An airplane ground support system includes a multi-voltage power supply. This system includes an air conditioning module and a control module having a display and a processor, the display and processor presenting an airplane type or class selection menu to airplane support technicians and responding to the selection of a type or class of airplane by generating a power output selection signal designating the type of power needed by the selected type or class of airplane. The system also includes a power supply module which has an A.C. power input, at least one power output, and which receives the power output selection signal as an incoming signal. A power conversion system within the power supply module connects to the A.C. power input and supplies converted and voltage regulated power to the at least one power output. This power conversion system also receives the power conversion control signal as an input signal. A control system within the power conversion module receives measurements of the voltage at the power supply module's at least one power output and also receives the control module's power output selection signal. This control system generates the power conversion system's power conversion control signal and adjusts it to regulate the power module's output to a predetermined preset voltage level as mandated by the power output selection signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of power supplies and more specifically to multi-voltage power supplies suitable for use in a universal airplane ground support equipment cart.
2. Description of the Related Art
When an airplane is on the ground with its engines shut down, the airplane is typically unable to provide power for its electrical systems and chilled air for its air conditioning systems; and some airplanes are also unable to provide liquid coolant for some critical electronic (or "avionic") components. It is customary to connect such a grounded airplane to an airplane ground support equipment system. Such a system may have its components mounted upon a mobile equipment cart that is called an airplane ground support equipment cart and that may be parked, placed, or mounted conveniently close to an airplane requiring ground support. Such a cart typically contains an air conditioner that can provide conditioned and cooled air to an airplane plus an electrical power converter that can transform power drawn from the local power grid into power of the proper voltage (AC or DC) and frequency required by the airplane. Such an airplane ground support equipment cart may also contain a diesel engine connected to an electrical generator that enables the cart to provide both air conditioning and also electrical power for an airplane without any connection to the local power grid. And if an airplane requires a source of cooled liquid for its electronics, some carts may also include a source of liquid coolant, typically a polyalphaolefin, or PAO, heat transport fluid or liquid coolant.
In the past, particularly with regard to military airplanes, such ground support equipment carts have been custom designed to meet the specialized needs of a single particular type or class of airplane. Hence, a cart designed to support the specific requirements and needs of a first type or class of airplane cannot be used to support the differing specific requirements and needs of other types or classes of airplanes. Different airplanes typically may require different pressures and volumes of cooled air, different amounts of electrical power, different electrical voltage levels, and different electrical frequencies (or direct current). And different airplanes typically may require differing pressures and volumes of cooled liquid for use in cooling onboard electronics. Accordingly, every airport must be supplied with as many different types of ground support equipment carts as there are different types or classes of airplanes that may land and take off at each airport or military base. Problems arise when more airplanes of a particular type arrive at a specific location than there are ground support equipment carts suitably designed to service the needs of that particular type or class of airplane.
To be more specific, some airplanes require their ground support equipment to provide considerably more airflow at higher pressures than do other airplanes having smaller interiors. Some airplanes require their electrical power to be adjusted to 115 volts of alternating current (A.C.) which alternates, or flows back and forth, 400 times each second (115 volts, 400 Hz A.C.). Other airplanes require 270 volts direct current (270 volts, D.C.) that does not flow back and forth. Yet other airplanes require a source of 28 volts of direct current (28 volts, D.C.). And airplanes also differ in the amount of electrical power that they draw.
As an example of an airplane cart arrangement that provides air conditioning and electrical power conversion for an airplane, PCT patent application No. PCT/US2006/043312 (Intl. Pub. No. WO 2007/061622 A1 published on May 31, 2007) discloses an airplane ground support cart that has a modular design of its electrical conversion components. This cart provides air conditioning and electrical power conversion as well as optional electrical power generation services to airplanes. FIG. 5 reveals that the cart disclosed in this patent application may receive interchangeable, modular power conversion modules. Thus, a module 72, which generates 3-phase 115 volt 400 Hz A.C. power, may be removed and replaced with a module 78, which generates 270 volt D.C. power. FIG. 6 illustrates that this cart may also accept a module 92, which generates 28 volt D.C. electrical power.
FIG. 2 of the above PCT patent application illustrates a typical arrangement of the mechanical components of a dual air conditioning system within an airplane ground support equipment cart 14. The air conditioner's mechanical components are spread all across the entire length of the cart 14. Two sets of condenser coils 34 are positioned at one end of the cart 14; and the thickness of the coils 34 and their housing, together with the thickness of the associated cooling fans, occupies roughly one-fifth of the cart's overall length. A filter and upstream evaporation coil 30 and a downstream evaporation coil 40 and outlet connection 42 (to which can be attached a duct leading to an airplane) are positioned at the other extreme end of the cart 14, occupying somewhat less than one-fifth of the cart's overall length. A blower fan 32, a discharge plenum 38, and two compressors 36 are shown positioned in the central portions of the cart 14. These mechanical components of the air conditioning system are not confined within a rectangular module within a portion of the volume of the cart 14—these components are spread all across the cart 14 and thus cannot be conveniently removed from the cart for servicing or for use away from the cart 14. Other cart components, such as a diesel engine 54 and generator 56 (shown in FIG. 4 of the PCT application) and an electrical power converter unit 72 (shown in FIG. 5 of the PCT application) are squeezed in among the air conditioning components wherever there is room. This intermixing of non-air-conditioning components with the air-conditioning components greatly complicates servicing of all the components, since they are all crowded into the same cramped space. A service man working on the air conditioner compressors or blowers may find the diesel engine 54 and the generator 56 are in the way of these components, for example.
The air conditioning systems of such a conventional ground support equipment system is also designed to provide a particular volume of cooled air at a particular temperature and pressure to a particular type or class of airplane. If such a system has its cool air ducted into some other type or class of airplane, too much or too little air will flow from the air conditioner system, and this will throw off the balance of the air conditioning system, causing the air to be cooled too little or too much and possibly causing icing of the internal evaporators or damage to the airplane. And the temperature and pressure provided may not be proper for some other type or class of airplane. Likewise, the electrical systems may not be able to supply the needs of differing types or classes of airplanes, and the PAO liquid cooling system may not be properly balanced when used to cool the avionics of differing types or classes of airplanes.

Multi-voltage power supply for a universal airplane ground support equipment cart


An amplifier circuit includes an amplifier section (700), an equalization section (770), and an activation section (720). The P-channel transistors (702, 704) of the amplifier section are coupled to a supply terminal (802). The N-channel transistors (706, 708) of the amplifier section are coupled between the P-channel transistors and the first and second input terminals (760, 762), respectively. In the activation section, first and second pull down transistors (722, 724) are coupled between the first and second input terminals, respectively, and a second power supply terminal (726), and third pull down transistor between the first and second input terminals. The control gates of the first, second and third pull down transistors are coupled to each other. In operation, a voltage signal applied to the first and second input terminals is amplified by the N-channel transistors. A control signal is then applied to couple the first and second input terminals to a supply voltage.

Nonvolatile memory circuits such as electrically erasable programmable read only memories (EEPROM) and Flash EEPROMs have been widely used for several decades in various circuit applications including computer memory, automotive applications, and video games. Many new applications, however, require the access time and packing density of previous generation nonvolatile memories in addition to low power consumption for battery powered circuits. One nonvolatile memory technology that is particularly attractive for these low power applications is the ferroelectric memory cell. A major advantage of these ferroelectric memory cells is that they require approximately three orders of magnitude less energy for write operations than previous generation floating gate memories. Furthermore, they do not require high voltage power supplies for programming and erasing charge stored on a floating gate. Thus, circuit complexity is reduced and reliability increased.
The term ferroelectric is something of a misnomer, since present ferroelectric capacitors contain no ferrous material. Typical ferroelectric capacitors include a dielectric of ferroelectric material formed between two closely-spaced conducting plates. One well-established family of ferroelectric materials known as perovskites has a general formula ABO3. This family includes Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) having a formula Pb(ZrxTi1−x)O3. This material is a dielectric with a desirable characteristic that a suitable electric field will displace a central atom of the lattice. This displaced central atom, either Titanium or Zirconium, remains displaced after the electric field is removed, thereby storing a net charge. Another family of ferroelectric materials is Strontium Bismuth Titanate (SBT) having a formula SbBi2Ta2O9. However, both ferroelectric materials suffer from fatigue and imprint. Fatigue is characterized by a gradual decrease in net stored charge with repeated cycling of a ferroelectric capacitor. Imprint is a tendency to prefer one state over another if the ferroelectric capacitor remains in that state for a long time.
A typical one-transistor, one-capacitor (1T1C) ferroelectric memory cell of the prior art is illustrated at FIG. 1. The ferroelectric memory cell is similar to a 1T1C dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell except for ferroelectric capacitor 100. The ferroelectric capacitor (FeCAP) 100 is connected between plateline 110 and storage node 112. Access transistor 102 has a current path connected between bitline 108 and storage node 112. A control gate of access transistor 102 is connected to wordline 106 to control reading and writing of data to the ferroelectric memory cell. This data is stored as a polarized charge corresponding to cell voltage VCAP. Parasitic capacitance of bitline BL is represented by capacitor CBL 104.
Referring to FIG. 2, there is a hysteresis curve corresponding to the ferroelectric capacitor 100. The hysteresis curve includes net charge Q or polarization along the vertical axis and voltage along the horizontal axis. By convention, the polarity of cell voltage is defined as shown in FIG. 1. A stored "0", therefore, is characterized by a positive voltage at the plateline terminal with respect to the access transistor terminal. A stored "1" is characterized by a negative voltage at the plateline terminal with respect to the access transistor terminal. A "0" is stored in a write operation by applying a voltage Vmax across the ferroelectric capacitor. This stores a saturation charge Qs in the ferroelectric capacitor. The ferroelectric capacitor, however, includes a linear component in parallel with a switching component. When the electric field is removed, therefore, the linear component discharges and only the residual charge Qr remains in the switching component. The stored "0" is rewritten as a "1" by applying −Vmax to the ferroelectric capacitor. This charges the linear and switching components of the ferroelectric capacitor to a saturation charge of −Qs. The stored charge reverts to −Qr when the electric field is removed. Finally, coercive points VC and −VC are minimum voltages on the hysteresis curve that will degrade a stored data state. For example, application of VC across a ferroelectric capacitor will degrade a stored "1" even though it is not sufficient to store a "0". Thus, it is particularly important to avoid voltages near these coercive points unless the ferroelectric capacitor is being accessed.
Referring to FIG. 3, there is illustrated a typical write sequence for a ferroelectric memory cell as in FIG. 1. Initially, the bitline (BL), wordline (WL), and plateline (PL) are all low. The upper row of hysteresis curves illustrates a write "1" and the lower row represents a write "0". Either a "1" or "0" is initially stored in each exemplary memory cell. The write "1" is performed when the bitline BL and wordline WL are high and the plateline PL is low. This places a negative voltage across the ferroelectric capacitor and charges it to −Qs. When plateline PL goes high, the voltage across the ferroelectric capacitor is 0 V, and the stored charge reverts to −Qr. At the end of the write cycle, both bitline BL and plateline PL go low and stored charge −Qr remains on the ferroelectric capacitor. Alternatively, the write "0" occurs when bitline BL remains low and plateline PL goes high. This places a positive voltage across the ferroelectric capacitor and charges it to Qs representing a stored "1". When plateline PL goes low, the voltage across the ferroelectric capacitor is 0 V, and the stored charge reverts to Qr representing a stored "0".
A step sensing read operation is illustrated at FIG. 4 for the ferroelectric memory cell at FIG. 1. The upper row of hysteresis curves illustrates a read "0". The lower row of hysteresis curves illustrates a read "1". Wordline WL and plateline PL are initially low. Bitlines BL are precharged low. At time t0 precharge signal PRE goes low, permitting the bitlines BL to float. At times t1 and t2 wordline WL and plateline PL go high, respectively, thereby permitting each memory cell connected to the active wordline WL and plateline PL to share charge with a respective bitline. A stored "1" will share more charge with parasitic bitline capacitance CBL and produce a greater bitline voltage than the stored "0" as shown between times t2 and t3. A reference voltage (not shown) is produced at each complementary bitline of an accessed bitline. This reference voltage is between the "1" and "0" voltages at time t3. A difference voltage between either a "1" or "0" voltage and a corresponding reference voltage is applied to each respective sense amplifier. The sense amplifiers are activated at time t3 to amplify the difference voltage. When respective bitline voltages are fully amplified after time t3, the read "0" curve cell charge has increased from Qr to Qs. By way of comparison, the read "1" data state has changed from a stored "1" to a stored "0". Thus, the read "0" operation is nondestructive, but the read "1" operation is destructive. At time t4, plateline PL goes low and applies −Vmax to the read "1" cell, thereby storing −Qs. At the same time, zero voltage is applied to the read "0" cell and charge Qr is restored. At the end of the read cycle, signal PRE goes high and it precharges both bitlines BL to zero volts or ground. The wordline goes low, thereby isolating the ferroelectric capacitor from the bitline. Thus, zero volts is applied to the read "1" cell and −Qr is restored.
Referring now to FIG. 5, a pulse sensing read operation is illustrated for a ferroelectric memory circuit. The read operation begins at time t0 when precharge signal PRE goes low, permitting the bitlines BL to float. Wordline WL and plateline PL are initially low, and bitlines BL are precharged low. At time t1, wordline WL goes high, thereby coupling a ferroelectric capacitor to a respective bitline. Then plateline PL goes high at time t2, thereby permitting each memory cell to share charge with the respective bitline. The ferroelectric memory cells share charge with their respective bitlines BL and develop respective difference voltages. Here, V1 represents a data "1" and V0 represents a data "0". Plateline PL then goes low prior to time t3, and the common mode difference voltage goes to near zero. The difference voltage available for sensing is the difference between one of V1 and V0 at time t3 and a reference voltage (not shown) which lies approximately midway between voltages V1 and V0 at time t3. The difference voltage is amplified at time t3 by respective sense amplifiers and full bitline BL voltages are developed while the plateline PL is low. Thus, the data "1" cell is fully restored while plateline PL is low and the data "1" bitline BL is high. Subsequently, the plateline PL goes high while the data "0" bitline BL remains low. Thus, the data "0" cell is restored. The plateline PL goes low at time t4, and precharge signal PRE goes high at time t5. The high level of precharge signal PRE precharges the bitlines to ground or Vss. The wordline WL goes low at time t6, thereby isolating the ferroelectric capacitor from the bitline and completing the pulse sensing cycle.
A difference voltage at time t3 for both sensing methods of FIGS. 4 and 5 is a significant limitation to operation of the ferroelectric memory circuit. This difference voltage may be less than 80 mV under normal operating conditions. Furthermore, typical sense amplifiers of the prior art may be unable to correctly sense a difference voltage of less than 40 mV due to array noise, thermal noise, and other factors. One such factor is negative bias temperature instability. This instability is caused by high electric fields across thin transistor gate oxides. Accelerated stress tests have shown that these high electric fields may cause p-channel transistor threshold voltages to shift by more than 40 mV over several years under normal operating conditions. A particular problem arises with repeated read operations of a same data state, resulting in an asymmetrical threshold voltage shift. Referring to FIG. 7, for example, there is a schematic diagram of a sense amplifier of the prior art. The sense amplifier includes P-channel transistors 702 and 704 and N-channel transistors 706 and 708. Bitline terminal 750 and complementary bitline terminal 752 are both input and output terminals for the sense amplifier and receive a difference voltage between respective signals BL and /BL as previously described. P-channel transistor 712 and N-channel transistor 722 activate the sense amplifier after a difference voltage is applied. P-channel transistor 712 couples common source terminals of transistors 702 and 704 to power supply voltage Vdd. N-channel transistor 722 couples common source terminals of N-channel transistors 706 and 708 to power supply voltage Vss.
In operation, bitline terminals 750 and 752 are both preferably precharged to ground or Vss as previously described with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5. A wordline of a selected memory cell and its associated plateline are activated, thereby producing a signal on one of bitline terminal 750 or complementary bitline terminal 752. A reference signal is applied to the other of bitline terminal 750 or complementary bitline terminal 752. The sense amplifier is then activated by a low level of complementary sense enable signal /SEN and a high level of sense enable signal SEN. Bitline signals BL and /BL are both initially near ground or Vss as previously described at time t3 with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5. N-channel transistors 706 and 708, therefore, initially have almost no gate-to-source voltage. As a result, they do not initially amplify the difference voltage across bitline terminals 750 and 752. P-channel transistors 702 and 704 have a large negative initial gate-to-source voltage, and must initially amplify the difference voltage until a sufficient gate-to-source voltage is developed across one of N-channel transistors 702 and 704. If a threshold voltage of one of P-channel transistors 702 and 704 has shifted by 40 mV due to negative bias temperature instability, for example, the sense amplifier may incorrectly sense the data signal.


The present invention relates to high-coercivity magnetic recording media used in a hard disk drive. The magnetic recording medium comprises a nonmagnetic substrate, a seed layer comprising NiAl alloy sputtered onto the substrate, a sublayer comprising CrV alloy sputtered onto the seed layer, a magnetic layer comprising CoCrPtTaNb alloy sputtered onto the sublayer, and a carbon overcoat sputtered onto the magnetic layer. The magnetic recording medium of such a structure has improved signal-to-noise ratio, coercivity, overwrite capability, and orientation ratio thereby greatly improving the storage density and read/write capacity of the magnetic recording medium. Furthermore, the coercivity of the magnetic layer of CoCrPtTaNb alloy according to the present invention can be as high as 4000 Oersteds even without the use of the NiAl seed layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a magnetic recording medium, and more particularly, to a magnetic recording medium used in a high-density hard disk drive.
2. Description of the Prior Art
High-density hard disk drives comprising a plurality of magnetic recording media are currently widely used in computer systems for recording large amounts of data. In recent years, considerable effort has been made in achieving higher storage density and coercivity through the development of magnetic recording media using magnetic thin films. Key terms for factors affecting the storage density of magnetic recording media are defined as follows:
(a) Coercivity (Hc): the magnetic field required to reduce remanence magnetic flux to zero. A higher coercivity is associated with a higher information storage density by allowing adjacent recording bits to be placed more closely without mutual cancellation. Most material used in the industry today have an Hc greater than 2200 Oersteds (Oe).
(b) Orientation Ratio: the ratio of the coercivity of the magnetic track in the circumferential direction to that in the radial direction. An orientation ratio close to 1 indicates that the magnetic recording has a very stable signal output as its magnetic properties are less affected by the surface texture of the magnetic recording medium.
(c) Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): defined as 20*log [Signal Voltage/Noise Voltage]. A high SNR is associated with a high bit density to be read with a given degree of reliability since more signals can be detected in a low noise reading operation setting.
(d) Off Track Capability (OTC): defined as the capability of a read/write head to be shifted away from a track while information imprinted on the track is still being read.
(e) Overwrite capability (Ow): defined as 20*log [Residual LFTAA/Original LFTAA]. Overwrite capability is the effectiveness of erasing a signal read at one frequency by a higher frequency signal and provides a measure of a remaining residual signal after the old signal is overwritten by a new signal. The more negative the value of Ow the better the overwrite capability. Generally, the value is required to be less than -26 dB.
(f) Positive, Negative Modulation (PMOD, NMOD): PMOD is defined as the continuous signal present in a track above a designated percentage whereas NMOD is defined as the continuous signal present in a track below a designated percentage.
Currently, magnetic thin films in magnetic recording media of hard disk drives often use CoCrPtTa alloy/Cr, CoCrPtTa alloy/CrV alloy, or CoCrPt alloy/NiAl alloy as their magnetic layer/sublayer structures. The CoCrPtTa/Cr and CoCrPtTa/CrV alloy magnetic thin films and their off track capability (OTC) need improvement as do their orientation ratios which, at 1.2, is far removed from the most optimal value of 1. The CoCrPtTa/CrV magnetic thin film and the CoCrPt alloy/NiAl alloy magnetic thin film can generate high coercivity, however, both come with a price. To achieve high coercivity, the CoCrPtTa/CrV magnetic thin film generates high levels of noise and the CoCrPt alloy/NiAl alloy magnetic thin film requires the thickness of its magnetic layer to be over 1000 .ANG. while the NiAl alloy base layer must be between 400 .ANG..about.500. Such rigid requirements in the specific thickness of the various parts may cause implementation problems when used in some industrial applications.

Magnetic recording media used in a high-density hard disk drive


In metallic material injection molding machines, the connection between the injection nozzle and the sprue bushing has tended to leak metallic material. To overcome this problem, the nozzle has been modified to have a projecting portion or spigot that extends into a mating portion of the sprue bushing to form a seal between the respective portion walls. The nozzle and sprue bushing can move axially with respect to one another without loss of sealing whereas with the prior designs any separation between confronting annular surfaces on the sprue bushing and the nozzle would result in a loss of sealing and leakage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an improved injection nozzle for a metallic material injection-molding machine and particularly a metal alloy injection machine.
2. Related Prior Art
In metallic material injection technology the facing surfaces between the nozzle and the sprue bushing on the mold have been machined so as to be compliant with one another and designed so as to have substantial surface contact. In this design it was assumed that the carriage cylinders could apply sufficient pressure to the nozzle to prevent it from parting contact with the sprue bushing. However, it has been discovered that even when the highest acceptable force is applied at the interface between the nozzle and the sprue bushing, it is insufficient to prevent some parting at the interface. This parting at the interface creates a build up of injection material on the surfaces of the interface with the ultimate result that the interface may fail to seal and permit the leakage of the injected material with sometimes catastrophic results.
In the prior art designs, the mating geometry between the faces of the nozzle and the sprue bushing were designed to withstand the positive forces applied by the carriage cylinders and remain in positive sealing contact throughout a complete machine cycle. The mating surfaces of the nozzle and the sprue bushing might be flat, spherical, conical or any other geometric shape that would provide an acceptable area of positive contact. The positive force applied by the carriage cylinders to the interface between the sprue bushing and the nozzle was intended to overcome the reactive forces developed as a result of the injection pressure generated during injection and any dynamic forces created as a result of any energy transfer between the components of the machine involved in the injection process.
Unfortunately, it has been discovered that it is virtually impossible to provide adequate clamping force to prevent separation between the nozzle and the sprue bushing when injecting metallic material, particularly material in a thixotropic state, because such very high pressures are involved and the reactionary and dynamic forces reach such high and relatively uncontrollable levels that separation eventually occurs.
Japanese Patent 11048286 to Japan Steel Works Ltd. is a further example of a nozzle that will continue to have leakage problems when subjected to the injection pressures normally associated with metallic material injection. In that design, the nozzle has a projected cylindrical part that is inserted into a cylindrical recess in the mold. The two annular surfaces formed on the nozzle and the mold are held in annular contact so as to maintain the nozzle to mold interface sealed. It is the problem of maintaining such a seal that has been overcome by the present invention, which does not require that the nozzle be in facing contact with the mold.

Injection nozzle for a metallic material injection-molding machine


Methods for recovering valuable compounds and substances from plants after distillation of oils are disclosed. The methods involve various aqueous and non-aqueous solvent extraction of plant material from which oils have been distilled previously.

Various publications, including patents, published applications, technical articles and scholarly articles are cited throughout the specification. Each of these cited publications is incorporated by reference herein, in its entirety. Full citations for publications not cited fully within the specification are set forth at the end of the specification.
Plants of a wide variety of species have been used for health promoting and particular medicinal purposes for many thousands of years. In recent years, research has revealed that plant-based phenols, flavonoids, isoflavones, terpenes, glucosinolates and other compounds present in fruits, vegetables and leafy herbs, among other types of plants, possess antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties, among other health-promoting benefits. Among certain aromatic herbs, such as mints and oregano, essential oils and extracts have been found to contain antiseptic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antiviral agents.
Due to the ever-growing consumer preference for natural products and remedies, the value of plant derived therapeutic agents has increased steadily. Moreover, the more traditional value base of certain plant components, e.g., for the flavor and fragrance industry, has remained robust.
Essential oils constitute one type of valuable plant component. An essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aromatic compounds, obtained by distillation from various plant parts. Essential oils are used in perfumery, aromatherapy, cosmetics, incense, for flavoring food and drink, and in medicine. The medicinal value of certain essential oils can be considerable. For instance, the essential oils of oregano, which primarily contains carvacrol, thymol and p-cymene, is a powerful antibacterial and antimicrobial agent.
Essential oils are produced by water or steam distillation. Typically, the plant material is immersed in water and boiled, or exposed to steam flow. The steam and oil vapor is condensed and the oil is separated from the water. Customarily, the residual plant material is discarded once the essential oils have been distilled, on the assumption that the material would not yield additional components or substances of appreciable value once it has been subjected to the distillation process.

Recovery of residual plant components after distillation of essential oils


The present invention relates to an anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungus composition, its preparation and use. The composition of the present invention mainly includes the following three ingredients in an adequate ratio: (A) a metal compound having catalytic function; (B) ionic compound, and (C) an additive. The anti-bacterial, anti-virus, and anti-fungus composition of the present invention is capable of destroying viruses as well as killing bacterial and fungi. Therefore, the composition can be formulated as an aerosol and a film for applying to protection devices such as respirators, masks, gloves, filters, condoms, etc. The present composition can also be used in household, vehicle, hospital, school, restaurant, hotel, internet coffee shop for applying to filter of air-conditioner, tap, stool, interior of elevator and its keyboard. Additionally, the present composition can be applied to human being such as applying to hand, foot, genital organs, oral cavity, and the like in a lower dose to attain the effect of destroying bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus is first found in China and rapidly spread over Asia, Europe, North America, etc. It is commonly considered that people are infected with the virus through breathing in flying particles of saliva and phlegm of a patient affected such a disease. With increasing of mortality and serious cases, people need respirator to protect themselves from the infection while doctors and nurses need to wear protection suit in addition to the respirator. However, the current used respirators and protection suit can only inhibit viruses invading into respiratory system of human with no function of destroying bacteria and viruses. As a filter used in air-conditioner, it has only been developed to possess functions of air cleaning as well as bactericidal and fungicidal effects. Few viruses still affect human to cause serious disease and may cause human death if virus pass through protection devices such as respirators and protection suit. At present, examples of respirators include industrial respirator N95 passed the standard regulated by United States, industrial respirator FEP1 and FEP2 passed the standard regulated by European Community, medical respirator having activated carbon, general medical respirator, etc. Among them, although the N95 respirator, which is considered possessing more protection effect, can filter out about 95% non-oily particles in air, it possesses no functions of destroying viruses and bacteria.

Anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungus composition, its preparation and use


A sensor substrate 1 having on its lower surface a surface acoustic wave element 2 for detecting pressure is mounted on a supporting substrate 6 through a sealing member 4 surrounding a sensor section 2. A sealing space S is formed by the sensor substrate 1, the supporting substrate 6, and the sealing member 4, and the surface acoustic wave element 2 for detecting pressure is sealed hermetically in the sealing space S. Reliability can be enhanced by protecting the surface acoustic wave element 2 from the external environment.

Conventionally, as a pressure sensor device for detecting pressure fluctuations of gas or liquid, a type that detects fluctuations of an applied pressure as oscillation frequency changes of a sensor section has been used.
As such a conventional pressure sensor device, as shown in FIG. 40 and FIG. 41, one is known structured so that a surface acoustic wave element 104 and a surface acoustic wave element 107 formed of comb-shaped electrodes are formed as elements of a sensor section on a piezoelectric substrate 101, and a region of the surface acoustic wave element 104 is set thinner than the region of the surface acoustic wave element 107 (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 61-82130).
In the above-described pressure sensor device, when the surface acoustic wave element 104 formed in the thinned region receives pressure, the surface stress of the piezoelectric substrate 101 changes and the acoustic velocity of the surface acoustic wave changes, and the intervals of the electrodes of the surface acoustic wave element 104 also change. Accordingly, the resonance frequency of the surface acoustic wave element 104 changes, and based on this change in resonance frequency, the pressure can be detected.
The pressure sensor device also has a function to compensate the temperature according to a change in resonance frequency of the surface acoustic wave element 107 formed on the same piezoelectric substrate.
However, in the above-described conventional pressure sensor device, the surface acoustic wave element 104 formed on the sensor substrate 101 is exposed to the surface of the sensor substrate 101, and no member is provided to protect this, so that when this pressure sensor device is used in a manner in that pressure is applied to the sensor substrate 101, the surface acoustic wave element 104 is exposed to the air containing moisture, and this causes oxidation corrosion and deterioration of the surface acoustic wave element 104 made of aluminum or the like. In such a case, it may become impossible to normally work the pressure sensor device.
In addition, in the above-described pressure sensor device, there is another possibility that foreign matter adheres to the surface of the surface acoustic wave element 104 exposed to the air during use. In this case, the electrode fingers of the surface acoustic wave element 104 are electrically short-circuited by the foreign matter and their normal resonance characteristics cannot be obtained, and it becomes impossible to normally work the pressure sensor device.
Furthermore, in the above-described conventional pressure sensor device, an oscillating circuit to be connected to the surface acoustic wave element 104 is disposed so as to be separated from the sensor substrate 101, and therefore, it is difficult to downsize the entire structure of the pressure sensor device, and the wiring that connects the surface acoustic wave element 104 and the oscillating circuit is easily influenced by electromagnetic noise, resulting in erroneous operations and lowering in measuring accuracy.


Methods are disclosed for correcting biological information transfer in a patient in need of such therapy which comprise administration to a patient of a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a biocomplex comprising at least one bioactive agent from each of the three informational blocks of biological information transfer, each agent being present in an amount sufficient to correct the biological information transfer of the patient under treatment and resulting in the resumption of normal cell metabolism, said amount being less than the buffering amount of said agent; together with a carrier therefor.

Normalcy and stability in the functional activity of living organisms and adaptation by the organism to newly developing situations is possible only with the stability of internal informational links within the organism, i.e., only with the informational stability of a living organism. The transfer of biological information and realization of its effects in living organisms has a complex multi-step character and includes vertical and horizontal links with a multitude of feedbacks at various stages.
Structurally, this complex multi-step biological information transfer can be subdivided into three basic levels: the generation and transfer of information; the recognition and decoding of initial information; and intracellular transformation of decoded information into a new external/outgoing signal. This information transfer is shown schematically in FIG. 1.
The generation of initial internal information takes place both within specialized organs synthesizing and secreting these or other biologically active substances and at the final stage of activity of the majority of cells in the living organism. The difference can consist only in the strength, character, concentration, and informational value of the information being generated. The information being generated represents only the first degree messengers. In other words, the carriers of the initial internal information are the various information substances modulating the final effects that are necessary at the output of the entire information chain.
The majority of biologically active substances, hormones etc. that have specific receptors in cells and target organs belong to this group of first degree messengers. Very often the place of synthesis and secretion of first degree messengers is at a considerable distance from the place of their final realization (cells and target organs). The most frequent (although not the only) way of transporting these substances to the cells and target organs is via the blood circulatory system. Another type of first degree messenger is the typical medicament, which due to its stereochemical structure, functions by acting upon various specific receptors in the cells and/or in target organs.
At the second level of biological information transfer is the recognition and decoding of initial information. This important element of information regulation involves the recognition of the first degree information substances and is carried out by strictly specific cell receptors. These receptors are typically located on the cell membrane (membrane receptors) or within the cells (cytosol or nuclear receptors), and included in their structure a polymeric molecule as a carrier of biological specificity. Any biomolecule specifically joining chemical compounds (ligand, agonist, antagonist, medication etc.) on the surface or within the cell and transforming received information into the cell's biological response can serve as a receptor. After the initial information is recognized by cellular receptors, it is processed by being decoded. Decoding of the incoming signal is possible due to conformational changes of the receptor structure and the activation of cell membrane and or intracellular decoding systems. Both decoding factors are strictly specific and are activated only after the complex of first degree messengers and cell receptors has been formed.
The effective realization of the process of this second level, as well as the regulation and stability thereof, depends to a great extent on the functional state and activity of transmembrane and intracellular conjunction agents, such as lipids, phospholipids, and other cell membrane structural components, etc.
At the third level, decoded information is transformed intracellularly into a new external/outgoing signal. This transformation of a molecular signal into a biochemical reaction consists in the synthesis of new information substances. It is important to point out that the intracellular information transfer has a more unified nature than the transfer of information at the previous two levels. More precisely, for each informational substance of the first degree and its corresponding receptor there is no specific agent responsible for the further transfer of intracellular information.
Thus, there are only a few universal ways of intracellular information transfer, which fall into one of the two following groups: extended notion of intracellular second degree messengers--signal transformation and transfer by means of cyclic nucleotides, inositol triphosphate-diacylglycerol line, Ca.sup.++ --calmodulin way, etc; or multifactor activators--translocation and intramolecular tie up of receptors with cell acceptors, temperature activation of first degree messenger-receptor complexes, ionic forces, intracellular cascade system, etc.
One can readily observe reduced diversity (but not intensity) of biological information transfer on the third level, which ensures the universal stability of the signal transfer and transformation structure on the intracellular level. All of this is expressed in the closed-system character of the intracellular information volume throughout the second degree messengers and their analogs.
Effective transformation of the decoded signal into the cell's biological response depends to a great extent on the functional activity of non-specific cell transmitters and trigger systems, particularly such as intracellular prostaglandins of various groups, i.e., PGE.sub.1&2, PGF.sub.1&2, PGA, PGB, prostacyclins, thromboxans, etc. Thus, normal functioning of intracellular information volume is ensured by the buffer concentration of intracellular prostaglandins. Intracellular information transformation and transfer leads to the activation of specific chromatin acceptor locations which initiate multiple specific effects, with transcription processes being initially modulated. The final effect of this complex chain of information transfer is stimulation/suppression of DNA synthesis, i.e., the final cellular response--information transformation from first degree messengers to a new cell output signal, which consists in the synthesis (generation) of new information substances. These newly-formed information substances, in their turn, influence the type and intensity of the signal which caused their stimulation/suppression by means of a feedback mechanism.
If structurally the transfer of biological information and the realization of its effects in living organisms is expressed in terms of three levels, it physically materializes itself in the form of informational blocks as shown in FIG. 2. It is important to point out that the transfer of biological information by blocks actually corresponds to the levels of information transfer.
The first informational block involves the formation of initial information, and includes two stages: synthesis and secretion of first degree messengers of natural origin, or introduction of artificial or non-naturally occurring substances; and the transporting of information substances to cells and target organs.
The second informational block involves the identification of information and includes two stages; strictly specific cell reception of the first degree messengers; and the decoding of a signal carried by the first degree messengers.
The third informational block involves the transformation of a molecular signal into a biochemical reaction and includes a set of intracellular transformers of decoded initial information and their transmitters into the cell final outgoing signal, which results in the synthesis of new information substances.
The informational stability of a living organism is thus affected by four factors: the intensity of influence (in terms of amount and concentration) of an entire group of antagonistically acting first degree informational substances (the first informational block); the presence (in terms of amount and activity) in cells and target organs of specific receptors for certain first degree information substances that initiate intracellular processes resulting in the synthesis of genetically determined new information substances (the second informational block); the functional state (in terms of amount and activity) of intracellular regulating mechanisms transforming the molecular signal into a biochemical reaction (the third informational block); and the genetic determination of the cell function.
When any of these factors are disturbed, a pathology results. Various pathologies have their basis in various stages of the biological information transfer. Thus, a common basis for therapy exists for all pathologies wherein this information transfer has been adversely affected.
Present methods of correction and/or treatment of the different pathologies (as well as skin dysfunctions) are aimed towards attempting to reconstruct the transfer of biological information both by means of interacting directly with the first degree messengers (peptides, steroids, lipids, etc.) and indirectly through the change in the activity and/or amount of the first degree information substances.
It is necessary to emphasize that such methods utilize the first degree informational substances in amounts greatly exceeding the endogenic production of these substances. For instance, prednisone, a commonly prescribed glucocorticosteroid hormone that is about 6-8 times more active that its endogenous analog hydrocortisone, is typically administered by injection in a dosage of 30 mg or orally, in a daily dosage of 12-16 mg. This is approximately equivalent to 40-60 days of the total production of the adrenal cortex gland (corticosuprarenal gland) of hydrocortisone. Taking into account the activity differential, one typical daily therapeutic dose of prednisone is similar to the amount produced by a normally functioning gland over a period of about ten months.
Additionally, the physiological and biochemical response from "therapeutic" and "physiological" dosages of bioactive substances are very different. Frequently, unusual and non-physiological effects are observed when the same bioactive substance is used in amounts exceeding the physiological level.
These current therapeutic practices are not without consequences since the administration of such amounts exceed the organism's normal endogenous production, and as a result causes the loss of the control of the organism's buffering mechanism. This results in a failure of restoration of the disrupted metabolism (disrupted transfer of biological information). The new non-physiological regulation quickly gets out of order, thereby creating more and more disruptions in the normal biological information transfer and making the organism's informational transfer unstable.
By referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, which diagram normal biological information transfer, it can be seen to what degree present therapeutic methods of treatment are inadequate and inefficient to ensure the information stability of the organism.
A most important aspect of any therapeutic method is the delivery of the active to the target receptor or cell of the organism. The delivery system utilized must provide stability for the active therein, while still allowing the absorption/delivery thereof. To effect useful therapy it is necessary that both requirements be met by the drug delivery system. Especially in the areas of topical and parenteral administration, it is critical to efficacy to provide a delivery system which crosses the cell membrane and allows the active agent or agents to exert their effects.
Stratum corneum, the outer layer of skin, is a multi-cellular membrane of flattened, metabolically active cells. In living organisms, the membrane is dynamic, and the transfer or non-transfer of various agents across this membrane is an important basis of both drug and cosmetic therapy. In order to provide useful therapeutic and cosmetic formulations, it is necessary to utilize a delivery system which is both compatible with the skin, i.e., non-irritating, and which will allow and even facilitate the transfer of the active agent, whether cosmetic or therapeutic, across the skin membrane. It is additionally necessary to utilize a delivery system in which the bioactive components are physically and chemically stable, yet still available for absorption.

Therapeutic methods utilizing naturally derived bio-active complexes and delivery systems therefor


A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a pixel array configured to include a first analog-to-digital conversion unit and a second analog-to-digital conversion unit, a first electrical signal supply unit configured to supply an electrical signal to the first analog-to-digital conversion unit, and a second electrical signal supply unit configured to supply an electrical signal to the second analog-to-digital conversion unit.

1. Field of the Invention
One disclosed aspect of the embodiments relates to a photoelectric conversion apparatus and a photoelectric conversion system in which each pixel includes an analog-to-digital conversion unit that converts an analog signal into a digital signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-203736, a photoelectric conversion apparatus is known in which pixel signals to be output from a plurality of pixels are subjected to analog-to-digital conversion in the plurality of pixels. A signal output from each pixel is a digital signal, and may be repeatedly output nondestructively.
In addition, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-296364, a photoelectric conversion apparatus is disclosed in which pixels are arranged in a matrix and different bias voltages are supplied to at least signal lines, to each of which pixels in each column output signals, in adjacent columns.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus, method for driving the same, and photoelectric conversion system using first and second analog-to-digital converters to convert analog signal from respective plural electrical signal supply units based on signal change


A micro-filter for filtering blood cells has a plurality of filtering channel structures, each having a first through hole and a first concave portion connecting to each other, and a plurality of through channel structures respectively connect to the filtering channel structures. Each defines a second through hole opposite the first concave portion, whereby the filtering channel structures are respectively attached to the through channel structures to provide more than two filtering effects.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a micro-filter for filtering blood cells, and more particularly to a two-channel structure made by MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) technology, whereby a different channel width between the two channel structures is used to provide more than two filtering effects.
(2) Description of the Related Art
The trend in articles and instruments for medical purposes already is towards small size and personal scale. In general, a filtering instrument can be used to separate the blood cells into leukocytes, erythrocytes, hematoblasts and serums according to the size of the blood cells, but the filtering instrument is too big and expensive. The prior art is exemplified by the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,360, with reference to FIG. 1. A micro-mold 1a is manufactured using micro-machining technology (such as micro-electrical-discharge machining technology, laser-beam micro-machining and electron beam micro-machining), and a molding material is placed in the micro-mold 1a. The molding material is allowed to solidify to form a micro-filter. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the micro-filter has a plurality of channels 2a for filtering one type of blood cells, so that the micro-filter is not only expensive to manufacture, but also incapable of filtering more that one type of blood cell.

Industrial Technology Research Institute


Propeller pump for pumping liquid, including: an axially extending tubular pump housing having an inner surface, an axially extending pump core having an envelope surface, at least one axial portion of the pump core enclosed in the pump housing. The pump core includes a propeller having a hub and at least one blade, and at least one guide vane that includes an upstream leading edge and a downstream trailing edge, and that in the circumferential direction includes a pressure side and a suction side. The guide vane extends between the inner surface of the pump housing and the envelope surface of the pump core. At the leading edge of the guide vane a connection angle between the suction side of the guide vane and the envelope surface of the pump core is larger than 90 degrees.

In a section of such a propeller pump, a so-called diffuser having guide vanes is found, which is a section of the propeller pump wherein deflection of the flow of the liquid stream as well as pressure recovery occurs after the liquid has left the propeller of the propeller pump. More precisely, the function of the diffuser and guide vanes is to deflect/reroute the liquid stream that leaves the propeller of the propeller pump in the rotational direction as well as in the radial-axial direction, with the purpose of obtaining an output liquid stream from the diffuser and primarily parallel to the rotation axis of the propeller pump. Construction-wise, this means, among other things, that the pump core has a convex shape downstream the propeller in order to deflect the liquid stream partly directed radially outward that leaves the propeller into an axial liquid stream.
When the diameter of the convex surface no longer increases, but changes to levelling out or slightly decreasing, a negative pressure gradient is provided that is directed upstream parallel to the envelope surface of the pump core and that is adjacent to the envelope surface of the pump core. This so-called negative axial pressure gradient increases when the radius of curvature of the convex surface begins to increase, i.e., begins to level out, as viewed in the axial direction, which implies that a boundary layer closest to the envelope surface of the pump core also increases in the direction downstream. The boundary layer exhibits a considerably reduced speed and eventually a rearwardly directed speed, or reverse flow/stream. In order to avoid that the negative axial pressure gradient becomes so large that reverse flow arises, it is known to make the radius of curvature of the convex surface sufficiently large. However, this implies the disadvantage that the axial length of the propeller pump increases, which is most pronounced for large propeller pumps having a diameter of approx. 1-2 m and an axial length of approx. 3-4 m.
Furthermore, the area wherein the suction side of the guide vane meets the envelope surface of the pump core is extra susceptible to separation, i.e., emergence of reverse flow. This depends foremost on the boundary layer along the envelope surface of the pump core being added to a such a boundary layer that is present on the suction side of the guide vane in the area where the radius of curvature of the convex suction side of the guide vane begins to increase, as viewed in the axial direction, which in summary leads to further increased risk of reverse flow and thereby large losses.


A stabilizing DC current interface for an electro-deionization (EDI) water purifying module. Each EDI module comprises anionic/cationic membranes, a center pipe, nets/spacers in concentrate/dilute water chambers and an anode and cathode for coupling to the stabilizing DC current interface. Because a stabilized DC current is provided by the interface, the power to each EDI module is not influenced by water temperature, flow rate, water quality in the module, thereby providing a stabilized quality product water while saving energy. A plurality of EDI modules can be operated in electrical series using a DC current interface resulting in reduced DC power consumption.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an electro-deionization (EDI) water producing apparatus adapted to transfer ions in a liquid under the influence of an electric field, and more particularly, to such an EDI apparatus that utilizes stabilizing DC current.
2. Description of Related Art
Previously, various techniques have been developed to purify and isolate liquids or to obtain concentrated pools of specific ions or molecules from a liquid mixture, such as electrodialysis, liquid chromatography, membrane filtration, ion exchange, etc. Electro-deionization (EDI) is a technique that removes ionizable species from liquids using electrically-active media in an electrical potential to influence ion transport. The electrically-active media may alternatively collect and discharge ionizable species, or facilitate the transport of ions continuously by ionic or electronic substitution mechanisms.
The first apparatus and method for treating liquids by EDI was described by Kollsman in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,689,826 and 2,815,320. Improved EDI systems have been shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,925,541; 4,931,160 and 5,316,637. The typical structure of a module used for EDI includes alternating electroactive semi-permeable anion and cation ion exchange membranes in a stack mechanical sheet type structure.
An EDI apparatus having a helical configuration is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,528 (the '528 patent, which is based upon Chinese Patent No. 98223514) and whose entire disclosure is incorporated by reference herein. In the '528 patent, an insulated net-separating wall is positioned between a pair of anion and cation exchange membranes to form a special membrane bag type flow unit (hereinafter referred to a "first flow unit"). Each first flow unit is linked with at least one slot on a side wall of a central pipe, and is rolled to form a spiral wounded cylinder structure which centers on the central pipe. A conductive crust or shell is formed by winding metal outside the cylinder and electrically-active media (e.g., ion exchange resin) is inserted into the regions between the membrane bags to form a second flow unit. The product is enclosed by a housing with dome-shaped covers.
Previously, because of the electrode configuration, (for example Chinese Patent No. 98223514 which uses simple bridge-type rectification), energizing such EDI modules, unstable currents between the electrodes are experienced due to variances which include factors such as, but not limited to, unstable or fluctuating feedwater temperature, feedwater flow rate and feedwater quality, unstable or fluctuating EDI module input voltage, variances in construction of EDI modules themselves, etc., resulting in unstable product water quality. Thus, there remains a need for stabilizing these currents between the electrodes. There also remains a need for configuring a plurality of EDI modules with an electrical power interface while reducing the current requirement.
All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Zhejiang Omex Enviromental Engineering Ltd.


A lever-type mop has a base, a cleaning unit, a connecting seat and a rod. The cleaning unit is attached on the bottom of the base. The rod is connected pivotally to the base through the connecting seat. The base has notches and the rod has a corresponding limiting protrusion. A bucket operated in coordination with the lever-type mop has an inclined surface and a straining board mounted under the inclined surface. When straining the cleaning unit, the base and the cleaning unit are put on the straining board and the rod is pivoted downward. With the abutting forces from the limiting protrusion and the inclined surface on opposite sides, the cleaning unit is squeezed. Therefore, the mop and the bucket have simple structures to achieve the purpose of squeezing the cleaning unit without touching the cleaning unit directly by the user's hand.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lever-type mop and a bucket for the same, especially to a lever-type mop for cleaning and to a bucket that is cooperated with the lever-type mop.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
Mops are widely used for cleaning. Generally, the mops are used with buckets. Water is contained in the bucket such that the user can wash the mop nearby in the bucket to remove surplus water within the mop, so the mop can be used for cleaning again. In the past, the user had to manually squeeze the mop to get rid of the surplus water. However, squeezing the mop directly by hands easily harms the user's health because the mop and the surplus water are usually dirty.
Thus, some conventional mops and conventional buckets are invented to get rid of the surplus water by rotating the mop at high speed. However, those conventional mops and the conventional buckets have complicated gears or screw rods to implement the high speed rotation such that the conventional mops and the conventional buckets are not only expensive but also easily damaged because of the high speed rotation.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a lever-type mop and a bucket for the same to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


A leadscrew driving arrangement which is corrected to eliminate the effect of pitch errors. The leadscrew is mapped to create a table of differences between the leadscrew angular position and the corresponding angular position of a perfect leadscrew which has been advanced the same axial distance. The differences are used to create a correction table which is stored in a PROM. During operation of the leadscrew, the correction table is used to adjust the leadscrew driving signal.

This invention relates to the field of leadscrew driving. It has particular application to drivers for leadscrews which are installed in high resolution engraving systems. In such a system an engraving stylus may be mounted on a carriage which is carried by a leadscrew along a linear path in engraving contact with the surface of a rotating cylinder such as a gravure printing cylinder. The invention also has application to engraving systems wherein the cutting is performed by a high energy laser.
Leadscrews are provided with a long helical thread which passes through a threaded nut. The leadscrew is supported in a manner such that it is free to rotate but without any axial movement. The nut is fixed against rotation but is free to move axially along the leadscrew. A working head is secured to the nut, so that when the leadscrew rotates, the head moves in the axial direction. The screw may be driven by a motor assembly which responds to electronic pulses and which rotates through a defined angular increment for each applied pulse.
When used in a precision application of the type contemplated for this invention, a leadscrew must have an extremely accurate pitch. Small pitch errors in the leadscrew produce corresponding errors in the position of the working head relative to the workpiece. Sometimes the errors are cyclic in nature, and other times they are substantially local. The errors may occur abruptly or may accumulate gradually. In any event, they can cause production of an unacceptable workpiece.
Prior art engraving systems have used the most accurate (and expensive) leadscrews available and have simply tolerated errors which could not be machined out of the leadscrews. The use of shaft angle feedback does not solve the leadscrew pitch problem, because the work head location is not a linear function of the shaft angle being measured.
It is therefore seen that there is a need for leadscrew driving apparatus which is able to position a workpiece with improved accuracy. More particularly, there is a need for a leadscrew drive which has a linear relationship between a commanded net rotation angle of the leadscrew and the responding axial position of a work head.

Apparatus and method for driving a leadscrew


The apparatus and method of the present invention employ solid state dynamic diffractive optical elements for reading information from a diffractive optics memory. The diffractive optics memory has stored therein information located at a plurality of points of the memory and at a plurality of angles at each one of the points so as to form a plurality of packets of information at each of the points. A matrix of the dynamic diffractive optical elements is configured to shape a laser beam to address the memory at one of the angles of one of the points to reconstruct one of the packets of information.

The large storage capacities and relative low costs of CD-ROMS and DVDs have created an even greater demand for still larger and cheaper optical storage media. Holographic memories have been proposed to supersede the optical disc as a high-capacity digital storage medium. The high density and speed of the holographic memory comes from three-dimensional recording and from the simultaneous readout of an entire packet of data at one time. The principal advantages of holographic memory are a higher information density (1011 bits per square centimeter or more), a short random access time (˜100 microseconds and less), and a high information transmission rate (109 bit/sec).
In holographic recording, a light beam from a coherent light source (e.g., a laser) is split into a reference beam and an object beam. The object beam is passed through a spatial light modulator (SLM) and then into a storage medium. The SLM forms a matrix of shutter (in the binary case) or, more generally, a matrix of photocells modulating the light intensity that represents a packet of data. The object beam passes through the SLM which acts to modulate the object beam with the data input to the SLM. The modulated object beam is then processed by an appropriate optical system and then directed to one point on the storage medium by an addressing mechanism where it intersects with the reference beam to create a hologram representing the packet of data.
An optical system consisting of lenses and mirrors is used to precisely direct the optical beam encoded with the packet of data to the particular addressed area of the storage medium. Optimum use of the capacity of a thick storage medium is realized by spatial and angular multiplexing. In spatial multiplexing, a set of packets is stored in the storage medium shaped into a plane as an array of spatially separated and regularly arranged subholograms by varying the beam direction in the x-axis and y-axis of the plane. Each subhologram is formed at a point in the storage medium with the rectangular coordinates representing the respective packet address as recorded in the storage medium. In angular multiplexing, recording is carried out by keeping the x- and y-coordinates the same while changing the irradiation angle of the reference beam in the storage medium. By repeatedly incrementing the irradiation angle, a plurality of packets of information is recorded as a set of subholograms at the same x- and y-spatial location.
Previous holographic devices for recording information in a highly multiplexed volume holographic memory, and for reading the information out, require components and dimensions having a large size which places a limit on the ability to miniaturize these systems. Because previous holographic devices use motors and large-scale components such as mirrors and lenses, the addressing systems of these previous devices are slow. Furthermore, the mechanical components of these previous devices need frequent maintenance to correct errors and dysfunction coming, for instance, from wear and friction (i.e., tribology effect). Furthermore, previous addressing systems are expensive because they use complex systems for control. Thus, their prices cannot be lowered by mass production. Moreover, previous devices are not economical in their energy consumption. Even when previous addressing devices are accurate when new, the wear and friction of the interacting surfaces that are in relative motion lowers their accuracy with time.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide one or more techniques which overcomes the above-described inadequacies and shortcomings of the above-described proposed solutions.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dynamic diffractive optics reading system made of solid state components.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for reading a diffractive optics memory having components that operate faster than systems produced today.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for reading a diffractive optics memory having components that more accurately target movement of the laser beams onto the recorded regions of the diffractive optics memory.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for reading a diffractive optics memory having miniature component sizes.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide inexpensive components for a dynamic diffractive optics reading system.

Dynamic solid state diffractive optics applied for reading a diffractive optics memory


A firearm accessory is rotatable on two axes through the use of a sleeve mounted on a bearing comprising of a first part and a second part the second part being rotatable and coupled to the first part facilitating a central opening and a first rotational motion and protrusions with at least one hinge from the sleeve attaching to a mirror device acting as a second rotational motion. An alternative teaches digital control of a swinging mirror assembly having spring acting ball actuators providing the digital action between the actuators and a surface. In another alternative, two armatures also are taught that connect a reflective device to a bearing mounted sleeve in front of or behind a target viewing device. Any of these may be directly rail mounted with appropriate attachment devices or directly connected to or manufactured as an integral part of a reflex sight, night vision, scope or similar viewing system of a firearm.

In general, firearm accessories have long been established for mounting on rifles and pistols. Such accessories include red dot sights, high powered lights, night vision, scopes, laser sights, and the like. All of the aforementioned firearm accessories aid in locating and pinpointing a target, however, the aforementioned prior art offers no protection to the user in a theater of combat in that they fail to provide the user with the ability to accurately locate and pinpoint a target with the user being in the many various positions that he would have to position himself while taking cover during incoming fire in a theater of combat in that the user would have to expose himself as a target to the accurate use of a firearm.
In other words, in order to accurately locate, pinpoint, and fire on a target, the user of the firearm must become a target to do so which presents a problem in that first responders, soldiers, and law enforcement personnel often encounter hostile combatants, violent actors, or offenders who carry pistols, rifles, or other weapons. In military scenarios, battles and other military operations, often occur in urban theaters requiring armed forces to patrol and engage in battle in towns and cities. Personnel on patrol in dangerous areas must regularly take cover behind obstacles such as buildings, vehicles, trees, homes, etc. and have to locate and fire on hostile combatants from protective cover. The problem is that with friendly combatants' entire body being behind cover, a clear lineal view to be able to locate and accurately fire on advancing hostile forces cannot be accomplished without looking over or around these fortified structures to both locate and fire on hostiles, exposing himself as a target while doing so. In fact, statistics tell us that as much as 50 percent of American casualties occur on the battlefield while doing so.

Rotationally deployed non-blocking firearm mirror accessory


A method for PH calculation and a terminal are provided. The method includes: receiving a path loss reference change indication; and calculating a PH by using a specific path loss reference, where the specific path loss reference includes a path loss reference before receiving the path loss reference change indication, or a changed path loss reference indicated by the path loss reference change indication.

In a communications system, a terminal needs to report a power headroom report (Power Headroom Report, PHR). The PHR includes a PH, which may also be referred to as a cell power headroom. Certainly, the PHR may further include a maximum transmission power for a cell (Pcmax.c). The PH is calculated from values or the like measured by a terminal based on a path loss reference (Path loss reference). However, the path loss reference in current communications systems is pre-configured for the terminal. In other words, the path loss reference obtained by the terminal is always unchanged, which results in poor performance of PH reporting.


A communication system includes a data-transmitting unit, at least one data-receiving unit, and a network connecting the data-transmitting unit and the at least one data-receiving device with each other. The data-transmitting unit comprises a first network circuit that adds identification information for identifying attributes of data for transmission to the data for transmission and changes the identification information when there is a change in the attributes of the data for transmission. The at least one data-receiving unit each comprise a second network circuit that delivers a signal demanding attribute information indicative of the attributes of the data when there is a change in the identification information added to the data received from the data-transmitting unit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a communication system for transmitting and receiving data, such as audio data and image data, between a data-transmitting unit and data-receiving units connected to each other via a network.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, there is known a communication system constituted by a data-transmitting unit, data-receiving units, and a network connecting the data-transmitting unit with the data-receiving units, wherein the data-transmitting unit generates data, such as audio data and image data, in a predetermined format (defining a data compression format, sampling frequency, etc.) and sends the generated data to the data-receiving units together with attribute information indicative of attributes of the generated data, i.e. the predetermined format, while the data-receiving units each interpret (evaluate) the received data based on the attribute information received together therewith.
The attribute information is changed, in the case of transmission of musical sound data, e.g. when an attribute of the musical sound data, such as sampling frequency, is changed between songs or tunes. In general, however, such a change in the attribute information does not occur so frequently. On the other hand, the attribute information is large in amount compared with the amount of data transmitted per unit time. Therefore, to improve the efficiency of data transmission, a method of data transmission has been conventionally employed in which the attribute information is sent only once just before transmission of data such as musical sound data, e.g. by allocating the attribute information at the head of song or tune data.
The conventional communication system employs the above method of sending attribute information on the assumption that the data-transmitting unit per se and the data-receiving units per se are not changed during data transmission, and this can cause failure of normal data transmission and reception. For example, if the data-receiving unit is changed to another data receiving unit, or a new data-receiving unit is connected to the network, i.e. the correspondence between the data-transmitting unit and the data-receiving unit is changed, before transmission of a series of data, such as data of musical pieces (musical sound data), is completed, the other or newly connected data-receiving unit does not have the attribute information immediately after the just change or the new connection, so that this unit cannot determine what format the received data has, and as a result cannot interpret the received data, whereby normal data transmission and reception cannot be instantly carried out.
One possible solution to the above problem would be to transmit attribute information, constantly or at predetermined time intervals, throughout the whole process of data transmission. However, this solution suffers from a drawback of degraded data transmission efficiency due to frequent transmission of attribute information large in amount. Further, the above technique of transmitting data at predetermined time intervals suffers from another drawback that the other or newly-connected data-receiving unit cannot obtain the attribute information instantly after the unit change or the new connection, depending on the timing thereof, and in such a case it takes a certain time period before the settings of the newly connected data-receiving unit become effective. In short, there is a problem that the data-receiving unit cannot instantly perform proper interpretation of the received data after the unit change or the new connection.
Thus, the conventional communication system suffers from incompatibility between the demand for enhanced data transmission efficiency and the demand for instant proper interpretation of the received data by data-receiving units, which is essentially difficult for the conventional communication system to overcome.


Detailed are fluid flow deflectors principally for use with sweep tail hoses of automatic swimming pool cleaners. The deflectors do not function principally on gravitational forces and need not necessarily employ flexible components or attachments for purposes of effecting deflection. Instead, the deflectors may be rigid and continually position a fixed obstacle in a central portion of a fluid stream. Perforations in a rigid wall, moreover, draw fluid into the deflectors, creating a greater volume of exiting stream when an associated pool cleaner is underwater.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0011521 of Collins discloses an example of a deflector of water exiting a sweep tail hose of an automatic swimming pool cleaner. The deflector is "a relatively flexible structure in comparison with the sweep tail hose," see Collins, p. 1, ¶ 0008, and includes a mounting collar and multiple "elongated and highly flexible fingers projecting in a downstream direction." See id., p. 3, ¶ 0029 (numerals omitted). As noted in the Collins application:                During normal submerged operation as the pool cleaner and sweep tail hose travel over submerged pool floor and side wall surfaces, water jetted from the sweep tail hose flows substantially without restriction through the deflector. However, when the discharge end of the sweep tail hose breaks the surface of water within the swimming pool, the relatively flexible deflector falls by gravity over the otherwise open discharge end of the sweep tail hose to deflect water jetted therefrom. Accordingly, the deflector effectively knocks down and prevents water jetted from the sweep tail hose from spraying over any significant distance or area of a surrounding pool deck region.See id., p. 1, ¶ 0008.
Described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,906 to Cooper is another deflector likewise designed to exploit principles of gravity. Detailed as being a "hole filled cover," see Cooper, Abstract, 1.3, the flexible device of the Cooper patent moves, under force of gravity, to intercept a flowing water stream when a sweep tail hose exits a pool. Preferred devices are tubular bags of flexible woven metal material that supposedly allow water to pass through unaffected when the sweep tail is underwater. See id., col. 4, 11.31-45.
Water exits sweep tail hoses of at least some automatic swimming pool cleaners under significant pressure. Indeed, such pressure often may be sufficient to separate the flexible fingers of the deflector of the Collins application when the hoses break the surfaces of pool water. If this separation occurs, no deflection of flow will occur thereafter, and the stream of exiting water will continue unabated. Additionally, the tubular bags of the Cooper patent likely produce back pressure when the sweep tail hoses are underwater, reducing the effectiveness of the hoses and the associated cleaners. Accordingly, need exists for deflectors that function satisfactorily when sweep tail hoses are both underneath and above pool water surfaces.

Fluid flow deflector assemblies principally for connection to sweep tail hoses of automatic swimming pool cleaners


A method and a system for using the method are provided. The method and system allow a low power device having an asymmetric link to access a wireless network to exchange beacons with any one of a plurality of normal power devices in the wireless network. The method includes the steps of confirming whether the low power device has the asymmetric link with the normal power device, when the low power device receives a beacon of the low power device based on the received beacon; negotiating with at least one relay device so that the low power device requests a relay with respect to the asymmetric link, when the low power device has an asymmetric link with the normal power device; and at least one relay device noting a result of the negotiation to the low power device and a normal power device with which the low power device is intending to communicate, based on the result of the negotiation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless personal area network (WPAN). More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of beacon exchange between devices with asymmetric links and a system using the method in the WPAN which may efficiently reduce beacon slot collisions and distributed reservation protocol (DRP) collisions.
2. Description of the Related Art
As it is known to a person working in this field, wireless personal area networks are defined to operate in the personal operating space, i.e. in a range of approximately 10 meters. Some of the protocols defining the physical and data link layer of wireless personal area devices are governed by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) Standards Board. Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology can provide data rates exceeding several hundreds of Mbps in this personal operating space.
In wireless personal area networks, the medium is shared between all the devices for communication with each other. It necessitates that a medium access control (MAC) mechanism for the devices should be available to manage medium access, broadly including how it may join the network, how each device provides its information to the network, how it can transfer data at the required rate to another device, how the medium is best used and so on. Medium access control for wireless personal area networks can be designed in two approaches—centralized and distributed. In the centralized approach, one of the device acts on behalf of the whole network to coordinate in managing the media access operations for all the devices, and all other devices seek help of the centralized coordinator for media access operations like joining the network, reserving channel time and so on. In the distributed approach, the media access operations are distributed evenly across all the devices in the network and they share the load of managing media access operations for each other.
A wireless personal area network does not have any centralized coordinator, and the devices use the distributed approach for medium access control. All devices cooperate and share information with each other to perform media access control tasks such as allowing a new device to join, allocation of channel time to a device to transmit data to another device, synchronization mechanisms and so on. A distributed WPAN system is formed in an ad-hoc fashion, where devices become active and start broadcasting their identification and capabilities by means of a control frame known a the beacon. FIG. 1 gives a simplistic representation, where all devices are assumed to have the same transmit capabilities. Hence their range is shown to be the same. However, this assumption is not always valid, since devices can have varying capabilities and varying ranges for their communications.
The distributed media access control approach relies on a timing concept called the superframe. A superframe has a fixed length in time and is divided into a number of time windows, which are called time slots. Some of the time slots are used by the devices to send their beacons and the others are used by the devices to send the data. The slots in which beacon is sent are called beacon slots and the slots in which data is sent are called data slots. The length of a beacon slot can be less than the length of a data slot. The beacon slots typically appear together at the start of the superframe. In addition, the number of beacon slots may be fixed or variable, leading to different configurations of distributed Medium Access Control mechanisms.
A superframe consists of several Medium Access Slots, e.g. 256 Medium Access Slots (MAS). Some Medium Access Slots constitute a beacon period which comprises beacon slots used by multiple devices to send the beacon frame, and the remaining MASs constitute a data period, which may be used by different devices in the network to transmit data to other devices in the network. Typically, the superframe duration is 64 milliseconds and each MAS is of 256 microseconds duration. It is important to note here that the channel time allocation schemes and beaconing schemes should be independent of the actual values of these parameters. Information about the device's characteristics and its usage of the superframe is being broadcasted by each device in its beacon frame sent during the beacon period, so that the neighbors of the device can use that information for further processing. The start time of the superframe is determined by the beginning of the beacon period and defined as the beacon period start time (BPST). It is important to note here that the channel time allocation schemes should be independent of the actual values of these parameters. The MAC layer in each device maintains information about the device's individual neighborhood. The neighborhood of each device is defined by its transmission and reception range. All MAC protocol mechanisms are expressed with respect to this individual neighborhood.
MAC protocol algorithms attempt to ensure that a device's identification and the beacon slot in which it transmits its beacon are kept unique. All devices that beacon in one beacon period are defined to belong to a beacon group. A device may not hear the beacon of all the devices in its beacon group. However, the individual neighborhood information of each device is included in its beacon, and hence devices can still get information about other devices which are two hops away.
In the present Multiband OFDM Alliance (MBOA) MAC version 0.98 protocol, as well as in other wireless MAC protocols, the devices in the network are assumed to have identical transmit and receive capabilities. Hence the range of each device in the network is assumed to be the same. Every link in the wireless network is considered to be bi-directional. However, in a typical WPAN or WLAN, heterogeneous devices make up the network. The beacon frame has to be transmitted by all the devices using a specified maximum power so that all devices within the range of 10 meters will be able to receive the beacon and update their neighbor table. However, some devices like headphones, microphones and the like may have limited power capability and may not be able to transmit in the specified maximum power, hence the range of their transmissions is reduced. The beacon sent by such low power devices is not heard by some normal power devices; however, the beacon sent by normal power devices is heard by low power devices.
The qualification "low power device" in this context is used to define devices that are capable of only using low transmit power to transmit its beacon frame and other frames. It does not refer to devices that intentionally reduce the transmit power, nor does it indicate devices that are low in their battery power. Device N is a device with normal transmit power capabilities but device L can only transmit at a lower power. Hence, though the beacon of N reaches L, the beacon of L does not reach N. Then the link between N and L is said to be asymmetric.
Single hop bidirectional communication is not possible between two devices that have an asymmetric link between them. Since the beacon of L does not reach device N, some of the neighbors of N could reuse the beacon slot or data slots used by device L. This could lead to beacon slot collision and DRP collision problems at L. There is no mechanism by which L can communicate the reservation done for its applications to the devices with which it has an asymmetric link. This can cause starvation for resources and unfairness in the use of the wireless medium at the low power devices. In the current MBOA MAC protocol version 0.98, no mechanism is provided to solve the problems that arise due to asymmetric links.
Multi-hop hybrid networks may help by providing both high bandwidth and broad coverage for wireless data networks. The multi-hop hybrid networks focus on Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA)-based networks and take IEEE 802.11 as a concrete example and show that the three fundamental operations of synchronization, routing and energy saving can be implemented in an integrated way. The integrated solution is based on the periodic computation of a connectivity tree among the nodes reporting to the same Access Point, starting from the Access Point itself. The nodes that are tree vertices as relays for both data and control packets (also referred to as beacons) are employed in the system, and it establishes a distributed neighbor discovery protocol and a simple centralized algorithm for computing the connectivity tree. The analysis and simulation results show that the proposed solution has low protocol overhead in terms of message passing and execution time, and it performs well even if nodes are mobile.
Thus, the above-described method is employed for periodic computation of a connectivity tree among the nodes reporting to the same Access Point, starting from the Access Point itself. It describes the use of the nodes in tree vertices as relays for both data and control packets (beacon). This multi-hop communication helps reduce energy consumption of the mobile nodes, and allows a lower interference and an increased coverage. However, the method does not describe the use of nodes as relays in cases of asymmetric links.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method of beacon exchange between devices with asymmetric links and a need for an improved system for using the method of beacon exchange between devices with asymmetric links.

Method of beacon exchange between devices with asymmetric links and system using the method


Techniques are disclosed for optimizing and maintaining cyclic biped locomotion of a robot on an object. The approach includes simulating trajectories of the robot in contact with the object. During each trajectory, the robot maintains balance on the object, while using the object for locomotion. The approach further includes determining, based on the simulated trajectories, an initial state of a cyclic gait of the robot such that the simulated trajectory of the robot starting from the initial state substantially returns to the initial state at an end of one cycle of the cyclic gait. In addition, the approach includes sending joint angles and joint velocities of the initial state to a set of joint controllers of the robot to cause a leg of the robot to achieve the initial state so the robot moves through one or more cycles of the cyclic gait.

Building robots as capable as, or more capable than, humans is one of the ultimate goals in humanoid robotics. To this end, researchers have developed robots capable of ordinary human tasks such as walking and running as well as tasks that are difficult for humans to perform, such as flipping and juggling.
Further, researchers have developed techniques for controlling and planning robot tasks under some dynamic environments and external disturbances. However, these techniques often focus on passive adaptation to dynamic changes in the environment. That is, the dynamic environment is treated as a disturbance that is merely absorbed by a controller to maintain the robot motion. The robot does not create or manipulate the dynamic conditions to perform the task.

Robot cyclic locomotion using a dynamic object