incorporates the MEMS technology with the IMU industry.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method of measuring motion which is adapted to be applied to output signals of rate sensors and acceleration sensors, which are proportional to rotation and translational motion of the carrier, respectively. The method of present invention is more suitable for emerging MEMS (MicroElectronicMechanicalSystem) rate and acceleration sensors. Compared with a conventional IMU, the present invention utilizes a feedforward open-loop signal processing scheme to obtain highly accurate motion measurements by means of signal digitizing, temperature control and compensation, sensor error and misalignment calibrations, attitude updating, and damping controlling loops, and dramatically shrinks the size of mechanical and electronic hardware and power consumption, meanwhile, obtains highly accurate motion measurements.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method of measuring motion for outputting voltage signals of an angular rate producer and an acceleration producer, such as an angular rate device array and acceleration device array, or an angular rate and acceleration simulator, are processed to obtain digital highly accurate digital angular increment and velocity increment measurements of the carrier, and are further processed to obtain highly accurate attitude and heading measurements of the carrier under dynamic environments.
Although the present invention can be applicable to existing angular rate devices and acceleration devices, the present invention is specifically suitable for emerging MEMS angular rate devices and acceleration devices assembled into a core micro IMU, wherein the core micro IMU has the following unique features:
(1) Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) Capable Core Sensor Module.
(2) Miniaturized (Length/Width/Height) and Light Weight.
(3) High Performance and Low Cost.
(4) Low Power Dissipation.
(5) Dramatic Improvement In Reliability (microelectromechanical systemsxe2x80x94MEMS).
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method of measuring motion, which enables the core micro IMU rendering into an integrated micro land navigator that has the following unique features:
(1) Miniature, light weight, low power, low cost.
(2) AHRS, odometer, integrated GPS chipset and flux valve.
(3) Integration filter for sensor data fusion and zero velocity updating.
(4) Typical applications: automobiles, railway vehicles, miniature land vehicles, robots, unmanned ground vehicles, personal navigators, and military land vehicles.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method of measuring motion, which enables the core micro IMU to function as aircraft inertial avionics, which has the following unique features:
(1) Rate Gyro
(2) Vertical Gyro
(3) Directional Gyro
(4) AHRS
(5) IMU
(6) Inertial Navigation System
(7) Fully-Coupled GPS/MEMS IMU Integrated System
(8) Fully-Coupled GPS/IMU/Radar Altimeter Integrated System
(9) Universal vehicle navigation and control box.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method of measuring motion, which enables the core micro IMU to function as a Spaceborne MEMS IMU Attitude Determination System and a Spaceborne Fully-Coupled GPS/MEMS IMU Integrated system for orbit determination, attitude control, payload pointing, and formation flight, that have the following unique features:
(1) Shock resistant and vibration tolerant
(2) High anti-jamming
(3) High dynamic performance
(4) Broad operating range of temperatures
(5) High resolution
(6) Compact, low power and light weight unit
(7) Flexible hardware and software architecture
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method of measuring motion which enables the core micro IMU to form a marine INS with embedded GPS, which has the following unique features:
(1) Micro MEMS IMU AHRS with Embedded GPS
(2) Built-in CDU (Control Display Unit)
(3) Optional DGPS (Differential GPS)
(4) Flexible Hardware and Software System Architecture
(5) Low Cost. Light Weight. High Reliability
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method of measuring motion which enables the core micro IMU to be used in a micro pointing and stabilization mechanism that has the following unique features:
(1) Micro MEMS IMU AHRS utilized for platform stabilization.
(2) MEMS IMU integrated with the electrical and mechanical design of the pointing and stabilization mechanism.
(3) Vehicle motion, vibration, and other interference rejected by a stabilized platform.
(4) Variable pointing angle for tracker implementations.
(5) Typical applications: miniature antenna pointing and tracking control, laser beam pointing for optical communications, telescopic pointing for imaging, airborne laser pointing control for targeting, vehicle control and guidance.