For the access-point dependent calculation of telecommunication rates by way of a network, connecting data is generated in response to obtaining and using, by a subscriber or group of subscribers, telecommunication links. The connection data contains data identifying a network-access point used by a subscriber. During a specific period of time, there is stored connecting data in a connecting-data file. By, as a function of data on access points used in the period of time by a subscriber or a group of subscribers, determining to which of the access points there are coupled rates specific to the subscriber in question or group of subscribers, access-point-dependent rating is made possible in a simple and automatically self-regulating way. A system for applying the proposed way of rating is described as well.

It is known from practice, depending on the location of a subscriber—or at any rate on an apparatus bearing a subscriber identification—within a cellular network for mobile telephony to invoice several rates to the subscriber.
In order to better compete, e.g., in situations where the subscriber is located close to home or to his job, and therefore may relatively simply dispose of a connection by way of the nonmobile telephone network, against links by way of said nonmobile telephone network, some providers of mobile telephony invoice a reduced rate for conversations in the home zone. For conversations from locations outside said zone, on the contrary, the customary mobile rate is invoiced.
In practice, the zone in which a discount is offered is determined by the cell (the base transceiver) which best covers the location of the home base of the subscriber in question. Said cell constitutes the access point by way of which the subscriber, when making a link, gains access to the telecommunications network.
This way of determining the subscriber's zone, however, leads to several objections.
To start with, the access point must be determined in advance, e.g., by determining, at the home or office location of the subscriber, with which cell there is made a link, which is very laborious. Determination by way of plan views or maps which indicate the range of various cells is unreliable, since the transmission ranges, particularly in urban and hilly surroundings, may have craggy and surprising contours.
Secondly, it is of special importance to the subscriber that it be known whether at specific positions, where he wants to call often, there may be called at the reduced rate. After all, the subscriber will like to ascertain whether, from a location from which there is called frequently, there is not structurally called at the high rate. Said communication of the rate or the cell used requires additional provisions and complicates the use of the network.
Thirdly, in this method of determining the zones in which a different rate is computed, it is laborious that in the event of the home zone or the office zone being changed, it must be determined anew what is the new access point determining the zone in question. In addition, subsequent to the change, rates must then be calculated otherwise in a first part of a period than in a second part of said period.
Fourthly, through reconfiguration of the network, e.g., by adding a base station, the zone in which the home locations or office locations of a large number of subscribers are located, may change as well, which, in a considerable area, once again requires the redetermination of the access points associated with subscribers which determine the zone in question, in order to guarantee that no great number of subscribers at, e.g., the home location or the office location, remains deprived of a reduced rate.
Fifthly, under the influence of, e.g., weather conditions, the demand for links, the side of a building where the subscriber is located, and the position in which a telephone set is held, at or already close to the exact home location or office location, there may be made contact with another cell than the one which, at the initial determination, was determined as a serving cell and therefore as a special access point. As a result, the reduced rate cannot be offered to many subscribers in a reliable manner.

Access-point-dependent rate fixing of telecommunication links


A side restraint for a motor vehicle passenger contains at least one airbag positioned above an associated gas generator which is located at or below the level of the passenger's seat.

This invention relates to airbag restraints for motor vehicle passengers and, more particularly, to an airbag-equipped side restraint for a motor vehicle passenger.
In general, it has been possible to design existing vehicle parts as deforming elements or to provide additional deforming elements for converting kinetic energy into deformation work in the longitudinal direction of a motor vehicle. The deformation path available in case of a broadside collision is known to be very limited. In the case of a side restraint for a motor vehicle passenger, therefore, the side-restraining device must be designed so that it has a transverse dimension sufficient for effective cushioning only when needed, i.e., in a broadside collision. U.S. Pat. No. 2,834,606 describes a side restraint which includes an airbag mounted in the region of a roof girder which, after being actuated by the driver in an impending accident, extends downwardly between a passenger and the sidewall of the vehicle. This side restraint does not result in passenger inconvenience with respect to room for movement during normal travel but, in case of an accident, the restraint extends like an air cushion between a passenger and the imperiled sidewall. In this known construction, however, too much time is required for the airbag to reach its working position after it is released because of the distance between the location of the stored airbag, i.e., in the region of a roof girder, and the pelvis-shoulder region of the passenger which is to be protected.
In addition, difficulties arise because the airbag must expand in the transverse direction of the vehicle but, after expansion, it may not be able to move into the space between the passenger's shoulder and the sidewall, which may be quite narrow.
These same disadvantages are exhibited by the protective device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,412 which forms a cage for the passenger suspended from the roof of the vehicle. In case of an accident, this cage is supposed to be extended downwardly to surround the passenger, including his seat, on all sides. For this purpose, the cage has inflatable hoses, aligned vertically and a web which extends between the inflatable hoses.
It is likewise known, as described in German Patent No. 34 22 263, to provide a reservoir, filled with a gaseous medium and mounted in a girder of a vehicle, which is connected through a valved line to an inflatable envelope extending along the roof frame. If the girder is deformed, causing a pressure increase in the reservoir, the envelope is inflated and then forms a head restraint for a passenger sitting next to this part of the roof frame. Aside from the fact that the length of the connecting line would probably cause difficulties with regard to rapid activation of the inflatable envelope, this device constitutes only a head restraint so that the passenger's body is left unprotected to deformations of the sidewalls, including the side door.
It should be noted at this point that, although release of the side restraint in the device described in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 2,834,606 is effected by driver actuation of a switch or the like, the prior art, such as German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2 212 190, also discloses automatic collision sensors which are arranged as strips extending about the vehicle. Other collision sensors work capacitively by detecting accident-caused deformation of an outer member of the sidewall such as described in European Patent No. 0 305 655 or by detecting the variation in distance between two deformation signal elements designed as light guides as disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 37 16 168.

Airbag-equipped side restraint for a motor vehicle passenger


A method and system for forming hybrid cluster to process log files are described. In example embodiments, a method configures a node to execute as a first slave node. The first slave node executes in a first operating environment. The method also adds the first slave node to a Hadoop cluster. The Hadoop cluster includes a second slave node that operates in a second and different operating environment.

With the widespread acceptance of the Internet as a ubiquitous, interactive communication and interaction platform, the Internet has become a popular platform for storing information. For example, to better compete in an evolving online world, many content providers (e.g., online marketplaces) store and analyze log data. This data typically contains user actions and queries, and enables companies to better understand and serve the needs of their clients. However, content providers may store large log files on a daily basis resulting in the need for an effective means of analyzing that information.


A multi-band digital gain and equalizer system for receiving and processing an audio signal includes an analog-to-digital converter for converting the audio signal to a digital signal X, a plurality of digital filters, each for processing and selectively amplifying/attenuating a different frequency band of the signal X, to produce an output signal Y.sub.n, in which the waveform of the frequency response is concave downward for the central frequencies of the band and concave upward for the frequencies above and below the central frequencies, a summing circuit for summing the output signals Y.sub.n to produce a resultant digital signal, and a digital-to-analog converter for converting the resultant digital signal to a resultant analog audio signal. The center frequencies of each band processed by a digital filter is separated from adjacent center frequencies of bands processed by other digital filters, by about two octaves. An additional digital filter is provided for processing a frequency band of the signal X which is higher than the frequency bands processed by the plurality of digital filters, to produce an output signal Y.sub.n1 whose waveform of the frequency response is concave upward for the lower frequencies of the band, concave downward for the low to central frequencies of the band, and generally flat for the higher frequencies of the band. The summing circuit sums the output signals Y.sub.n and Y.sub.n1 to produce an output signal whose frequency response is substantially flat, with a "floor" at the low end of the frequencies and a "shelf" at the high end of the frequencies, and with little phase shift.

This invention relates to a gain and equalization system and more particularly to a digital gain and equalization system for reducing distortion, phase shift and other anomalies, and improving "clarity" in a variety of currently available sound systems.
Sound generation, recording and reproduction systems may take a variety of forms and perform a variety of functions, all relating, of course, to processing sound signals, with the common objective being to ultimately reproduce as accurately as possible the sound originally created or recorded or even "enhance" it. Such systems include, among others, public address systems and similar systems which utilize microphones and speakers, radio and television broadcast systems, radio and television receivers, tape recorders and disk recorders and players, home, auto and portable stereo systems, and recording studio systems. In all such systems, the sound is converted to electrical audio signals representing the sound, processed in some way, and then either reproduced, transmitted to other locations or recorded. At the various stages of generating the sound and processing the audio signals, there is a chance that either noise will be introduced to mask the true signals or the signals will be distorted (undesired change in signal waveform) in such a way that it is difficult to accurately reproduce the sound. Such noise and/or distortion may arise in the sound source itself, for example, instruments, voices, etc., in the room or studio acoustic configuration, in microphones which pick up the sound and convert it to electrical audio signals, in audio amplifiers and other audio signal processing components, in recording equipment and recording media, in speaker systems, and in audio signal transmitting equipment.
Ideally, all noise would be removed from (or not allowed to initially influence) the audio signal, and all processing of the audio signal would take place free from distortion, e.g., amplification would occur equally and uniformly over the entire audio signal frequency band (audio spectrum). However, achieving an essentially undistorted resultant audio signal has not been possible; rather in the course of reproducing an audio signal and otherwise processing such a signal, distortion of some form (phase distortion, frequency distortion, harmonic distortion, intermodulation distortion and the addition of noise) is inevitably introduced.
Distortion, which is frequency dependent, means that the signal being processed is treated differently, e.g. amplified or phase shifted by different amounts, at the different frequencies contained in the signal. Such distortion prevents the accurate reproduction of the original sound transmitted, recorded, or produced.
In an attempt to reduce, to the extent possible, distortion and other undesirable deficiencies produced by room acoustics, microphones, loudspeakers, recorders, and other audio signal producing and processing components, what are called "equalizers" are provided. Equalizers effect or introduce a kind of controlled distortion of the frequency response which is ideally flat, for the purpose of offsetting or cancelling the distortion introduced during signal origination production and processing. Equalizers, in effect, alter the frequency response of an audio system in some desired manner. Initially equalizers were constructed of passive components, to provide attenuation or cuts at certain frequencies. Later designs were usually constructed with active components, typically vacuum tube circuits and operational amplifiers.
Among the more well known equalizers in use today is the so-called graphic equalizer which is incorporated into many professional, home and automobile sound systems. The graphic equalizer is generally constructed so that the console and controls present the appearance of a graphic display of the frequency response being developed by the equalizer, e.g., which bands of the audio signal are boosted and which are cut.
In another type of equalizer, known as the parametric equalizer, three parameters of equalization, including frequency selection, boost or cut, and bandwidth control, are all independently variable.
More elaborate studio equalizers are utilized in recording, broadcast and television studios and these consist basically of a parallel bank of band-pass filters in which the center frequencies of the filters are separated by some finite amount such as an octave or fraction thereof, typically one-third. The gain or attenuation of each filter is separately adjustable, the result of which is an overall frequency response which can be continuously set across the entire audio frequency range.
In spite of the various approaches to performing "equalization", performing it in a high quality fashion, with little phase shift, and in a simple and inexpensive manner has been difficult to achieve.


A torque sensor to which a sensor device is applied includes: a first sensor IC that detects a torque that acts on a steering shaft of a vehicle and outputs detection signals based on the detection results; and a second sensor IC that detects a torque that acts on the steering shaft of the vehicle and outputs detection signals based on the detection results.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sensor device that detects a rotation angle, torque, or the like, of a detection object.
2. Discussion of Background
A device described in EP1503184 A2 is conventionally known as a sensor device of this type. The sensor device described in EP1503184 A2 includes a detecting unit that detects a rotation angle of a steering shaft of a vehicle. The detecting unit outputs a signal +sin θ that sinusoidally varies according to a rotation angle θ of the steering shaft and a signal +cos θ that cosinusoidally varies according to the rotation angle θ of the steering shaft. The detecting unit also outputs a signal −sin θ that is shifted in phase by 180° with respect to the signal +sin θ and a signal −cos θ that is shifted in phase by 180° with respect to the signal +cos θ. The four signals that are output from the detecting unit are input to a differential amplifying unit. The differential amplifying unit generates a first differential amplification signal (2 sin θ) by amplifying the difference between the signal +sin θ and the signal −sin θ, and outputs the first differential amplification signal to a computing unit. In addition, the differential amplifying unit generates a second differential amplification signal (2 cos θ) by amplifying the difference between the signal +cos θ and the signal −cos θ, and outputs the second differential amplification signal to the computing unit. The computing unit obtains the rotation angle θ of the steering shaft by computing an arctangent of these first differential amplification signal and second differential amplification signal.
On the other hand, in the sensor device described in EP1503184 A2, a first addition signal is generated by adding the signal +sin θ to the signal −sin θ, and a second addition signal is generated by adding the signal +cos θ to the signal −cos θ. When any one of the first addition signal and the second addition signal exceeds an upper limit threshold or becomes lower than a lower limit threshold, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the detecting unit. According to this abnormality detection method, it is possible to detect an abnormality in the detecting unit.
In the sensor device described in EP1503184 A2, for example, when the first addition signal exceeds the upper limit threshold, the first differential amplification signal has an abnormal value, and therefore, it is not possible to compute the rotation angle θ of the steering shaft. In addition, when the first addition signal exceeds the upper limit threshold, it is understood that any one of the signal +sin θ and the signal −sin θ is abnormal, however it is not possible to determine which one of the signal +sin θ and the signal −sin θ is abnormal. If a factor that makes the first addition signal exceed the upper limit threshold is an abnormality of the signal +sin θ and then it is possible to identify this factor, it is possible to continue computation of the rotation angle θ of the steering shaft using the normal signal −sin θ and the signal +cos θ or the signal −cos θ. Thus, redundancy significantly improves. Therefore, a sensor device that is able to identify a detection signal having an abnormality is desired.
The above-described problem is not limited to the sensor device that detects the rotation angle of the steering shaft, and it is a problem common to various sensor devices that detect a state quantity of any detection object, such as a sensor device that detects a torque that acts on the steering shaft.

Sensor device with plural detecting units


A process for recovery of a precious metals containing mineral from a non-sulphidic gangue mineral comprising:. preparing a pulp of a material containing the precious metals containing and gangue minerals; PA1 conditioning the pulp with an oxidizing gas containing a gas selected from oxygen and ozone; and PA1 subjecting the conditioned pulp to a flotation operation for recovery of the precious metals containing mineral.

Precious metal containing ores treated for recovery of gold and other precious metals are increasingly of the so-called refractory type in which a sulphide mineral contains freely, or in association, a precious metals constituent. The sulphide mineral, often of the pyrite or iron sulphide variety-though other base metal sulphides may be present, may then occur in association with a gangue mineral. In addition to these components the ore may also contain species such as tellurides.
By "refractory" is meant that the ore is intractable to treatment by direct cyanide or other leaching processes. The intractability may vary in degree thus ores may be said to be partially refractory. In the most severe cases, no economically significant degree of gold recovery is achieved and the ore is said to be fully refractory. For example, where ore grains consist mainly of pyrite encapsulated gold, the ore may be especially difficult to treat by direct leaching and may be fully refractory.
Lanyon, M. and Floyd, J M, "Recovery of Gold from Refractory Ores and Concentrates using the Sirosmelt Reactor", Research and Development in Extractive Metallurgy AusIMM Conference, Adelaide 1987 discloses the difficulties in treating such ores. For example, if the sulphide mineral is, for example, pyrite or another iron sulphide mineral direct cyanidation becomes expensive to the point of becoming uneconomic.
Therefore, in an effort to avoid the need for roasting plant followed by hydrometallurgical recovery of gold, Floyd proposes a direct smelting process for the treatment of such ores in which a matte phase containing the precious metals component is formed in a Sirosmelt reactor. From the low grade matte, the precious metals may be recovered by use of a collector such as copper, lead or iron.
Pyrometallurgical routes are unlikely to be economic because of the very large volume of material that must be treated due to the low grade of the ore.
Therefore, a technique is required that will enable the precious metals component to be recovered in as inexpensive and efficient a manner as possible and this mandates the recovery of the usually sulphide or telluride component by some means of concentration.
Bacterial leaching techniques may be employed to solubilise a sulphide mineral, thereby liberating the precious metals component for recovery of the precious metals by cementation or other electrochemical techniques. However, rate of solubilisation, high temperatures and lack of water may make this an unsuitable technique in many situations.
Flotation is used in the treatment of refractory/partially refractory auriferous material to separate gangue minerals and produce a significantly smaller volume of concentrate for further processing. The overall gold recovery is most dependent upon the first stage process recovery; in this case, flotation. Therefore, the degree of recovery from flotation and grade of the flotation concentrate are desired to be as high as economically and technically feasible in order to ensure viability of material treatment for gold and other precious metals recovery.


A thermostatic mixing valve unit in an emergency wash unit has an integrated housing with cold and hot water inlets each having an associated check valve, and a tempered water discharge having a thermostat for cold/hot water mixing to provide a predetermined tempered water discharge. A high temperature limit valve responds to the water discharge temperature to permit or prevent hot water inflow when the water discharge exceeds a preset temperature. A cold water bypass valve is coupled by a diverter valve to the lower of the cold and hot water supply pressures to maintain a substantial water discharge flow when the high temperature limit valve restricts hot water flow or when the hot water check valve is stuck closed, or upon failure of the cold water supply as by sticking of the cold water check valve in a closed position or by a clogged filter screen.

This invention relates generally to improvements in thermostatic mixing valve units and systems of the type generally shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,112, for use with an emergency wash station, such as an eyewash station and/or a shower station. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved thermostatic mixing valve unit of substantially unitary or integrated construction having an internal high temperature limit valve for restricting hot water inflow upon a tempered water discharge exceeding a predetermined temperature level, in combination with a diverter valve for operating a cold water bypass valve to provide a substantial water discharge flow upon hot water restriction and/or failure of various system components.
Thermostatic mixing valves and related systems are generally known in the art for use in emergency wash stations such as eyewash and/or shower stations designed to provide a tempered water discharge outflow at a selected, and relatively lukewarm or tepid temperature level to flush contaminants such as hazardous chemicals and the like from a person's eyes, skin and clothing. A common system uses a thermostatic mixing valve for connection to cold and hot water supplies, and includes means for thermostatically and automatically blending or mixing these water inflows to produce a discharge outflow having the selected, tempered temperature.
In the past, tempered water mixing systems have on occasion encountered malfunction in the operation of the thermostatic mixing valve. Such malfunction can occur in any one of several different modes. As one example, the mixing valve can stick in a position providing unregulated water flow, wherein too much hot water can result in potential scalding of a person using the emergency wash station. In another failure mode, either one of a pair of hot and cold water check valves can stick in a closed position thereby preventing flow of hot or cold water to the mixing valve and resultant unregulated water temperature at the discharge outflow.
Some tempered water mixing systems have been designed with back-up features intended to address at least some of these potential failure modes. For example, solenoid operated valves have been used in combination with various temperature switches and/or flow rate switches to bypass cold water around the main mixing valve when a hot water malfunction occurs. Such devices rely, however, upon electrical power to achieve proper back-up operation. In the event of a power failure, the back-up devices have generally failed to function, or otherwise have provided for only cold water flow. In addition, during normal operation, the electrically operated components can cycle back-and-forth, so that a user is subjected to alternating brief flows of water that are either too hot or too cold. Further, electrically powered back-up devices are unsuitable for many industrial applications wherein the emergency wash station must be located in close proximity to volatile materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,112 discloses an improved tempered water mixing system wherein a high temperature limit thermostat is installed within the tempered water discharge outflow, and responds to detection of a tempered water temperature exceeding a predetermined limit by restricting hot water inflow to the main mixing valve. In addition, a cold water bypass valve responds to the pressure differential between a cold water inlet and the discharge outflow for bypassing cold water around the main mixing valve to maintain a substantial discharge outflow upon restriction and/or failure of the hot water inflow to the main mixing valve. However, this system as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,112 does not account for failure of the cold water inflow to the main mixing valve, as can occur upon sticking of a cold water check valve in a closed position.
There exists, therefore, a significant need for further improvements in and to thermostatic mixing valve units and systems of the type designed to provided a tempered water discharge outflow to an emergency wash station, such as to an eyewash station or the like. More particularly, there exists a need for a further improved thermostatic mixing valve unit designed to bypass cold water around a main mixing valve upon restriction and/or failure of either one of the cold and/or hot water supplies to the main mixing valve. The present invention fulfills this need and provides further related advantages.


A developing device includes a storing portion, a stirring member, a developing roller, a shield plate, and a guide portion. The storing portion stores developer. The stirring member is rotatably provided in the storing portion and stirs the developer in the storing portion by being rotationally driven in a predetermined first rotation direction. The developing roller is rotatably provided above the stirring member, has a magnet that attracts the developer in the storing portion by a magnetic force, and is rotationally driven in a predetermined second rotation direction. The shield plate is made of a nonmagnetic material and provided at a facing position where the developing roller and the stirring member face each other. The guide portion is provided more on an upstream side in the first rotation direction than the facing position, and guides the developer from the storing portion to the developing roller side.

The present disclosure relates to a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image on an image-carrier, and to an image forming apparatus including the developing device.
An image forming apparatus, such as a copier or a printer, that forms an image on a paper sheet based on the electrophotography is provided with a developing device. The developing device uses toner to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on an image-carrier such as a photoconductor drum. The developing device includes a developing roller that is positioned a certain gap apart from the image carrier. As the developing method, there is known a method that magnetically draws up developer including toner from the developer storing chamber onto the surface of the developing roller, and causes the toner to fly from the developing roller to be adhered to an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier by an electric field generated by a developing bias applied to the developing roller.
The developing device of this type includes a stirring member for conveying the developer to a position facing the developing roller while stirring the developer stored in the developer storing chamber. As the stirring member, there are known, for example: a screw rotation member with a blade member of a helical shape attached to a rotation shaft; and a paddle rotation member with a blade member of a paddle shape attached to a rotation shaft. When adopting either of these types of stirring members, a difference in thickness is made between developer on blades of the blade member facing the developing roller and developer on regions except for the blades. Due to this difference, a difference may be made in amount of developer drawn up to the developing roller. For example, when the blades of the blade member face the developing roller, a more amount of developer is drawn up than when the regions except for the blades face the developing roller. Such a difference in draw-up amount of the developer may cause a density variation with a striped pattern corresponding to the pitch of the blade member to appear on the image. As conventional apparatuses for reducing the density variation, there are known, for example: an apparatus that presses the developer against the surface of the developing roller by using a pressing member provided more on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the developing roller than the developer draw-up position; and an apparatus that improves the draw-up characteristic of drawing up the developer onto the developing roller by intervening an auxiliary member made of a magnetic material.

Developing device and image forming apparatus including the same


A memory card connector includes a housing with a base, a cover, multiple electric terminals installed on the top surface of the base. The base has a left fixing hole and a right fixing hole penetrating its surface. Both sides of the base extend upwards to form a first wall and a second wall. The first wall has a left passageway at its back. The second wall has a right passageway at its back. The cover has a left back board with a left rivet and a left fixing arm. A right back board has a right rivet and a right fixing arm. The cover and the housing are assembled after the rivets are received in the corresponding passageways respectively. After the cover is opened, the fixing arms are inserted into the corresponding fixing holes respectively so that the cover can't come off the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory card connector, and more particularly to a memory card connector having a compact structure designed to prevent the cover from coming off the housing.
2. The Related Art
A memory card is connected to an electric device via a memory card connector. A conventional memory card connector was disclosed in Taiwanese Patent No. M253124. The memory card connector includes an insulation body, a cover and a plurality of insertion terminals. The insulation body has at least one bulge at its outside. The cover has two flank boards. Each flank board is defined at least one hole. When the cover mates with the insulation body, the bulge is jammed in the hole.
However, if the memory card is ejected from the insulation body, the user must make sure that the cover will be off the insulation body, so the above design isn't convenient to use.


A bolometer circuit has a substrate, bolometer detectors coupled to the substrate, a source of calibration data and a compensation circuit. Each bolometer detector has an associated calibration data. The compensation circuit is configured to generate a time varying compensation signal for each bolometer detector based on its associated calibration data.

A bolometer is a device for measuring incident electromagnetic radiation. While bolometers can be used to measure radiation of any wavelength, they are often used to detect infrared and radio wavelengths, and more particularly sub-millimeter wavelengths (from around 200 μm to 1 mm wavelength). Bolometers are often used for astronomy at these wavelengths, but have applications in consumer electronics, such as cameras, and other products, such as automobiles.
In order to measure changes in resistance of a bolometer due to optical heating, an electrical current must be passed through the bolometer. In an array format, this is often done by sequentially pulse biasing bolometers or groups of bolometers. This causes heating generally significantly larger than the optical response. This heating causes two negative effects when attempting to operate the bolometer over a wide range of ambient temperature.
First, the resistance of the bolometer is changing significantly during the readout or pulse bias period. This makes low noise measurement significantly more difficult as the temperature and therefore the response of the bolometer is changing rapidly with time. Typical solutions have been to integrate an amplified detector response signal over the pulse bias period. Since the input signal to an integrator for a biased bolometer is a ramp, the integration results in a parabolic response as shown in FIG. 1. When pulse bias heating is significant as in the case of a longer pulse bias period or higher detector bias which is done to achieve more sensitivity, the integrated pulse bias response can cause a reduction in dynamic range due to the integrated potential changing significantly over the period, thereby using up allowable circuit potential swing or dynamic range. Compensation for the ramping reduction in resistance due to heating over the bias period is used to maintain a constant output over the pulse bias period such that dynamic range is not consumed by the changing detector resistance. This is particularly true as temperature is increased, reducing detector resistance and resulting in increased power dissipation and thereby increased ramping.
Second, the pulse bias heating causes a mismatch in average response when compared to a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR)-matched reference resistor which is thermally connected to the substrate. A reference resistor is normally used to provide a temperature compensation matching bias to the active bolometer and thereby cancel much of the substrate temperature change effects. The circuit in FIG. 2 shows a series connection of an active thermally isolated bolometer with a substrate thermally connected resistor with the same TCR. Ideally the output voltage, Vout, would remain constant over temperature. However, due to the bias heating effects, the active bolometer resistance decreases faster (with increasing substrate temperature) than the reference resistor, since the bias heating increases due to the higher power dissipation with increased current, and therefore Vout decreases with increasing temperature. Additional compensation beyond using a simple matched reference resistor is required in order that Vout remains relatively constant over temperature such that an amplified detector signal remains well within the dynamic range of the readout circuitry if the bolometer is to be operated over a wide ambient temperature range.
Proposed methods for compensation of the output ramp voltage from a detector due to temperature rise during the pulse bias period are presented in Jansson, et al., "Theoretical analysis of pulse bias heating of resistance bolometer infrared detectors and effectiveness of bias compensation," SPIE Vol. 2552, p. 644-652 (1995).
What is needed is an improved system and method for compensating for bias heating effects in a bolometer circuit when used in an array format. Further what is needed is a method of improving a bolometer array's output stability as a function of changing substrate temperature. Further what is needed is a system and method for reducing the change of the detector signals due to pulse bias heating from the bolometer circuit to allow the use of amplifiers and other components having a limited signal swing. Further what is needed is a system and method for improving the accuracy of the readout of bolometer detectors which are pulse biased, causing rapid shifts in detector temperature. Further still, what is needed is an improvement in stability which may enable a bolometer focal plane array to operate over a very wide range of substrate temperature, such as the typical commercial temperature range of −40 degrees C. to 85 degrees C., with little change in output signal compared to the dynamic range. Further still, what is needed is a bolometer focal plane which may operate without the need for a Thermo-Electric Cooler to stabilize temperature. Further still, what is needed is a bolometer focal plane which may operate without the need for controlling substrate temperature.
The teachings herein extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above-mentioned needs.


A fairing for arrangement between two vehicle parts, in particular of a rail vehicle, movably connected to one another, having at least one fairing element that is arranged at a respective vehicle part, that is elastically deformable, and that has a U-shaped or arcuate cross-section. The fairing also has at least one stabilization body that extends at least sectionally into the fairing element and extends from at least one front face of the fairing element.

DE 20 2010 001 793 U1, for example, discloses a fairing forming the category that is configured for arrangement between two vehicles parts of a rail vehicle movably connected to one another. The fairing has a plurality of fairing elements that are arranged at the outer margin at the front face of the vehicle part. The fairing elements here form respective sections of the fairing running around at the margin and attached to the front face at a respective vehicle part. The fairing elements abut one another at the front faces with respect to their longitudinal directions due to their at least sectionally peripheral arrangement, with it being indicated that the fairing elements are laterally preloaded with respect to one another by the mounting at the front face of the vehicle parts. If the fairing were to be configured from a single-part peripheral fairing element, this fairing element would suffer from a high mass, would be difficult to manufacture and difficult to install, and would consequently also only be able to be replaced as a whole.
In operation of a rail vehicle, a displacement arises between the vehicle parts in the region of the transition, in particular in the vertical direction and in the lateral direction; in addition, the vehicle parts carry out a jack-knife movement with respect to one another so that forces act on the fairing elements that also effect an elastic deformation with an individual arrangement of fairing elements. A deformation movement in the lateral direction in particular takes place in addition to the sliding movement over the contact surfaces of the oppositely disposed fairing elements on movements in the transverse displacement direction between the vehicle parts so that shoulders can disadvantageously result in the region of the transition between two fairing elements at a common vehicle part due to displacement movements. With rail vehicles moving at a fairly high speed, gap formations between the fairing elements are to be avoided; the front surfaces of the fairing elements moreover wear out by pressing against one another under the application of force and experience increased friction with respect to one another due to the displacement movement.

Wind directional system for arrangement between two vehicle parts of a rail vehicle


A liquid crystal display apparatus which enables a user to recognize positions and boundaries of light source blocks, a method for controlling the same, and an image display system are provided. The apparatus comprises a liquid crystal panel; a backlight which has a plurality of light source blocks and which radiates light onto the liquid crystal panel; a generating unit which generates boundary image data which indicates a light source block area as an area corresponding to each of the light source blocks on the liquid crystal panel; a combining unit which combines image data to be inputted and the boundary image data; and a display control unit which displays composite image data combined by the combining unit on the liquid crystal panel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display apparatus, a method for controlling the same, and an image display system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, LED (Light Emitting Diode) is progressively adopted as the backlight light source for the liquid crystal panel. The backlight, in which LED is used, includes the direct type LED backlight provided with LED arranged on the back surface of the liquid crystal panel. The direct type LED backlight has such a feature that the light emission luminance of the backlight can be changed locally. The backlight control system, which makes use of such a feature, includes a technique called "local dimming" in which the light emission luminance of the backlight is controlled for each of light source blocks depending on an input image signal. In the local dimming, the light emission luminance of the backlight is adjusted for each of the light source blocks, and hence it is possible to expect the effect to improve the contrast as compared with a case in which the light emission luminance of the entire surface of the backlight is adjusted.
A technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2008-164863 is known as a conventional technique in relation to the local dimming as described above. In this conventional technique, a light source, which is divided into a plurality of light source blocks to be controlled, is provided, and the respective luminance values of the plurality of light source blocks of the light source are calculated from input image data corresponding to the plurality of light source blocks. The conventional technique discloses a transmission type display apparatus based on the use of a backlight in which the lighting of the light source is controlled on the basis of the calculation result.
On the other hand, the realization of high resolution of the display is advanced. It is predicted that a user, who photographs still images, may display the still image as the product or work of the user himself/herself on a high resolution display, and the user may utilize the high resolution display as a field of expression in future. In such a situation, it is necessary for the user to perform the image quality adjustment for the product or work (still image) of the user himself/herself in combination with a specified display. Further, in the case of a display in which the local dimming control is performed, it is necessary to perform the image editing (for example, change of layout, trimming, enlargement, and contraction) while considering the effect to improve the contrast to be brought about by the local dimming.

Liquid crystal display apparatus enabling a user to recognize positions and boundaries of light source blocks, method for controlling the same, and image display system


Device for cool drying gas includes a heat exchanger whose primary part is the evaporator of a cooling circuit. The gas to be dried is guided through the secondary part of the heat exchanger to cool the gas and to condense water vapor out of the gas. At least one bypass pipe is provided with a control valve which is controlled by a control unit as a function of signals received from a measuring element for measuring the lowest gas temperature (LAT) or the dew point of the gas in the secondary part of the heat exchanger. The measuring element is positioned directly inside the secondary part of the heat exchanger. Also provided is a measuring element for measuring the temperature of the coolant in the evaporator.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for cool drying gas.
B. Related Art
More specifically, the invention relates to a device that consists of a heat exchanger whose primary part is the evaporator of a cooling circuit and a gas to be dried flows through the secondary part thereof, which cooling circuit is filled with a coolant and further contains a compressor and a condenser and first expansion means between the condenser outlet and the inlet to the above-mentioned evaporator, whereby there is at least one bypass pipe that connects the discharge side of the compressor to the intake side of the compressor, whereby second expansion means are provided in this bypass pipe and a control valve which is controlled by a control unit as a function of signals received from one or more measuring elements.
As is known, cool drying is based on the principle that by reducing the gas temperature, the moisture in the gas condenses, after which the condensed water is separated in a liquid separator and after which the gas is again heated such that it is no longer saturated.
Compressed air which is for example delivered by a compressor is generally saturated with water vapour, or in other words has a relative humidity of 100%. This means that condensation occurs in the event of a temperature drop to below the so-called dew point. As a result of the condensed water, corrosion will occur in the piping and tools and the equipment can exhibit premature wear.
Hence compressed air is dried, which can be done in the above-mentioned way by cool drying. Air other than compressed air or other gases can also be dried in this way.
When drying compressed air, the air in the heat exchanger must not be cooled down too much as the condensate would then freeze. Typically the dried compressed air has a temperature of two to three degrees above zero or 20 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature. The temperature of the coolant in the evaporator is kept between 15° C. and −5° C. for this purpose.
Traditionally the temperature of the coolant is kept under control by equipping the device with at least one bypass pipe over the compressor. A control valve in an above-mentioned bypass pipe enables a certain (extra) quantity of coolant to be branched off from the cooling circuit to then be led through the above-mentioned bypass pipe over the compressor.
The control valve is hereby controlled by a control unit, also called a controller, which is connected in a known way to one or more measuring elements.
A device is already known in which one or more measuring elements are provided on the outside of the heat exchanger to measure the lowest gas temperature, also called the LAT. The LAT is the lowest occurring temperature of the gas to be dried that it is guided through the secondary part of the above-mentioned heat exchanger. Consequently, the LAT has to be measured by measuring elements which are placed where the temperature is expected to be equal to that of the gas when the cool drying device is in operation.
When the above-mentioned measuring elements register a lowest gas temperature (LAT) whereby freezing of the condensate can occur, the control unit sends a signal to the control valve to open it. In this way a certain quantity of coolant or an extra quantity of coolant is led over the compressor via an above-mentioned bypass pipe such that the cooling capacity of the cooling circuit decreases.
If the lowest gas temperature (LAT) is more than two to three degrees above zero, the control valve is closed such that the entire capacity of the cooling circuit is used to sufficiently cool the gas to be dried.
Tests have shown that it is not easy to position the measuring elements on the heat exchanger to measure the lowest gas temperature (LAT). Moreover, with some heat exchangers it has turned out to be impossible to measure the lowest gas temperature (LAT) in the above-mentioned way. It is clear that in such cases the control valve cannot be controlled on the basis of a temperature that corresponds to the lowest gas temperature (LAT).
Another disadvantage is that there is a certain time delay between the measured temperature and the actual presence of the lowest gas temperature (LAT) in the secondary part of heat exchanger at a certain point in time. This implies that the control is also executed with a certain time delay.
A further disadvantage is that, at both a high and low load of the device, the measured lowest gas temperature (LAT) deviates from the dew point of the gas, such that freezing of the condensate can nevertheless occur.
WO 2007/022604 describes a device that is equipped with a control unit to which a first measuring element is connected to measure the coolant temperature and a second measuring element to measure the lowest gas temperature (LAT) or dew point.
In one operating mode of this device, the cooling circuit is switched on and off on the basis of the measurement of the lowest gas temperature. In the event of zero load or of a small partial load, the cooling circuit is switched off by means of a third measuring element in the form of a flow sensor.
The measured value of the coolant temperature is used to control the control valve in the bypass pipe of the cooling circuit.
A disadvantage of such a device according to WO 2007/022604 consists of the use of a flow sensor such that the cost increases and the device is rather more prone to failure, and in particular depends on the good operation of the above-mentioned flow sensor to be able to adapt itself to full load or zero load conditions.
A further disadvantage of such a device consists in that the measuring element to measure the lowest gas temperature (LAT) is also in this case placed outside of the heat exchanger.
EP 1.103.296 describes a device that is equipped with two measuring elements to measure the evaporator temperature and evaporator pressure, which measuring elements are connected to a control unit to control the rotational speed of the compressor in the cooling circuit and to control the control valve in the bypass pipe. No account is taken of the lowest gas temperature (LAT).
According to another embodiment of the device according to EP 1.103.296 the above-mentioned measuring elements to measure the evaporator temperature and the evaporator pressure can be replaced by a measuring element for determining the lowest gas temperature (LAT), but in such a case no account is taken of the temperature of the coolant in the cooling circuit.
The disadvantages of such embodiments that only control the control valve on the basis of a signal from a measuring element that measures the lowest gas temperature (LAT) have already been discussed above. If the control is only based on the measured temperature of the coolant, the control will not be optimal, as the measured temperature value does then not correspond with the dew point.


Apparatus, and an associated method, for controlling the communication connectivity of a computer device. The computer device is selectably connectable to a wired network and to a wireless network. A user selects one of the networks into which to place the computer device into the communication connectivity. The computer device is placed into communication connectivity with the selected network by way of a network adapter. An adapter associated with the non-selected network is disabled to prevent the computer device from concurrently being placed in communication connectivity with the non-selected network.

The use of computer devices, such as personal computers, is commonplace in modern society. Computer devices are used both in the workplace to perform business functions and also in the home, or elsewhere, for other purposes. As processing and storage capacities of such computer devices increase, the prevalence and use of such computer devices is likely also to increase.
Portable computers, and other computer work stations, are regularly connectable in network configurations, thereby to permit data to be communicated between separate ones of the computer devices. Standardized protocols have been promulgated, such as various of the IEEE 802 family of standards, to provide a standard scheme by which to communicate the data by which to communicate the data between the separate computer devices. By formatting the data pursuant to the standard protocols, and constructing the computer devices to format the data in such manner and to operate upon received data formatted in such manner, the informational content of data communicated between the different computer devices is readily recoverable.
So-called, local area networks (LANs) are a common configuration of connected-together computer devices between which data can be communicated. The computers of many business, and other, enterprises are connected to form a local area network to permit data to be communicated between the computers of the network. Data stored at a LAN-connected computer server is also accessible by other computer connected to the local area network. And, groups of local area networks are sometimes interconnected, forming a wide area network, or otherwise permitting the computers of the interconnected local area networks to communicate with one another.
Network connections are sometimes provided by a public network, such as the Internet. Even when interconnected by way of a public data network, the communications between computer devices can be secured, such as through formation of a virtual private network (VPN).
And, so-called, wireless local area networks (WLANs) are also formable to provide communication connectivity between computer devices. In a wireless local area network, the computer device is connected to the network by way of wireless, that is, radio, connection rather than a wired connection. Free of the need to provide and maintain a wired connection, communication mobility is facilitated. That is to say, the computer device is not limited to its positioning in proximity to a wired connection but, rather, is positionable at any location within radio range of a transceiver that forms part of the network of a wireless local area network.
In whatsoever type of arrangement, i.e., a wireless local area network or a wired local area network, a computer device must contain a mechanism permitting communication connectivity with the network. Typically, a network connector card, sometimes referred to as an adapter card, is used to provide the communication connectivity. And, a typical portable computer, or laptop computer, is configurable to include more than one network adapter. For instance, a portable computer might well include an adapter card permitting connection of the computer device with a local area network and an additional adapter card permitting connection of the computer device with a wireless local area network. If desired, more than two adapter cards are configurable at the computer device to provide additional network connectivity.
When so-configured, the computer device is placeable in communication connectivity with two or more networks. And, such communication connectivity might be concurrent.
There are some situations, however, in which it might not be desirable to permit such concurrent connectivity. For instance, for reasons of security, it might be desirable not to permit such concurrent connectivity. When, for instance, a computer device is connected to the local area network of a business, or other, enterprise, the operator of the network might well want to prohibit the concurrent connection of the computer device to another network, such as a wireless local area network operated by another entity or operator. To preclude such occurrence, the operator of the local area network most simply prohibits connection of the computer device to the local area network if the computer device has capability of connection to another network. Such a prohibition is, however, oftentimes unwieldy. Connection to the network is sometimes, e.g., due to this constraint, limited to computer devices provided by, or approved by, the operator of the network.
There is a need, therefore, to provide an improved manner by which to control communication connectivity of a computer device with a network.
It is light of this background information related to computer devices connectable to a network that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.

Apparatus, and associated method, for controlling connectivity of a computer device with a computer network

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


This invention provides a top-gate microcrystalline thin film transistor and a method for manufacturing the same. An inversion layer channel is formed in a top interface of a microcrystalline active layer, and being separated from an incubation layer in a bottom interface of the microcrystalline active layer. The inversion layer channel is formed in the crystallized layer of the top interface of the microcrystalline active layer. As such, the present microcrystalline thin film transistor has better electrical performance and reliability.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microcrystalline silicon thin film transistor and a method for manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a top gate microcrystalline silicon thin film transistor and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
The low temperature polysilicon thin film transistors (LTPS-TFTs) compared to the conventional amorphous silicon thin film transistor has higher electron mobility and better reliability. At present, the polysilicon thin film manufacturing process is performed mostly by solid phase crystallization or costly excimer laser annealing method. The solid phase crystallization needs higher crystallization temperature and thus requires a silicon wafer or a quarts wafer as a substrate. The cost is expensive and inappropriate to large-area production. The excimer laser annealing method can lower the crystallization temperature, but requiring expensive equipments. The throughput is also not high. As to the microcrystalline silicon thin film transistor manufactured by the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system conventionally continues the structure of the bottom gate type device. Please refer to FIG. 1, generally during the growth of the microcrystalline silicon layer (μc-Si layer) 103, an amorphous incubation layer 102 is formed between an insulating layer 101 and the microcrystalline silicon thin film 103, resulting in an inversion channel region of a microcrystalline silicon thin film transistor subsequently completed is formed in the amorphous incubation layer 102 and can not be formed in a crystallized thin film. The microcrystalline silicon thin film transistor device would not have good electrical performance.
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional bottom gate microcrystalline silicon thin film transistor, including a substrate 200, a pair of microcrystalline silicon layer containing n+ dopants 204a and 204b, and a pair of source/drain metal electrodes 205a and 205b. The bottom gate electrode 201 is positioned on the substrate 200, and the insulating layer 202 is positioned on the bottom gate electrode 201. The microcrystalline silicon layer 203 is positioned on the insulating layer 202, and the microcrystalline silicon layers containing n+ dopants 204a and 204b are respectively positioned on the microcrystalline silicon layer 203 at two opposite sides of the bottom gate electrode 201. The pair of the source/drain metal electrodes 205a and 205b is respectively positioned on one of the pair of the microcrystalline silicon layers containing n+ dopants 204a and 204b. The pair of the source/drain metal electrodes 205a and 205b respectively forms ohmic contact with an overlying electrical contact (not shown). An inversion channel region of the bottom gate microcrystalline silicon thin film transistor is formed in an interface between the insulating layer 202 and the bottom portion of the microcrystalline silicon layer 203. The conventional bottom gate microcrystalline silicon thin film transistor can directly employ the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method to sequentially grow the insulating layer 202, the microcrystalline silicon layer 203 and the pair of the microcrystalline silicon layer containing n+ dopants 204a and 204b. During the sequential growth of various thin films, an amorphous incubation layer is formed in an interface between the insulating layer 202 and the microcrystalline silicon layer 203, as shown in FIG. 1, and resulting in the inversion channel region of the bottom gate microcrystalline silicon thin film transistor can not be formed in a crystallized layer. The electrical performance of the bottom gate microcrystalline silicon thin film transistor would not be good.

Microcrystalline silicon thin film transistor and method for manufacturing the same

Industrial Technology Research Institute


An Automated handling system has a working area, at least one object in the working area, at least a first numerically controlled arm and at least a second numerically controlled arm. The arms are movable above the working area and have a collision avoidance mechanism. The current actual topography of the working area is determinable, a movement planning algorithm determines a path from a first position to a second position, wherein in the first application of the movement planning algorithm a reference path, a quasi-static collision examination for the path, which has been provided by the movement planning algorithm, is applicable, a dynamic collision examination for the path, which has been suggested by the movement planning algorithm, is applicable, and wherein the collision examination determine whether, when moving the first arm a collision would be provoked.

There are several medical, biological, chemical and pharmaceutical devices which are concerned with the handling and use of liquids. For example, there are automated liquid handling systems for carrying out medical, biological, physical and chemical investigations or to carry out processes in these areas.
Today, most of the automated liquid handling systems are so called computer-controlled handling systems.
A typical computer-controlled handling system comprises a working area (working table) for placing containers for liquids, a motorized pipetting robot and a controller (mostly a processor-based controller). The pipetting robot comprises at least one pipette for aspirating and dispensing liquid probes. By the use of a sequence program, which is carried out in the controller, the pipetting robot may be moved to a defined position for carrying out a specific action there. For example, in this way a pipette may be lowered into a container for aspirating a liquid or for dispensing a liquid there.
Modern handling systems comprise more than only one robot. It may be very complex in such systems to define the single courses of movements in such a way that no collision or mutual impairments occurs.
A simple approach would be the application of a learning process (so called teach-in) where the single robotic arms are moved manually, thereby defining the desired actions. However, such a teach-in process soon reaches its limits e.g. when an entire process shall be optimized.
For avoiding collisions in robotic systems, mathematical methods may be used for assessing collisions. Numerous publications exist here.
In the end, it may be concluded from the theoretical observations that it is very difficult and complex to compare the different collision procedures with each other. This is mainly based on the fact that the different collision procedures are very sensitive with respect to specific scenarios and constellations.
Thus, there is the problem to configure the controller of a multi-axial handling system as flexible and productive as possible, wherein a collision avoidance for single, moving arms of such a handling system shall be carried out as fast as possible.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Process for finding a path in an automated handling system, and handling system with corresponding control module for finding a path


A personal care article comprising a nonwoven fluid permeable topsheet having a body-facing surface and an opposing backside surface, a fluid impermeable backsheet and at least one intermediate layer disposed therebetween, wherein said fluid permeable topsheet comprises apertured holes wherein at least 10% of the aperture holes are treated with a hydrophilic treatment agent.

A number of disposable, personal care articles that collect body fluids exist; however, their tendency to leak off the surface before the liquid absorbent capacity is entirely used is an ongoing challenge that faces many manufacturers. Additionally, certain fluids, such as menses and runny BM (feces), have viscoelastic properties that make obtaining good intake and distribution performance particularly problematic. In particular, the relatively high viscosity and/or elasticity of such fluids tend to interfere with the absorption and distribution of the fluids within the absorbent article. In other instances, intake performance of an absorbent article may be impeded when components of the menses block the channels between the particles or fibers contained in the absorbent article. This phenomenon is often referred to as fouling. Although attempts have been made to improve the effects of fouling through modification of the viscoelastic properties of the fluid itself, actual improvement into the absorbent article still needs development.
In addition to problems with leakage in some disposable, personal care articles, there are also hygienic issues that directly affect the user. Often the body fluid sits in direct contact with the user which makes for an unpleasant and unclean feel. Particularly with feminine hygiene products such as sanitary napkins, the unpleasant or unclean feeling, that may often be caused by bodyside liner stains, may lead to poor perception in product performance and the inability to get maximum use from the product.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a treatment, that may be used in connection with personal care products, such as absorbent articles, that provides improved intake and distribution performance, reduced leakage, reduced stains, reduced surface rewet or flowback for an overall cleaner, drier and more pleasant feel and user experience.


A method for preparing oxygenated hydrocarbons includes steps of: reacting a first heated hydrocarbon-containing gas stream with an oxygen-containing gas stream in a reactor for form a first product blend, recovering the energy generated in the reactor in order to preheat incoming hydrocarbon feed to the reactor and/or to drive endothermic reactions that generate synthesis gas, separating and condensing one or more liquid oxygenated hydrocarbons from the product stream, separating a reject stream from a recycle stream, mixing remaining gaseous hydrocarbon product from the recycle stream with the first hydrocarbon-containing gas stream after one reaction cycle, converting the first reject stream to a synthesis gas mixture, and converting the synthesis gas mixture to light alkanes to be blended with one or with oxygenates in an output stream to optionally form higher molecular weight oxygenates.

Steam reforming of natural gas is currently the most cost effective method of producing hydrogen and carbon oxides. The gaseous mixture of hydrogen and carbon oxides (carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide) is hereinafter referred to as "synthetic gas" or "syngas". Syngas is useful as an intermediate for the manufacture of products such as ammonia, methanol or synthetic petroleum. Currently, commercial methanol production is almost entirely based on reforming light hydrocarbons, especially methane, first to syngas, followed by syngas clean up, methanol synthesis, and methanol separation. This process has been the dominant route of methanol production since the 1920's. The entire process, however, is cumbersome with a high degree of complexity and associated costs. Therefore, a direct method has been developed using direct homogenous partial oxidation of methane to methanol (the "DHPO" method).
The DHPO method is however generally limited by the need to choose between high conversions and high selectivity to obtain economic yields of methanol. In both catalytic and non-catalytic DHPO methods, higher conversions tend to create the co-products hydrogen, carbon oxides, and water, whereas higher selectivity leads to lower conversion rates which has traditionally made the process uneconomic.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,293,186; 8,202,916; 8,193,254; 7,910,787; 7,687,669; 7,642,293; 7,879,296; 7,456,327; and 7,578,981 overcome some of the known DHPO system limitations by using a reactor quench step and a high volume recycle system with integrated separations and low pressure drop. These patents describe these DHPO system improvements in detail and are incorporated herein by reference. However, despite the improved efficiency of our DHPO process, relative and comparable to that of the syngas-based methanol synthesis, carbon oxides and hydrogen are produced in our DHPO system process. This can limit the overall carbon efficiency to less than 100%. Furthermore, to limit the buildup of such gases and nitrogen, the process requires a reject gas stream such as a purge. Said reject gas often contains some alkane content, lowering carbon efficiency.
Furthermore, the DHPO process reactor as described in our aforementioned patents and patent applications is unable to process synthesis gas. Because of this, the process excludes a wide range of carbonaceous materials from being advantageously utilized.
Accordingly, there is a need for methods and apparatuses that can produce synthesis gas from the reject gasses from the recycle loop as well as utilize synthesis gas produced gas from a variety of carbonaceous materials for enhanced carbon efficiency and process yields, as well as that can utilize the waste heat generated by the exothermic DHPO reaction

Efficiency, flexibility, and product value of a direct alkanes to oxygenates process


A solid-state image pickup device includes an effective pixel portion in which effective pixels are arranged in a matrix, the effective pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit and outputting a first signal, a non-effective pixel portion in which non-effective pixels are arranged in at least one row, the non-effective pixels each including no photoelectric conversion unit and outputting a second signal, a vertical scanning unit for selecting each row of pixels in the effective and non-effective pixel portions, and an input section for externally receiving a third signal used to change a driving mode of the solid-state image pickup device. The vertical scanning unit begins electronic shutter scanning upon pixels in the effective pixel portion and causes each of pixels in the non-effective pixel portion to output the second signal after the input section has received the third signal and before the first signal is output.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state image pickup device used in a video camera or the like and a driving method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Noise superimposed on pixel signals of solid-state image pickup devices used in video cameras or the like can be broadly divided into random noise occurring in temporally and spatially random states, and fixed pattern noise occurring at the same position on an output image as vertical stripes or horizontal stripes. Random noise appears as uneven noise as if an entire screen is being viewed through frosted glass. Random noise occurs due to optical shot noise or thermal noise, and markedly varies with ambient temperature. On the other hand, fixed pattern noise occurs due to a variation of electrical characteristics between a pixel circuit and a reading circuit in a solid-state image pickup device. In particular, if different types of fixed pattern noises occur in different pixel columns, vertical stripes appear on an output image. These vertical stripes are conspicuous to human eyes.
In order to remove such different types of fixed pattern noises, the following technique is disclosed. First, a fixed pattern noise component is detected from signals (hereinafter referred to as noise measurement signals) output from a dummy line that is not connected to pixels capable of performing photoelectric conversion and is then stored. Subsequently, when a pixel signal (hereinafter referred to as an effective pixel signal) is output at the time of image capturing, the detected fixed pattern noise component is subtracted from the effective pixel signal so as to cancel the noise component.
Furthermore, a technique is disclosed for detecting a fixed pattern noise component reflecting variations in electrical characteristics among reading transistors in a row direction without being affected by a dark current (for example, see, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-176061). Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-176061 discloses a technique for accurately canceling a fixed pattern noise component using non-effective pixels as a dummy line. Each of the non-effective pixels includes an amplification transistor and a reset transistor, but includes no photodiode.
In the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-176061, the number of dummy lines M for outputting a noise measurement signal is equal to or greater than the square of M, and the averaging of noise measurement signals output from each pixel column is performed so as to reduce the amount of a random noise component superimposed on a noise measurement signal to one Mth of the total amount of noise component or less. If the amount of the random noise component superimposed on a noise measurement signal is equal to or less than a quarter of the total amount of the noise component, random noise cannot be seen on a displayed image. By averaging noise measurement signals of a plurality of frames, a similar effect can be obtained with a smaller number of dummy lines. Furthermore, a solid-state image pickup device having a plurality of driving modes is known.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-176061, there is no description about noise measurement signal acquisition timing after a driving mode has been changed. In order to meet a current request for noise reduction in a solid-state image pickup device, it is required to perform averaging of a larger number of noise measurement signals. In the above-described technique, although averaging of noise measurement signals output from M2 (M=4) dummy lines, that is, sixteen dummy lines, is performed, averaging of a larger number of noise signals is required.

Solid-state image pickup apparatus having effective and non-effective pixel portions, and driving method therefor


A method and apparatus for encoding data and for decoding data using LDPC (low density parity check) codes includes providing a mother LDPC matrix of a particular size. A data payload of a smaller size is encoded by shortening the mother matrix to a smaller daughter matrix corresponding in size to the data payload and using the smaller daughter matrix for the encoding. The portions of the mother matrix to be removed in the shortening are derived from a control signal. The encoded data is transmitted with the control signal so that the receiver can derive the portions of the mother matrix to be removed to obtain the daughter matrix. At the receiver, a mother matrix is shortened to a daughter matrix and is then used to decode the data. The data at the encoder may be further reduced by puncturing to remove selected information bits and selected parity bits. The decoder inserts the selected information bits and parity bits when decoding the data.

Field
The present method and system relates generally to a digital communication system and more particularly to the use of error correcting codes in digital communications systems, and particularly relates to the use of LDPC (low density parity check) codes in digital communications systems. Examples of such systems include digital television broadcast systems, cellular telephone systems and the like.
Description of the Related Art
Like all linear block codes, an LDPC (low density parity check) code can be described in terms of a matrix. In the case of an LDPC code the matrix contains a first portion consisting of information bits and a second portion containing parity bits, the matrix commonly being referred to as an H-matrix, or a parity check matrix. The LDPC code gets its name from the H-matrix which contains relatively few 1's in comparison to the number of 0's.
Many modern communications systems require the use of error correction codes that can accommodate different code rates and different lengths of information bits. It is well known that longer code lengths improve error correcting performance, while shorter code lengths are characterized by reduced processing delays. Likewise it is known that increasing code rates improves the data rate and bandwidth efficiency, while reducing code rates increases information robustness in noisy channels. However, designing separate error correction codes for each different code length and code rate that may be used in a particular communications system is a very complicated process and often not practical.
It would therefore be highly desirable to provide a novel error correction system using error correction codes capable of adapting to different information lengths and different code rates. Such a system would be designed with the goal of providing performance that is equal or close to the performance of systems using separately designed codes and would inherently be of low complexity since it would obviate the need to design a separate code for each condition and would employ encoder and decoder hardware that can be reused in different situations without extra cost.

Length and rate compatible LDPC encoder and decoder


A continuous cooker having a conveyor capable of repositioning product and cleaning itself of debris and a method for its operation. The cooker includes a conveyor that transports food atop a conveyor belt to a cooking chamber. Upper and lower diverting rollers guide the belt along an S-shaped product-repositioning path segment. The lower diverting roller is rotated at a speed different from the speed of the conveyor belt to cause the belt to slip on the roller's periphery, which effects a scraping action against the conveying side of the belt to dislodge debris.

The invention relates generally to cooking apparatus, especially cookers cooking products conveyed on conveyor belts.
Cookers, such as steam cookers and blanchers, are often used to cook food products, such as shrimp. In continuous shrimp cookers, shrimp are conveyed through a steam-filled chamber on a conveyor belt. To uniformly cook the shrimp, which may sit on the conveyor belt in a thick layer, it is often necessary to reposition the shrimp one or more times along the belt's path through the cooking chamber. The conveyor belt is guided around an upper, forward roller and a lower, rearward roller in an S-shaped back flip along the conveying path. Shrimp drop off the upper portion of the belt winding around the upper roller and land on the lower portion of the conveyor belt exiting the lower roller. In this way, the shrimp are repositioned on the belt with previously unexposed portions exposed to the cooking steam. Such a repositioning flip for a flighted belt is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,951, "Apparatus and Method for Continuous High-Volume Steam Cooking," May 2, 1995, to Ledet et al. In the Ledet cooker, the upper roller, a sprocket, and the lower roller, which has deep notches to accommodate the belt's flights, rotate at the same speed as the belt because they positively engage structure in the modular belt conveying the food products.
One problem not addressed by the Ledet cooker is the build-up of debris, such as shrimp whiskers, shell fragments, and slimy fluids on the conveying surface of the belt. Cookers similar to the Ledet cooker use idle rollers as the upper and lower rollers to provide a back flip for a flightless conveyor belt. A brake on the lower roller is periodically activated to halt its rotation so that the conveying surface of the belt slides on the braked roller to scrape off debris. But braking the lower roller puts an added load on the belt and its drive motor.


A fishing system with audio and visual signals is capable of use with both tip ups and tip downs. The fishing system includes a tower like tubular support extending from a base member configured to receive at least on tip down. The tubular support includes a tubular visual signal housed at a location on the support and an audio signal housed within the support. The tubular support includes a first wiring outlet configured for wiring a switch on the tip downs to the audio and visual signals and a second wiring outlet for wiring a switch on the tip ups to the audio and visual signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of fishing. More specifically, the invention relates to a fishing rod support system that can be used with either tip downs or tip ups and having attached audio and visual signaling alarms to indicate a fish bite.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Fishing remains an extremely popular leisure activity during nearly every season of the year. From the opening day of the spring fishing season through the bleak winter ice fishing season, anglers can usually be found on some body of water throughout virtually any geographic region. Despite its overwhelming popularity, success in fishing often requires extreme levels of patience and vigilance. However, many fishermen do not like to constantly hold their fishing rod and reel assemblies during this waiting process, but instead, would rather secure such assemblies in place while they engage in other activities sometimes remote from the fishing site. Furthermore, holding a pole for a significant amount of time can be tiring for the angler. This is especially true during the ice fishing season. Cold temperatures and high winds can make the process of holding onto a fishing pole a very difficult experience.
In order to avoid constantly holding a fishing pole, anglers fishing from shore may prop their fishing rod(s) up with rocks or sticks or whatever happens to be convenient. Likewise, fishers that fish from the pier typically prop their rods up against the pier railing, between rails or in the railing itself. These makeshift supports allow the angler's hands to be free to attend to other tasks until a fish strike is made.
Numerous ice fishing devices have been developed to assist the fishermen during the winter months. Tip-ups and tip downs are known in the art and provide devices that allow fishermen to place his or her rod in a support structure without the need to constantly monitor the line. Non-limiting examples of such ice fishing structures which have been used are U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,670 issued Apr. 12, 1977, U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,233 issued Jun. 21, 1977, U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,387 issued Nov. 4, 1986, U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,286 issued Jun. 14, 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,333 issued Sep. 24, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,243 issued Nov. 17, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,080 issued Nov. 30, 1999, U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,142 issued Jun. 27, 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,852 issued Aug. 1, 2000 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,622,421 the disclosures of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
A key disadvantage of most fishing rod holders, tip ups and tip downs is that many of these devices still require a fisher to be in close proximity to the device. If the angler does not pay close attention to the rods, a fish can bite and then get off the hook. This is particularly true at night, when it is nearly impossible to watch the rod without a light of sufficient intensity. Such lighting is not only expensive, but also takes away from the natural beauty of the lake. Ice fishing tip ups and tip downs often include flags to signal the bite of a fish. Such flags, however, are usually small in relation to the device and do not provide a signal that can be readily identified. This is especially true when the conditions on a lake are foggy, at night, during snow showers or other conditions which might otherwise limit visibility.
Various audio and visual alarms have been devised in the past to signal a bite on fishing tackle. However, such prior art alarms have all had various shortcomings which have thwarted their widespread acceptance. Among these are switch devices, actuated by movement of the rod, reel or line. Often when the time comes to fight or reel in the fish, many of these devices become a nuisance or hindrance. Additionally, such devices have generally been limited to use with a single rod and reel assembly and designed to provide an effective alerting signal only in close proximity to the rod and reel assembly. Other earlier alarm devices have required auxiliary support structure found only on a boat or pier, or have been difficult to operate, or expensive, or of a size too large for convenient transportation to the fishing site, or prone to causing weakening damage to the fishing line.
Most fish bite signaling devices are typically activated by tension in the fishing line caused by the fish taking the bait. Many such devices in the prior art are lacking in many respects. The below-referenced U.S. patents disclose embodiments that were at least in-part satisfactory for the purposes for which they were intended. The disclosures of all the below-referenced prior United States patents in their entireties are hereby expressly incorporated by reference into the present application for purposes including, but not limited to, indicating the background of the present invention and illustrating the state of the art.
Prior Art devices of this type have relied on a variety of different holders and signaling configurations that are both mechanical and electrical, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,835,568, 3,371,443 and 3,283,437. In U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 3,835,568, a fishing rod and reel assembly is disclosed that uses a wire bracket to hold the rod and reel with the fishing line engaged around a switch lever interconnected to a power source and both an audio and visual alarm system. When a fish strikes the switch arm is moved activating the audio visual alarms.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,443, a signaling device is shown wherein a rod and reel holder is secured into the ground and a signaling flag assembly is secured thereto. The signaling flag assembly has a pivoted flag arm with a flag held in horizontal position by a latch arm connected to the fishing line. When a fish strikes, the latch arm is pulled up disengaging the flag arm which then falls downwardly to a vertically disposed position adjacent the holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,283,437 discloses a rod holder and alarm that utilizes an electric horn activated by an electric contact assembly that moves under impact of the fishing line during a strike closing a circuit activating the electric horn. Morgan U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,508 uses a pole holder pivotally disposed at the upper end of a support, and a coil spring biases the pole holder to normally position it transverse to the support. A strike on the line will overcome the bias of the spring, causing contact to be made with an alarm which, thus, alerts the fisherman.
Smith U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,997, counts on essentially a vertical pole to actuate the alarm and, again, a coil spring is employed. A downward component of the force of the strike would actuate the alarm, which is situated beneath the butt of the handle of the pole. Wetsch U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,360, discloses a coil spring which biases the pole holder toward the vertical. The alarm is at the side of the pole, and a horizontal component of the strike force is needed to bring the handle of the pole into actuating contact. In Schwartz et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,359,672 there is, again, a coil spring but it is mounted along a bolt, apparently to limit movement, and, in Howard U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,275, the coil spring is mounted in yet another different, relative position.
Rayburn U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,028 uses a screw and spring arrangement to position the pole holder relative to the support, in essentially straight line alignment, although the support is positioned at an acute angle relative to the ground. The Karr U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,720 and Hartwig U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,377 are variations on the same theme. The Hutcherson U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,633 is a variation on the leaf concept, with the alarm on the handle. The alarm is actuated by coming into contact with an essentially stationary surface.
As may be seen from the following analysis, there have been a large number of attempts to provide the angler with the tools to permit him or her to engage in other activities, while being alerted to a strike as one occurs. These efforts differ primarily as to how the objectives may be accomplished, while being relatively uniform as to the means, i.e., all seem to use something to hold the rod or pole and something to alert the fisherman upon there being a strike at the bait or lure. These devices have not addressed several of the other deficiencies in the art. Most of these devices do not provide a visual signal that can be seen from long distances, at night or in inclimate weather. Additionally, many of these devices include complex mechanisms, and require considerable effort to remove the rod from the holder upon the strike of a fish. Many of the devices are not robust enough to meet the demands of the many climates in which people fish, particularly ice fish and do not allow for numerous tip downs to be used at the same time. Furthermore, there is no known device that allows for a tip down support system to be wired to the rod supports on the tip downs as well as the alarm systems, while at the same time providing auxiliary wiring for incorporation of a tip up into the inventive system.
What is therefore needed in light of the above is a fishing pole holder and alarm system that exhibits enhanced robustness, increased visibility and ease of use. There is a further need for a fishing system that allows an alarm system to be wired to both a tip up and a tip down.


A dishwasher is provided, in which a plurality of filters are modularized to extend their effective area and improve their efficiency. The dishwasher includes a tub formed at an inside of the cabinet, forming a washing space where the dishes are washed; and a sump assembly provided at a lower side of the tub and provided with a filter chamber to which a filter module is inserted. The filter module filters the washing water, and includes a plurality of drainage filters.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dishwasher, and a filter module of the dishwasher.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A dishwasher is used to automatically wash and dry dishes by spraying a detergent and washing water onto the dishes. This dishwasher includes a cabinet provided with a washing chamber therein, a plurality of racks provided in the washing chamber to receive dishes, a sump assembly, and a plurality of spray arms for spraying washing water toward the dishes received in the racks. The sump assembly includes a sump for storing washing water, a pump for supplying the washing water of the sump to the spray arms, and a heater for heating the washing water.
If the pump is actuated, the spray arm washes the dishes while spraying the washing water that was stored in the sump. The washing water sprayed toward the dishes is collected in the sump and then is again sprayed toward the dishes. When the washing process is finished, a drainage pump is actuated to drain the water of the sump to the outside through a drainage hose. After the drainage pump is stopped, clean water is supplied to the sump for a rinsing process. The clean water is again sprayed to the dishes to rinse the dishes.
The dishwasher may include a filter to filter the water used for washing the dishes.


A method of installing a ventilation device through existing plywood door closures of accesses to attic spaces with roof fans in homes includes a frame with louvers across a central opening closed by two doors hingeably attached to be opened and closed with a hook rod interconnecting with eye bolts on the doors, the entire device being insulated to reduce heat loss during the cooler seasons.

This invention involves the installation of a ventilating system in existing homes. More specifically, the invention involves installing a ventilator opening through an already existing access opening through a ceiling to attic space to provide ventilation from the living quarters into the attic space.
For many modern homes, there is no open stairway to the attic. In many of these styles, the attic space is described as a "crawl space" as a person cannot stand upright in at least a major portion of the area. On the other hand, the area is used as storage and an access opening is provided. For some homes, a ladder/stairway is attached on the top of a hinged door that pulls downwardly to expose the opening. A folded wooden ladder stairway on the top of the door folds downwardly to allow easy access through the opening. These units are constructed with a plywood panel interfitting into the opening constructed when the house was built. For some homes, particularly where the crawl space is of limited storage capacity, a framed opening is constructed in the ceiling into which is dropped a sheet of plywood. When access to the attic space is necessary to reach an air conditioning air handler unit, electrical lines or the like, the panel is merely lifted upwardly from below and put aside so that the attic space can be entered using a step ladder.
Ventilation systems have been provided such as shown in B. D. Brown U.S. Pat. No. 2,496,778 with a fan installed in an opening cut into the ceiling of the living space opening into the attic area. The device includes a folding stairway which attaches slats to the stairway members to close off the opening when the stairway is not in use and the fan pulls air through the openings between the slats. In Steiner et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,802 a house fan is installed on rafter members drawing air through an opening in the ceiling covered by a shutter assembly. In Seebo II U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,508, a combination staircase and attic fan is installed. In Brown U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,194 a house attic fan is installed in a frame between rafter members opening through the ceiling. All of these units require a new opening through the ceiling into the attic area requiring that a person cut a whole, generally changing the structural components, and frame it to receive the house fan. In some of these devices, the opening through the ceiling must be constructed at the time the house is constructed or involve the owner in a substantial reconstruction of the ceiling. Danley et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,087 describes a garage door ventilator, with louvers and a screen attached on the outside of the door with a hinged closure panel on the inside of the door.
The problem with these devices providing ventilation, with or without a fan is the major expense of installation of the ventilating opening through the ceiling. Most home owners would not be capable of installing such devices requiring substantial expenditures of professional tradesmen. Further, none of the devices or methods of installation in the prior art attain the objects described hereinbelow.

Method and device for ventilating a home