An apparatus and method for providing automotive vehicle information from a remote system to an automotive service device through a communications link wherein a first processor associated with the automotive service device is configured to obtain automotive vehicle information from a remote system over said communications link, the remote system configured to provide to the first processor an index identifying at least one set of automotive vehicle data available from said remote system such that the first processor can select and access at least one set of automotive vehicle data from the index for display at said automotive service device and for use in the service of an automotive vehicle.

Not Applicable.
The present invention relates to automotive service equipment, and more particularly to the exchange of electronic data between an automotive service device interconnected via a local or global network such as the Internet to a remote computer system for the transfer of vehicle specifications or automotive service data therefrom, facilitating the service or repair of an automotive vehicle.
As described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/388,730 herein incorporated by reference, it is desirable that the general purpose computer associated with an automotive diagnostic system such as an automotive wheel alignment system, brake testing system, or vehicle wheel balancer to include an operating system that is fully compatible with local and global computer networks such as the Internet. Examples of such currently available operating systems include the Microsoft Windows(trademark) OS family of products and Palm Computing""s Palm operating system. Such systems are capable of running Internet browser software applications, examples of which include Microsoft""s Explorer or Netscape""s Communicator. Such an automotive diagnostic or wheel alignment system further should provide improved Internet integration of the automotive diagnostic or wheel alignment system when compared to conventional automotive diagnostic or wheel alignment systems. Conventional general purpose computers included in conventional systems often provide access to a network of computers (e.g., LAN) and to the Internet. However, conventional systems generally do not integrate the Internet into associated automotive service, maintenance, repair or inspection software, such as wheel alignment diagnostic software. Instead, the computer operates as would any other PC, configured to browse the Internet without fully integrating the Internet into the system software. Therefore, it is desirable to develop an automotive diagnostic system such as a wheel alignment or wheel balancer system that integrates local or global computer networks such as the Internet into the system software to provide a more efficient and accurate system than is currently available by facilitating access to, and acquisition of, the most current and up-to-date information available for use with the particular diagnostic routine being performed or vehicle undergoing service.
For example, in the vehicle alignment context, vehicle specifications include critical sets of data necessary for vehicle wheel alignment systems, such as manufacturer""s specifications, photographic data, instructional data, and service parts data. Traditionally, original vehicle specifications and updates or changes to existing vehicle specifications typically are disseminated to automotive service shops on a yearly basis. The specification and update information typically is stored on a hard drive, floppy disk, CD-ROM, microfilm, or in paper manuals. New vehicle specifications typically are available for wheel alignment systems in the fall to coincide with introduction of the new model year vehicles into the market. However, by the time the specifications and updates are purchased, delivered and installed so as to be accessible to a service or repair technician and implemented in the wheel alignment system, it is usually the spring of the following year (a four to six month lag). Moreover, Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) often are issued by vehicle manufacturers during the year which change or update information included in the vehicle specifications. Such changes to such specifications and other pertinent information relating to specific vehicles often are not distributed to the automotive service shops until the following annual update of the specifications are released. This may result in a lag of several months in dissemination of critical information. Since the specifications, repair instructions and updates are provided as paper manuals or on microfilm, diskettes or CD-ROMs, further delay may result since the outdated data must be physically removed and replaced with the new data before it can be readily accessed by the technicians. Accordingly, repair and service technicians often are diagnosing and repairing vehicles based upon outdated, incomplete or inaccurate information. Furthermore, even once such information arrives at the service agency and is properly installed, the technician may not take the time to read and apply the revised data when diagnosing and servicing a vehicle.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an automotive diagnostic system such as a vehicle wheel alignment system that allows for nearly instantaneous information access via a local or global computer network (e.g., the Internet) so that vehicle data sets such as current or new vehicle specifications, updates, and repair instructions can be readily accessed and utilized by service and repair technicians. A basic system for automatically updating static and dynamic files at a network node in response to instructions of an application program is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,772 to Halliwell et al. The ""772 patent describes a data processing network in which specific and complicated control logic is utilized to coordinate the updating, creation, and deletion of files on a work station computer from a host computer. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,204 to Yinger et al. describes a system and method for automated installation of applications on a networked computer on an as needed basis. The ""204 Yinger et al. patent focuses on removing the need for user interaction from the installation process while simultaneously reducing the overhead cost of continually updating application files as newer versions become available.
In contrast, software stored in the general purpose computer should allow a simple automotive diagnostic system such as the vehicle wheel alignment system to connect to the Internet and download the latest, most accurate vehicle specifications provided by the vehicle manufacturers upon demand, or alternatively to facilitate the purchase of an entire set of updated vehicle specifications, as directed by a technician on an as needed basis. Other pertinent information such as Technical Service Bulletins, repair parts information, and pricing also should be readily accessible via the Internet to the technician operating the automotive wheel alignment system. Such Internet connectivity should be integrated into the diagnosis, service, maintenance, repair, and inspection processes so that access to this information requires no advance training or additional computer skill on the part of the service or repair technician. Such an automotive system allows for increased accuracy when diagnosing and servicing vehicles and for increased productivity of the system and technicians utilizing the system.
Among the several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
The provision of an improved vehicle wheel alignment system configured for communication with a remote computer system via a local or global network such as the Internet to receive automotive service data therefrom, as needed;
The provision of the aforementioned improved vehicle wheel alignment system wherein the system is further configured to receive a database of automotive service data from the remote computer system over the network, and to exchange purchase information with the remote computer system for access to the contents of the database;
The provision of the aforementioned improved vehicle wheel alignment system wherein the system is configured to receive and maintain a cryptographic key from the remote computer, the cryptographic key being associated with the vehicle wheel alignment system and providing access to the contents database of automotive service data;
The provision of the aforementioned improved vehicle wheel alignment system wherein the automotive service data received via the network includes vehicle wheel alignment specifications;
The provision of a method for updating reference data on a vehicle wheel alignment system computer, comprising the steps of identifying needed data, establishing a connection to a remote computer storing the needed data, requesting the needed data, receiving the needed data, and utilizing the received data;
The provision of the aforementioned method for updating reference data on a vehicle wheel alignment system wherein the received data is encrypted, and wherein a decryption key associated with the encrypted received data is provided to the vehicle wheel alignment system computer;
The provision of the aforementioned method for updating reference data on a vehicle wheel alignment system wherein the decryption key is additionally associated with subsequent encrypted data installed at the automotive service system;
The provision of an alternative embodiment of a vehicle wheel alignment system having a wheel alignment computer, a remote computer, and a communication system linking the wheel alignment computer and the remote computer, wherein the wheel alignment computer is configured to respond to user-input vehicle information to identify vehicle data needed from the remote computer, and the remote computer is configured to transfer a copy of that data to the wheel alignment computer over the communication system;
The provision of the aforementioned vehicle wheel alignment system wherein the identified vehicle data is updated vehicle data;
The provision of the aforementioned vehicle wheel alignment system wherein the identified vehicle data is new vehicle data;
The provision of the aforementioned vehicle wheel alignment system wherein the communication system is the Internet;
The provision of an alternative method for providing automotive service data to a vehicle wheel alignment system over a communications link including the steps of accessing an index of available automotive service data, selecting over the communications link, the desired automotive service data from the index, accessing the selected automotive service data over the communications link, and utilizing the accessed data at the vehicle wheel alignment system;
The provision of the aforementioned alternative method for providing automotive service data to a vehicle wheel alignment system wherein the communications link is the Internet;
The provision of the aforementioned alternative method for providing automotive service data to a vehicle wheel alignment system wherein the index accessed is a dynamically created web page on a web server;
The provision of the aforementioned alternative method for providing automotive service data to a vehicle wheel alignment system wherein automotive service data is selected by accessing a dynamically created web page containing the desired data;
The provision of the aforementioned alternative method for providing automotive service data to a vehicle wheel alignment system wherein the dynamically created web page containing the desired data is transferred to the vehicle wheel alignment system for storage and subsequent use;
The provision of the aforementioned alternative method for providing automotive service data to a vehicle wheel alignment system wherein the index is inaccessible without proper authorization and identification; and
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a host computer that is compatible with local and global computer information networks such as the Internet to allow for improved computer network integration of automotive diagnostic and service systems, for example, automotive wheel alignment systems, for and improved dissemination of automotive information.
Briefly stated, an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention is of a wheel alignment system that includes at least one sensing device for acquiring automotive data, interface circuitry in communication with the sensing device for generating data representative of automotive data acquired by the sensing device, and a host computer in communication with the interface circuitry for performing a sequence of operations on data generated by the interface circuitry. The host computer provides integrated Internet access to allow for transmission to the vehicle wheel alignment system via the Internet of information necessary to accurately diagnose a vehicle. In the preferred embodiment, the host computer provides integrated Internet access to allow for transmission and receipt of information including, for example, current vehicle specification information data and current wheel alignment software. The current automotive data or vehicle specification information may be acquired either as part of a database of vehicle information purchased online, or may be individually transmitted to the host computer as a dynamically created web page containing all of the necessary vehicle information, repair instructions, parts identifiers, and digital imagery. In some embodiments of the present invention, the transmitted information is encrypted, and may only be accessed with the use of a separate decryption key associated with the encrypted data, which is purchased and received apart from the transmitted information.
As a method, the present invention involves updating, replacing, or adding vehicle reference data, service instructions, parts information and digital imagery to a vehicle wheel alignment system from a remote data storage and distribution computer or processor via a communications link such as the Internet. Upon the identification of a need for update, replacement, or new vehicle reference data, a connection is established between the vehicle wheel alignment system and a remote computer upon which current vehicle reference data is stored. The identified need is communicated to the remote computer, and the corresponding current vehicle reference data is returned, optionally in an encrypted format, for use and storage by the vehicle wheel alignment system.
Alternatively, as a method, the present invention embodies the utilization of internet-based communications by dynamically generating an index of available automotive vehicle data sets on a web server in response to a query from a vehicle wheel alignment system. Desired automotive vehicle data sets are accessed and transferred to the requesting vehicle wheel alignment system utilizing web-pages and web-transfer protocols such as HTML and XML upon the exchange and verification of appropriate identification or purchase information.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention as well as presently preferred embodiments thereof will become more apparent from the reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Method and apparatus for update and acquisition of automotive vehicle specifications in automotive diagnostic equipment


Apparatus for laser welding a first metal part (1) to a second metal part (2), which apparatus comprises: a laser (3) which emits a laser beam (6) in the form of laser pulses (21), a scanner (4) for moving the laser beam (6) with respect to a metal surface (7) of the first metal part (1), an objective lens (5) which focuses the laser beam (6) onto the metal surface (7), and a controller (12) which controls the scanner (4) such that it moves the laser beam (6) with respect to the metal surface (7) to a plurality of focussed spots (16), characterised in that the apparatus focuses the laser pulses (21) with a spot size (34) and a pulse fluence (36) that causes the formation of a plurality of melt pools (19) in the first metal part (1) and heat stakes (17) in the second metal part (2), each heat stake (17) extends from a different one of the melt pools (19) and has a distal end (101), and the controller (12) spaces the focussed spots (16) apart by a distance (18) that is small enough to cause the melt pools (19) to overlap and that is large enough to ensure the distal ends (101) of the heat stakes (17) are distinct and separate from each other in at least one direction (108).

Joining of bright metals such as gold, copper, aluminium, platinum and silver by laser welding in the near infrared spectrum (800 nm to 2500 nm) presents a challenge, as the surface of bright metals are highly reflective with poor absorbance. To overcome the surface reflectivity and initiate coupling of the laser's energy into the metal surface, it is necessary to use laser beams with high power densities.
The function of the beam on a bright material approximates a discreet function with a very narrow operating window from beam hold-off (reflection) and absorption. At first the surface reflects substantially all of the laser light. However, once the surface reflectivity is overcome by sufficient laser intensity, a melt of the surface is initiated. The reflectivity then almost immediately transitions from its original highly reflective condition of more than 80% reflectivity to a lower value, which for some metals, can be less than 50% reflectivity. This causes the melt pool on the surface to grow extremely rapidly. It is consequently very difficult to control.
The challenge is increased when welding thin and low mass sections. Such high power densities are often detrimental, leading to over penetration of the laser beam and resulting unreliable joints. Conversely, if near infrared lasers are operated at lower power densities with beam intensities at or just above the absorbance limits, then this generally results in weak or absent welds as a result of inconsistent and random coupling of the laser beam to the metal surface.
The present preferred method of laser welding of copper and other bright metals such as gold and silver, involves the use of lasers that emit at visible green wavelengths. The most common lasers are frequency doubled 1064 nm lasers that emit at 532 nm. This is because the reflectivity of bright metals is usually significantly lower at 532 nm than at near infrared wavelengths. The laser joining of bright metals with such lasers produces welds that are repeatable and consistent but at the cost of efficiency, complexity, and costs associated with frequency doubling. In some applications, it is necessary to combine a laser emitting at 532 nm with a second laser at 1064 nm in order to increase efficiency and productivity. Such dual wavelength systems require closed loop monitoring of the laser welding process using sophisticated beam monitoring and real time analysis in order to analyze and tailor the structure of the weld. Such diagnostic devices use video analysis of the back reflected light and the weld pool characteristics in order to provide feedback to the laser controller. These systems are complex and expensive.
The use of green lasers has been adopted to perform weld joints of bright metals without specifically addressing the application of joining dissimilar metals. Conventional welding of dissimilar metals relies on specific control of the dilution of the metals at the interface and resulting thermal conditions to minimize mixing of the dissimilar metals which results in so-called intermetallics in the joint. A large intermetallic region is prone to fracture from stresses acting on the joint and the fracture propagates through the entire joint until failure.
Laser welding with continuous wave and pulsed lasers is well known, with either a continuous weld front, or overlapping spot welds in which the weld forms a continuous seam. Defects in the materials caused by the welding process create weaknesses, and are unacceptable in the majority of applications. Pulsed welds are typically formed using microsecond and millisecond pulses, generating melt which resolidifies to form the weld. When welding dissimilar materials, the weld interface can contain intermetallics, which are a compound formed from the two materials being joined, and are typically brittle and undesirable in nature, and the weld can therefore break along this intermetallic layer.
There is a need for a simpler solution for joining bright and dissimilar metals and alloys without problems caused in the joint interface. The method should be able to produce consistent and predictive results on each joint. The resulting weld should have no reliability issues associated with intermetallics.
There is a need for a method for an apparatus and method for laser welding that avoids the aforementioned problems.

Apparatus and method for overlap laser welding


A device includes an OLED pixel and a control circuit controlled at a refresh rate thereof. The device includes first and second dummy control circuits having similar operating characteristics to the control circuit. A controller and logic circuit switch on the first and second dummy control circuits and apply an input voltage so the first and second dummy control circuits output first and second output voltages. At a first time, the controller and logic circuit switch off the second dummy control circuit so a leakage current flows through the second dummy control circuit to ground, causing the second output voltage to reduce. Comparison circuitry determines a second time at which, due to the reduction of the second output voltage, a difference between the first and second output voltages is greater than a threshold. Determination circuitry determines the refresh frequency based upon elapsed time between the first and second times.

Devices are known in the prior art in which organic light-emitting diodes, more simply denoted by the term "OLED diodes", are controlled at a refresh frequency by control circuits comprised of transistors. Such control circuits allow a voltage to be applied across the terminals of the OLED diodes after a refresh operation, and for this voltage to be maintained until the next refresh operation. This is made possible by using the capacitance associated with NMOS transistors which are respectively coupled to anodes of the OLED diodes.
The control circuits include other MOS transistors which act as switches. These transistors are conducting during the refresh operation (which has a short duration), then are in a non-conducting state when the voltage is maintained between refresh operations. Current leakages may nevertheless appear within these transistors acting as a switch.
The effect of these leakage currents causes a drop in the voltage across the terminals of the OLED diodes, which progressively decreases starting from the moment when the transistors acting as switches go into the non-conducting state.
This drop in the voltage across the terminals of the OLED diodes is associated with a reduction in the light intensity emitted by the OLED diodes. If this reduction in light intensity is too great between two refresh operations, it may be noticed by the user looking at the matrix of active OLED pixels. This phenomenon is commonly denoted by those skilled in the art by the term "flicker".
The period between two refresh operations is associated with a refresh frequency. In order to limit the appearance of the flicker phenomenon, those skilled in the art know that it is preferable to use a high refresh frequency, for example 50 or 60 Hz. These refresh frequencies have the drawback of being associated with an increase in electrical power consumption.

Method for determining a refresh frequency for a matrix of OLED active pixels and corresponding device


Air vehicles, fly-by wire systems, and method for preemptive mitigation of turbulence are provided. An air vehicle includes a flight control surface, a sensor, and a controller. The sensor is configured to determine a velocity of an air mass that is separated from the air vehicle by a predetermined distance. The controller is communicatively coupled with the sensor and is configured to determine whether the air mass will disturb smooth flight of the air vehicle. The controller is further configured to manipulate the flight control surface in response to determining that the air mass will disturb smooth flight of the air vehicle.

Aircraft ride quality is important to aircraft passengers and flight crews. This ride quality generally deteriorates when the aircraft flies through atmospheric turbulence. Advanced flight control systems, e.g., Fly-by-wire, typically feature control laws that use pilot control commands and inertial and air data sensor data as inputs to control algorithms in the Flight Control Computer (FCC) to move flight control surfaces and thus improve flight path control and stability. The sensor feedback in these conventional systems, however, is entirely reactive. For example, these conventional aircraft must experience the deteriorated ride quality before any stability control becomes active. Accordingly, these conventional aircraft have limited ability to smooth the aircraft response in turbulence.
As such, it is desirable to provide a flight control system with improved ride quality. In addition, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.

Air vehicles and systems for preemptive turbulence mitigation


The present disclosure discloses an antenna component, an electronic device and an antenna controlling method. The antenna component includes: multiple antenna structures, wherein at least one antenna structure acts as a master antenna, and at least one antenna structure acts as a diversity antenna; a control switch connected with the antenna structures; a radio frequency module, coupled to the antenna structures through the control switch; wherein the control switch is arranged to, according to transmit power of the at least one antenna structure acting as the master antenna and receive power of the at least one antenna structure acting as the diversity antenna, switch the at least one antenna structure acting as the master antenna to a diversity antenna, and switch the at least one antenna structure acting as the diversity antenna to a master antenna.

With development of network technologies and improvement of intelligence of electronic devices, a user may realize more and more functions through an electronic device, for example, communication, chatting and playing games.
When a user is communicating or chatting with an electronic device, signal transmission may be achieved through an antenna of the electronic device.

Antenna component, electronic device and antenna controlling method

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


An improved aerobic waste treatment package which both simplifies maintenance of the system and increases the interval between necessary maintenance through the use of a removable surge bowl which forms part of a centrally disposed, large capacity, surge chamber positioned above the waste treatment holding tank. The package also simplifies maintenance by permitting removal of the surge bowl without disconnecting the electrical connections to the package and through the use of a simplified system for suspending porous filter bags from a hanger plate extending across the top of the holding tank.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,656, assigned to the assignee of the present application, discloses an aerobic waste treatment system in which waste material is treated under aerobic conditions to transform it into an essentially clear effluent.
Despite the efficiency of this system there is of course a need for maintenance work to be performed at certain intervals determined by the usage of the system. For example, it is necessary from time to time to remove the porous filter bags and either clean them and replace them or simply replace them with new bags.
With the design disclosed in the above noted patent access to the interior of the system to change the filter bags is somewhat time consuming, not only because of the manner in which the bags are suspended from the hanger plate, but also because of the limited access available to the interior of the system and the necessity of disconnecting certain electric controls if the entire outer shell is to be removed to provide more ready access.
Thus despite the efficiency of the system described in the above noted patent it will be apparent that routine maintenance can become a time consuming chore and detract from customer acceptance of the system.


A system is disclosed for monitoring work cycles on a worksite including a truck and a loading machine. The system includes a communications interface, memory storing instructions, and a processing unit configured to execute the instructions. The processing unit receives, via the communications interface, location information and acceleration information for the truck and location information for the loading machine. The processing unit determines a distance between the truck and the loading machine based on the location information. The processing unit determines a phase of a work cycle of the truck based on the determined distance between the truck and the loading machine and on the acceleration information for the truck.

A common operation on many worksites is the excavation and removal of material. For example, in open-cut mines, material is excavated from a certain location and loaded into trucks for transport to a designated dumping location. Loading machines, such as electric mining shovels or excavators, are commonly used to load the trucks with material. Loading machines collect material in a bucket and deliver it to the bed of the truck, which will usually have the capacity for multiple bucket-loads of material.
Monitoring the work cycles of the truck and/or the loading machine can be useful. For example, a worksite operator may want to monitor the number of work cycles completed in a workday to assess productivity, the amount of revenue generated, the amount of inventory moved, or other parameters.
Some operators, such as operators of large worksites, can afford high-end trucks and loading machines equipped with sensors that support systems for monitoring work cycles. For example, some high-end trucks have a payload sensor that measures the weight of the payload in the truck bed, a bed sensor that senses whether the bed is raised or lowered, a gear sensor that senses the gear in which the truck is operating, and/or a ground speed sensor that measures the ground speed of the truck. High-end loading machines may have similar sensors, as well as a bucket sensor configured to sense the height or angle of the bucket. Using the information provided by these sophisticated sensors, work cycles or phases thereof can be determined.
One example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,364,440 to Putkonen ("the '440 patent"). In the system described in the '440 patent, a loading machine is equipped with sensors that monitor the signals of the control stick, including speed, direction, and tool state. The loading machine also has a sensor that measures the weight of the payload in the bucket. The '440 patent system applies a mathematical model to the information provided by these sensors to determine the work cycle and state of the loading machine.
While the system of the '440 patent may assist worksite operators in assessing productivity, it may have certain drawbacks. For example, the equipment needed to implement the monitoring of the '440 patent may be too expensive for operators of smaller worksites, such as coal mines and quarries. And even operators of larger worksites may want to avoid purchasing expensive equipment for monitoring work cycles. Accordingly, a less expensive solution is needed.
This disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and other problems in the art.

System and method for identifying machine work cycle phases


A method of activating electrodes in a multichannel electrode array using channel specific sampling sequences is presented. A channel specific sampling sequence is defined for each electrode, the sequence having a particular duration, amplitude, and number of pulses. A weighting factor is applied to the channel specific sampling sequence. Each electrode in the multichannel electrode array is then simultaneously activated using sign-correlated pulses, the sign-correlated pulses based on parameters of spatial channel interaction, non-linear compression, and each electrode""s weighted channel specific sampling sequence.

The present invention relates to electrical nerve stimulation, and more particularly, electrostimulation of the nerve based on channel specific sampling sequences.
Cochlear implants (inner ear prostheses) are a possibility to help profoundly deaf or severely hearing impaired persons. Unlike conventional hearing aids, which just apply an amplified and modified sound signal, a cochlear implant is based on direct electrical stimulation of the acoustic nerve. The intention of a cochlear implant is to stimulate nervous structures in the inner ear electrically in such a way that hearing impressions most similar to normal hearing are obtained.
A cochlear prosthesis essentially consists of two parts, the speech processor and the implanted stimulator. The speech processor contains the power supply (batteries) of the overall system and is used to perform signal processing of the acoustic signal to extract the stimulation parameters. The stimulator generates the stimulation patterns and conducts them to the nervous tissue by means of an electrode array which usually is positioned in the scala tympani in the inner ear. The connection between speech processor and stimulator is established either by means of a radio frequency link (transcutaneous) or by means of a plug in the skin (percutaneous).
At present, the most successful stimulation strategy is the so called xe2x80x9ccontinuous-interleaved-sampling strategyxe2x80x9d (CIS), as described by Wilson B. S., Finley C. C., Lawson D. T., Wolford R. D., Eddington D. K., Rabinowitz W. M., xe2x80x9cBetter speech recognition with cochlear implants,xe2x80x9d Nature, vol. 352, 236-238. (July 1991) [hereinafter Wilson et al., 1991], which is incorporated herein by reference. Signal processing for CIS in the speech processor involves the following steps:
(1) splitting up of the audio frequency range into spectral bands by means of a filter bank,
(2) envelope detection of each filter output signal,
(3) instantaneous nonlinear compression of the envelope signal (map law).
According to the tonotopic organization of the cochlea, each stimulation electrode in the scala tympani is associated with a band pass filter of the external filter bank. For stimulation, symmetrical biphasic current pulses are applied. The amplitudes of the stimulation pulses are directly obtained from the compressed envelope signals (step (3) of above). These signals are sampled sequentially, and the stimulation pulses are applied in a strictly non-overlapping sequence. Thus, as a typical CIS-feature, only one stimulation channel is active at one time. The overall stimulation rate is comparatively high. For example, assuming an overall stimulation rate of 18 kpps, and using an 12 channel filter bank, the stimulation rate per channel is 1.5 kpps. Such a stimulation rate per channel usually is sufficient for adequate temporal representation of the envelope signal.
The maximum overall stimulation rate is limited by the minimum phase duration per pulse. The phase duration cannot be chosen arbitrarily short, because the shorter the pulses, the higher the current amplitudes have to be to elicit action potentials in neurons, and current amplitudes are limited for various practical reasons. For an overall stimulation rate of 18 kpps, the phase duration is 27 xcexcs, which is at the lower limit.
Each output of the CIS band pass filters can roughly be regarded as a sinusoid at the center frequency of the band pass filter, which is modulated by the envelope signal. This is due to the quality factor Q≈3 of the filters. In case of a voiced speech segment, this envelope is approximately periodic, and the repetition rate is equal to the pitch frequency.
In the current CIS-strategy, the envelope signals only are used for further processing. i.e., they contain the entire stimulation information. For each channel, the envelope is represented as a sequence of biphasic pulses at constant repetition rate. As a characteristic feature of CIS, this repetition rate (typically 1.5 kpps) is equal for all channels, and there is no relation to the center frequencies of the individual channels. It is intended that the repetition rate is not a temporal cue for the patient, i.e., it should be sufficiently high, so that the patient does not percept tones with a frequency equal to the repetition rate. The repetition rate is usually chosen greater than at twice the bandwidth of the envelope signals (Nyquist theorem).
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, electrodes in a multichannel electrode array are activated using channel specific sampling sequences. A channel specific sampling sequence for each electrode is defined, having a particular duration, amplitude, and number of pulses. A weighting factor is applied to the channel specific sampling sequence, creating a weighted channel specific sampling sequence. Each electrode in the multichannel electrode array is then simultaneously activated using sign-correlated pulses, the sign-correlated pulses based on parameters of spatial channel interaction, non-linear compression, and each electrode""s weighted channel specific sampling sequence.
In accordance with other related embodiments, the electrodes stimulate the acoustic nerve. The multichannel electrode array can be used in a monopolar electrode configuration having a remote ground. The pulse amplitudes can be derived by sampling a signal waveform, for example, one half the period of a sinusoid between 0 and xcfx80, or one quarter of a sinusoid between 0 and xcfx80/2 so that the amplitude distribution is monotonically increasing. Symmetrical biphasic current pulses can be used to sample the signal waveform. The channel specific sampling sequence pulse rate may be between 5-10 kpps. The parameters of spatial channel interaction can be based on a single electrode model having exponential decays of the potentials at both sides of the electrode, the sign-correlated pulses having amplitudes which are calculated using properties of a tri-diagonal matrix. The multichannel electrode array can be in a cochlear implant, whereby the weighting factor is transmitted to the cochlear implant. Start and stop bits, and addresses associated with an electrode can also be transmitted to the cochlear implant.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, electrodes in a multichannel electrode array are activated using channel specific sampling sequences by applying an acoustic signal to a bank of filters, each filter in the bank of filters associated with a channel having an electrode. A weighting factor is derived for each channel based on the output of each channel""s filter. The weighting, factor is then applied to a channel specific sampling sequence having a particular duration, amplitude and number of pulses, creating a weighted channel specific sampling sequence. Each channel""s electrode is simultaneously activated using sign-correlated pulses, the sign-correlated pulses based on the weighted channel specific sampling sequence, non-linear compression, and parameters of spatial channel interaction.
In accordance with other related embodiments, the electrodes can stimulate the acoustic nerve. The weighting factor can be derived by rectifying the output of each filter, and then determining the maximum amplitude of each half-wave in the rectified signal. The multichannel electrode array can used a monopolar electrode configuration having a remote ground. The pulse amplitudes of the channel specific sampling sequence can be derived by sampling a signal waveform, such as one half the period of a sinusoid between 0 and xcfx80, or one quarter of a sinusoid so that the amplitude distribution is monotonically increasing. Symmetrical biphasic current pulses can be used to sample the waveform. Each channel filter can be a bandpass filter. The duration and number of pulses in the channel specific sampling sequence can then be derived from the center frequency of the channel""s bandpass filter. For example, the duration of the channel specific sampling sequence can be one half of the period of the bandpass filter""s center frequency. The parameters of spatial channel interaction can be based on a single electrode model having exponential decays of the potentials at both sides of the electrode, the sign-correlated pulses having amplitudes determined by using properties of a tri-diagonal matrix. The multichannel electrode array can be in a cochlear implant, whereby the weighting factor is transmitted to the cochlear implant. Start and stop bits, and addresses associated with an electrode can also be transmitted to the cochlear implant.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, electrodes are simultaneously activated in a multichannel electrode array using channel specific sampling sequences. Sign-correlated pulses are used. The amplitudes of the sign-correlated pulses are calculated by taking into account parameters of spatial channel interaction. In calculating the amplitudes of the sign-correlated pulses a single electrode model having exponential decays of the potentials at both sides of the electrode can be used. The amplitudes of the sign-correlated pulses can be calculated using properties of a tri-diagonal matrix.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, channel specific sampling sequence having a pulse descriptive characterization are defined. The channel specific sampling sequence is used to activate electrodes in a multichannel electrode array, each filter in a bank of filters associated with a channel having an electrode. Pulse amplitudes of the channel sampling sequence are derived by sampling a signal waveform. The duration and number of pulses of the channel specific sampling sequence are derived from a frequency associated with the channel""s filter.
In accordance with other related embodiments, the sampling is of a half period of a sinusoid between 0 and xcfx80. The sampling can also be of a quarter period of a sinusoid between 0 and xcfx80/2, so that pulse amplitude distribution monotonically increases. The sampling can use biphasic current pulses. Each filter can be a bandpass filter. The duration and number of pulses in the channel specific sampling sequence can be derived from the center frequency of the channel""s bandpass filter. The duration of the channel specific sampling sequence can be one half of the period of the bandpass filter""s center frequency.
In another embodiment of the invention, a weighting factor for a channel specific sampling sequence is derived, the channel specific sampling sequence being used to activate electrodes in a multichannel electrode array, each filter in a bank of filters associated with a channel having an electrode. The output of each filter is rectified, creating a half-wave rectified signal. The maximum amplitude of each half-wave in the half-wave rectified signal is then determined.

Electrical nerve stimulation based on channel specific sampling sequences


This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for continuous autogenic incineration of high-moisture easily friable combustible agglomerates in a fluidized bed. The improvement comprises introducing the waste materials into the bed in a "tube" of air provided by supplemental air means which surrounds the in-bed feed means.

In fluidized bed incineration processes the combustion occurs in a bed of particulate material (generally sand) heated in a refractory-lined steel vessel. The bed of inert particulate material is supported on a perforated gas distribution plate mounted within the vessel and dividing the vessel into two chambers: the windbox below the plate and the reaction chamber above the plate. The bed is "fluidized" by air passing from the slightly elevated pressure windbox below the plate upwardly through the perforated plate and through the bed at a rate which is a function of the pressure differentials, e.g. bed depth controlled rate.
In a highly desirable mode of operation in large-scale incinerators, when the bed is at ignition temperature the constant feed of combustible waste products to be burned within the bed is at a sufficiently high rate to exclusively fuel the incinerator in autogenic operation (self-sustained burning of the wastes). For the most efficient operation this burning should occur within the bed of granular materials and not in the space of the reactor which is situated above the bed ("freeboard"). In reality however large-scale fluidized bed incineration of waste materials which have high moisture content is fraught with problems due to the requirement that the moisture be vaporized with the resulting cooling effect. Fluidized bed combustion of high moisture feeds typically results in less than complete combustion in the bed, with a substantial proportion of the combustion being "afterburning" or burning which occurs in the freeboard space above the bed. Under such conditions, the temperature in the bed is less than ideal and the temperature in the freeboard is higher than the ideal. Further problems result from the steam which is generated in the combustion of high moisture materials. The steam tends to smother that combustion which does occur within the bed. In exemplary operation, the freeboard should be maintained between 1600.degree.-1800.degree. F. and the fluidized bed should be maintained between 1400.degree.-1600.degree. F. If the temperature in the bed falls much below 1300.degree. F. smoking will begin, indicating a critical condition during which time there is a potential risk of explosion.
In the past this problem of poor combustion in the bed could only be solved by the introduction of an additional fuel (i.e. natural gas or oil) into the bed to supplement the generation of heat and thus significantly raise the bed temperature and consequently lower the temperature in the freeboard space. This need for additional fuel sharply impairs the economics of processes involving fluidized bed incineration of wastes to produce heat derived energy.
Until recently the large-scale commercial fluidized bed incinerators employed most frequently in waste disposal provided for the feeding of the waste material above the fluidized bed through a portal in the side or top of the reactor vessel. In these "top-feed" incinerators, the waste material falls freely through the freeboard or down the sidewalls of the reactor and onto the bed surface. Even with the flow of fluidizing air through the bed, with the resulting circulation and agitation in the bed, this method of feeding still leads to poor distribution of the feed within the bed itself and therefore to less heat generation in the bed. More burning occurs in the upper layer of the bed and in the freeboard space above the bed. It was extremely difficult, if not impossible, to maintain autogenic operation with such systems.
In order to partially alleviate this problem more recent fluidized bed reactor designs have provided for feeding directly into the bed itself. In these reactors the vessel is provided with a chute directed into the bed or a feed portal located lower on the reactor sidewall and adjacent to the bed itself, to permit "in-bed" feeding. The latter method has not been found to solve the poor distribution and poor "in-bed" burning problems in large-scale commercial incinerators. Some smaller incinerator designs have included a stirring apparatus to provide more turbulence and better feed distribution throughout the bed. However, in large-scale operations such stirring has generally not been regarded to be feasible.
Thus, even with the use of in-bed feeding techniques heretofore available, the relatively low extent of burning in the bed and the subsequent greater extent of combustion or afterburning which occurs in the freeboard space above the bed has remained a significant problem, creating a barrier against autogenic operation in the use of fluidized bed incinerators for burning of high moisture wastes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,153 issued to Robin Nauta specifically relates to a "topfeed" incinerator and is claimed to enhance the in-bed distribution of the feed and combustion at or near the top of the bed. The Nauta structure provides the reaction chamber with an auxiliary air source which introduces air at a point directly above the fluidized bed through a pipe which is concentric with a respective downwardly directed feed pipe and is spaced therefrom in surrounding relation to define an annular air passage way. The patent alleges that the air which passes into the reaction chamber through this passage way provides an air shield around the feed pipe and forces material floating on top of the fluidized bed back into the bed. The text of the patent indicates that the relatively dry feed material issues from screw feeders into the downwardly directed feed pipe which ends directly above the bed and the feed falls freely through the pipe and onto the surface of the fluidized bed. The combustion within the bed is supported by the fluidizing air from the windbox below the bed. Column 3, line 19, of the Nauta patent, states that some combustible gasses and fine solids do escape from the bed and that the auxiliary air supports combustion of these escaping materials largely in the region close to, but after they have escaped from the bed. It also states that this combustion takes place in the freeboard but close to the bed. The Nauta patent makes no representations that the Nauta apparatus is capable of autogenic operation, particularly with medium or high moisture level infeeds. It is manifest that the apparatus shown in the Nauta patent is merely a schematic drawing containing absolutely none of the auxiliary accouterments such as auxiliary fuel injection means. The schematic drawings appear to be limited to components germane to the Nauta infeed device. Nonetheless, other than general discussion in the introductory paragraphs there is no specific reference to means for injecting fuel, and raising the temperature of the bed to operating temperature, or means for maintaining ignition temperatures during operation of the bed, even with relatively dry feed material.
Another patent, namely U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,577 which was issued to Andrew Steever et al, described auxiliary air injection means mounted in the reactor wall and disposed in a horizontal plane a short distance above the top strata of the fluidized bed to establish and maintain a combustion zone of high turbulence in the freeboard region which is directly adjacent to and merging with the top strata of the bed. The Steever patent in FIG. 6 and at Col. 8, line 31 shows as one of its alternative embodiments an in-bed feeding system in which sewage sludge is screw-fed directly into the bed. It specifically refers to supply means 62 for the injection of supplemental fuel into the bed (Col. 8, lines 37-40). The Steever's patent also specifically admits, (Col. 8, lines 44-48) that, "These sludges furthermore require the continuous injection of supplemental fuel into the bed in order to maintain the combustion." Nowhere in the Steever patent is there any representation that the Steever's patented apparatus can achieve autogenic operation, i.e. complete elimination of the supplemental fuel.
Both of the above-mentioned patents disclosed auxiliary air sources which provide for air turbulence above and adjacent to the fluidized bed itself. These methods provide for burning in the area directly above the top surface of the bed. Neither patent teaches nor suggests that its respective apparatus can be maintained in autogenic operation.
On the other hand, it is an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for the incineration of high moisture (50-70% water) easily friable combustible agglomerates in a fluidized bed on a continuous autogenic basis.
It is an object of this invention to provide for more complete burning of the combustibles within the bed, thus enhancing the heating of the bed itself to the extent that it will sustain autogenic operation and thus reduce the "afterburning" which occurs in the freeboard above the bed.
It is another object to provide for extremely high levels of in-bed combustion in the fluidized bed incinerator, to such an extent that high moisture feeds are continuously dried as well as burned to a great extent within the bed.
It is a further object of this invention to provide autogenic operating conditions, in which the bed is maintained at a temperature of approximately 1500.degree.-1600.degree. F. for the optimum operation without addition of supplemental fuel.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for incinerating high moisture wastes in a fluidized bed system in which the autogenic operating temperature is controllably adjusted upwardly or downwardly by increasing or decreasing the rate of addition of supplemental air into the bed.
Further, it is an object of this invention to provide for combustion of the high moisture materials without the addition of other heat source materials such as oil and natural gas.
These and other objects of this invention are attained by the method and apparatus of the present invention, wherein easily friable combustible agglomerates are fed into the bed in a first high velocity air stream through feed means including a feed tube which is surrounded by a supplemental air tube at least to the point of discharge within the bed. Thus, the injection of the high moisture combustible feed occurs within a second high velocity air stream which surrounds the first stream containing the injected combustibles, at least momentarily after their discharge from the feed tube.
I have discovered that by feeding the combustibles to be burned into the incineration bed in a first high velocity air stream which is surrounded by a second high velocity air stream, in accordance with this invention, a better distribution is provided and thus more rapid and complete burning of the combustibles occurs in an autogenic operation, even with high moisture feed, e.g. 50-80% water.

Apparatus for feeding fluidized bed incinerator, and method of autogenic operation of same


A method and apparatus for performing a block-write to a memory device comprising at least one register, a data input port, at least one memory bank, and a hardware device to block-write data from the register to the memory device, including receiving a first portion of block-write data from a data bus during a first half of a clock cycle; then, producing a second portion of the block-write data, and block-writing the first and second portions of the block-write data from a write logic unit to the memory bank at a double data rate as determined by the clock cycle.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention was made in attempting to solve specific problems in connection with computer memory devices. The problem being addressed by the inventor was that of improving the access and processing speed of memory devices using double data rate block-writes.
2. Description of the Related Art
To construct a video display of colored pixels, a computer creates a block of video data through a large number of memory writes. Since memory accesses are slower than many internal processor operations, creating the data blocks used in video applications entails substantial computer time. One direction for improving video applications involves decreasing the time needed to create blocks of video data in a memory.
FIG. 1. shows a timing diagram 10 for input signals in one type of prior art memory device (not shown). A clock signal 12 synchronizes memory accesses associated with command 14; address 16, e.g., column, row and bank address; and data signals 18. The memory device latches the command, address and data signals 14, 16, 18 on rising edges 20, 22, 24, 26 of the clock signal 12. The illustrated memory device latches the command, address, and data signals 28, 30, 32 on the same rising edge 20, but other memory devices may have a latency period between the latching of the command/address signals and the data signal (not shown).
Referring still to FIG. 1, the memory device can latch one data signal, e.g., DATA m, DATA m+1, DATA m+2, DATA m+3, on the rising edge 20, 22, 24, 26 of each of four clock cycles. Since the memory devices latches one packet of write data during each CLK signal, the memory illustrated by the timing diagram 10 is referred to as a memory device operating at a single data rate. During latency periods in which the memory device is executing a command, external signals for no new operation (NO-OP) may be received.
Some prior art memory devices can also perform block-writes. A block-write stores the same data to a block of memory locations, e.g., a number of adjacent column addresses, through a single write command. The use of block-writes can increase the effective speed of a memory device, which performs many write operations with the same data. Video applications frequently write the same data, e.g., a pixel color, to a large block of memory locations, i.e., to record the individual color pixels of an image. Block-writes can speed up video applications.
FIG. 2 shows a timing diagram 50 for external signals to a memory device (not shown) performing a block-write. The memory device latches a block-write command 52, a block address 54, and mask data 56 on a rising edge 58 of the clock signal 12. The actual block-write occurs during a time period tBW subsequent to latching the block-write command 52. The illustrated memory device can perform a block-write every two clock cycles, i.e., another block-write command can be latched tBW after latching the present block-write command.
The advantages of block-writes can be understood by comparing the ordinary write of FIG. 1 to the block-write of FIG. 2. If the block-write of FIG. 2 stores data to 8 adjacent column addresses, the block-write writes an average of up to 4 memory locations per clock cycle, i.e., if subsequent block-writes are tBW apart. The ordinary write of FIG. 1 writes up to one memory location per clock cycle, i.e., if subsequent writes are spaced by the time to complete a write burst. Thus, the 8-column block-write of FIG. 2 has an effective write speed of up to 4 times the write speed of the ordinary write of FIG. 1. Increasing the number of columns written through block-writes effectively increases the write speed of a memory.
A block-write writes to blocks of memory locations having a fixed size, e.g., a fixed number of adjacent column addresses. Employing mask data in conjunction with a block-write introduces flexibility into the size of the blocks written. The mask data disables a subset of the fixed number of memory locations of the block so that the block-write does not store new data to the disabled subset. For example, a 8-column block-write performed with an 8 binary-digit mask (00111101) would write data to columns 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 of a chosen block of adjacent memory locations. Thus, the use of mask data enables the performance of selective block-writes.
The mask data may also be employed to disable selected bits or bytes within each memory location. The ratio of the size of the block written to the number of mask data bits determines the selectivity of a block-write. For example, a mask of 32 bits enables selectivity at the 1 byte level for an 8-column block-write to memory locations of 4 byte size. Masks provide a write selectivity determined by the size of the mask.
Since video applications often store each pixel of an image in a separate byte of memory, memory allocated for a video image may have different data stored in adjacent bytes. A masked block-write can store a video image to memory if the mask enables writing different data in adjacent bytes of memory, i.e., selectivity at the one byte-level. For a 16-column block-write to 4-byte memory locations be used in video applications, 64 bits have to be provided with each block-write command.
Memory devices having 32 bit wide data packets, could ordinarily provide 32 bits of mask data per clock cyclexe2x80x94an insufficient mask for the above-described video application. The usefulness of block-write in video memory devices would be increased if the size of the block could be increased without sacrificing selectivity.
The additional cost and complexity of implementing block-writes, as compared to other alternatives, may not be justified for the above-described effective speeds of 8-column block-writes. Nevertheless, the write speeds obtainable through the other alternatives substantially limit the speeds of video applications. Thus, further improvements to block-writes may enable faster video applications.
The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.
A method and apparatus are provided to perform block-writes to a memory device. In a first aspect of the invention, the memory device includes a register adapted to store data for a block-write, a data input port to send data to the register, at least one memory bank, and a hardware device to block-write data from the register to the memory device. The data input port is incapable of receiving as many bits of data in parallel as the register sends to the memory bank during a block-write.
In a second aspect of the invention, the method for performing a block-write to a memory bank includes receiving a first portion of block-write data from a data bus during a first half of a clock cycle; then, producing a second portion of the block-write data, and block-writing the first and second portions of the block-write data from the write logic unit to the memory bank at a double data rate. The clock cycle determines the data rate.
In a third aspect of the invention, a second memory device is provided including an input port capable of receiving mask data, and the memory device is adapted to perform a block-write with the mask data at a double data rate. In a fourth aspect of the invention, a second method to perform block-writes to a memory device is provided. The second method performs masked block-writes. The second method also includes writing mask data to a memory device at a double data rate and performing the masked block-writes using the mask data.

Double data rate synchronous memory with block-write


An exercise system, in a first mode of operation, provides for strengthening of legs of a user and enhancing the user's ability to develop and maintain balance and, in a second mode of operation, for providing various forms of core, arm, and upper body training. The system includes two resilient hemispheres each having a projecting dome and, on an opposite side, a rigid substantially flat weighted base in relationship about each hemisphere and a circumferential ring is proportioned to engage a periphery of the base of each hemisphere. An outer area of the periphery of each base includes elements with connecting rings secured to the engagement elements. Resistance training bands of selectable resistance are securable to one or plural connecting rings. A push-up handle of each hemisphere is press-fittably securable into an axial recess within the weighted base and selectably connects to different weights within the recess.

A. Area of the Invention
The invention relates to an exercise system which employs multiple exercise elements and is sufficiently compact for use by travelers.
B. Prior Art
Exercise systems which make use of a resilient sphere or hemisphere have been known in the art for some time. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,140 (1989) to Bergeron, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,357,077 (2013) to Taylor et al. Perhaps best known in the art is the BOSUBALL Single Hemisphere Exercise Device, which is reflected in various patents including U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,575,885, and 6,554,753 and various other patents, all held by Weck et al. None of these patents or the inventions thereof are directed to a concurrent use of multiple resilient hemispheric elements for exercise of other purposes. Accordingly, the exercises which may be considered in the use of such prior art are inherently limited.
Further, relatively few patents are concerned with exercises for the improvement of one's balance. However, included in this category is U.S. Pat. No. 3,716,229 (1973) to Van Der Cleyen et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,474 (1999) to Romero, and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 2013/0316886 (2013) to Lynch et al.
In summary, the use of multiple hemispherical elements with other components of the larger exercise system do not appear in any prior art of which the within inventor is aware.


Solid particles containing calcium peroxide and coated with a coating agent containing a water-insoluble solid compound having a melting point of at least 50.degree. C.. The particles can be used in the treatment of water and make it possible to ensure sufficient oxygenation for very long periods.

The present invention relates to solid particles containing calcium peroxide, to a process for their manufacture, and to their use in the treatment of water.
Calcium peroxide constitutes a very valuable source of active oxygen. In the form of an anhydrous solid, the product decomposes only very slightly under the action of heat. In an aqueous medium, on the other hand, it decomposes and liberates active oxygen. When the product is in powder form, this hydrolysis is particularly rapid at pH values below 10, so that the product becomes inactive just a few minutes after it has been brought into contact with the aqueous medium. Thus, the product cannot be suitable of the oxygenation of water when a long-term action is essential. Furthermore, granulation of the product does not reduce the hydrolysis rate sufficiently to permit its use in the treatment of water.
It is known to use uncoated particles of calcium peroxide in fish culture to oxygenate breeding ponds in order to aid the growth of vegetable plankton, as disclosed in Japanese Publication No. 27,799/74. It is also known to "encapsulate" calcium peroxide by means of liquid or pastry compounds in order to obtain an additive useful in the baking of bread, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,666,486. The coating agent is heat dispersible at a temperature of less than 50.degree. C. and disappears, so that the calcium peroxide is liberated, when the bread dough is worked.

Coated calcium peroxide particles useful in the treatment of water


A refrigerant compressor system suitable for transport refrigeration applications, including a refrigerant compressor, an electric motor and a hydraulic motor directly coupled together within a common housing. The electric motor includes a stator and a rotor, with the rotor having first and second axial ends. The refrigerant compressor is coupled to the first axial end of rotor, and the hydraulic motor is coupled to the second axial end. A single housing surrounds the electric motor, the refrigerant compressor, and the hydraulic motor. Hydraulic fluid for driving the hydraulic motor is selected to be compatible with the lubricating oil of the refrigerant compressor, such that leakage of hydraulic fluid into the housing will not adversely affect operation of the refrigerant compressor system. The housing is directly connected to a selected side of an associated refrigeration system, with the suction side being preferred, enabling the housing to also function as a refrigerant accumulator.

Hydraulic driven refrigeration systems have been used in straight trucks, with such systems usually comprising an open compressor which is selectively belt driven by either a hydraulic motor or an electric motor. When the truck engine is operating, the truck engine drives a hydraulic pump which drives the hydraulic motor. When the truck engine is not operating, the compressor may be driven by connecting the electric motor to commercial utility power.
Truck refrigeration systems have also utilized an electrically driven compressor in which a direct shaft coupled rotary compressor and electric motor are hermetically enclosed in a common housing.
It would be desirable, and it is an object of the present invention, to provide a new and improved refrigeration system suitable for transport refrigeration applications, having a compressor which is selectively capable of being driven hydraulically or electrically.

Compressor arrangement suitable for transport refrigeration systems


The present invention relates to a method of controlling a network of electronic stations each suitable for generating at least one function, in particular for use on a motor vehicle. The method comprises the following steps: i) generating an activation signal in at least some of the stations when a previously inactive function is requested; ii) generating a deactivation signal when an associated previously active function is to be deactivated; iii) detecting the generated activation and deactivation signals; iv) incrementing at least one counter by one step each time an associated activation signal is detected; v) decrementing the same counter by one step each time an associated deactivation signal is detected; and vi) generating a "go to sleep" signal when a counter reaches a zero count after being decremented.

Modern motor vehicles are fitted with numerous electronic stations or functions, some of which must be capable of being active when the engine is stopped. By way of example, mention may be made of controlling lighting, fog lights, windscreen wipers, monitoring liquid levels, temperature levels, speed, ABS functions, suspension controlling functions, and functions that must be capable of remaining active when the engine is stopped: door control functions, warning light functions, alarm systems.
The introduction of electronics into the automobile industry has led the ISO to propose a limit of 1 mA on electricity consumption when the engine is not operating, for the purpose of avoiding premature discharge of the vehicle battery.
Given the state of the art, it would appear to be difficult to satisfy this condition while keeping all of the electronic stations or functions switched on.
Proposals have therefore been made to switch off power supply to at least some of these stations when the engine is stopped.
More precisely, proposals have been made to design electronic stations capable of occupying two different operating modes or states: an active mode in which all of the means of the station required for performing a function are in operation, and a dormant mode in which the only portion of the station that remains in operation is the portion required for "waking it up".
These proposals constitute the subject matter of literature which is already fairly abundant.
By way of example, the following documents may be mentioned: FR-A-2508257, FR-A-2578070, FR-A-2626998, FR-A-2627036, FR-A-2627038, FR-A-2627039, and GB-A-2172727.
However, prior proposals do not give full satisfaction.
A particular object of the present invention is to provide a method of controlling a network of electronic stations which enables stations to switch between active mode and dormant mode under optimum conditions.

Method of controlling a network of electronic stations including a sleep mode when no active function is activated


A process for depositing a film of metal pnictogenide. The process comprises providing a single source of a metal pnictogenide and heating said source to a temperature sufficient to sublime the single source at a pressure selected from a range of about 0.0001 to 760 torr so that a sublimate is delivered into a reaction zone. Within this reaction zone, a substrate is provided upon which deposition may occur. The reaction zone is heated to approximately 200.degree.-800.degree. C. The sublimate is passed through this reaction zone and over the substrate to produce a thin film of metal pnictogenide which is deposited upon the substrate.

Metal pnictogenide films have attracted considerable attention due to their many desirable properties. Metal pnictogenides such as titanium nitride, zirconium nitride and hafnium nitride exhibit metallic behavior, extreme hardness, high melting point (ca 3000.degree. C.), chemical resistance to organic solvents and inorganic acids to the point of inertness, and low temperature super conductivity. As a result, metal pnictogenide films are suitable for many applications. Well known examples include wear resistant, friction reducing coatings for machine tools and gold colored decorative coatings.
In addition, the optical properties of metal pnictogenides make them suitable for use as wave length-selective transparent optical films and solar control coatings for windows. In microelectronic devices, metal pnictogenide films are of use as low resistance contacts and diffusion barriers that interconnect metallization schemes. See Fix et al. Chemical Vapor Deposition of Titanium, Zirconium, and Hafnium Nitride Films, CHEM. MATERIALS, (1991), 3, pp. 1138-1148, herein incorporated by reference.
Metal pnictogenide films have been prepared by chemical vapor deposition techniques (CVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques such as sputtering and reactive evaporation. However, these prior art processes fail to consistently provide high quality films exhibiting low resistivity, low levels of contamination from other elements and highly reflective gold colored films. In addition, most of these prior art CVD processes require the use of an excess of vaporous ammonia in combination with either a metal halide or a metal dialkylamide.
The deposition of titanium nitride films from the reaction of vaporous titanium tetrachloride and vaporous ammonia has been explored in a variety of reaction conditions. For example see Y. Saeki et al., Reaction Process Of Titanium Tetrachloride With Ammonium And The Vapor Phase And Properties Of The Titanium Nitride Formed, BULL. OF THE CHEM. SOC. OF JPN., (1982), 55, pp. 3193-3196; A. Aguero et al., A Low Temperature CVD Process For Tin Coatings, MAT. RES. SOC. SYMP. PROC., (1989), 168, pp. 311-316; and S. R. Kurtz and R. Gordon, Chemical Vapor Deposition Of Titanium Nitride At Low Temperatures, THIN FILMS, (1986), 140, pp. 277-290. These references are herein incorporated by reference.
However, these prior art processes fail to produce the desired high quality titanium nitride films. In particular, films produced by these prior art processes lack the characteristic highly reflective gold color, the desired one to one stoichiometry, and are contaminated with significant amounts of carbon and chlorine.
Metal pnictogenide films of titanium, zirconium and hafnium have also been produced using a multi-reactant feed stream of vaporous ammonia and vaporous tetrakis (dialkylamido) metal (IV) complexes. However, although the titanium nitride film produced by this process possessed the requisite highly reflective gold colored appearance, high purity films were obtained only at deposition temperatures of approximately 200.degree. C. Increasing deposition temperature resulted in increased contamination. Also, the titanium nitride films produced by this process possessed slightly nitrogen rich stoichiometry.
These prior art processes are also handicapped due to an extreme vulnerability to fluctuations in certain experimental parameters. Kurtz and Gordon reported that deposition of high quality TiN films was dependent upon careful control of the vaporous reactant mixing conditions. Failure to exercise this `careful control` resulted in the formation of powder. See, Kurtz et al., CVD Of TiN At Low Temperatures, THIN Solid FILMS, (1986), 140, pp. 277-290. Other experimental variables having a significant impact upon the successful CVD of metal pnictogenide films using multi reactant feed streams are the gas flow rates, pressure, reactant concentration and deposition temperature.
In addition to these practical difficulties, these multiple reactant CVD processes are undesirable because of the excess ammonia required. Due to ammonia's toxicity and hazardous handling properties, its presence in a commercial process is highly undesirable. While at least one prior art reference discloses the production of metal pnictogenide films using metal chloride and excess primary and secondary amines, the substitution of ammonia with an excess of selected primary and secondary amines in no way addresses the practical difficulties of using such compounds in a commercial industrial process.
As a result of the deficiencies of the prior art processes, CVD processes employing a single reactant stream for the production of metal pnictogenide films are desirable. While some single sources for metal pnictogenide films have been reported, they fail to produce the desired high quality metal pnictogenide films.
For example, in two prior art references, Fix et al. Synthesis of Thin Films By Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition Using Amido And Imido Titanium (IV) Compounds As Precursors, CHEM. MATER., (1990), 3, pp. 235-241 and Sugiyama et al. Low Temperature Deposition Of Metal Nitride By Thermal Decomposition Of Organo Metallic Compounds, J. ELECTRO. CHEM. ASSOC.: SOLID STATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, (November 1975), 122, pp. 1545-1549, the use of metal tetrakis (dialkylamides) are disclosed as single source precursors for metal pnictogenide films. These references, which are herein incorporated by reference, indicate that the resultant films suffer from significant oxygen and carbon contamination and appear to lack the desirable mirror-like golden appearance. Both references also indicate that no film is produced at deposition temperatures less than 350.degree. C.
Accordingly, then what is desired is a single source precursor for use in CVD reactors which will produce metal pnictogenide films, particularly titanium nitride films, which are gold colored and possess high reflectivity, negligible contamination from other atomic species such as carbon, oxygen or chlorine, and low resistivity. Suitable metal pnictogenide single sources will produce a film having the desired stoichiometry, be volatile at temperatures less than 100.degree. C. and cleanly decompose to the desired product.

Chemical vapor deposition of metal pnictogenide films using single source precursors


A disk drive suspension and method has a metal load beam and an electrical interconnect assembly. The interconnect assembly has an insulative layer, a read pair of forward and return path conductive traces, a write pair of forward and return path conductive traces that are supported by the insulative layer, preferably in offset relation across the insulative layer, and a metal layer for grounding and mounted on the insulative plastic layer in fixed spaced relation to the conductive traces to be between the interconnect assembly and the load beam. The metal layer shields the conductive traces from variations in impedance occasioned by varying distances between said electrical interconnect and said load beam.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to disk drive suspensions, and more particularly to disk drive suspensions including an electrical interconnect assembly adapted to be supported on a load beam, and to interconnect assemblies in combination with a load beam. The invention suspensions and interconnect assemblies provide enhanced performance through the optimized control of noise caused by impedance differences along the interconnect by spacing laterally the normally vertically superimposed signal forward and return paths of the read or write circuits, and, in some cases, adding a grounding layer between the conductive traces and the load beam.
2. Description of the Related Art
Disk drive interconnect assemblies in wireless suspensions are known that comprise plural pairs of trace conductors carried on a plastic insulative layer to form part of read and write circuits supported by a load beam. These trace conductor pairs are subject to noise from reflected impedance variations that degrades the integrity of the signals being sent through the trace conductors. Other impedance changes occur when the spacing of the trace conductors from the load beam changes over the mutual extents of the trace conductors and the metal load beam. Past efforts to control impedance through windowing, the removal of portions of metal locally opposite the trace conductors, appears to contribute to further local variations in impedance values.

Suspension interconnect with controlled noise


A direct contact steam injection heater with a coaxial steam nozzle has a converging/diverging combining tube. The converging/diverging combining tube eliminates the need for an adjustable combining tube sleeve to accommodate various flow rates of a liquid or slurry entering into the heater. The heater is especially well suited for sanitary applications because, without the combining tube sleeve, the heater can be made so that surfaces in contact with the liquid or slurry do not have pockets or folds in which liquid or particulates can accumulate. Contact surfaces in the heater are substantially self-cleaning because of turbulent mixing action, and the heater can be quickly disassembled and reassembled for manual cleaning.

In direct contact steam injection heaters, steam is directly mixed with a liquid or slurry to heat the liquid or slurry. Direct contact steam injection heaters are very effective at transferring heat energy from steam to the liquid or slurry. Direct contact steam injection heaters provide rapid heat transfer with virtually no heat loss to the atmosphere, and also transfer both the latent and the available sensible heat of the steam to the liquid or slurry.
There are many sanitary applications in which steam injection heating can be useful. For instance, steam injection heaters can be used to heat water (or water mixed with additives) for cleaning purposes, to heat water in a kettle for cooking food, to heat a slurry, or to heat just about anything in a pulp. In each of these applications, a sanitary heater can encounter a wide range of liquid flows, and sometimes even a wide range of steam pressures and temperatures. It is desirable that the temperature of the heated liquid or slurry be precisely controlled even with varying liquid flows or steam pressures and temperatures. It is also desirable that the heater maintain stable liquid flow even over a wide range of flow rates.
There are strict requirements for apparatus used in sanitary applications. For instance, no threads, folds or pockets in which fluids or particulates can accumulate may be present in the apparatus. It is also desirable that the contact surfaces be self-cleaning. If manual cleaning of contact surfaces is needed, easy disassembly of the apparatus is required. The apparatus must also be self-draining when installed. One type of direct contact steam injection heater, which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,512, has been used in sanitary applications. The sanitary steam injection heater disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,512 can be easily disassembled using quick disconnect couplings or clamps, but has many intricate mechanical parts that require extensive manual cleaning.

Sanitary direct contact steam injection heater and method


A method of spray deposition for inorganic nanocrystal solar cells comprising subjecting a first solution of CdTe or CdSe nanocrystals to ligand exchange with a small coordinating molecule, diluting the first solution in solvent to form a second solution, applying the second solution to a substrate, drying the substrate, dipping the substrate in a solution in MeOH of a compound that promotes sintering, washing the substrate with iPrOH, drying the substrate with N2, and heating and forming a film on the substrate. An inorganic nanocrystal solar cell comprising a substrate, a layer of metal, a layer of CdTe, a layer of CdSe, and a layer of transparent conductor. An inorganic nanocrystal solar cell comprising a transparent conductive substrate, a layer of CdSe, a layer of CdTe, and a Au contact.

This disclosure concerns a method for the fabrication of a solar cell on an opaque, non-conductive solid substrate, where all of the components of the device can be deposited using a spray-based solution process. Critical elements are found in both the method of deposition as well as in the unique architecture of the cell.
Solution synthesized inorganic nanocrystals are generally composed of an inorganic core surrounded by an organic ligand shell, and each of these components performs a distinct role in device fabrication.
The inorganic core provides electronic function and an opportunity to exploit quantum confinement effects not seen in bulk inorganic materials. For semiconductors, this occurs when the nanocrystal diameter falls below the Bohr exciton radius of the material.
The organic ligand shell stabilizes the core and enables the nanoclusters to dissolve in organic solvents, providing a practical means for the solution processing of inorganic devices.
One area where these materials are currently under intense examination is in the field of photovoltaics (PV), where this combination of electronic tuning via quantum confinement and solution processability hold promise for the fabrication of large area, flexible, and low-cost devices.
Initial approaches to the incorporation of nanocrystals into photovoltaics involved dispersing the material into a conductive polymer matrix. In this configuration, the nanocrystals absorb visible wavelength photons entering the active layer and consequently generate an exciton. Separation of this exciton into an electron and hole is aided by the polymer, serving as an electron transporting layer.
These early designs were plagued by low efficiencies and air sensitivity. In 2005, an all-inorganic design was first reported based on the heterojunction formed between layers of CdTe and CdSe nanorods deposited through a spin coating process and illustrated in FIG. 1. Note that this device contains no polymer in the region between nanorods, relying instead on the nanomaterial itself to generate and transport carriers. In addition to its improved power conversion efficiency of 2-3% under air mass 1.5 global filtered illumination, of particular note for this device is the measured air stability. Subsequent work has focused primarily on alternative material systems such as PbS and PbSe, and the dip coating of nanocrystal films via ligand exchange, with an eye toward harnessing carrier multiplication for high efficiency solar cells.

Spray deposition method for inorganic nanocrystal solar cells

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


Provided is a method of distributing an application including transmitting, by a distribution server, a signal for requesting metadata to a user terminal where an application is installed; receiving, by the distribution server, a reply including first metadata from the user terminal; determining, by the distribution server, whether the first metadata is valid based on second metadata corresponding to the application; setting a connection with the user terminal to re-install the application on the user terminal if the distribution server determines that the first metadata is not valid; encrypting, by the distribution server, one or more installation files that install the application with a private key; and transmitting the one or more encrypted installation files via the set connection to the user terminal.

1. Field
One or more example embodiments relate to a method of distributing an application with security features, and/or a method of operating the application; and more particularly, to a method of encrypting files related to an application with a private key, storing and managing, distributing, and/or decrypting one or more downloaded files with a public key corresponding to the private key.
2. Description of the Related Art
Software is configured with an execution file installed on a PC, a dynamic link file, and a data file. In general, an execution file, a dynamic link file, and a data file, are distinguished from each other by an extension. Particularly, the execution file has an extension of EXE or COM, the dynamic link file has an extension of DLL or OCX, and the data file has an extension of DAT, INT or TXT.
When a user executes an execution file, an execution operation performs with reference to a dynamic link file or a data file that is needed to execute software. In this case, when the execution file or the dynamic link file is forged by a virus or a hacking tool, the forged file performs a different operation from a user's intention as the software is executed. The user may never recognize whether a file is infected or forged since the user believes that he or she has been using a normal program, which was used before.
A conventional method simply registers a pattern of a hacking tool by using an anti-virus engine, regularly checks processes, and then forcibly terminates a program when the program corresponds to the registered hacking pattern. However, such a security method has a limit since all the new hacking tools continuously produced have to be registered to a pattern, and the integrity of a file may no longer be detected since a pattern of a program is changed when re-compiling a conventional hacking tool or compressing an execution file.

Method of distributing application with security features and method of operating the application


An improved type of storage compartment and display location for a small vehicle such as a motor scooter. The handlebar cover is formed with a recess which forms at the front thereof a storage compartment where small articles can be stored and at the rear thereof an area where the display can be mounted. This permits mounting of the display from above and places it closer to the rider so that it can be more easily viewed.

This invention relates to a small article compartment device for saddle type vehicles and more particularly to an improved storage compartment for a small vehicle such as a motor scooter and an associated instrumentation arrangement associated therewith.
There is a very popular type of motor vehicle referred to as a xe2x80x9cmotor scooterxe2x80x9d, which generally has a saddle type seat in which the rider is seated with his legs, disposed forwardly of the seat on a footboard. A handlebar assembly is disposed forwardly of the seat for steering of the vehicle.
It has been proposed to provide a meter display mounted in association with the handlebar for conveying certain running conditions to the operator of the vehicle. It has also been proposed to provide a storage space for storage small articles in the space in the vehicle body beneath the seat.
One of the problems with this type of storage compartment is that frequently the operator may wish to be able to reach or access articles in the storage compartment without stopping the scooter and/or getting off of the seat.
It is, therefore, a principal object to this invention to provide an improved and more readily accessible storage compartment for such vehicles.
In the type of instrument or display mounting employed on these vehicles, the display frequently is difficult to read from the rider seated on the seat. This is because the display may be positioned too far forwardly and angled too much to the horizontal to permit ease of viewing, particularly when liquid crystal displays are employed.
It is, therefore, a still further object to this invention to provide an improved display arrangement for utilize with motor scooters.
This invention is adapted to be embodied in a vehicle having a seat upon which a rider is seated with his feet extending forwardly and downwardly. A handlebar assembly is provided at the front of the seat and the vehicle for steering of the vehicle in its path of movement. A cover is associated with the handlebar and defines an internal recess that provides a storage compartment. A removable cover closes the recess and the storage compartment.

Small article compartment device for saddle type vehicle


A constant current source circuit includes a single differential amplifier having both voltage and temperature stabilization circuits. The voltage and temperature stabilization circuits operate on a feedback principle, each receiving an input from the differential amplifier, and each in turn providing a signal back to the differential amplifier to provide the desired stabilization. The resulting circuit is particularly adapted for use in battery-powered equipment, where substantial variations in both temperature and operating voltage are likely to occur.

This invention is in the field of constant current source circuits, and relates specifically to a constant current source circuit having both voltage and temperature stabilization.
Typical prior art constant current source circuits are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,714,543, 3,886,435 and 3,962,592. These patents are directed to constant current source circuit arrangements which additionally provide some form of temperature compensation, in order to stabilize output current as a function of temperature. However, these prior art circuits do not provide a high degree of stabilization with respect to power supply voltage variations, and are thus not ideally suitable for operation in battery-powered equipment for use in other applications where substantial variations in both ambient temperature and operating voltage are likely to be encountered.

Voltage and temperature stabilized constant current source circuit


Novel etch techniques are provided for shaping silicon features below the photolithographic resolution limits. FinFET devices are defined by recessing oxide and exposing a silicon protrusion to an isotropic etch, at least in the channel region. In one implementation, the protrusion is contoured by a dry isotropic etch having excellent selectivity, using a downstream microwave plasma etch.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of isotropically etching silicon and devices formed thereby, particularly in the context of dense integration schemes employing FinFET devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices, such as RAM memory, are commonly used devices in computer applications. Typically, there is a strong desire to increase the density of these types of devices so as to improve device performance and reduce cost. For DRAM memory, there are two basic components, a charge storage cell and a gate for accessing the charge storage cell. As the need for increased density arises, there is a need for developing types of gates which are smaller in size to facilitate higher density of devices.
One type of gate device that is currently being used in a variety of applications, including memory applications, is a FinFET device. In general, a FinFET device is formed on a semiconductor substrate, such as a silicon substrate, on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate or other types of material. Typically, a fin is formed which is a vertically extending protrusion typically made of a semiconductor material, such as silicon. The fin has two vertical sidewalls over which a gate dielectric and a conductor can be positioned such that, when the conductor is charged, the resulting electric field creates channel regions in the fin that are controllable by the electric field on both sides of the fin. As a result of being able to control the channel regions from at least two sides of the fin, a conductive channel can be formed in the fin, which is smaller, thereby facilitating reduced device dimension with reduced leakage.
While FinFET devices provide advantages over traditional planar MOSFET devices, there is still a need to optimize the performance of FinFETs. In particular, reducing the threshold voltage to form the channel region and improving the scalability of the devices are important design considerations. Moreover, improving the refresh rate and improving the reliability of existing FinFET devices are also viewed as important objectives for obtaining even smaller FinFET devices to thereby allow for even greater device densities on semiconductor circuits such as DRAM devices and the like.
One way in which FinFET devices can be more effectively scaled is to improve the precision of processing steps used to create the devices. The inventors have recognized, for example, that greater control in silicon etching processes opens the door to greater flexibility in reliable device design and integration schemes for FinFET devices. Similarly, it will be appreciated that improved control in silicon etching would be beneficial for a variety of integrated circuit (IC) structures and processes, particularly where such etching defines lateral dimensions of IC features.

Subresolution silicon features and methods for forming the same