The present invention concerns an insulating roof support assembly for a roof structure comprising a plurality roof elongated rafters spaced apart in a predetermined distance with insulation boards therebetween, wherein elongated mineral wool fiber insulation elements are provided on the top of each of the elongated roof rafters and elongated wooden elements on top of said insulation elements with at least one impermeable membrane between at least two neighbouring insulation elements sandwiched between the wooden elements and the insulation elements.

It is known to provide an insulating roof support assembly for a roof structure comprising a plurality roof elongated rafters spaced apart in a predetermined distance with insulation boards there between. On top of this roof support assembly, the roof tiles or other types of roof cover is mounted.
It is also known to provide solutions for the new-build but as well for the refurbishment sector in order to deal with the constantly increasing requirements being specified in respect to thermal insulation respectively energy savings. Just by way of example reference is made to FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrating common solutions to deal with said increased demands. FIG. 1 showing a rafter extension as it would be required in order to improve existing buildings, i.e. for refurbishment; simply to increase the height of the existing rafters and hence the space to accommodate additional insulation; whereas FIG. 2 illustrates an on-rafter insulation system which actually would serve for both purposes, the new-build as well as for the refurbishment segment. Such systems have also earlier been described in e.g. EP0852275, DE19922592, or EP2354363.
In WO2009/153232 there is disclosed an insulating building system for an external building structure, such as a wall or a roof, or an internal building structure of the above-mentioned kind. This building assembly comprises a top and a bottom profile with a plurality of joining profiles between the top and bottom frame profiles. The joining profiles have a first and second side surfaces which are abutted by the contact sides of adjacent insulating panels on each side of said joining profiles, wherein the profile contact sides of the insulation panels are provided with a shape matching the profile side surfaces of the joining profiles such that the insulation panels are retained between two profiles. The insulation panels thereby support the joining profiles and provide stability and strength to the wall structure and prevent the joining profiles from buckling.
However, these known building assembly systems are often complex, not easy to install on a roof and furthermore, there are increasing demands for extra thermal insulation in roof constructions in order to provide a comprehensive thermal building insulation.

Insulating roof support assembly, a method of installing such roof support assembly and an insulating roof construction


The present disclosure is directed to systems, methods and devices for assisting with testing automated industrial process routines. The addition of a software automation object to a test execution user interface may be received. The software automation object may be added to the test execution user interface from a software object library comprising a plurality of software objects. Each of the software automation objects may include an automated control device layer, a human machine interface layer, and a testing layer. A request to initiate an operational test of the software automation object in the test execution user interface may be received. Upon receiving the request, the operational test may be executed, and test results for the operational test of the automation software object may be displayed on the test execution user interface.

Industrial automation processes generally include a number of routines performed by automation hardware that has been integrated to perform those routines. The hardware may include pumps, valves, tanks, sensors, and belts, among other components. Automation processes, and the routines that they include, have typically been designed and put together by engineers with little or no computer science background. However, as software has become increasingly integrated in the industrial automation industry, there has been a rise in the number of engineers with computer science backgrounds that have become part of the design team for industrial automation processes. The industrial automation industry lacks software that bridges the gap between the typical design engineer with little or no computer science background, and the engineers with a background in computer science that expect certain system building and testing functionality from automation routine design applications.
It is with respect to this general technical environment that aspects of the present technology disclosed herein have been contemplated. Furthermore, although a general environment has been discussed, it should be understood that the examples described herein should not be limited to the general environment identified in the background.

Automated industrial process testing via cross-domain object types


A rotary microactuator that includes a stationary structure formed on a substrate and a movable structure attached to the stationary structure by a flexure. The stationary structure has at least one branch, with each branch of the stationary structure having at least one electrode finger. The movable structure has at least one branch and a center of rotation about which the movable structure rotates. Each branch of the movable structure has at least one electrode finger. Each branch of the movable structure is separated from an adjacent branch of the stationary structure by a minimum-required distance along the branch of the movable structure. The minimum-required distance is based on an electrostatic attractive force generated between the branch of the movable structure and a branch of the stationary structure that is adjacent to the branch of the movable structure and is located in a direction from the branch of the movable structure that is opposite to a direction that the branch of the movable structure is driven. Additionally, the minimum-required distance is based on a minimum length of the fingers of a branch of the movable structure and of a branch of the stationary structure that is necessary for producing a position-independent electrostatic force. Each finger is attached to a branch of the movable structure at a proximal end of the finger at an angle that is substantially perpendicular to a straight line between the proximal end of the finger and the center of rotation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of disk drives. More particularly, the present invention relates to a microactuator for fine positioning a read/write head of a disk drive and a method for making the microactuator.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a high RPM disk drive 10 having a two-stage, or piggy-back, servo system for positioning a magnetic read/write head (or a recording slider) over a selected track on a magnetic disk 11. The two-stage servo system includes a voice-coil motor (VCM) 13 for coarse positioning a read/write head suspension 12 and a microactuator, or micropositioner, for fine positioning the read/write head over the selected track. FIG. 2 shows an enlarged exploded view of the read/write head end of suspension 11. An electrostatic rotary microactuator 14 is attached to a gimbal structure 15 on suspension 11, and a slider 16 is attached to the microactuator. A read/write head 17 is fabricated as part of slider 16.
While a disk drive having a two-stage servo system can achieve a very high track density in a cost-effective manner, certain issues must be resolved so that such a two-stage servo system is practical for high volume production. For example, when a piggy-backed microactuator is used for fine positioning a read/write head (or a recording slider), the wires connected to the recording head (or the recording slider) act as springs that oppose the forces generated by the microactuator, thus varying the microactuator frequency response. The variations caused by the wires are non-reproducible from microactuator device to microactuator device. Further, conventional wiring attachment techniques restrict bonding pads associated with a microactuator to be at certain locations, while simultaneously restricting the microactuator to have certain dimensions. Further still, conventional wiring attachment techniques add undesirable mechanical stresses to a microactuator structure during the wire attachment process.
Large electric fields extend between the stationary and movable electrodes and when the electrodes are exposed, and the strong fields generated during operation make dust more likely to collect on the electrodes possibly causing short-circuit failure and/or jamming of the moving structure of the microactuator. Moreover, when high-frequency signals are applied to exposed electrodes, such as in a sensing circuit, cross-talk interference and EMI to near-by circuits are potentially generated.
When a flexure-type microactuator is used to fine position a read/write head (or a recording slider), the microactuator experiences forces along a vertical direction that is normal to the rotational plane of the microactuator. The forces can be large enough to exceed the flexure strength of the microactuator, resulting in permanent deformation or breakage of the flexure. For example, a negative air-bearing force, which forces the recording slider away from the microactuator substrate during unloading, can be greater than 10 g. The recording slider is also exposed to horizontal forces caused by contact friction and air drag, although these particular forces are relatively minor in comparison to the vertical forces experienced by a microactuator. Further, the recording slider may hit asperities on the surface of the disk that causes the slider to rotate around suspension pivot points. All of the slider motions may apply repetitive stresses to the microactuator flexure.
Additionally, it is important for the microactuator to be area-efficient so that the area and mass of the microactuator are minimized. The costs associated with fabricating a microactuator are typically directly proportional to the area of the microactuator, so the smaller the area, the less expensive the microactuator will be. The mass of the microactuator, which is attached to the tip of the suspension, has large effect on the dynamics of the coarse actuator (VCM). Consequently, minimizing the mass of a microactuator favorably impacts the dynamics required of the coarse actuator.
There are two desirable design constraints for designing the comb-electrodes and the beams of a microactuator for producing an area-efficient microactuator. The comb-electrodes are the part of the microactuator structure that produces the electrostatic driving force. The electrodes, also referred to as fingers, are attached to the beams, or electrode branches, that are fixed to both the stationary part and the movable part of a microactuator. For the first design constraint, the longitudinal axis of each finger is preferably oriented at the base of the finger where it attached to a branch to be perpendicular to an imaginary line that connects the base of the finger to the center of the rotation of the microactuator. By so doing, the electrostatic force produced between the electrodes generates a pure torque. For the second design constraint, each electrode branch of the stationary part of a microactuator must be separated from each adjacent branch of the stationary part of the microactuator by a minimum distance along the length of the branches. Similarly, each electrode branch of the movable part of a microactuator must be separated from each adjacent branch of the stationary part by a minimum distance along the length of the branches.
Conventional microactuator designs using a "radial" or a "spoke-like" branch arrangement satisfy the first design constraint. FIG. 3 shows a conventional arrangement 30 of a flexure-type rotary microactuator having stationary branches 31 and movable branches 33. Fingers 32 and 34 are attached to branches 31 and 33, respectively, so that a longitudinal axis of each finger is oriented perpendicularly to an imaginary line that connects the base of the finger to the center of rotation 35. Nevertheless, the separation distance between branches 31 and 33 increases with increasing distance from the center of rotation of the microactuator, resulting in a relatively low area-efficiency.
To make a two-stage servo system for a high-RPM, high-track density disk drive practical for high volume production, what is needed is a wiring technique that provides a precisely-defined spring stiffness and allows contact pads to be placed at any convenient location on a magnetic recording slider. Further, what is needed is a way to shield the electrodes so that dust is not likely to collect on the electrodes and cross-talk interference and EMI to near-by circuits is minimized. Further still, what is needed is a limiter design that confines the stresses applied to a microactuator to low levels, thus avoiding any deformation of a microactuator flexure. Lastly, what is needed is a rotary microactuator having an area-efficient design.

Rotary electrostatic microactuator with area-efficient comb electrode arrangement

International Business Machines Corporation


A method of attaching a solder element to a contact and the contact assembly formed thereby. The contact assembly is used in a connector. The solder element is either staked or stapled to the contact. The solder element can take a variety of shapes and disclosed herein is a tear-drop shape, a “wolf's head” shape and a circular shape. An over-stress feature is also provided for when the contact assembly is mounted to a printed wiring board.

In prior art methods of assembling a ball grid array, a solder ball is fused to the end of a contact. The solder balls can be difficult to assemble with the contacts as they are loose. In addition, the assembly of the solder ball is fragile (balls may fall off). Furthermore, the co-planarity of the ball grid array with the conductive pads on the printed wiring board can be difficult to maintain because each ball sits on top of the solder paste on the conductive pad of the printed wiring board and the solder ball can interfere with the co-planarity of the contact field between the contact and the conductive pad. Additionally, when the solder ball is melted to form a solder joint between the contact and the conductive pad, a bulge may form. This bulge in the solder joint can cause shorts between adjacent contacts.
The present invention provides a contact assembly which overcomes these problems and which presents additional advantages will become apparent upon a reading of the attached disclosure in combination with a study of the drawings.

Method of attaching a solder element to contact and the contact assembly formed thereby


One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for launching work on a processor. The method includes the steps of initializing a first state object within a memory region accessible to a program executing on the processor, populating the first state object with data associated with a first workload that is generated by the program, and triggering the processing of the first workload on the processor according to the data within the first state object.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to processor architectures and, more specifically, an application program interface (API) for launching work on a processor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional computer systems, the processing power of a central processing unit (CPU) may be augmented by a co-processor, such as a GPU. GPUs are specialized processors that are configured to efficiently perform graphics processing operations or other operations that would otherwise be performed by the CPU. Some conventional computer systems are configured with a hybrid graphics system that includes, for example, an integrated GPU (iGPU) disposed on the motherboard along with the CPU and a discrete GPU (dGPU) located on an add-in card that is connected to the motherboard via a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCI Express or PCIe) expansion bus and slot.
Typically, in such systems, work on the co-processor can only be launched by the CPU. Such a limitation can result in several inefficiencies. For example, if the co-processor is to execute a series of related tasks, where task B is dependent on the execution of task A, then the CPU will first launch task A on the GPU, wait until task A completes, and then launch task B. In such a scenario, because the CPU has to wait until the GPU indicates that task A has completed and then initiate the execution of task B, many clock cycles are wasted, thus reducing the overall performance of the system.
As the foregoing illustrates, what is needed in the art is an approach for launching work on a processor in a more efficient manner.


The ink jet printer is provided which eliminates play between a carriage supporting an ink jet head and a guide shaft, allows the ink jet head to be releasably attached to the carriage, and provides reliable electrical connection between the ink jet head and the carriage with a reduced number of parts. An embodiment of the ink jet printer of the invention includes a guide shaft extending in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which paper is forwarded. A carriage is slidably mounted on the shaft, moving in reciprocal directions while being guided by the guide shaft. An ink jet head, releasably attached to the carriage, prints ink dots on the paper for forming a printed image by jetting ink out of nozzles. A first electrically connecting portion is arranged on the carriage. A second electrically connecting portion is arranged on the ink jet head so as to come in pressure contact with the first electrically connecting portion. A biasing member provides a pressing force between the first electrically connecting portion and the second electrically connecting portion.

The invention relates generally to an ink jet printer, and, in particular, to the structure of a carriage having an ink jet printing head (hereinafter referred to simply as the "head") of the ink jet printer attached thereto. More specifically, the invention is directed to a new carriage structure for preventing play between the carriage and hence the head, and a guide shaft of the carriage; a new carriage structure which also allows for connecting the head to the carriage in a manner where it may be easily released and reattached to the carriage.
As is known in the prior art, and in particular, as is depicted in FIGS. 20 and 21, a conventional ink jet printer generally includes: a guide shaft 1101 extending in a direction orthogonal to a direction Y in which paper P is forwarded; a carriage 1102 mounted on guide shaft 1101 for reciprocal motion along guide shaft 1101 as indicated by arrow X1-X2 while guided by guide shaft 1101. An ink jet head 1103 is attached to carriage 1102 and prints ink drops on paper P by jetting ink. A number of nozzles n are formed on the surface 1103a of head 1103 facing paper P. Ink is selectively jetted out of nozzles n to make predetermined printed ink dots forming a printed image.
Carriage 1102 is slidable along guide shaft 1101. Therefore, a slight clearance is generally provided between guide shaft 1101 and the bearing portion of carriage 1102. As a result, unless made to a precise measurement, carriage 1102 may, in some cases, rotate (play) about an axis orthogonal to the plane of paper P, or in other words, with respect to guide shaft 1101, in the direction indicated by arrows T1 and T2. For example, carriage 1102 may, in some cases, slightly rotate in the direction of arrow T1 when moving in the direction of arrow X1 and slightly rotate in the direction of arrow T2 when moving in the direction of arrow X2.
When carriage 1102 rotates (plays) when moving in both directions this way, head 1103 also rotates, and the position of nozzles n are thus, also slightly displaced from a position parallel with guide shaft 1101. As a result, an inherent problem with this system is that the printing quality diminishes due to this misalignment. As shown in FIG. 20 in particular, in the case where head 1103 has a plurality (three in FIG. 22) of nozzle arrays N1, N2, N3 arranged side by side in the direction parallel with guide shaft 1101, also known as the carriage moving direction, the diminishment of printing quality may be aggravated. That is, when head 1103 is rotated in the direction of either arrows T1 or T2, the amount of displacement of nozzles n in the direction Y is larger in nozzle arrays N1 and N3 because they are offset further from the axis of rotation than nozzle array N2 in the middle and closest to the axis of rotation.
An additional problem which may arise if carriage 1102 plays in the direction of either of arrows T1 or T2 when moving in the directions of arrows X1-X2, respectively, is that the printing noise may be increased by such play. To overcome these problems, play between carriage 1102 and guide shaft 1101 should be reduced or eliminated.
As shown in FIGS. 23-27, a printer known from Examined Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho. 62-52717 includes a structure in which a carriage 1108 is supported by a guide shaft 1104 so that play between carriage 1108 and guide shaft 1104 is reduced. Carriage 1108 is mounted to ball bearings 1105a, 1105b and 1105c. Ball bearings 1105a, 1105b, 1105c come in contact with guide shaft 1104 at a lower surface and obliquely at upper surfaces. A slide bearing 1107 comes in contact with a flat portion 1104a of guide shaft 1104 while biased onto guide shaft 1104 by a flat spring 1106.
Further, as shown in FIG. 26, it is known from Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 2-188283 to mount a carriage 1109 about a guide shaft 1110. In this case, a magnet 1111 is mounted on carriage 1109. Play of carriage 109 with respect to guide shaft 1110 is reduced or eliminated by utilizing the magnetic attracting force (biasing force) obtained by arranging magnet 1111 at a portion of carriage 1109 confronting guide shaft 1110.
On the other hand, another conventional ink jet printer well known in the prior art has the head attached to the carriage in a manner so as to be releasable and reattachable with respect to the carriage. If such a design is adopted for a printer, wiring for driving the nozzles on the head must be devised since the carriage and the head cannot be directly connected by means of solder or the like if it is to be removable.
Thus, as shown in FIG. 27, it is known from Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 3-104643 to mount a carriage 1112 on a guide shaft 1110. An end 1113 of an FPC (Flexible Printed Cable) is attached to a carriage 1112 and a board 1115 is attached to a head 1114. Board 1115 is connected to end 1113 of the FPC so as to be in pressure contact therewith. Head 1114 is releasably attached to carriage 1112. It may be noted that the other end of the FPC is typically connected to a control board of a printer main body.
In such a structure, end 1113 of the FPC must be reliably brought into pressure contact with board 1115. In the structure disclosed in the aforementioned patent publication, a hook member 1116 for fixing head 1114 to carriage 1112 is biased in a direction to cause hook member 1116 to grasp head 1114 by a spring 1117, whereby board 1115 is brought into pressure contact with end 1113 of the FPC in a reliable manner.
The prior art devices have been satisfactory, however when one attempts to achieve the object of eliminating play between the carriage and the guide shaft as well as the object of releasably attaching the head to the carriage at the same time, the biasing member for eliminating the play between the carriage and the guide shaft (i.e., flat spring 1106 or magnet 1111 in the prior art, FIGS. 23 through 25 and 26, respectively) and the biasing member for bringing the board of the head into pressure contact with the FPC (i.e., spring 1117 of the prior art, FIG. 27) must be formed as separate components. In the conventional examples, the number of parts and the complexity would be increased, which in turn increases the cost and size of the carriage and hence the printer. This is yet another problem to be overcome.
Accordingly, a printer that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages and limitations, which readily minimizes carriage play against the guide shaft and allows for easy removal and reattachment is desired.


The present invention is directed toward compositions suitable for use as dielectric fluids, lubricant fluids and biodiesel fluids. Compositions described herein are obtained from a saturated, unsaturated or combinations of both monol, diol, triol or polyol acyl ester based fluid and/or a non-ester based fluid and 2,4,6-tris(di-C1-C6-alkylaminomethyl) phenol and/or the carboxylic acid salt of 2,4,6-tris(di-C1-C6-alkylaminomethyl) phenol. These compositions demonstrate improved oxidative stability and/or hydrolytic stability at higher use temperatures.

High performance fluids for industrial applications can include ester based fluids or non-ester based fluids or combinations of ester and non-ester based fluids.
Ester based fluids, both natural and synthetic, have long been used globally in a wide range of industrial applications as base oils that include dielectric fluids, lubricant fluids, biodiesel fluids, etc. Synthetic esters are obtained from an alcohol, having one, two, three or more hydroxyl groups, wherein the alcohol is esterified with a carboxylic acid or acid mixture. Natural esters are triglycerides of vegetable oil, algae oil or animal fats. Triglycerides are considered the esterification product of glycerol, a triol, with three molecules of fatty acids. Vegetable oils are biodegradable, nontoxic and renewably sourced, unlike conventional mineral oils. They have low volatility, high flash and fire points and good boundary lubrication properties. However, the major drawbacks of vegetable oils are their poor oxidative stability, poor hydrolytic stability and unfavorable rheological fluid properties at low temperatures which severely limit their use in industrial applications mentioned below.
Dielectric fluids are used in the electrical industry for cooling electrical equipment such as transformers, power cables, breakers and capacitors. Typically, these dielectric fluids are used in combination with solid insulation such as in liquid-filled transformers. Examples of dielectric fluids include mineral oil, high molecular weight hydrocarbons (HMWH), silicone fluid, and synthetic hydrocarbon oils (polyalpha-olefins). Such fluids must be electrically insulating, resistant to degradation, and be able to act as a heat transfer medium so that the high amount of heat generated in an electrical apparatus can be dissipated to the surrounding environment and thereby increase the life of the solid insulation.
Lubricant fluids are used as hydraulic fluids, metal working fluids, 2-cycle engine oil, process oils, chain bar oils, and greases. A lubricant fluid is typically formulated by combining a lubricant base stock, or a mixture of lubricant base stocks, with additives and other optional formulation aids. Esters of monols, diols, triols and polyols are frequently used.
Biodiesel fluids are used in primarily three markets, mass transit, marine industry and in farming. Biodiesel fluids are made from vegetable and animal oils. Biodiesel fluids offers a number of advantages over petrodiesel fuels such as enhanced biodegradation, increased flash point, reduced toxicity, lower emissions and increased lubricity. When biodiesel fluids are blended with diesel fuels, the blend has better properties. Since the biodiesel fluid has the same fatty acid profile as the parent oil or fat, its stability behavior is similar to that of its parent oil and faces similar technical issues such as its susceptibility to oxidation upon exposure to oxygen in ambient air and hydrolysis upon exposure to moisture.
As mentioned above non-ester based fluids such as mineral oil, high molecular weight hydrocarbons (HMWH), silicone fluid, and synthetic hydrocarbon oils (polyalpha-olefins) can be used as dielectric fluids. However, these fluids are not as environmentally friendly materials as ester fluids.
Additives are often added to enhance the performance of base fluids.
There is a need for an additive to improve the fluid stability of dielectric fluids, lubricant fluids and biodiesel fluids by improving the oxidative stability and hydrolytic stability of the fluids, preferably at elevated use temperatures.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Stabilized fluids for industrial applications


A motor driven shutter has diaphragm blades and shutter blades controlled by a single motor. The shutter comprises a driving member actuated by the motor, a diaphragm member for setting the diaphragm blades to a predetermined position via the driving member by the forward rotation of the motor, a closing member for operating the diaphragm blades to a closed position, and shutter blades urged in an open direction. The driving member sets the diaphragm blades to a predetermined position and further releases the shutter blades upon motor rotation in the reverse direction in a diaphragm setting process. The driving member closes the diaphragm blades by releasing the engagement of the closing member in the succeeding operation of the motor.

An example of the above-mentioned motor driven shutter is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 3-89331. In this shutter, two sets of sectors are used to increase the shutter speed; that is, one set of sectors serves to open the shutter at a high speed, and the other set of sectors serves to set the aperture of the diaphragm and further to close the shutter. In other words, when not released, the first set of sectors are closed for light shading, and the second set of sectors are opened so as to provide a required exposure. When released, the first set of sectors are opened at high speed, and the exposure is attained through the second set of sectors. The exposure is completed when the second set of sectors are closed at a predetermined timing.
In the prior art motor driven shutter, however, since a second sector actuating electromagnet, a first sector actuating electromagnet, and an electromagnet controlling circuit for controlling these magnets are required as the control means, in addition to the stepping motor as the driving control means, the structure thereof is complicated; the structure is large and its cost is high and therefore the structure is subject to increased problems.

Motor driven system for controlling the diaphragm and shutter of a camera


On or more apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for playing an online card game using real cards. Real playing cards are transferred from a deck of playing cards to a card holding position in a card holder, such as for a sufficient number of players for a game. From an appropriate card viewing position, an actual image of the card (either front or back) is captured, such as by a video camera. The captured image of the card is used to display to an online player, who is playing a virtual card game, such as poker, where the online player may be locally or remotely connected. The image of the card is used in lieu of a virtual image in the virtual representation of an online card game.

Online gaming has become extremely popular and draws increasing numbers of players every year. Common online gaming includes poker and other games conventionally played with playing cards such as standard 52-card decks. In the electronic (e.g., video) and online gaming versions, however, the "cards" dealt to respective players are virtual cards generated by a computing device. The computing device typically comprises a remote server, which may have an operable connection to the Internet in the case of online gaming, and/or to local video display terminal in the case of local video gaming. Players can access the virtual cards through the local terminal, and/or using a remote communications device such as desktop computers, laptop computers, webphones, PDAs, etc. To ensure fairness and credibility, the virtual cards that are virtually dealt must be randomly generated so that neither any one player nor the house gains an unfair advantage.

Using real playing cards for online gaming


The invention relates to a sensor for detecting fog-like media, comprising at least two emitters and at least one receiver, whereby the emission axes intersect with the receiver axis at two different positions. The inventive sensor also comprises an evaluation unit that detects the medium when the receiver receives signals emitted by both emitters.

The invention concerns a sensor for detecting fog-like media. Fog-like media are e.g. fog, mist, vapor, smoke or the like. The invention also concerns a method for detecting such fog-like media.
Sensors and methods of this type may be used, in particular in automotive technology, to increase the safety standard of vehicles. The sensors and methods may be used e.g. for automatic switching on and off or control of fog lights of a vehicle, for issuing a warning to the driver or for automatic speed adjustment in dependence on the weather conditions.
The detection of fog-like media is problematic, since these media are generally translucent.
It is therefore the underlying purpose of the present invention to provide a sensor which is suited for detecting fog-like media and also a method for detecting fog-like media.


An RFID tag is provided including an object ID and a counter. Such an RFID tag may be employed in an RFID tag system including a parent RFID tag having an object ID and a counter, a child RFID tag, and a reader/writer configured to read the object ID and the counter of the parent RFID tag, combine values of the object ID and the counter, and write the combined value to an object ID of the child RFID tag.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are typically attached to objects for information and/or tracking purposes, where information may be written to an RFID tag and later read by an external reader. Information stored on an RFID tag may include an object identifier (ID) that distinguishes the object from other objects. For example, a medical laboratory may attach RFID tags to vials containing patient blood samples, where each RFID tag includes a unique object ID identifying the vial to which it is attached, which object ID may then be recorded and mapped to the patient from whom the sample was taken.
While RFID tags may be used to provide information about individual objects, it may be desirable to associate objects with other objects. For example, where a patient blood sample in one "parent" vial is divided into several other "child" vials, each destined for a different type of analysis, the object ID of each child vial's RFID tag may be recorded in a database together with the object ID of the parent vial's RFID tag. However, where the contents of child vials are further distributed to several other "grandchild" vials, or when vials are sent outside of an organization, managing the hierarchy of object relationships using object IDs of otherwise unrelated RFID tags may become cumbersome.

International Business Machines Corporation


Disclosed herein are a universal subscriber identification module card and a communication method using the same. The universal subscriber identification module card includes a Universal Subscriber Identification Module (USIM) chip, a pad, and a security chip. The USIM chip performs the user authentication of a mobile terminal. The pad electrically connects the USIM chip to the mobile terminal when the USIM chip is inserted into the mobile terminal. The security chip performs a security function for the mobile terminal independently of the USIM chip and shares the two power terminals of the pad with the USIM chip.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a technique for fabricating a new type of universal subscriber identification module card, which includes an additional security chip in the universal subscriber identification module card for the user authentication of a mobile terminal, thereby providing various security services to the mobile terminal in addition to a user authentication function.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, smart cards for user authentication have often been inserted into mobile terminals since third Generation (3G) mobile communication. Smart cards for user authentication include Universal Subscriber Identification Module (USIM) cards or User Identification Module (UIM) cards for mobile phones for asynchronous 3G mobile communication, and Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards for mobile terminals for Global System for Mobile communications (GSM). Such USIM, UIM and SIM cards provide only a user authentication function. Current smart cards for mobile terminals are Universal IC Cards (UICCs) on which various application service applications, such as banking, securities, and electronic money, as well as a user authentication function for communication, are installed.
Such UICCs, however, were developed and standardized when a communication function was prioritized among the several functions of a mobile terminal. The existing UICCs have a limited security service in current smart mobile terminals. In order to use various services using Wi-Fi in addition to a communication function, there is a need for an apparatus that is better than the existing UICC and has various security functions.
There was disclosed a technology in which an additional chip for additional functions, as well as a chip for a user authentication function, is installed in a smart card, such as a universal subscriber identification module card for user authentication. However, the conventional technology has a limitation with respect to the efficient use of various chips because it uses only a serial interface stipulated in ISO/IEC7816-3 as means for communication between a mobile terminal and the chips. Furthermore, the serial interface has a limitation with respect to a security function requiring high-speed data communication because it has a maximum speed of 114 Kbps.
In terminals capable of high-speed data processing, such as current smart mobile terminals, a security function also requires high-speed data communication. Accordingly, smart cards inserted into smart mobile terminals need to provide a more improved security service using a high-speed I/O interface, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, as well as a serial interface.
Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2011-0045366 discloses "Smart Card having Multiple Contact Points and Mobile Terminal using the Same" as a conventional technology.

Universal subscriber identification module card, including security chip, for mobile terminal and communication method using the same

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A fan rotor assembly has an inner rotor, an outer rotor, a central retainer and a central shaft. The inner rotor has multiple first blades. The outer rotor is stacked on the inner rotor and has multiple second blades. The central retainer is mounted through the inner and outer retainers. The central shaft is mounted in the central retainer under the inner rotor. The fan rotor assembly with first and second blades provides excellent airflow.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotor assembly, and more particularly to a fan rotor assembly having an inner rotor and an outer rotor and each of the inner and outer rotors has multiple blades to provide two sets of blades and therefore to supply excellent airflow.
2. Description of Related Art
Fans are used in electronic devices to dissipate heat from electronic components such as chips inside the electronic devices. A conventional fan rotor of a fan is formed integrally into one piece, is made of plastic by injection molding process and has multiple blades formed radially on the fan rotor. Because the electronic devices are designed more and more compact, fans mounted in the electronic devices have to be sized smaller and smaller with the plastic blades becomes thinner and thinner. However, the thinned plastic blades are too weak and fragile to bear high air pressure and easily snap when the fan rotor rotates.
To overcome the snaps of the thinned plastic blades on the small fan rotor, a metal fan rotor has been developed. The metal fan rotor is made of a metal sheet by stamping the metal sheet and has metal blades. However, the stamping process restricts the a total number of the metal blades formed on the metal fan rotor to be less than that of the plastic blades of the conventional plastic fan rotor. Therefore, the metal fan rotor with less metal blades produces insufficient airflow less than that produced by the plastic fan rotor with more plastic blades. Accordingly, the metal fan rotor has a disappointing heat-dissipating performance.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a fan rotor assembly to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


An intake system for an internal combustion engine having at least two cylinder bank rows, each being assigned an intake bend having individual tubes leading to the cylinders, where the intake bends are interconnected in terms of fluid flow via a distributor tube (38) and at least one resonance tube (30) equipped with a switch valve, where the resonance tube and the distributor tube are combined in a central intake module.

The present invention relates to an intake system for an internal combustion engine, and in particular to an intake system interconnecting multiple cylinder banks.
Intake systems with resonance charging for optimum filling of the cylinders at different rotational speeds and/or in different load ranges are known from the state of the art. For example, the present applicant has a intake system in mass production (see Germany Utility Model DE 201 13 496 U1, for example) in which the intake bends provided for both rows of cylinders are interconnected via a distributor and a resonance tube. The cylinders are supplied with combustion air through the distributor tube, while the resonance tube equipped with a switch valve serves to adjust the inherent frequency to the intake frequency in a known manner.
The object of the present invention is to improve upon the properties of generic intake systems as they pertain to fluid technology and gas dynamics.
This object is achieved by an intake system for an internal combustion engine having at least two cylinder bank rows, an intake bend with individual tubes leading to the cylinders being assigned to each cylinder bank row, whereby the intake bends are interconnected via a distributor tube and at least one resonance tube equipped with a switch valve, where the resonance tube and the distributor tube are combined to form a central intake module.
With the integration of the resonance tube into the distributor tube, the vibrating path distribution of the intake system can be improved and furthermore, the internal flow and pre-intake inflow into the distributor tube can be unthrottled, resulting in a corresponding increase in engine performance. Due to the design of the two components in a common intake module, the component complexity is reduced so a compact intake system can be produced.
An especially advantageous structural design of the intake module is ensured when it is designed with an oval cross section, whereas the resonance tube integrated into the intake module is designed with essentially a circular cross section. The intake module is designed with dimensions such that the resonance tube is accommodated on the one hand, while on the other hand there remains enough design space to form the distributor channel on the side next to the resonance tube.
An embodiment that is advantageous in terms of manufacturing technology and promotes the idea of integration is obtained when part of the lateral surface of the resonance tube is formed by the housing wall of the intake module itself.
To allow the intake air to pass unhindered through the individual tubes to the cylinders, the wall section of the resonance tube separating the connecting channel and the resonance channel is chamfered on both end faces.
The housing wall of the intake module has an opening in the area of the resonance tube into which the housing of the resonance valve can be inserted in a modular fashion and secured.
This embodiment of the intake system consists essentially of the intake module forming the distributor tube and the resonance tube, with one intake bend attached to each of its two end faces. All three components are preferably made of plastic.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings for example.

Intake system for an internal combustion engine

Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft


An actuator of an optical pick-up device includes two fixing frames, a lens holder disposed between the fixing frames and provided with a focusing lens, coils, and a reflection mirror having a central portion thinner than other portions where the coils are located, springs supporting the lens holder, the springs connecting two points of each fixing frame to the lens holder, each spring having one or more bends, a permanent magnet disposed facing the coils to generate magnetic field, and a yoke forming a path of the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an actuator used for driving an optical pick-up device writing or reading data on or from an optical disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an optical pick-up device is used for a computer, a digital video disk (DVD) player and the like to write and read data on or from an optical disk such as a compact disk, a digital video disk, a blue ray disk, and so forth.
In recent years, as a digital device such as a laptop computer, a camcorder and a digital camera has been reduced in weight and size, it has required to miniaturize the size of the data storage media.
Particularly, it has been continuously studied to apply the optical disk to a mobile device such as a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant (PDA). In order to apply the optical disk to such a mobile device, it is badly required to miniaturize the size of the optical pick-up device.
The size reduction of the optical pick-up device has been hobbled by an actuator for moving a focusing lens to uniformly maintain a distance between the focusing lens and the optical disk and tracing a track on the optical disk to write or read data on or from the optical disk.
The optical pick-up device converts a laser beam eradiated from a laser diode into an optical signal and further converts the optical signal into an electrical signal, thereby reading the recorded data.
The actuator of the optical pick-up device is designed to two-dimensionally move in focusing and tracking directions to safely focus the laser beam on the optical disk even when outer impact is applied. In recent years, to provide more precise motion, an actuator that can move in rolling and pitching directions as well as in the focusing and tracking directions has been developed.
FIGS. 1 through 4 shows a prior optical writing/reading device.
A prior optical writing/reading device includes an optical pick-up device 50 on which a focusing lens 49 is mounted, an optical pick-up motor 60 for moving the optical pick-up device 50 to a proper position, a lead screw 20 connected to a rotational shaft of the optical pick-up motor 60, a rack gear 30 designed to be engaged with the lead screw 20, a guide feeder 10 coupled to the rack gear 30, an optical pick-up moving shaft 21 guiding a reciprocal motion of the guide feeder 10, and a main shaft 22 installed on an opposite side of the optical pick moving shaft 21 to guide the motion of the optical pick-up device.
As the optical pick up motor 60 is operated, the lead screw 20 rotates and the rack gear 30 engaged with the lead screw 20 moves, thereby moving the optical pick-up device 50 to a desired position.
As shown in FIG. 2, the optical pick-up actuator 40 is comprised of a movable part moving a focusing lens 49 in the focusing and tracking directions and a stationary part for supporting the movable part and generating magnetic field.
The movable part has a coil cooperating with a permanent magnet 43 provided on the stationary part to locate the focusing lens 49 to the desired position.
That is, the stationary part includes the permanent magnet 43 generating magnetic field, a yoke 42 forming a path of the magnetic field, the fixing frame 41 having a main board (not shown), and wire-shaped springs 47 each having a first end 47a fixed on the fixing frame 41 and a second end fixed on the lens holder 44 to support the lens holder 44 and supply electric current to the lens holder 44.
The movable part includes the focusing lens 49 focusing a laser beam eradiated from the laser diode on a recording layer of the optical disk, a lens holder 44 holding the focusing lens 49, tracking coils 45 installed on both sides of the lens holder 44 to drive the lens holder 44 in the tracking direction, a focusing coil 46 wound around the lens holder 44 to drive the lens holder 44 in the focusing direction, and a spring fixing unit 48 fixing the spring assembly 47 on the lens holder 44.
The movable part should be designed having a desired frequency property by being fixed by a support having a predetermined rigidity and a predetermined damping property. In addition, the movable part should be designed avoiding unnecessary vibration such as rotation or twist to effectively move in the focusing and tracking directions and reduce the optical signal error.
That is, when the movable part drives in the focusing direction, the lens holder 44 should vertically move without rotating in a direction of an X-axis (in the pitching direction shown in FIG. 5). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the spring assembly 47 is comprised of two lower springs and two upper springs stacked on the lower springs that are installed on both sides of the lens holder 44, being extending from the fixing frame 41.
As shown in FIG. 4, in order to eliminate the space limitation in designing the optical pick-up device by reducing a thickness of the actuator, it has been developed that springs 97 may be comprised of one lower spring and one upper spring stacked on the lower spring.
However, in this case, when the optical pick-up device moves in the focusing direction, the lens holder 44 may rotate in the direction of the X-axis, causing the undesired inclination.
Even when the spring assembly 47 is formed as shown in FIG. 3, an elastic coefficient may be varied when the spring is twisted or tensioned during the manufacturing process.
The reduction of the size of the optical reading/writing device may be further limited by a supporting structure supporting the optical pickup device for reading/writing the data from/on the optical disk.
FIG. 5 shows a prior supporting structure for supporting the optical pickup device of the optical reading/writing device.
Referring to FIG. 5, the optical reading/writing device includes a base 70, a rubber damper 71 formed on the base 70, a sled base 72 fixed on the rubber damper 71.
The base supports the optical pickup actuator 40 and provides a space for installing the optical pickup actuator 40. The rubber damper 71 absorbs vibration and impact generated from the actuator 40 or an external side to allow the optical reading/writing device to smoothly operate.
The sled base 72 is provided with a main shaft holder 73 on which a main shaft 22 is formed.
The main shaft 22 guides the movement of a pickup base 51 formed on the optical pickup actuator 40.
A spindle motor 74 is formed on a side portion of the sled base 72 to drive a turntable 75 rotating the optical disk 76.
The above-described supporting structure does not meet a drop in the size reduction tendency of digital devices such as a laptop computer, a camcorder, a digital camera, and the like.
That is, such a supporting structure limits the reduction in the size and weight of the optical reading/writing device.


A method for growing a crystal of an Al-containing III-V group compound semiconductor by the conventional HVPE method, characterized in that it comprises a step of reacting Al with hydrogen halide at a temperature of 700° C. or lower to form a halide of Al. The method has allowed the suppression of the formation of aluminum chloride (AlCl) or aluminum bromide (AlBr) reacting violently with quartz, which is the material of a reaction vessel for the growth, resulting in the achievement of the vapor phase growth of an Al-containing III-V group compound semiconductor at a rate of 100 microns/hr or more, which has lead to the mass-production of a substrate and a semiconductor element having satisfactory resistance to adverse environment.

Al-containing III-V group compound semiconductors have been, and will be, of significant importance. One reason is that their large band gap energy permits light emission at shorter wavelengths, or UV band, which cannot be achieved by other semiconductors. AlN, for example, has a band energy gap of 5 to 6 eV. In comparison, the band gap of GaN, a compound known to have relatively large band gap, is at most about 3.5 eV.
Al-containing III-V compound semiconductors can be used to make various light sources that operate at different wavelength bands, such as high intensity light-emitting diodes used in various display devices, lasers used for reading/writing CDs and DVDs, and lasers for optical communication. These semiconductor light sources are essential in the modern IT society.
Another reason that Al-containing III-V group compound semiconductors are so important also comes from their large band gap energy: they can be used to make harsh environment-resistant semiconductors that are less susceptible to malfunctions when exposed radiation. The term "harsh environment" as used herein includes an environment surrounding a radiation source such as nuclear reactor, and an environment in which flying objects and artificial satellites are exposed to cosmic rays when flying at high altitudes.
This characteristic band gap is brought about by the presence of aluminum (Al). Accordingly, Al-containing III-V group compound semiconductors, such as AlN, AlGaN, and AlGaInP, that contain different amounts of aluminum, a group III element, are needed to serve as the core of the above-described semiconductor light sources and harsh environment-resistant semiconductors.
In general, light-emitting parts of the semiconductor light sources and operative parts of the harsh environment-resistant semiconductors are formed by depositing a thin layer of a few microns or less in thickness. This can be done by using known techniques such as liquid phase epitaxy (LPE), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE).
These deposition processes, however, require the use of a "substrate" that is 100 micron or greater in thickness. Such a substrate is difficult to fabricate by any of the LPE, MBE, and MOVPE techniques: the MBE and MOVPE, though suitable for depositing a thin layer of a few microns or thinner, take substantial amounts of time to form a thick layer of 100 microns or thicker and are therefore not practical.
On the other hand, LPE is suitable for growing a relatively thick layer of up to about 100 microns but the technique is not appropriate for growing a layer over a large area or for the mass production of layers due to the nature of the growing technique. Specifically, the LPE technique, which involves melting a metal into a liquid phase to form a layer, has drawbacks including high energy required in the melting process and insufficient "wetting" of the substrate with the melt. These drawbacks make the technique less practical.
Another technique, known as hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE), is used for depositing a 100-micron or thicker layer. The HVPE technique involves sending a gas current of a halogenated product of Ga or In so that it can react with a hydrogenated product of a group V element to form a compound semiconductor. This technique is suitable for making thicker layers and is sometimes referred to as "halide vapor phase epitaxy."
The HVPE technique uses a quartz reaction tube and is of a hot wall type, in which not only the crystal growth area but also the surrounding quartz reaction tube is heated to a high temperature. In comparison, the MOVPE technique is of a cold wall type, in which only the substrate crystal is heated, but not the surrounding quartz reaction tube. Also, the above-mentioned MBE technique uses an ultra high vacuum chamber and no quartz is included in the reaction system.
A quartz reaction tube hot wall type, the HVPE technique has an advantage of particularly fast growth. For this reason, the technique has been used in the production of high sensitivity photosensors that require thick layers and power devices that require a thick, high-quality crystal (in particular, power source devices using GaAs). It is also used in the production of above-described substrates, in particular, GaN substrates. These applications are described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-215000 entitled "Process for growing crystal of gallium nitride-containing compound semiconductor (TOYODA GOSEI K. K. et al.)" and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-316498 entitled "Epitaxial wafer and production method thereof (SUMITOMO DENKO K. K.)."
When an attempt is made to employ the MBE or MOVPE technique to grow, via heteroepitaxy, an Al-containing semiconductor, such as AlGaN, on a GaN substrate fabricated by the HVPE, the difference in the lattice constant or in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the substrate and the deposited layer causes cracks to form in the Al-containing crystal formed on the GaN layer. This has kept many application devices from being realized.
To address this problem, it was suggested to use the HVPE technique to make the substrate for the Al-containing III-V group compound semiconductor. This approach, however, had a significant problem: the halogenated product of aluminum (e.g., AlCl and AlBr) vigorously reacts with the quartz-made reaction vessel due to the nature of aluminum as a group III element. This reaction results in contamination of the compound semiconductor with Si from the quartz reaction vessel. Moreover, the quarts vessel may itself be damaged. For these reasons, the Al-based HVPE technique has been considered unsuitable for the epitaxial growth of semiconductors despite the high growth rate, and thus, the high productivity offered by the technique.

Vapor phase growth method for A1-containing III-V group compound semiconductor, and method and device for producing A1-containing III-V group compound semiconductor

Tokyo University Agriculture and Technology TLO Co., Ltd.


The shock absorber has a housing containing a damping chamber, a shock absorber piston mounted for movement in the chamber and an inertia operated damping control valve in the damping chamber for altering a damping factor of the piston movement in the chamber in response to a shock input or in response to an aceleration of the shock absorber. The damping chamber comprises a cylindrical housing and the inertia operated damping control valve comprises an orifice in the damping chamber housing, a pivotable valve member positioned to cover the orifice and a resilient member for biasing the movable valve member over the orifice. The damping chamber housing is oriented generally vertically and the resilient member is positioned between the cylindrical housing and the valve member.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to shock absorbers and especially to shock absorbers which can be adapted to provide variable damping factors depending on road surface conditions.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Conventional shock absorbers impose a typical compromise between ride quality and handling performance. Usually the high damping required for good handling is excessive for acceptable ride quality on most roads which produce significant vertical impacts. The compromise usually is to adjust the compression damping of the shock absorber to 25%-40% of the extension damping to prevent excessive forces being transmitted during impactive compression strokes. This compromise resolves some of the severity of rough road impacts but still presents problems with ride and handling.
Shock absorbers have been suggested which have a variable damping ratio controlled by a ride or road sensor. In response to the output of the sensor, a control circuit adjusts the damping of the shock absorber to provide a smooth ride. Such systems, however, require complicated and costly controls to function properly.


The invention relates to a mixer circuit 31 comprising a down-conversion mixing component 33 arranged for down-converting an input radio frequency signal Irf+, Irf−. In order to improve such a mixer circuit, it is proposed that it comprises in addition an active mixer load circuit 34 connected to output terminals of the mixing component. The active mixer load circuit includes an active mixer load 51, T1, T2 and modulating means S1-S4 arranged for modulating a flicker noise produced by the active mixer load away from the signal band of a signal Ibb+, Ibb− output by the down-conversion mixing component. The invention relates equally to a receiver, a chip and a device comprising such a mixer circuit and to a method for use with such a mixer circuit.

A mixer circuit with a down-conversion mixing component for down-converting a radio frequency (RF) signal can be used in particular in an RF receiver.
For illustration, a block diagram of an exemplary analog direct conversion receiver 10 is presented as FIG. 1.
The depicted receiver 10 comprises a low noise amplifier (LNA) 11 for amplifying received RF signals, mixers 12 for down-converting the amplified RF signals, an analog signal processing component 13 for processing the down-converted signals, analog-to-digital converters (ADC) 14 for converting the processed analog signals into digital signals, and a digital signal processing component (DSP) 15 for a further processing of the digital signals. For processing the analog down-converted signal, the analog signal processing component 13 comprises an Nth-order low-pass filter (LPF), an analog gain control (AGC), a direct-current (DC) offset cancellation, etc. For processing the digital signal, the DSP 15 comprises a decimation stage, an LPF, etc. The output of the DSP 15 constitutes the digital baseband (BB) output.
The receiver 10 can be integrated for example in a mobile terminal 16 for receiving and processing RF signals transmitted by a mobile communication network.
FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of a straightforward implementation of the front end of the receiver of FIG. 1. The circuit of FIG. 2 comprises an RF amplifier 21 with the LNA 11, a Gilbert cell 22 as mixers 12, and two LPF stages 25, 27 as analog baseband filter of the analog signal processing component 13. Instead of the depicted second order LPF 25, 27, a higher order LPF can be used as well.
The LNA 11 comprises two input terminals and two output terminals. The LNA 11 amplifies received RF signals RF IN and outputs the amplified signals as voltages Urf+ and Urf−. The outputs terminals of the LNA 11 are connected to two signal input terminals of a down-conversion mixing component 23 of the Gilbert cell 22. The mixing component 23 receives via two additional input terminals alternating local oscillator signals LO+ and LO−, which enable a down-conversion of input radio frequency signals RF IN. The resulting baseband signals are output as voltages Ubb+ and Ubb− via a respective output terminal. The output of the mixing component 23 is moreover connected within the Gilbert cell 22 to a mixer load 24.
The first output terminal of the mixing component 23 is connected via a first input terminal of the first LPF stage 25 and a resistor R3a to a first input of an operational amplifier 26 of the first LPF stage 25, and a first output of operational amplifier 26 is connected to a first output terminal of the first LPF stage 25. A capacitor C1a on the one hand and a resistor R1a on the other hand are arranged in parallel to each other between the first input and the first output of the operational amplifier 26.
The second output terminal of the mixing component 22 is connected via a second input terminal of the first LPF stage 25 and a resistor R3b to a second input of the operational amplifier 26, and a second output of the operational amplifier 26 is connected to a second output terminal of the first LPF stage 25. A capacitor C1b on the one hand and a resistor R1b on the other hand are arranged in parallel to each other between the second input and the second output of the operational amplifier 26.
The first output terminal of the first LPF stage 25 is connected via a first input terminal of the second LPF stage 27 and a resistor R4a to a first input of an operational amplifier 28 of the second LPF stage 27, and a first output of the operational amplifier 28 is connected to a first output terminal of the second LPF stage 27. A capacitor C2a on the one hand and a resistor R2a on the other hand are arranged in parallel to each other between the first input and the first output of the operational amplifier 28.
The second output terminal of the first LPF stage 25 is connected via a second input terminal of the second LPF stage 27 and a resistor R4b to a second input of the operational amplifier 28, and a second output of the operational amplifier 28 is connected to a second output terminal of the second LPF stage 27. A capacitor C2b on the one hand and a resistor R2b on the other hand are arranged in parallel to each other between the first input and the first output of the operational amplifier 28.
The two LPF stages 25, 27 apply a second order low pass filtering on the baseband signals Ubb+ and Ubb− received from the Gilbert mixer 22. The resulting low-pass filtered baseband signals are forwarded to the analog-to-digital converters 14 of FIG. 1.
Implementing a receiver with such a direct conversion architecture has the advantage that it is cheaper than other conversion architectures, like super-heterodyne architectures, since expensive band pass filter components for an intermediate frequency (IF) are not required in a direct conversion.
It is further of advantage to realize a receiver as a system on chip (SoC) solution, that is, to implement the components of the receiver on a single chip. Cost, size and other reasons would make the use of the deep sub-micron Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology attractive for such an SoC solution.
When using a deep sub-micron CMOS implementation, however, the flicker noise, which is also referred to as 1/f noise as it is inversely proportional to the frequency, has to be taken into account. Flicker noise is especially a problem in second generation (2G) systems like the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and, to a lesser extent, as well in third generation (3G) systems. The noise problem is increased with modem and future CMOS technologies which require a low supply voltage. As the supply voltage decreases, also the noise has to decrease. An additional difficulty with a lower supply voltage is the linearity. As the threshold and saturation voltages are consuming in the case of a low supply voltage a larger portion of the supply voltage range, the linearity is worse with lower supply voltages than with higher supply voltages. The conventional direct conversion receiver will therefore be increasingly difficult to implement in future low voltage processes.
An important component of a direct conversion receiver and the most critical one in terms of linearity and noise is the mixer. A conventional direct conversion receiver comprises a passive load for the mixer, which is composed of a resistor and a capacitor to provide a suitable signal gain and a first order attenuation for interferences. Such a passive mixer load is difficult to design for a desired gain, a desired noise and a desired linearity, as these factors are all linked together through the bias current of the mixing component and the load impedance. A conventional mixer structure will therefore have considerable noise and linearity problems in modern CMOS architectures operating with a low supply voltage.
The noise problems in a direct conversion receiver can be avoided by using a Bipolar Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (BiCMOS) based chip for the critical RF and baseband blocks.
Therefore, usually the digital baseband components of a direct conversion receiver, like the DSP, are implemented using CMOS technology. The RF components of a direct conversion receiver, including the LNA, the mixers and the analog baseband signaling processing component, in contrast, are usually implemented using BiCMOS technology or other analog-oriented semiconductor processes. Thus, a complete receiver is usually implemented using at least two separate chips for RF and digital baseband, which increases the production costs.


A mechanism (1) comprising a driving element (4) for rotationally driving a winding shaft (2) for a closing or sun-protection installation of an opening (0) and at least one spring (5) for compensating a weight of the installation. The spring (5) is mounted around the driving element (4) and is jointly associated with a sub-unit (10), which can be at least partially introduced in a unitary manner inside the shaft (2). The spring (5) includes a first end (51) kinematically linked to said driving element (4) so that the first end (51) is immobilized in rotation abut an axis of rotation (X-X′) of the shaft (2), and a second end (52) kinematically linked to the shaft (2) when the sub-unit (10) is placed inside the shaft (2) so that the second end (52) rotates about the axis of rotation (X-X′).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a maneuvering mechanism and to a closing or sun-protection installation comprising such a mechanism.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
Closure installation is understood to mean doors, portals, blinds, shutters and equivalent equipment.
In a closing or sun-protection installation, it is known to use a mechanical or electrical driving element for rotating, about its principal geometrical axis, a winding shaft for a closing screen of an opening, or for an effort transmission member such as a strap, associated with such a screen.
It is known to compensate the torque exerted on the winding mechanism by the weight of the closing screen, such compensation being obtained by one or more so-called "compensating" springs. Winding mechanisms comprising compensating springs are known, for example, from FR-A-2 743 107, from DE-A-296 05 670 or from JP-A-2000-234485. In these devices, there are provided, on the one hand, a tubular drive motor and, on the other hand, compensating springs, these springs and this motor having to be placed in position in the winding shaft on the site of use of the installation, while the working conditions of the installer are sometimes precarious, particularly due to a limited accessibility in height. In addition, numerous parts must be provided in order to install, on the one hand, the compensating spring and, on the other hand, the motor inside the winding shaft, this rendering the known installations more expensive.
It is a more particular object of the invention to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a maneuvering mechanism which comprises at least one compensating spring and which may be easily placed in position, while its cost price is more attractive than that of the known compensated mechanisms.

Maneuvering mechanism and closing installation or sun protection installation incorporating one such device


Techniques for providing a route based on route-oriented vehicle trajectories are described. This disclosure describes receiving GPS logs and extracting route-oriented vehicle trajectory content from the GPS log data to pertain to a single trip. Next, the process maps each route-oriented vehicle trajectory to a corresponding road segment to construct a landmark graph. A landmark is a road segment frequently visited by route-oriented vehicles. The process includes receiving a user query with a starting point and a destination point; searching the landmark graph for a sequence of landmarks with corresponding transition times and a least amount of travel time. Then the process identifies and connects sets of road segments between each pair of consecutive landmarks, and displays a route to a user with a nearest landmark to the starting point, other landmarks along the route, and another nearest landmark to the destination point.

A wide range of map-based services are being offered to users through web browsers, search engines, and as applications. Users may access the map-based services for street maps, a route planner, and a planner for traveling by foot, vehicle, or public transport. Furthermore, the users now have access to an urban business locator for countries around the world.
The request for map-based services has become a common activity in people's daily lives. Many users request the map-based services through a search engine on a computing device or downloaded on a personal navigation device. The requests for map-based services by the users are made prior to driving to an appointment or an event at an unfamiliar location. However, a problem with the conventional map-based services is that the planned routes given are based on finding routes with a shortest geographical-distance, without evaluating other factors that may affect driving conditions.
Other approaches attempt to find routes with a shortest travel time based on speed estimation models. The models estimate the speed of a road according to a road type, such as identifying whether the road is an interstate, a four-lane road, or a two-lane road. The problem is that the models do not take account of other factors that affect speed, such as traffic flows.
As the requests for map-based services continue, there is an increasing opportunity to provide the user with more efficient routes.

Route computation based on route-oriented vehicle trajectories


A learning tool includes a book binder and a plurality of removable pages. Each of the pages has a mounting surface and/or mounting locations for releasably attaching a plurality of symbol devices formed as letters, numbers and the like.

The present invention relates generally to teaching aids and learning tools for children and, in particular, to a book and a tool for teaching early learning skills.
Young children are typically taught to read by associating the names of the letters of the alphabet with the shapes of the letters. Likewise, children may be shown words and taught to associate them with pictures of the objects that the words represent. Some educational toys teach the letters of the alphabet by encouraging the children to physically associate an object shaped like a given letter with a printed representation of the letter. For example, a book is provided having a plurality of pages each with a number of recesses shaped to receive the corresponding letter-shaped objects. The child is encouraged to memorize the shape of the letter and associate the letter-shaped object with the letter-shaped recess in the book.
While such devices are useful, they do present a number of limitations. For example, each recess in the book, while it is similar to the printed word, is not a printed representation. Naturally, the pages of the book themselves present the disadvantage of being relatively expensive to manufacture. In use, the letter-shaped objects are retained in the pages of the book by gravity or friction. When friction is used to retain the letters, the limited area of the letter-shaped object available to the child makes grasping difficult. Similarly, in the event that only gravity is used to retain the letters, movement of the book with the letters in it is likely to result in the letters sliding out of place or falling from the book.
As a solution to these inconveniences, it has been suggested that a separate device be used for storing the letters, which device may either be integral with or separate from the book. Likewise, books have been designed in which natural static electricity is used to adhere the objects to the page. However his method is suitable only for very thin flexible overlays. Such thin objects are difficult for children to grasp and function poorly as teaching devices because their shape is often not retained, due either to inherent flexibility or breakage and wear.
There is shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,390 an educational book-like toy that includes a plurality of pages wherein letters may be removably adhered over corresponding shapes on colored pages utilizing Velcro hook and loop fasteners.
However, it remains desirable to provide an improved apparatus or device to aid in teaching youngsters to recognize letters, numbers, shapes, colors, as well as learning to read, how to spell, how to perform basic arithmetic and the English language.

Apparatus and method for teaching early learning skills


An infrared detector which converts entering infrared IR into light in a different wavelength band, and which detects the converted light in the different wavelength band includes: a convex-concave structure provided on a light acceptance surface of the infrared detector; and a metal film provided on an outer circumferential face of the light detector other than the light acceptance surface thereof, the metal film covering the outer circumferential face. In the infrared detector, light which enters the light detector after passing through the convex-concave structure and the converted light in the different wavelength band are confined inside the light detector: by causing the entering light to be reflected on the metal film; by causing light reflected on the metal film to be reflected on the convex-concave structure; and by causing the converted light in the different wavelength band to be reflected between the metal film and the convex-concave structure.

Infrared detectors for middle- and far-infrared bands (for example, bands of wavelengths from 3 μm to 12 μm) which have been put into practical use include: a detector using HgCdTe which is a group II-VI compound semiconductor; a QWIP (Quantum Well Infrared Photo-detector) using a superlattice of group III-V compound semiconductors (for example, GaAs/AlGaAs or the like); and a QDIP (Quantum Dot Infrared Photo-detector) using a quantum dot.

Light detector, light detecting apparatus, infrared detector and infrared detecting apparatus


The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for preserving biological samples and, more particularly, an arrangement for drying biological samples disposed on sample storage substrates. The systems and methods for preserving biological samples can include a heating element such as a chemical heating pad that facilitates drying of the biological samples.

Paper substrates and similar porous sheet substrates are commonly used for preservation of biological samples. Examples are the chemically treated FTA® and FTA® Elute papers (GE Healthcare) for preservation of nucleic acid samples and the FTA® DMPK cards and 903® cards (GE Healthcare) for preservation of blood samples. A common feature for the methods of using these substrates is that a wet biological sample (blood, buccal swabs, macerated tissue etc.) is placed on the substrate, absorbed in the porous structure and dried. If the drying is incomplete or slow, the stability of the sample may be impaired and inconsistent results may be obtained in subsequent analyses of components in the preserved samples. The standard procedure is to dry the substrate with the sample in ambient air, which leads to long drying times—up to 18 h—before complete water removal, during which time degradation and mould or bacterial growth may cause deterioration of the sample.
Several devices for preservation of samples on paper substrates have been described, e.g. the buccal cell sampling device of U.S. Pat. No. 7,748,283. The drying of the sample on the substrate in such devices is done under ambient conditions, which can be slow—particularly if the humidity is high.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,703,216 mentions that chemical heat pads can be used to evaporate interfering ethanol in gammahydroxybutyrate dipstick analyses, but this publication does not relate to preservation of biological samples and does not describe any drying of such samples.
Accordingly there is a need for a method and a device that provides improved stability and consistency in preservation of biological samples on porous sheet substrates.

Arrangement for preservation of biological samples


A rimmed container mounting assembly useful in the interior and horticultural design arts that provides a convertible hanger assembly incorporating a main body section with a rim receiving channel, a rim engaging lip, and a plurality of cooperating structures to permit for multiple attachment modes including direct attachment and overhanging attachment to uniform, non-uniform, or irregular mounting surfaces.

Hanger elements for mounting rimmed containers such as plant pots are useful for displaying plants on walls, over ledges, on railings, etc. One significant advance in the plant hanger and display field is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,504 issued on Dec. 24, 1991 to Bruce T. Minnick, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. That invention discloses a pot holding fixture formed from molded plastic that is capable of retaining a rimmed pot in the upright position. The fixture includes front and back walls which are connected by a reinforcing web and defines an upright body where the back wall is flat and adapted to lie against a confronting flat surface. The front wall incorporates an inverted hook/shoulder combination adapted to receive and support a flowerpot. The fixture is attachable to a wall in a load bearing relation through a screw secured in a reinforced screw hole extending from the front wall and through to the back wall.
The flower pot is attached to the fixture by securing the rim thereof between a load carrying shoulder and the inverted hook. The lower wall section provides an angled wall complementary to the taper of the flowerpot rim. Upon engagement of the rim between the shoulder and inverted hook, the flower pot rim rests against the tapered section lower wall section and resists moving out of level.
Notwithstanding the usefulness of the above-described plant hanger invention, a need still exists for a versatile rimmed container system particularly suited for hanging potted plants where the system both is easily adjusted and is capable of convertible installation in a wide variety of structural environments typically encountered, e.g., walls, ledges, railings. Furthermore, a need remains for a general utility hanging assembly that not only is readily adapted to a variety of mounting environments, but also which provides uniformity in appearance and strength for residential and commercial use.


A method for individually moving small objects, such as cells, from one location to another as well as a device for implementing the method is disclosed. A small object such as a cell is isolated at some initial location and moved to some destination location by the movement of the small object through a succession of intermediate locations until the small object arrives at the destination location. Also disclosed are methods of manipulating cells made possible by the method and device of the present invention.

The present invention relates to the field of micromanipulation and, more particularly, to a method to and device for physically manipulating small objects, especially living cells. The present invention also relates to the field of life sciences, and more particularly to a device and methods for individually manipulating cells.
In the fields of biology and medicine it is often important to study the results of the interaction between living cells and external factors such as environment, physical stimuli, chemical stimuli and other cells. Such studies are important, for example, for medical diagnostics, drug development and the understanding of basic cell function and are generally divided into two types, static and dynamic studies.
In static studies a group of cells are exposed to whatever stimulus is being studied and, after a certain time, the magnitude and nature of the reaction of the group of cells to the stimulus are determined.
In dynamic studies a single cell or a group of cells is exposed to whatever stimulus is being studied and the magnitude and nature of the reaction of the cell or group to the stimulus are determined, either continuously or discretely.
Both static and dynamic studies are often performed on a population of cells on a macroscopic scale, in cuvettes or well arrays. One disadvantage of studying populations of cells is that the results may teach of secondary effects rather than primary effects of stimuli: the response of a cell to the response of other cells to a stimulus is detected rather than the effect of the stimulus itself. Another disadvantage of such studies is that the results reflect a distribution of effects on a group of cells. This disadvantage is partially overcome by the use of homogenous populations of cells. Although the study of homogenous populations of cells is informative, results are not necessarily representative of "real-life" effects. Although theoretically possible, the required manipulations using available technologies are too difficult and too slow when applied to the study of individual cells.
Static and dynamic studies are also performed using flow cytometry. In flow cytometry, the response of a cell to a stimulus is measured or detected for a single cells moving through a medium, the cell being discarded subsequently to the measurement. Flow-cytometry allows neither the study of an individual cell over a period of time nor the study of the interaction of two or more specifically selected cells.
Practitioners of flow cytometry realize that many critical questions in cell biology, developmental biology, immunology, oncology, pharmacology and virology cannot be answered using even the most sophisticated flow cytometry techniques. It is clear to one skilled in the art that complete understanding of complex biological problem requires the dynamic manipulation and study of single cells or of a multiplicity of cells studied as individuals in parallel or sequentially.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a method to manipulate, isolate and study single, whole, living cells as individuals.

Method and device for manipulating individual small objects


A tool for inserting a hose fitting into an open end of a flexible hose includes a clamp for gripping the hose near its open end. An arm is pivoted to the clamp for swinging movement from a retracted position to an advanced position extending across the open end of the hose. The arm has an abutment adapted to press the fitting into the open end of the hose upon further swinging of the arm.

It can take a great deal of manual force to insert a barb fitting into the end of a hose and it can be particularly difficult to get the fitting started into the hose. What is needed is a tool which is capable of exerting the force needed to start and complete the insertion of a barb fitting into a hose and which can do so in a fast and expeditious manner.
A particular need exists for such a tool which can be used in tight spaces and can be actuated with two hands. When replacing barbed fittings in fluid lines, particularly those which are elevated and require use of a ladder to access, a need exists for a tool which does not generate a reaction force tending to push an operator off the ladder.
In accordance with the present invention, a tool is provided which has a clamp for gripping a hose near its open end. An arm is pivoted to the clamp for swinging movement about a pivot axis extending transversely of the gripped hose. The arm is swingable from a retracted position to an advanced position extending across the open end of the hose. The arm has an abutment which is adapted to press the fitting into the open end of the hose upon further swinging of the arm beyond its advanced position.
Preferably, the clamp has fixed and movable jaws, the jaws being of semi-cylindrical form and when closed cooperate in defining an open-ended radially stepped cylindrical vice for supporting and gripping the hose end. The arm is pivoted to a support bar carried by the fixed jaw of the clamp. The abutment on the arm is in the form of a half sphere facing the open end of the hose. The abutment, due to its hemispherical shape, has a smooth sliding action which facilitates the initial entry of the fitting into the hose.
One object of this invention is to provide a tool for inserting a fitting into an open end of a hose without crushing or damaging the hose.
Another object is to provide a tool which is of simple construction, is rugged and durable in use, and is capable of being inexpensively manufactured and easily operated.
Still another object is to provide a tool which can be used to connect fluid lines to automated machinery, particularly in hard to access locations such as elevated areas where a ladder is required for access.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds, especially when considered with the accompanying drawings.

Tool for inserting a fitting into a hose


In an example embodiment, a method, apparatus and computer program product are provided. The method includes facilitating receipt of primary depth map and plurality of color segments, the primary depth map associated with a first image and a second image that are stereoscopic pair of images of a scene, and the color segments associated with the first image. The method includes generating plurality of disparity planes based on the color segments and the primary depth map. The method includes determining aggregated cost volume between pixels of the first and second images for the disparity planes. The method includes assigning plane labels corresponding to the disparity planes to pixels of the first and second images based on the aggregated cost volume, an individual pixel being assigned a plane label. The method includes generating secondary depth map based on the plane labels assigned to the pixels of the first and second images.

Various electronic devices, for example, cameras, mobile phones, and other multimedia devices are widely used for capturing image of a scene. Some electronic devices are capable of capturing stereoscopic images, and performing depth estimation of the scene using the stereoscopic images. Depth estimation is a process that determines distance to multiple objects present in a camera view and is performed using a variety of methods. Stereo correspondence is one such method that performs the depth estimation by matching pixels in the stereoscopic images to obtain a depth map. Normally, the method of stereo correspondence includes different steps to obtain the depth map. Examples of the steps include color segmentation, cost aggregation, disparity plane estimation, and plane fitting of the segments to disparity planes of the scene. However, errors in the color segmentation, under-segmentation, and over-segmentation lead to an inaccurate depth map. Moreover, some pixels cannot be matched due to occlusion between the stereoscopic images, due to which incorrect matches are represented by holes in the depth map.

Method, apparatus and computer program product for depth estimation of stereo images


Sucralfate containing preparations which contain both an organic acid having at least two carboxyl groups or at least one carboxyl group in the molecule and sucralfate are described. The sucralfate containing preparations have enhanced sucralfate adhesion to the mucosal ulcer site even under a nonacidic condition and can be extensively applied not only to ulcers in the upper digestive tract such as esophagitis and duodenal ulcer but also to ulcers in the lower digestive tract such as proctitis and ulcerative colitis, as well as to dermal ulcers such as bedsores, stomatitis and the like.

Sucralfate is a medicine that is described in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia and commonly used as a therapeutic for gastric and duodenal ulcers. The mechanism of its action is known to be attributable to antipepsin and antacid effects and the like. Two principal effects of sucralfate are believed to be forming a highly adhesive gel under an acidic condition to cover an ulcerated surface and in binding with plasma proteins under an acidic condition to cover the ulcerated surface (i.e., a mucosa protecting action). However, for selective binding to the mucosal ulcer site, the formation of a gel under the acidic condition caused by gastric acid is essential and in areas where acids are absent such as the small intestine, colon and the skin, no chemical binding and adhesion to the ulcer site occurs, except by physical adsorption.
There have been very few cases of the application of sucralfate which has been provided with enhanced adhesion to mucous membranes as in the small intestine and colon and the only exception is found in Japanese Patent Public Disclosure No. 190127/1987, which describes the application of added, collagen to the wound site. In known cases of sucralfate application to ulcerative colitis, sucralfate suspensions prepared with methylcellulose, propylcellulose and the like being added as thickeners are administered by the enteral route (see Scand. J. Gastroenterol., vol. 24, pp. 1014, 1989, Endoscopy, vol. 18, pp. 115, 1986, etc.) but these preparations have encountered several problems, one of which is that adhesion to the ulcer site is not expected.
As for the addition of organic acids to sucralfate, Japanese Patent Publication No. 35130/1993 describes the case of adding a phosphate or citrate to a sucralfate suspension. In this case, the organic acid salts are utilized to enhance the dispersibility of the suspension. However, enhanced adhesion to the ulcer site is not expected. Japanese Patent Domestic Announcement No. 500052/1993 discloses the technique of preparing effervescent tablets by adding an organic acid and a carbonate to sucralfate. However, the purpose of this proposal is the application of effervescent sucralfate tablets to the stomach and the use of carbonates is not intended to enhance the adhesion to the ulcer site.