A multi-purpose eyeglass holding and cleaning kit capable of storing a pair of eyeglasses and including a body with an outer shell constructed of a durable material, the body having a selected length, width and thickness which defines a generally elongate article with a first end and a second end and defining, in combination, a hollow interior suitable for receiving in inserting fashion the pair of the eyeglasses eyeglasses. A hingedly secured portion is secured to the body at a desired location and is actuated from a closed position to an open position in order to reveal an interior of the shell interior and to permit the insertion or removal of the pair of eyeglasses. A volume of a glass lens cleaning solution is contained within the shell at a first selected location, the cleaning solution further including a dispensing pump incorporated within the body. A plurality of tissues is contained within the shell and is accessible from a second selected location. When the pair of eyeglasses are removed from the body, the dispensing pump is employed in a first step to apply cleaning solution to the surfaces of the eyeglass lenses and a selected one or more tissues are withdrawn from the shell in a second step to wipe dry the solution from the cleaned lenses.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to eyeglass carrying and storage cases, as well as to eyeglass cleaning devices and, more particularly, to a combination and multi-purpose eyeglass holding and cleaning kit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Eyeglass holding cases and eyeglass cleaning devices are by themselves very well known in the art. Numerous types and constructions of eyeglass holding sleeves constructed of soft vinyl and leather are known, as are hardened shell cases typically constructed of polymerized materials.
Some attempts have been made in the prior art to combine the features of eyeglass holding and eyeglass cleaning/polishing devices. A notable example of this is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,002, issued to Baczkowski, and which discloses a combination eyeglass lens polisher and holder device. The device of Baczkowski includes the provision of an elongated, flexible and resilient bottom strip having opposite ends, a bottom surface and an opposite upper surface. The bottom surface is constructed of a flexible and non-abrasive surface and is adapted for polishing the glasses lens. A pair of flexible, resilient eyeglass holder pockets are secured to the upper surface of the bottom strip adjacent its opposite ends and are spaced apart to define a central foldable portion therebetween. The pockets hold a pair of eyeglasses, with each lens contained within an associated pocket. The eyeglasses are polished upon being removed from the pockets, by inserting the thumb into one pocket, the forefinger and middle finger of the same hand into the other pocket, folding the device around the central foldable portion, and embracing the selected eyeglass lens between to polish it by applying kneading action of the non-abrasive surfaces against each of the lenses in succession.
Although providing an interesting example of carrying a pair of eyeglasses in a soft, flexible covering member, the device of Baczkowski does not provide any level of durable and crush-resistant protection to the eyeglasses held within and further does not provide any form of a fluid wetting/cleaning solution. The non-abrasive opposing surfaces defined upon the Baczkowski pockets are further inapplicable in combination with a suitable spray or wetting solution which has been found to be most effective for cleaning eyeglass lenses.
A further example of a combined eye glass and contact lens and accessories case is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,811, issued to Lines. The Lines patent discloses combining the glasses with a contact lens case, a first wetting solution bottle, and a second cleaning solution bottle. As illustrated, the carrying case may be folded upon itself through the use of Velcro strips. A small rectangular mirror is glued to the fabric material along one inwardly facing surface as illustrated.
As with Baczkowski, the Lines patent is likewise directed to a flexible carrying case. Further, wetting and cleaning solution bottles are disclosed as being directed for use with the contact lenses and no provision is made for employing either or both without first removing them from within associated pockets formed in the fabric material.

Multi-purpose eyeglass holding and cleaning kit


A dispenser of a product in powder from, composed of: a case delimiting a housing; a reservoir removably installed in the housing, the reservoir being adapted to contain the product in powder form and having a dispensing orifice; and a device for obturating the dispensing orifice. The device has a blocking member in the form of a shutter mounted to the reservoir for movement between a position for closing the dispensing orifice and a position for opening the dispensing orifice. The housing, the reservoir and the device are constructed to enable the reservoir to be installed in the housing by a vertical linear movement and to cause automatic movement of the shutter from the position for closing to the position for opening in response to the vertical linear movement of the reservoir into the housing.

The present invention relates to a dispenser device for powdered product comprising a removable reservoir for storing a product in pulverulent, powder, ground, or granular form, which will be referred to herein as powder form or a powdered product, such as ground coffee, tea, chocolate, etc., for preparation of a brewed, or infused, beverage, the product being adapted to be used with an appliance for preparation and distribution of such beverages.
An appliance for preparation and distribution of hot beverages, for example starting from ground coffee, generally comprises a cold water reservoir, an electric pump, a boiler and a brewing, or infusion, head providing a chamber adapted to receive a certain quantity of ground coffee in order to inject therein a predetermined quantity of hot water coming from the boiler, the resulting beverage being then directed towards a collecting container, such as a cup or carafe. At the end of the brewing cycle, the brewing head must be opened in order to be able to introduce a new ground coffee dose after having evacuated the grounds previously brewed. The ground coffee is conveyed to the brewing chamber from a dispenser of the product in powder form. These appliances require a regular filling of the reservoir of the dispenser, an operation that requires time and much of attention by the user, especially when access to the reservoir is in a small space.
To mitigate these disadvantages, certain appliances have removable reservoirs. U.S. Pat. No. 2,138,204 describes such an appliance, in particular a coffee mill with a removable coffee bean reservoir. The reservoir has, in its lower part, a distribution opening adapted to be sealed by a sliding plate. The plate is maintained in position by a spring and can slide, between its open and closed positions, while being actuated, from outside of the machine, by a control lever. Such an appliance presents the disadvantage of requiring the user to perform a manual actuation.
An improved solution is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,085 relating to coffee grinder having two removable reservoirs each provided with an automatic closure of its dispensing orifice. In particular, the dispensing orifice of each reservoir is closed automatically by a sliding trap door pushed by a return spring, opening occurring when the user presses on a control knob of a solenoid, which pushes the same sliding plate into its open position, against the return spring. This grinder is provided, certainly, of an automatic closing device for the dispensing of coffee beans in the direction of a grinding chamber, but this opening is controlled by the user.
A similar solution is described in the patent document WO2004/098361, where the opening or the closing of a sliding door sealing an orifice of the removable reservoir is controlled by a solenoid or magnets. However, the installation of the reservoir is effected by a horizontal sliding motion, which implies the presence of guide rails over a long length inside the machine, while rendering the handling of such reservoirs of elongated form and lateral handle difficult for the user.
Another solution is described in the French patent document FR 2 713 906 relating to a grounds dispenser for an automatic coffee machine comprising a grounds reservoir positioned in a removable manner in a corresponding seat formed in the case, or housing, of the machine. The grounds reservoir comprises proportioning, or dosing, blades rotated by an electric motor in the housing, the dispensing orifice being closed by halting of the blades in a given position, which blades have dimensions correspond to those of the dispensing orifice that the blades border. Functioning satisfactorily, this solution proves however to be of a rather complex construction.
The German document DE 203 00 928 U1 describes another solution for a removable coffee bean reservoir for a coffee machine comprising a central orifice closed by two shutters of arched form driven in rotation relative to one another when the reservoir is rotated around its vertical axis inside the machine. However, this solution presents the disadvantage of being useable only with coffee beans having dimensions greater than that of the opening existing between the two shutters when they are in their closing position. In addition, it proves not only to be of complex construction, but also to be complicated to operate by the user, who must then rotate the reservoir himself, while carrying out several phases of rotation, each one corresponding to a specific function: installation of the reservoir, then several possibilities of opening of the shutters, then closing while turn it in the other directions, etc.

Dispenser of powdered product having a removable reservoir


A semiconductor package is described which meets a plurality of predetermined electrical, mechanical, chemical and/or environmental requirements. The semiconductor package includes a semiconductor die embedded in or covered by a molded plastic body, the molded plastic body satisfying only a subset of the plurality of predetermined electrical, mechanical, chemical and/or environmental requirements. The semiconductor package further includes a plurality of terminals protruding from the molded plastic body and electrically connected to the semiconductor die, and a coating applied to at least part of the molded plastic body and/or part of the plurality of terminals. The coating satisfies each predetermined electrical, mechanical, chemical and/or environmental requirement not satisfied by the molded plastic body.

Power semiconductor modules typically included a molded plastic body such as a plastic molding compound in which power semiconductor dies are embedded, or a plastic housing which covers the power semiconductor dies. Commonly used package materials are epoxies used in transfer molding devices or as potting material in modules, silicone gel used as potting material in modules, and engineering plastics such as PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), polyamide, PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), etc. as housing/envelope materials. Such materials not only have to fulfil predetermined mechanical requirements (e.g. elongation at yield ≥1%, preferred; electrical RTI≥140° C., mechanical RTI≥140° C.), but also environmental (e.g. related standards: RoHS; REACH), fire and smoke (e.g. related standards: UL94V0; EN45545, including HL2 and R22) as well as electrical (e.g. related standards: IEC60664, including CTI>400, 600) and chemical (e.g. low content of solvable ions) requirements.
Mechanical requirements are a consequence of joining the plastic material to metals, substrates and/or semiconductors. The plastic material becomes elongated, bent or compressed during temperature cycling as the CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) of the different materials does not match, and also the temperature is not homogenous if temperature cycles are generated by power losses in the power semiconductors and a temperature gradient exists between the heat sources and the environment and heatsinks. The plastic material should not crack during such stress. Therefore, the elongation at yield is an important figure. High temperature applied to the plastic also should not change the mechanical and electrical characteristics too much, which is covered by RTI (relative thermal index). RTI indicates the ability of a material to retain a particular property (physical, electrical, etc.).
Electrical and chemical requirements are combined for harsh environmental conditions. Under humid atmosphere and applied voltage bias, the plastic materials should not cause corrosion of terminals, substrates or semiconductors. An 85° C./85% RH (relative humidity) test with applied blocking voltage (e.g. 100%, 80% or 60% of blocking voltage) of the semiconductors should for example last for 168 h, 500 h or even 1000 h without causing excessive leakage current between terminals, substrate tracks or semiconductor electrodes. The REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) promulgated by the EU outlines a directive for restricting the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment—the so-called RoHS (restriction of hazardous substances) directive (see http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:174:0088:0110:de:PDF)
To fulfil mechanical, environmental and fire and smoke requirements, additives are typically used. Additives such as flame retardants, fibers, minerals and other chemicals often comprise the electrical characteristics of the package. For example, dielectric strength of the molded plastic body may be weakened over a long lifetime by ions or interfaces introduced by additives. Insulating characteristics may be weakened especially in a humid environment, or in a salt mist or acidic gaseous atmosphere. Also, the package terminals may corrode where contacted by the molded plastic body and corrosive by-products may propagate over the surface of insulating portions. Semiconductor characteristics may be influenced as well by ionic additives. The predetermined electrical requirement CTI (comparative tracking index), which relates to creepage between life parts, typically requires another kind of additive.
As such, there is a need for a power semiconductor module which satisfies a plurality of predetermined electrical, mechanical, chemical and/or environmental requirements but without adversely affecting various characteristics of the package components.

Power semiconductor modules with protective coating


Disclosed is a pulsed electron beam gun for generating a high current, short duration pulse which is received by a pulse detection circuit. The gun has a gated electron beam emitting area, a beam deflection and sweeping area and a beam pulse detector. Magnetic collimating means having lines of force along an axis in the direction of the electron beam surrounds the aforementioned structure. The magnetic collimating means intensifies the density and strength of the electron beam once it is emitted from its source of emission and is gated through the electron gate. A conventional pulse source delivers a low voltage pulse and a delayed pulse. The internal impedance of the pulse source is matched at the location of the electron gun where the pulses are applied to the electron gun components. The first pulse, at the beam gate, causes a short burst of electrons to be emitted. The delayed pulse is applied to the deflection means to sweep the electron beam symmetrically across the electron passing aperture in the plate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an extremely compact low voltage apparatus for generating high current subnanosecond duration electron pulses. More particularly, a short compact electron gun is described which has: (1) an electron emission area, (2) an electron beam gate which is either open or closed, (3) a beam deflection area which is maintained essentially free of space charge, (4) a small electron sweep aperture positioned at a relatively long distance away from the deflection area and located with the opening on an axis, and (5) a pulse detection circuit. The aforementioned structure is surrounded by a direct current magnetic collimating coil, which coil collimates the electron beam and thus increases its intensity and energy content.
Our invention employs a conventional low voltage pulse generator to deliver an electron gating pulse to the electron beam gate. That pulse has a magnitude which exists for a finite short time duration. A burst of electrons is gated "on" only during that finite duration. The energized magnetic coil accomplishes its collimation function and a tightly bunched electron beam of finite duration is thus formed. The electron beam is "off" in the absence of the electron beam gating pulse.
In our invention a bias condition is established such that when gated "on," the electron beam is normally held in an off-axis position. This off-axis bias condition results from a deflection potential which establishes an electric field between a pair of deflection plates in the deflection area. The direction and polarity of that field holds the beam in the off-axis position so that the beam cannot reach the beam detection circuit. A second pulse, time-delayed from the first, forms a beam deflection electric field in a direction opposite to the first field between the pair of deflection plates. That second field has sufficient polarity and strength to sweep the electron beam smoothly and quickly across the sweep aperture. This sweep, as is described in more detail in the specification, is termed a symmetrical sweep.
In accordance with our invention and the described operation a very high peak instantaneous current electron beam pulse is generated. In one preferred embodiment of our invention, that pulse is approximately 70 microamperes with an extremely short duration, or width, of approximately 0.35 nanoseconds.
2. Background Discussion
Electron pulses having high peak instantaneous current and subnanosecond duration are of great value in several diverse areas of the art. For example, such pulses are essential for measuring certain excited gas-phase species of interest. Some excited species, to give a typical example, may have lifetimes in the order of a few nanoseconds. Measurement of these lifetimes, within satisfactory error tolerance, requires that the electron beam pulses used to change the atomic states of the excited species under study must be as short as approximately 10% of the lifetime to be measured. If the state-changing electron pulse is too long, measurements of the decay rate of the atomic states will include a severe contribution from the shape of the electron pulse and consequently result in erroneous lifetime measurements.
Outer-space and similar environments pose severe weight and power limitations on the design of electron guns. Of course, pulsed beam electron guns are known in the prior art. Generally, however, such guns require kilovolt operational voltages and are available in lengths of several tens of centimeters. Obviously such guns, from a practical standpoint, have limited application when a compact, low power, relatively inexpensive electron gun is required.
Other applications in the art which require high amperage, short duration electron pulses include digital high definition television imaging systems which are under current investigation by the television industry. In many industrial applications such as visual displays, plasma switches, microcircuit etching, etc., a low cost electron gun is highly advantageous.
Conventional guns such as are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,462,860 to D. D. Grieg exemplify the large-sized high-powered guns of the prior art. Implicit in such prior art is electrostatic focusing of the electron beam. Such electrostatic focusing inherently requires very large and lengthy deflection plates that represent a high capacitance in the system. Such high capacitance detracts from the ability to generate short duration pulses.
The prior art very often employs power supply voltages in the order of several kilovolts. The resulting structures of the prior art generally yield electron pulses with peak instantaneous currents of only a few microamperes while the pulse widths are normally in the order of several nanoseconds duration.
Attention is called to a U.S. Pat. No. 3,402,357 issued to J. Haimson, et al. which is directed to an apparatus for producing electron beam pulses having nanosecond or fractional durations thereof. See, for example, Col. 2, lines 40 through 48. Such structures are extremely complex and rely upon costly and cumbersome beam focusing lenses and a precisely controlled sequence of thyratron discharges in an effort to reduce the duration time of the electron beam pulse being generated. The complexity of this, and other similar prior art devices, severely limit their wide-spread applicability when a compact, low voltage electron gun is required.

Compact electron gun for emitting high current short duration pulses


A drive controller includes a speed compensation unit that performs a speed compensation for an object based on a result of comparison made by a speed comparator that compares a current speed of the drive object with a speed indicated by a speed command. The speed compensation unit includes a position-information-based speed gain setting unit that sets a position-information-based variable gain based on position-information-based speed gain information representing a relationship between a position of the object and position-information-based variable gain that varies depending on a load torque of the motor when the object is present at a predetermined position, and a speed compensation processor that performs a speed compensation based on a result of the comparison in the speed comparator and the position-information-based variable gain set by the position-information-based speed gain setting unit.

Machine tools, carrying machines, coordinate measuring machines, image measuring machines and the like employ a mechanism for controlling a position and a speed of an object to be moved. In such a mechanism, when acceleration of the object rapidly changes, vibration is sometimes caused to the object. Studies have been made for solving the above disadvantages (see, for instance, Patent Literature 1: JPA-2006-202019).
The structure disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes an acceleration sensor provided to an object.
When the object is to be moved by a motor, a speed command is calculated based on a position command and a position feedback signal. Further, acceleration of the object is detected and a correction value is calculated based on the detected acceleration. Then, after a corrected speed command is calculated by subtracting the correction value from the speed command, a current command is calculated based on the corrected speed command and a speed feedback signal. Subsequently, a command to the motor is calculated based on the current command and a current feedback signal, and the object is moved by the motor based on the calculated command.
In the structure as disclosed in Patent Literature 1, even when the acceleration of the object does not change, the load torque of the motor may vary depending on the speed and the position of the object. However, according to the structure disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the motor cannot be controlled in response to the variation in the load torque, so that a speed control performance for the object becomes unstable.

Drive controller, driving system, and drive control method


When an incoming call is received or an outgoing call is placed, a phone number associated with the call is identified. The phone number is compared to a set of phone book entries corresponding to subscriber-designated phone entries and special phone book entries. If the phone number is identified as corresponding to a special phone book entry, call processing continues according to a field type designated by the selected phone book entry.

I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wireless communication systems. More specifically, the invention relates to call processing in a wireless communication system.
II. Description of the Related Art
Wireless systems are becoming a fundamental mode of telecommunication in modern society. As wireless systems continue to penetrate deeper into the telecommunications market, the demand for user features will only continue to increase. Special user features allow individual carriers to distinguish their services over other wireless carriers. As such, the user features continue to be an important part of a wireless communication system.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a typical modern wireless communication system 10. The system is comprised of a series of base stations 14. A set of remote units 12 communicate with the base stations 14. The remote units 12 communicate with the base stations 14 over a forward link channel 18 and a reverse link channel 20. FIG. 1 shows a variety of types of remote units. For example, FIG. 1 shows a hand-held portable telephone, a vehicle mounted mobile telephone and a fixed location wireless local loop telephone. Such systems offer voice and data services. Other modern communication systems operate over wireless satellite links rather then through terrestrial base stations.
When a subscriber wishes to place a call, typically he enters a telephone number into the keypad of his remote unit 12. A message is sent over the reverse link channel 20 to the base station 14 and a bi-directional communication channel is established between the base station 14 and the remote unit 12. In a similar manner, when a call arrives at the base station 14 for the remote unit 12, the base station 14 sends a message to the remote unit 12 over the forward link channel 18. The remote unit 12 responds to the message and bi-directional communication is established between the remote unit 12 and the base station 14.
In some instances, it is advantageous to provide additional information to the subscriber upon call origination or call receipt at the remote unit 12. In addition, some types of calls should be handled differently by the system 10 than others.
Some prior art systems allow the subscriber to enter phone book entries into the remote unit. Using the phone book entries, the subscriber can identify commonly used telephone numbers and designate them with a corresponding text entry. For example, if a salesman places several calls a day to his home base, he makes a phone book entry which designates his home base. When he wishes to call home base, he enters a telephone number or a set of shortcut keystrokes in order to place a call to the home base. The telephone number is compared with the phone book. The phone book comprises a subscriber-designated text field corresponding to information that will be displayed during the call connection. Typically a liquid crystal display (LCD) shows the text "HOME BASE." Likewise, when an incoming call is received, if caller identification is available, the calling number is compared to the phone book entries. If a corresponding phone book entry is found, the display shows the corresponding text entry. For example, if a regular customer of the salesman calls, the display shows the subscriber designated text "BOB'S FISH EMPORIUM."
These subscriber designated text messages are each associated with standard voice or data telephone connections. In some instances, the subscriber places or receives a special, nonstandard connection. For example, the subscriber can place an emergency call which triggers special call processing procedures. These specials calls are often associated with an industry standard phone number such as 911. However, these standard phone numbers are not universally accepted and can vary from country to country. The carrier needs to remain in control of the calls which are designated as emergency calls because the special call procedures associated with emergency calls consume more resources than standard calls. For this reason, it is not practical to allow the subscriber to designate certain phone numbers to correspond to nonstandard connections. In addition, the infrastructure equipment is typically designed to reject connections which are designated as emergency calls unless the phone number corresponds to a known emergency phone number. Thus, if the subscriber attempts to enter his own emergency number, the remote unit may enter an inconsistent state when the designated number is dialed. Because the phone numbers which trigger these nonstandard connections can be customized locally, it is not practical to hard code these numbers into the remote units.
Therefore, there is a need in the industry to develop a special means of call processing for nonstandard connections.


Provided herein is an apparatus including a photon emitter array. The photon emitter array includes a number of photon emitters selectively oriented in a number of polarized orientations. The photon emitters are configured to controllably emit photons onto a surface of an article. The apparatus also includes a photon detector positioned to receive photons scattered from features on the surface of the article. The photon detector simultaneously receives photons oriented in the number of polarized orientations. In addition, the photon detector provides information for mapping the features on the surface of the article.

An article fabricated on a production line may be inspected for certain features, including defects that might degrade the performance of the article or a system including the article. For example, a hard disk for a hard disk drive may be fabricated on a production line and inspected for certain surface features, including surface and subsurface defects that might degrade the performance of the disk or the hard disk drive. In some instances, inspection may be carried out with the use of an imaging apparatus that includes a camera and a light source to illuminate the article while the camera records images of the article. In such arrangements, it is appreciated that the light source may illuminate the article with randomly polarized light, and/or light polarized through a polarization filter, with insufficient intensity, which may result in some defects going undetected and consequently affect the performance of the article and/or a system including the article.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Photon emitter array including photon emitters with different orientations


A ceramic exhaust trap regenerator provides a push-pull heat channeling method of transferring heat to and through the ceramic monolith with a flow of super-heated air. The application of heat is controlled by pulling the hot air through the monolith and away from the downstream side of the monolith through a vacuum hose. The regeneration process is started and completely controlled by an off-board mobile regeneration console with the engine off. The console is a wheeled cart with attachments that include an air heater, vacuum and positive pressure air pumps with attaching hoses, a temperature-actuated relay, a particulate filter, process timers, a heat exchanger, a cooling fan, and an electrical controller.

Recent, more stringent government regulation of heavy duty diesel engine tailpipe emissions has required new means to reduce these emissions. These regulations cover both new vehicles and existing vehicles. The two most common emissions control devices are the catalytic converter and the carbon particulate trap. Both devices contain and utilize a honeycomb monolith as the active component.
Internally, catalytic converters contain a channeled, ceramic monolith, through which the exhaust gas passes. Viewed from the entrance port, the ceramic monolith resembles a honeycomb structure and may have as many as 400 entrance cells (channels) per square inch. The surface area along the length of these channels is carefully impregnated with precious metals and is extremely porous to increase contact surface area. The precious metals create a catalytic reaction when combined with heat, excess oxygen and noxious exhaust gasses. The catalytic reaction converts unburned hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen into non-toxic carbon dioxide and water. In addition to creating a catalytic reaction with exhaust gasses, catalytic converters also collect carbon particulate matter (black soot). Catalytic converters create heat during the catalytic reaction that can burn a portion of carbon particulate matter as the exhaust passes through the monolith structure.
Particulate traps are similar to catalysts, as they both use a ceramic monolith as the basic component, but traps are designed only to collect carbon particulate matter in diesel exhaust. Typically, the exhaust channels along the surface of the trap monolith are configured with carefully designed obstructions. This special ceramic monolith surface collects a high percentage of suspended carbon particles and quickly coats with black soot. Trap-type ceramic monoliths have additionally been coated with precious metals, which may only temporarily behave as a reduction catalyst as they quickly become coated with carbon material and need to be cleaned. To this point, however, no device or system has been presented which performs primarily as a reduction catalyst for heavy-duty diesel engine exhaust.
Prior on-board, self-cleaning carbon traps, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,388, quickly become filled with particulate matter and need to be routinely regenerated (cleaned) to maintain a level of efficiency. Heretofore, cleaning has required complicated and expensive on-board systems contributing to both complexity and cost. To regenerate a trap device, intense heat must be applied to initiate the ignition and chain reaction combustion of the accumulated carbon. The most common and practical heating methods use on-board electric resistance heaters as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,993. Unfortunately, there is a high electric current requirement to produce sufficient heat to start the regeneration process. This amount of power is not readily available on motor vehicles and, typically, this power deficiency requires complex means to sequence, control or ration electrical consumption. In addition, these on-board systems require the engines to be running to utilize some part of the vehicle exhaust.
Another problem is that after ignition, during regeneration, prior art devices depend upon burning particulate on the surface of the ceramic monolith to generate additional heat to carry out the process fully. There is a high likelihood of overheating during this chain reaction which can cause damage to the monolith. Also, complete regeneration must be attained by a single ignition because there is no provision for re-ignition after regeneration has begun. Furthermore, exhaust bypass valves and separate means to bring oxygen-rich air into the process are required. Due to the complexity and cost associated with this approach, it tends to be problematic and not cost effective for retrofit application.
Other prior devices locate electric resistance heaters in close proximity or directly attached to the surface of the monolith as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,457. Application of heat to specific locations on the monolith face will provide particulate ignition points at desirable multiple points across the face and then down its length. This type of system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,454 in which a short initial burst or sequence of short bursts of heat light off the face on specific points in the catalyst. This is done with the engine running. In other prior art systems, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,827, after initial carbon light-off, re-combustion continues to burn without any further assistance from a heater. Hence, the carbon tends to burn hot and fast without direct control, while migrating around and along the catalyst. To protect against overheating, elaborate heat defusers have been used to protect the ceramic monolith from intense radiant heat from electric heat elements. In addition, deflectors as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,066 have been used to carefully aim the heat in an attempt to create a burn pattern least likely to result in overheating the monolith. The above-mentioned patents represent the closest prior art of which the applicant is aware.
Reducing diesel engine emissions with catalytic converters and particulate traps is well established, however, clogging and cleaning difficulties due to collection of carbon particles on the monolith have prevented the wide use of carbon traps and, in particular, prevented use of emission-reduction catalytic converters with heavy-duty diesel engines. Although self-cleaning particulate traps have been tried, no prior device is known which successfully cleans the particulate build-up on Catalytic converters of diesel engine exhaust. No device is known that will regenerate the ceramic monolith structures of catalysts or traps from a central service point utilizing heated air as the igniter, controlled from an external source without assistance from the motor.
There is therefore a need in the internal combustion exhaust emission arts for cleaning a diesel engine exhaust filtration system to reduce emissions which: is not limited by available vehicle power; is inexpensive to produce, install and operate; will not overheat or produce any undesirable side effects during operation; and can inexpensively clean an exhaust catalyst or trap through complete regeneration at maintenance intervals as desired.


A resistance compensation circuit and a method thereof for tuning frequency, includes several resistors serially connected to one another, several transistors, each of which connects across one of the corresponding resistances, and a register electrically connected to the gates of the transistors. A control signal controls the switching of the transistors either to compensate the process variation of the resistance through the register or to tune the working frequency of the Integrated circuit.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a resistance compensation circuit and the method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a resistance compensation circuit and method thereof used in a memory controller.
2. Description of Related Art
In the process of making an integrated circuit, process variations may cause the integrated circuit to have incorrect resistance resulting in a resistance variation. The resistance variation of the integrated circuit makes the value of the current inaccurate during operation such that the circuit cannot work properly. For example, if an oscillator has a resistance variation during the process, the resonance frequency is inaccurate. To solve the problem, some compensation resistors and trimming pads are added to the conventional integrated circuit to compensate for the resistances in the case of resistance variation.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional integrated circuit, an oscillator 100 for example. As shown in FIG. 1, the band gap 101 provides reference voltage to the operation amplifier 103. The output of the operation amplifier 103 connects to an original resistor 105, and the resistance compensation circuit 115 is used to compensate for the resistance variation of the original resistor 105. The original resistor 105 and the compensation resistors 107a, 107b, and 107c are connected in series; the conducting wire 111a, 111b and 111c connect across the corresponding resistors individually; the trimming pads 109a, 109b and 109c are disposed on the corresponding conducting wires 111a, 111b and 111c individually.
If the original resistor 105 does have resistance variation so that resistance of the original resistor 105 is not the one required by the oscillator 100, the trimming pads 109a, 109b and 109c are used to select the compensation resistors to compensate for the resistance of the original resistor 105. For example, after the oscillator 100 has been manufactured, a test procedure measures all of the resistance after the process (including resistances of the resistors 105, 107a, 107b and 107c) to decide which resistor is needed. If we choose the compensation resistor 107a to compensate the resistance variation of the original resistor 105, trimming pad 109a is cut off and the trimming pad 109b, 109c are preserved such that the equivalent resistance will be the sum of the processed resistance of original resistor 105 and the processed resistance of the compensate resistor 107a.
However, due to the large area (about 40×40 um2) required by the trimming pads 109a, 109b, and 109c of the resistance compensation circuit 115, compensation resistors cannot be added sufficiently under the area limitations, such that the equivalent resistance after compensation cannot be accurate enough. In addition, once the trimming pad has been cut off, the resonance frequency of the oscillator 100 cannot be changed again. Therefore, this kind of oscillator 100 cannot work with nonvolatile memories of different frequencies.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a new resistance compensation circuit and method thereof to reduce the area required by the conventional resistance compensation circuit; there is also a need for a new resistance compensation circuits and methods thereof to make the equivalent resistance more accurate after compensation; there is also a need for a new frequency tuning method to improve the performance of the integrated circuit.

Resistance compensation circuit and method thereof


A balance shaft for balancing forces of inertia and/or moments of inertia of a reciprocating-piston internal combustion engine, including: at least one elongate main body; at least one bearing seat, disposed on the elongate main body for the mounting of a radial bearing. In the center point of the bearing seat there is provided the rotational axis of the balance shaft. The elongate main body may be formed of an integral tubular element, and the center of mass of the elongate main body may lie outside the rotational axis of the balance shaft.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a balance shaft for balancing forces of inertia and/or moments of inertia of a reciprocating-piston internal combustion engine and to a method for producing such a balance shaft.
Description of the Background Art
From the prior art, a multiplicity of balance shafts are known. Usually balance shafts are produced by means of a hot forming process, in particular by means of a drop forging process, from a rod-shaped shaft blank.
Balance shafts of this type and production methods for such balance shafts are disclosed, for instance, in printed publications DE 10 2009 036 067 A1 (which corresponds to US 8,210,018), DE 20 2007 018 991 U1 (which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 8,413,630) or DE 10 2007 009 800 A1 (which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 8,413,629).
For the production of such balance shafts, appropriate tools (for instance drop forging tools) must be provided for the performance of the hot forming process, which tools are comparatively complex and expensive. Furthermore, in particular the use of a drop forging process calls for a comparatively time-consuming and thus cost-intensive remachining of the balance shaft, since corresponding burrs which arise in the drop forging process have to be removed.


A wheelchair having a lower frame with drive wheels and forwardly extending arms with casters and an upper frame with a seat and backrest. Linkage assemblies on opposing sides pivotably attach at a first end to the lower frame and at a second end to the upper frame. Power cylinders attached on opposing sides are extendable between the upper frame and the lower frame and are lockable from moving from a selected position. When unlocked, the power cylinders apply a supplemental force in association with a force applied by a user on the drive wheels for moving the upper frame relative to the lower frame guided by the linkage assembly. A method of adjusting the seat height of a wheelchair is disclosed.

Wheelchairs are mobility devices that facilitate engaging in ordinary activities for disabled persons. Wheelchairs enable the persons to engage in ordinary daily activities such as moving around a home, going shopping, traveling, and the like. Conventional wheelchairs comprise tube frame construction having a frame, drive wheels, front castors, and a seating system including seat and back. The seat and back include cushions for seating support and comfort. Lateral positioners and head supports also can attach to the seating system depending upon the particular physical requirements of the individual using the wheelchair.
There is an increased focus on facilitating wheelchair users in ordinary and routine daily activities. This includes, for example access to storage cabinets, tables, and the like, which requires reaching above and below conventional heights. Some wheelchair devices accommodate this by allowing the wheelchair to be set for different heights. The drawback is that changing the height that is set for the wheelchair is often not practical. Yet the conventional and ordinary activities of most persons involve interacting with furniture, cabinets, and articles at differing heights.
Wheelchair construction has previously provided mechanisms to allow changing the seat height of the wheelchair. Generally, these involve mechanisms that vertically displace the seat up or down. Power or hydraulic cylinders operate to move the seat vertically, but may be different to control the particular positioning of the change in height.
While vertically adjustable seat systems enable a wheelchair user to reposition the seating, there are drawbacks to its use. Merely moving the seat vertically upward causes a change in the center of gravity. The wheelchair then tends to be come more tippy. "Tippy" refers to the tendency of the wheelchair to tip rearwardly. It is important generally for independent pushers to configure the wheelchair to be tippy. In such configuration, a substantial majority of the weight carried by the wheelchair is on the rear wheels. This makes the front wheels easier to elevate, for example, for going over curbs, carpeting, grass, or other surfaces. Raising the center of gravity tends to make the wheelchair increasingly tippy.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a balanced user-activated stability-compensated height-adjusting seating system on a wheelchair. It is to such that the present invention is directed.

Power-supplemented manual height-adjusting wheelchair


A system and method for mitigating motion artifacts in a media streaming network, wherein a scheme for facilitating adaptive post-decode (PD) filtering at a client device is provided. Extraction of still area grid information is effectuated at a source media processing node. Extracted still area grid information is multiplexed with audio/video components for appropriately signaling to downstream devices based on media containerization deployed for distribution. A client device is operative to select a suitable PD filter based on a plurality of selection criteria and apply the selected PD filter to the still area grids of the decoded image frames.

It is known that video compression allows efficient utilization of bandwidth in a media streaming network by reducing the number of bits to represent a picture. However, this typically results in video quality loss due to loss of information. It is also known that high motion scenes in a video sequence are harder to compress due to the presence of relatively large differences from picture to picture. Encoders typically soften the picture in complex encoded material due to high motion content. Whereas softening the picture masks some of the encoding artifacts, thereby improving picture quality in the motion areas, it degrades or causes a blurring effect in text or static areas of the picture.

System and method for mitigating motion artifacts in a media streaming network


Metal-containing steroid mimic complexes are provided. Compositions containing a metal ion incorporated into a steroid skeleton structure and ligands useful in the preparation of such compositions are also provided. The metal ion is preferably a radionuclide, such as technetium, rhenium or gallium. Methods for using the metal complexes for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes are further provided.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to metal-containing compositions which mimic the skeletal structure of asteroid, and more particularly to such compositions in which a selected metal ion is integrated into a tertiary or quaternary center of a steroid skeleton structure by occupying a position in the steroid structure previously occupied by a carbon atom and which are useful in delivering a metal to a targeted site for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
2. Description of Background Art
The development of radiopharmaceuticals capable of delivering a selected metal ion to a targeted biological site has been the focus of much research in the biological and medical fields. Radiopharmaceuticals have, in fact, been developed that are capable of being targeted to a specific site and have found use in radioimaging, radiotherapy, and as a tool for the prognosis of disease. In recent years the use of radiopharmaceuticals to diagnose, image and/or provide therapy for tumors has been increasing. Recent studies have also shown that steroid receptors in tumor cells, such as those found in breast cancer and prostate cancer, may provide important prognostic information on the status of the tumor and in selecting an effective course of treatment. Rayter, Z., "Steroid Receptors in breast cancer," Br. J. Surg. (1991) Vol. 78, pp.528-535; Donegan, W. L., "Prognostic Factors," Cancer Supplement (1992) Vol. 70, No. 6, pp. 1755-1764; Wilding, G., "The Importance of Steroid Hormones in Prostate Cancer," Cancer Surveys Volume 14: Growth Regulation by Nuclear Hormone Receptors, (1992) pp.113-130. It would be considered an advance in the art if a radiopharmaceutical that could advantageously exploit the presence of steroid receptors on a tumor cell or other biological tissue were available.
One method by which steroid receptors on tumors or other biological tissues could be utilized would be to attach a radiolabelled metal complex to the steroid molecule which binds to the receptor. Various effector molecules, such as drugs, enzymes, chemotoxins, probes, and the like, have been prepared for targeted delivery to a biological site bycovalently attaching a receptor specific carrier molecule, such as an antibody or a peptide, thereto. Halpern et al., Diagnostic Imaging, 1983, 40; Hnatowich et al., Science, 1983, 220, 613. This approach has been referred to as an "external bifunctional" approach and has found some success. It has also been found, however, that if the carrier is a small molecule, i.e. one having a molecular weight of less than about 500 Daltons, the attachment of effector molecules often destroys the receptor binding capability of the carrier molecule. Steroids are small molecules, typically having a molecular weight of around 400 Daltons, and the covalent attachment of a radioactive metal complex to the steroid may obstruct the ability of the steroid to bind to the receptor. Thus, any steroid based radiopharmaceutical should be one that does not adversely affect the binding properties of the steroid. Moreover, an effective steroid-based radiopharmaceutical should maintain the relative size, shape and structure of the steroid molecule.
Others have attempted to prepare a radionuclide complex that is intended to mimic asteroid. In Chi and Katzenellenbogen, J. Am. Chem. Soc., (1993) 115, pp. 7045-7046, heterodimeric bis-bidentate aminothiol complexes of technetiumand rhenium have been prepared that purportedly more closely resembled the size and shape of asteroid molecule. The complexes described by Chi and Katzenellenbogen do not, however, incorporate a radionuclide into the perhydrocyclopentanophenanthrene ring system of the typical steroid structure. Thus, the Chi and Katzenellenbogen approach is one that attempts to combine known ligands in a manner that approximates the size and shape of asteroid or other biomolecule, but that does not use the basic structure of the biomolecule as the template.
Another approach that has been utilized to provide biomolecule mimics is referred to as an "internal bifunctional" approach which incorporates the selected ion directly into the molecular framework of the carrier molecule in such a manner that the resulting structure will be topologically similar to the original molecule. This approach, which is primarily inspired by the fact that antibodies, enzymes, and receptors are multispecific, has been used to prepare opiate alkaloid mimics and is described in my co-pending U.S. application filed on Dec. 6, 1991 having Ser. No. 07/804,852, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,737, the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference hereto. Heretofore, however, the use of an internal bifunctional approach for the preparation of steroid-based radiopharmaceuticals has not been disclosed or suggested. It would be desirable, therefore, to provide metal containing steroid mimics that incorporate a selected metal ion into the structure of a steroid by an internal bifunctional approach and ligands useful in the preparation of such steroid mimics.

Metal-containing steroid mimics and ligands useful in the preparation thereof


A continuous process for recovering substantially pure aluminum chloride from chlorination products of aluminum ore. The chlorination products are contacted with a first selective solvent to dissolve a substantial portion of the aluminum chloride and some ferric chloride. The solvent is separated from the chlorides which then are treated to produce a ferric chloride-rich stream and an aluminum chloride-rich stream in which the aluminum chloride to ferric chloride ratio is higher than the ratio prior to solvent separation. The aluminum chloride-rich stream is contacted with a second solvent to dissolve any ferric chloride present and saturate the solution with aluminum chloride. Aluminum chloride in excess of that soluble in the second solvent separates as a substantially pure solid phase. The solution is separated from solid phase and recycled in process to recover additional aluminum chloride.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for the separation and recovery of substantially pure aluminum chloride from mixtures containing ferric chloride and other chlorinated impurities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Aluminum chloride is an important chemical which has many industrial applications. For example, it is used as a catalyst in organic chemical syntheses and as a nucleating agent for titanium dioxide pigments. In addition, recent technological developments indicate the need for large tonages of aluminum chloride for the production of aluminum metal.
Current domestic production of aluminum chloride is carried out almost exclusively through direct chlorination of metallic aluminum of sufficient purity that purification of the aluminum chloride is unnecessary. However, methods for production of aluminum chloride which employ aluminum metal obviously would not be of use in processes for the production of aluminum. A more economical method of producing aluminum chloride from chlorination of an aluminous material is required.
Various methods have been suggested for the production of substantially pure aluminum chloride. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,135 there is disclosed a process for recovering aluminum chloride from the chlorination products of sodium contaminated alumina. That method is effected by cooling the gaseous chlorination products to a temperature below the chlorination reaction temperature but above the ambient condition condensation temperature of aluminum chloride. A substantial portion of the condensable constituents other than aluminum chloride are thereby separated from the gaseous products. The gaseous products are separated from the condensed material and then are cooled to a lower temperature which still is above the ambient condition condensation temperature of the aluminum chloride to condense additional material. The condensed material is again separated and the remaining essentially contaminant-free gaseous products are introduced into a fluidized bed of aluminum chloride. The gaseous products are cooled to a temperature substantially below the condensation temperature of aluminum chloride to cause direct sublimation of the aluminum chloride.
The disadvantage of this process is that the sodium contaminated alumina must be substantially free of iron, titanium and silicon impurities to achieve production of high purity aluminum chloride. Otherwise, the iron is present as a ferric chloride-aluminum chloride dimer in the gaseous products along with titanium chloride and silicon chloride which condenses with the aluminum chloride.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,969 a method to overcome the disadvantages of condensation processes is presented. In accordance with that process, the aluminum chloride vapor selectively is dissolved from the chlorination product gases leaving the chlorinator. This is accomplished by a scrubbing solvent at atmospheric pressure. The aluminum chloride then is separated from the solvent by distillation at a pressure sufficient to condense the aluminum chloride as a liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,448 discloses an improvement in the process of U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,969 to control the particle size of the sublimed aluminum chloride and minimize chloride losses. The chlorination products including aluminum chloride vapors are introduced into a first fluidized bed at an entrance velocity of 18 to 90 meters per second. The fluidized bed comprises aluminum chloride which has a particle size of from 1-500 microns and is maintained at a temperature of about 80.degree. C. to 110.degree. C. The uncondensed gas is removed from the first fluidized bed and introduced into a second fluidized bed at a velocity of 18-90 meters per second. The second bed comprises aluminum chloride similar to the first bed. The temperature is maintained in a range of from about 20.degree. C. to 50.degree. C. to condense the remainder of the chloride values from the gas.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,923 discloses a process for producing metallurgically pure aluminum chloride. An iron-containing aluminous ore is chlorinated at temperatures up to about 1000.degree. C. to produce a mixed chloride gas stream. The gas stream is contacted with a liquid metal chloride solvent in an absorption column to preferentially absorb aluminum and iron chlorides. The aluminum chloride and iron chloride condense in the column and are dissolved by the solvent. The solvent mixture is withdrawn from the absorption column and introduced into a distillation vessel maintained at an elevated pressure to distill the aluminum chloride and iron chloride. The aluminum chloride and iron chloride vapors then are introduced into a rectification column operated at 3 to 4 atmospheres. The aluminum chloride is partially purified by the rectification. The aluminum chloride product stream is withdrawn from the rectification column and bubbled through a bath of molten aluminum metal to remove the remaining impurities.
Other processes for the purification of aluminum chloride or other metal chlorides are disclosed in, for example: U.S. Pat. No. 2,245,358; U.S. Pat. No. 2,311,466; U.S. Pat. No. 2,533,021; U.S. Pat. No. 2,675,890; U.S. Pat. No. 2,836,547; U.S. Pat. No. 2,940,827; U.S. Pat. No. 2,977,292; U.S. Pat. No. 3,066,010; U.S. Pat. No. 3,114,611; U.S. Pat. No. 3,218,122; U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,993; U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,003; U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,077; U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,169; U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,926; U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,424 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,310.
Numerous of the above processes depend upon fractional condensation or distillation to purify and separate the aluminum chloride from admixture with ferric chloride. However, aluminum chloride and ferric chloride exhibit mutual solid state solubility and in the vapor state mixed dimer molecules are present. Thus, many of the processes fail to produce an aluminum chloride product of sufficient purity for use in electrolytic processes for the production of aluminum metal.

Process for the production of aluminum chloride and related products


A fixing structure for heat dissipation element includes a base plate, a heat transfer element, and at least one fixing member. The base plate has a top surface, on which a receiving recess is defined for receiving the heat transfer element therein. At least one clearance is defined between the receiving recess and the heat transfer element. The fixing member has a fixing portion and an extended portion. The fixing portion is connected to the top surface of the base plate, whereas the extended portion is bent and inserted into the clearance to locate between the receiving recess and the heat transfer element, such that the heat transfer element is firmly held in the receiving recess of the base plate.

Generally, a fixing structure for heat dissipation element includes a base plate and a heat pipe. The base plate defines a receiving recess for receiving the heat pipe therein. The heat pipe is connected to the receiving recess by tight fitting or loose fitting. In the case of tight fitting, the heat pipe has an outer diameter or a width larger than an inner diameter or a width of the receiving recess, so the heat pipe tends to be damaged when being connected to the receiving recess or could not be easily successfully connected to the receiving recess. On the other hand, in the case of loose fitting, glue or solder is needed to bond or weld the heat pip to the receiving recess. In other words, additional steps are required in the whole manufacturing process to connect the heat pipe to the receiving recess. Therefore, there are problems of lengthened production process, increased manufacturing cost and potential environmental pollution.
It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved fixing structure for heat dissipation element that can prevent the heat pipe from being damaged when being connected to the receiving recess, and shorten the production process, as well as reduce the manufacturing cost.

Fixing structure for heat dissipation element


A motor control unit includes a power converter unit that energize a motor based on a commutating signal, the motor having a rotor provided with a permanent magnet and a stator having a coil wound thereto; a start-up controller that outputs a commutating signal to the power converter unit during a start-up operation, the commutating signal having a predetermined conductive pattern corresponding to a command rotational speed; a voltage calculator that calculates a voltage of the motor during the start-up operation by applying a parameter for the motor, the command rotational speed, and a current flown in the coil of the motor to a voltage-current equation of the motor; and a determiner that, during the start-up operation, compares a voltage calculated by the voltage calculator and an actual voltage of the motor and that determines occurrence of rotational abnormalities when the actual voltage is lower than the calculated voltage.

There has been a demand for wide-ranged variable speed control, reduction in electricity consumption, and improved maintainability in the field of compressor motors and fan motors in applications such as air conditioners, and in the field of drive motors for electric automobiles. To meet such demands, a sensor-less drive method is being used in a number of applications. The sensor-less drive method executes field-oriented control of a permanent magnet motor having a permanent magnet in its rotor with an inverter unit without providing a sensor such as hall IC for rotor positioning detection purposes.
For instance, fan motors used in exterior units of air conditioners experience abnormal rotation in which the motor becomes locked unrotatably by external force or by its own problems, and in some instances experience significant reduction in rotational speed by step-out, or by other reasons. A sensor-less drive method that does not employ a sensor for detecting rotor positioning is not capable of directly detecting such abnormalities in rotation. In the light of the above, in JP 2003-319698 A, angular frequency of the rotor is detected by converging the d-axis induced voltage estimate to zero when executing a position estimate operation to determine the occurrence of abnormal rotation based on the difference between the detected angular frequency and the angular frequency command value.
The above described patent document discloses means for determining rotational abnormalities during the position estimation operation. However, when starting the motor, forcible commutation by way of a conductive signal having a constant pattern is required until induced voltage reaches a substantial magnitude to allow position detection of the rotor. Since forcible commutation does not provide rotational position feedback, rotational abnormalities such as step-out is prone to occur, and such rotational abnormalities also introduces problems such as noise generation.


The present invention relates to histone deacetylase inhibitors, and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds, useful for the treatment of ischemia-reperfusion injury and for cardioprotection.

Recent evidence indicates that histone deacetylase enzymes contribute to ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury, and pan-HDAC inhibitors have been shown to be cardioprotective when administered either before an ischemic insult or during reperfusion. The inventors have shown previously that selective inhibition of class I HDACs provides superior cardioprotection when compared to pan-HDAC inhibition in a pretreatment model, but selective class I HDAC inhibition has not been tested during reperfusion. Little is known about the exact mechanism by which HDAC inhibition confers cardioprotection against I/R injury.
A need exists in the art, therefore, for HDAC inhibitors for the treatment of I/R injury and cardioprotection.

MUSC FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT


A projection display apparatus comprises an image source having a rectangular image-displaying surface; a projecting lens assembly for magnifying and projecting the image onto a screen; and light-obstructing plate disposed in the vicinity of the nearest lens element of the projecting lens assembly to the image source. The light-obstructing plate is disposed in such a position that 0.1.ltoreq.R.sub.1 /R.sub.2 .ltoreq.0.8 where R.sub.1 is a radius of optical-axis light which is emitted toward the screen from a central point on the image-displaying surface through which the optical axis of the projecting lens assembly passes, and R.sub.2 is a radius of effective light which is emitted toward the screen from the image-displaying surface. The light-obstructing plate is provided with protrusions which are disposed at positions at a same distance from a first, or a second reference line on the light-obstructing plate so as to obstruct several pairs of flare beams, which are included in peripheral light emitted from the vicinity of four corners of the image-displaying surface and are traveling towards positions at a same distance from the first or the second reference line.

This invention relates to a projection display apparatus that enlarges an image displayed on an image source such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), and projects it onto a screen. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus that can project a finely detailed, high contrast image on the screen.
FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram showing the construction of the image projecting part of a projection display apparatus described in the Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 258575/1994 (applicant: Mitshubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha). As shown in FIG. 21, the image projecting part comprises a CRT 3 having a faceplate 3f, a projecting lens assembly 4 comprising six lens elements (or lens groups) L.sub.1 -L.sub.6, and a cooling fluid 6. In FIG. 21, S.sub.1 -S.sub.12 indicate surfaces of each lens element L.sub.1 -L.sub.6. In this image projecting part, a spot displayed at the center A of the faceplate 3f, through which an optical axis 5 of the projecting lens assembly 4 passes, is projected as a spot image, which almost perfectly resembles the image on the faceplate 3f, at the center A.sub.s of a screen as shown in FIG. 22.
However, in the aforesaid conventional projection display apparatus, due to off-axis aberrations such as coma or astigmatism, and to discrepancies when machining and assembling the lenses, a spot displayed in a corner B of the faceplate 3f of the CRT 3 is projected on the screen so that the projected image on the screen has the deformed and widened form shown as B.sub.s in FIG. 22. This causes the resolution of a projected image to decrease. Moreover, flare affects adjacent images, leading to local decrease of contrast of the projected image on the screen.
In a model representation of the image formed in the area B.sub.s of FIG. 22, two regions may be distinguished as shown in FIG. 23, viz. a region 31 where the light beam is relatively converged, and a region 32 where the aberration light (referred to hereinafter as flare) surrounding the region 31 is impinged. According to this model, the light intensity distributions in the meridional and sagittal directions are respectively 33M and 33S. The MTF (modulation transfer function) is obtained as the Fourier transform of the intensity distribution. Assuming the basic frequencies to be the same, the characteristics of the MTF 34M in the meridional direction are then superior to those of the MTF 34S in the sagittal direction, as shown in FIG. 24.
The Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 251808/1990, for example, proposes a means of overcoming this problem. According to this proposal, flare is screened out by providing an obstructing means in the projecting lens assembly. However, as the position of this obstructing means is not specified, it may obstruct light except for the flare, leading to a decrease of brightness of the projected image.


A method of making a liquid crystal display, including the steps of providing a substrate; providing a first electrode over the substrate; coating the first electrode with aqueous dispersed material which when dried provides a protective dielectric layer over the first electrode; coating the dielectric layer with liquid crystal bearing material and drying such liquid crystal bearing material, providing a second substrate having a second electrode, coating the second electrode with a dielectric adhesive layer; and laminating the coated second electrode to the liquid crystal bearing material by means of the dielectric adhesive material.

The present invention relates to a method of making a liquid crystal display having a dielectric adhesive layer used in the lamination process.
Currently, information is displayed using assembled sheets of paper carrying permanent inks or displayed on electronically modulated surfaces such as cathode ray displays or liquid crystal displays. Other sheet materials can carry magnetically writable areas to carry ticketing or financial information, however magnetically written data is not visible.
A structure is disclosed in PCT/WO 97/04398, entitled xe2x80x9cElectronic Book With Multiple Display Pagesxe2x80x9d which is a thorough recitation of the art of thin, electronically written display technologies. Disclosed is the assembling of multiple display sheets that are bound into a xe2x80x9cbookxe2x80x9d, each sheet is arranged to be individually addressed. The patent recites prior art in forming thin, electronically written pages, including flexible sheets, image modulating material formed from a bi-stable liquid crystal system, and thin metallic conductor lines on each page.
Fabrication of flexible, electronically written display sheets are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,047. A first sheet has transparent ITO conductive areas and a second sheet has electrically conductive inks printed on display areas. The sheets can be glass, but in practice have been formed of Mylar polyester. A dispersion of liquid crystal material in a binder is coated on the first sheet, and the second sheet is bonded to the liquid crystal material. Electrical potential applied to opposing conductive areas operate on the liquid crystal material to expose display areas. The display uses nematic liquid crystal material which ceases to present an image when de-energized.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,959 discloses a plurality of polymer dispersed liquid crystal materials, each having a different red, green or blue dye material. Differing electrical signals to common electrodes operate on each of the materials to control the state of each type of dyed liquid crystal material. The patent requires the use of conventional nematic liquid crystals with a dye to absorb light. The droplets are chemically treated to be stable in either a clear or a light absorbing state. The invention also requires materials having different response times to electrical signals. The device must be continually driven so that the human eye perceives complementary colors. This arrangement has the disadvantage of requiring continuous, high speed electrical drive because the materials do not maintain their state. The material must be driven to achieve a neutral color density.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,811 discloses a light-modulating cell having a polymer dispersed chiral nematic liquid crystal. The chiral nematic liquid crystal has the property of being driven between a planar state reflecting a specific visible wavelength of light and a light scattering focal-conic state. Said structure has the capacity of maintaining one of the given states in the absence of an electric field.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,816,786 discloses droplets of cholesteric liquid crystal in a polymer matrix responsive to an electric field. The electrodes in the patent can be transparent or non-transparent and formed of various metals or graphite. It is disclosed that one electrode must be light absorbing and it is suggested that the light absorbing electrode be prepared from paints contains conductive material such as carbon.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,300 discusses forming a conductive layer over a liquid crystal coating to form a second conductor. The description of the preferred embodiment discloses Indium-Tin-Oxide (ITO) over a liquid crystal dispersion to create a transparent electrode.
Prior art discloses the use of dielectric barrier layers formed over ITO conductors. The dielectric layer protects the ITO transparent conductor from damage from electrochemical interaction with the light modulating material. The protective layers are typically formed by vacuum sputtering silicon dioxide over the ITO conductors. The vacuum forming process is slow and expensive.
It is an object of this invention to provide a highly effective dielectric adhesive layer over an electrode used in the lamination of polymer dispersed liquid crystal displays.
This object is achieved in a method of making a liquid crystal display, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a substrate;
(b) providing a first electrode over the substrate;
(c) coating the first electrode with aqueous dispersed material which when dried provides a dielectric layer over the first electrode;
(d) coating the dielectric layer with liquid crystal bearing material and drying such liquid crystal bearing material;
(e) providing a second, separate substrate;
(f) providing a second electrode over the second substrate;
(g) coating the second electrode with a thermoplastic, dielectric adhesive layer; and
(h) subsequently laminating this second structure to the dried liquid crystal bearing material by means of the dielectric adhesive material.
The invention provides an inexpensive, transparent, colorless, dielectric adhesive layer between a field carrying electrode and the dried liquid crystal bearing material. This adhesive layer can be coated from water or organic solvents. Such dielectric adhesive layers provide an excellent bond between the liquid crystal layer and the conductive support, typically exceeding the cohesive integrity of the liquid crystal layer.
The present invention provides a dielectric adhesive layer over a conductive layer using simple, inexpensive coating techniques. Such coatings permit the fabrication of electronic privacy screens having long life and durability.

Method of making liquid crystal display having a dielectric adhesive layer for laminating a liquid crystal layer


The invention provides an adapter card for use with a computing apparatus executing in a multitasking environment program elements that implement call-related functional units requiring DSP (Digital Signal Processor) resources. In a specific example, the call-related functional units provide voice recognition services, IP (Internet Protocol) telephony and voice message, among others. The adapter card includes a switch that receives voice signals from one or more telephone lines physically connected to the adapter card. A digital signal processor is provided on the adapter card and can receive an audio signal from the switch for processing. When anyone of the call-related functional units needs access to the resources of the DSP, it issues a control signal to the switch that responds by directing the audio signal that is to be processed by the call-related functional unit to the digital signal processor. The results of the manipulations performed by the digital signal processor on the audio signal are then transferred to the call-related functional unit for further processing. The invention also provides a method and apparatus for processing calls implementing the above-functionality, and a digital signal processor featuring a switch capability coupled to a time-shared DSP resource.

The present invention relates to telecommunications in general and more particularly to the processing of audio signals such as telephone audio signals. Specifically, the invention provides an adapter card featuring a time-shared DSP resource, for use with a computing apparatus that provides call-related functions. In a specific example, the call-related functions can be voice-recognition, voice messaging and IP telephony, among others. The invention also provides a method and apparatus for processing calls by time-sharing a DSP resource. The invention further provides a digital signal processor featuring a switch capability coupled to a time-shared DSP resource.
Modern telephony brings to consumers a broad range of enhanced functions above the basic telephone service such as the ability to establish a communication link between two remote locations in a network. Specific examples of such enhanced call-related functions include voice recognition, IP telephony and voice messaging, automated call distribution, integrated voice response (talk-back to user) and text to speech conversion, among many others. The implementation of the enhanced call-related functions requires special manipulations of the audio signal on the line. A digital signal processor that is in the form of an integrated circuit capable of high-speed data processing is used to perform these manipulations. Normally, a single digital signal processor mounted on an adapter card installed in the telecommunication apparatus handling calls, such as a network switch or a PBX (Private Branch eXchange) is associated to a single call-related function and performs the audio signal processing when that call-related function is invoked. This form of implementation is not entirely satisfactory for cost reasons. The multiple adapter cards required for providing a wide range of enhanced services significantly increases the cost of the equipment.
In addition, multiple adapter cards increase the size of the telecommunication apparatus, which of course is undesirable. Also, upgrades on installed equipment are more difficult to implement. When a customer desired a new call-related function, he/she must purchase a new adapter card that often must be installed by a qualified technician. The installation is only possible if the telecommunication apparatus has free adapter card slots.
Therefore, there exists a need in the industry to provide systems capable to offering call-related functions at a lower cost than presently existing solutions and that make upgrades easier to implement.
In one aspect, the invention provides an adapter card for use with a computing apparatus capable of executing program elements for processing an audio signal and requiring a DSP resource. In a specific example, the program elements implement call-related functional units such IP telephony, voice recognition, and voice messaging, among others. The adapter card has a first interface for connection to at least one line carrying an audio signal and a switch that receives the audio signal from the interface and routes the signal toward a selected destination. A digital signal processor can receive an audio signal from the switch and perform desired manipulations on that audio signal. The digital signal processor provides time-shared services for the program elements executed by the computing apparatus.
The adapter card also has a second interface for connection to the computing apparatus. The switch is responsive to a control signal received from the second interface indicative of a request of a certain program element to gain access to a digital signal processor service, for directing an audio signal to the digital signal processor. The data issued by the digital signal processor as a result of the processing of the audio signal is made available to the program element for further processing.
In a specific example, the adapter card implements the functionality of a PBX (Private Branch eXchange) that enables users within an organisation to place calls to each other without going through the PSTN (Public Switch Telephone Network). In this form of implementation, the first interface receives a plurality of internal lines that connect to respective telephone sets. Also the interface receives one or more external lines connecting to the PSTN or to any other external network.
Under this specific example, the computing apparatus in which the adapter card is installed can be a server that executes the program elements implementing call-related functional units. When any one of those program elements executes to provide a certain call-related function, it will issue the necessary control signals to the switch on the adapter card such that the audio signal on which the function is to be performed will be directed to the digital signal processor. The latter manipulates the audio signal as required and transmits the results of manipulations to the program element for further processing. The digital signal processor is a time-shared recourse and in this specific example, a single digital signal processor is used to provide DSP services to a variety of call-related functional units.
In a different aspect the invention provides a call-processing apparatus comprising a line interface for connection to at least one line carrying an audio signal, a switch coupled to the interface and a digital signal processor capable to perform manipulations on the audio signal when the switch routes the audio signal to the digital signal processor. The call processing apparatus also comprises a plurality of call-related functional units for processing an audio signal at the line interface, the call-related functional units being capable of time-sharing the digital signal processor resource.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides a digital signal processor capable to perform core telephony functions and also providing time-shared DSP resources.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art on review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying figures.

Adapter card implementing a time-shared digital signal processor


A method includes determining a first temperature of paving material, determining a first location of a paving machine corresponding to the first temperature, determining a second temperature of the paving material, and determining a second location of the paving machine corresponding to the second temperature. The method also includes generating a paving material map based at least partly on the first and second temperatures, and the first and second locations. The method further includes causing at least part of the paving material map to be displayed. The displayed at least part of the paving material map including visual indicia indicating the first temperature and the second temperature.

A paving machine, such as an asphalt paver, is a self-propelled construction machine designed to receive, convey, distribute, profile, and partially compact paving material. Such a paving machine may accept heated paving material (e.g., asphalt) into a receiving hopper at the front of the paving machine. The heated asphalt material in the hopper is conveyed to the rear of the paving machine by conveyors positioned at a base of the hopper. The asphalt material is then distributed across a width of the paving machine by means of two opposing screws or augers. Finally, a screed assembly located at the rear of the paving machine profiles and compacts the asphalt material into a mat on the paving surface.
Although the paving material mat is typically formed while the paving material is within a desired temperature band, in some situations, different sections of the paving material mat may have significantly different respective temperatures due to variations in paving material production temperatures, delivery schedules, ambient conditions, and other factors. Such differences in temperature between sections of the paving material mat may result in corresponding variations in the compaction requirements for the respective sections, thereby increasing the complexity of the paving process. Although most operations in the paving process rely heavily on the training, skill, and experience of paving machine operators, it can be difficult for such operators to perceive such differences in temperature.
An example system for determining paving material temperatures is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,936,145 (hereinafter referred to as the '145 reference). In particular, the '145 reference describes a material conveyor system for improving temperature homogeneity in asphalt mixtures in order to provide better compaction. The '145 reference describes a temperature measurement system which monitors the temperature of the asphalt in main conveyors of a paving machine and/or in transverse conveyors of the paving machine. The '145 reference does not, however, disclose details related to estimating the temperature of a resulting paving material mat. Further, the various temperature measurement equipment described in the '145 reference may add considerable additional cost to the disclosed paving machine.
Example embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward overcoming the deficiencies described above.

System and method for generating a paving material map


The invention relates to an arrangement with a wall lead-through for a plurality of cables, comprising a wall having a wall opening, a housing of a wall lead-through, which is fixed on one side to the wall, such that a housing aperture formed at the housing is arranged opposite the wall lead-through, and a plurality of cables which extend in each case through the wall lead-through and the housing aperture as well as through an associated sealing element which is arranged in a sealing manner in a receiving space of the housing and surrounds the respective cable circumferentially. According to the invention, separate receptacles for in each case one or more sealing elements, in which the sealing elements are arranged, are formed in the receiving space of the housing and with the aid of at least one grid component which, after the housing has been fixed to the wall, is inserted from an opposite side of the wall through the wall lead-through into the receiving space and there into the area of the housing aperture. The invention further comprises a kit for a wall lead-through.

Wall lead-throughs for cables, which can also be called cable lead-throughs, serve to guide cables through a wall from one side to the other side. Such wall lead-throughs are particularly used in connection with guiding cables through a housing wall of a unit or a cabinet, for example a control cabinet. Such wall lead-throughs can provide for a seal, for example for sealing against the penetration of moisture and dirt.
Wall lead-throughs can have a housing made of plastic, which is manufactured as an injection moulded part. In the case of this or other known designs, the housing has a housing breakthrough that is located opposite to a wall breakthrough, which the cables are to be guided through.
From document DE 32 24 977 A1, a cable support sleeve held by a notch in a wall for the sealed bushing of a cable or cable set through a wall in motor vehicles is known. The cable support sleeve has a perforated base body with an integrally connected, truncated conical extension whose end collar is supported in a sealing manner on the cable. The base body is quadrilateral, for example square, as a rule. The cable support sleeve has outer narrow surfaces whose regions allocated to the notch are held via tongue and groove connections. The notch holds a plurality of such cable support sleeves whose mutually adjacent narrow surfaces likewise engage in one another via tongue and groove connections. Thus, for example in the region of two mutually approximately parallel outer boundary edges and in a third boundary edge which connects the aforesaid two and is approximately at right angles thereto, the base body in each case has grooves which are recessed into the narrow surface there. In the region of the fourth boundary edge, the base body supports an outwardly projecting tongue which can engage into a groove of an adjacent cable support sleeve when a plurality of cable support sleeves are joined to one another.
Document DE 102 25 046 A1 concerns a device for attaching a cable lead-through to a wall aperture. The device surrounds the aperture on all sides and can be connected to the wall in a tightly sealed and stationary manner. The device has at least one continuous opening for cables and can be connected to the cable lead-through in a stationary and tightly sealed manner. At least one retaining clip is provided in order to be able to detachably connect the cable lead-through to the device.
In the document DE 10 2013 201 149 A1, a cable guide device is disclosed that has a seal carrier that is provided with a cable entry opening for the arrangement of a cable gasket. The seal carrier and the cable gasket comprise a separation plane extending parallel to a cable guide direction, wherein a threaded element is provided that can be screwed against the seal carrier for abutment of the cable gasket against the cable arranged in the cable lead-through opening.
From the document DE 299 11 305 U1, a cable-plug lead-through system for housings for accommodating electrical and/or electronic components is known. The lead-through system is provided with a multi-part grid component with receiving means for sealing elements which is to be mounted on one side of the housing breakthrough.
A multi-part housing for a wall cable lead-through is further known from the document U.S. Pat. No. 7,806,374 B1.
In the document DE 102 25 046 A1, a device for attaching a cable lead-through to a wall aperture is disclosed. A multi-part grid component is arranged on the backside of a housing that is to be mounted on the wall.
A cable lead-through and a cable lead-through system are further described in the document EP 1 710 882 A1.
From the document WO 2010/011151 A2, a wall duct for a connector pipe is known. When manufacturing the wall duct, a cubicoidal part of a thermal insulator is entered through a hole in the wall and thereby also through a hole in a fastening plate which is arranged on the inner side of the wall with the hole. Thereby, the cubicoidal part of the thermal insulator is entered into the inside of a solar collector. Into this arrangement, a connector pipe is then entered to provide a pipe connection on the outside and the inside, respectively. A mounting ring is arranged on the connector pipe.

Method for the production of a wall lead-through for several cables as well as arrangement