An elastomer support for a sonar transducer includes a ceramic stack electromechanical driver, a pair of rigid support members, and a pair of elastomer layers disposed between the ceramic stack electromechanical driver and the support members. The elastomer support provides effective mechanical stress reduction in the ceramic stack driver, as well as, a simple, reliable heat dissipation means for the transducer.

This invention relates generally to acoustic transducers and more particularly to flextensional underwater acoustic transducers.
As it is known in the art, a flextensional transducer typically includes a high strength oval shaped shell which flexes to propagate acoustic waves in a surrounding seawater medium. An electromechanical driver, disposed within the shell, is fed by an alternating current and expands and retracts in an oscillatory manner upon electrical energization to transmit like motions to end portions of the shell disposed along the major axis of the shell. The dynamic force provided by the expansion of the electromechanical driver exerted on end portions of the shell is superimposed on a static compressive bias on the electromechanical driver and causes shell portions along the minor axis of the shell to flex inward. The subsequent retraction of the electromechanical driver causes the shell portions along the minor axis of the shell to flex outward. This flexing action is repeated in an oscillatory manner to propagate acoustic waves in the surrounding seawater medium. Often, mechanical end blocks are positioned between the end portions of the shell and ends of the electromechanical driver adjacent to such end portions to couple the force provided by the electromechanical driver to the shell. End caps are located at opposite ends of the shell and seal the transducer so that seawater does not enter the shell housing. Generally, a flextensional transducer further includes rigid support members to provide mechanical integrity to the transducer and a central support structure to provide mechanical support to the electromechanical driver and to the end caps. The electromechanical driver may be referred to as a transduction driver of which the input energy is electrical waves or electrical energy, and the output energy is acoustic waves or acoustic energy.
As it is further known in the art, one type of electromechanical driver includes a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements disposed in a stack arrangement or assembly. The stack arrangement of the electromechanical driver has a length which, generally, significantly exceeds its width or height and thus the driver is susceptable to lateral bending due to shocks experienced by the transducer, such as in the case of a transducer which is rigidly mounted to a surface ship near which an explosive causes substantial shock waves in the surrounding seawater. While a central support structure is conventionally used to minimize the susceptibility of the stack assembly to potentially damaging shocks experienced by the transducer, it is important that such a support structure not restrict the unrestrained motion of the stack assembly upon electrical energization since such restriction can inhibit the efficiency of the propagation of acoustic energy.
One type of support structure known in the art for providing mechanical support to the stack assembly and to the end caps is an I-beam structure. In using an I-beam central support structure, the stack assembly is essentially divided into two stack portions, with a portion located and adhered, or fastened, to each side of the I-beam central support structure. Thus, the I-beam support structure maintains a first end of each of the stack portions in a stationary position with respect thereto, in order to prevent the transmission of acoustic energy into the rigid support member, such transmission decreasing the efficiency of the transducer.
The occurrence of explosive shock waves can cause substantial lateral forces on the shell. Since the ends of the stack portions adjacent to end portions of the shell will move laterally with such shock wave forces while the ends of the stack portions fastened to the I-beam structure remain stationary, lateral bending of the stack portions may result. Further, relatively high tensile stresses may occur on a convexly bent side of a stack portion in spite of the high compressive bias on the stack portions. High tensile stresses in the ceramic stack may generate cracks in the ceramic material, such cracks potentially resulting in a high electric discharge, or corona, resulting from ionization of the gas trapped within the cracks.
It would thus be desirable to minimize the tendency of the ceramic stack assembly to laterally bend in response to shock waves. This would minimize potential tensile stresses and concomitant damage to the stacks associated with such lateral bending. It would also be desirable to minimize such lateral bending while not inhibiting the unrestrained motion of the ceramic stack and shell which otherwise would affect transducer efficiency.
As it is also known in the art, heat dissipation within the electromechanical driver is a critical performance factor since excessive temperatures may degrade the piezo-electric properties of the ceramic elements of the stack. This would result in reduced transducer efficiency and output capability. Typically, the ceramic assembly must be maintained at a temperature of less than approximately 77.degree. C. in order to provide maximum transducer efficiency and output capability.
Several factors should be considered when addressing the problem of heat dissipation in a transducer. Specifically, the cooling should be accomplished without inhibiting the unrestrained motion of the electromechanical driver and the shell in order to maintain acceptable transducer efficiency. Additionally, the transducer should operate, and therefore be cooled, in multiple physical orientations. Further, ease of manufacturability and servicability should be provided.
As it is known in the art, techniques for heat removal are generally categorized either as convection or conduction techniques. Convection generally refers to the transfer of heat from one location to another by the movement of a transport medium, such as a fluid or air. In conduction techniques, heat generally diffuses through a material substance.
Conventional techniques for heat removal in transducers are natural convection and forced convection. Generally, natural convection in a transducer refers to the transfer of heat by the natural movement of air and forced convection refers to the transfer of heat by the forced movement of air created by a blower or fan. The technique of forced convection may provide adequate cooling; however, the reliability of a remotely located fan is cause for concern. The technique of natural convection is simple and reliable; however, it is generally only suitable for relatively low power applications.
Another convection cooling technique which is suitable for high power operation is evaporative cooling using a fluid with low boiling point and condensing point temperatures. This technique includes the use of a container disposed over the ceramic stack assembly in which wicks connect to all of the ceramic elements in order to transport heat from the elements to the fluid having suitable thermal properties. When the temperature within the ceramic stack assembly rises, the fluid transported on the wicks evaporates, providing the necessary cooling. However, in the case of evaporative cooling, the complexity of the apparatus may decrease reliability. The wicks which carry the fluid have limited fluid carrying capacity with respect to the ceramic stack surface area they contact. This limited capacity may result in non-uniform or decreased effectiveness of the technique, particularly at high operating power levels. Additionally, the capillary action of some wicks may be degraded when the transducer is operated at various physical orientations.
Thus, it would also be desirable to have a structure for cooling a flextensional transducer which is sufficiently simple in order to maintain reliability, manufacturability, and servicability of the transducer. The heat dissipation structure should also be effective at high operating power levels and maintain its effectiveness regardless of transducer orientation.


A mobile terminal includes a power managing unit coupled to a control unit, and a switch unit coupled to the control unit and the power managing unit. The switch unit is operable so as to enable the power managing unit to supply electric power to the control unit. The switch unit is further operable so as to enable the control unit to perform one of controlling the power managing unit to stop supply of electric power thereto and a predetermined operation in response to duration of user actuation of the switch unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a mobile terminal, more particularly to a mobile terminal that has a multi-function switch unit provided with a single button switch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a conventional mobile terminal is provided with an ON/OFF key for controlling the conventional mobile to turn on and shut down, and an on/off-hook key for controlling on-hook and off-hook operations. If the above operations associated with the ON/OFF key and the on/off-hook key can be integrated using a single control key, costs for the mobile terminal can be reduced.

Universal Scientific Industrial Co., Ltd.


A holder which has a loop portion securable around a flexible elongate in a folded configuration. A spine portion is coupled to the loop portion. At least one movable portion is adjustable between a first position, in which the at least one movable portion forms at least a portion of a handle in a substantially coplanar orientation relative to the spine portion, and a second position, in which the at least one movable portion forms at least one hook in a substantially transverse orientation relative to the spine portion. The at least one hook is positionable on a structure to support the loop portion in a hanging position on the structure.

Flexible elongate objects are common across many industries, including the healthcare industry. Such objects can include, for example, flexible tubes, power cords, communication wires, straps, and cables. When in use, these objects can become tangled, making them cumbersome to move from place to place as needed. In a hospital setting, such tangled objects can pose a hazard in the vicinity of a patient's bed. Moreover, unintended tangling and bending of a flexible elongate object could adversely affect the operation of the flexible elongate object. This could include, for example, a fluid delivery tube being kinked to restrict fluid flow and/or a power cord becoming unplugged.


A display device includes a controller, a display processor, a resolution converter, and a display screen. The controller, in response to first request of setting a current signal source type to a first signal source type which is a type of a signal source for providing display data having a target resolution and a first definition, generates and transmits a first control signal corresponding to the first request. The display processor receives and forwards the first control signal from the controller. The resolution converter converts the initial display data into first display data having a target resolution and a first definition in response to the first control signal, and transmits the first display data to the display processor. The target resolution is greater than the initial resolution. The first definition is greater than a definition of display data obtained by stretching the initial display data and having the target resolution.

With the development of display technology, display devices with a display resolution of 8K (i.e., a resolution of 7680×4320) are increasingly used. However, since 8K image/video sources are scarce, 4K sources are converted to 8K sources to be displayed on an 8K display device. How to convert 4K sources into 8K sources through an 8K display device and display the converted 8K sources is a problem which needs to be solved urgently at present.

Display device and control method thereof

BEIJING BOE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.


An offset component extracting circuit is supplied with a tracking error signal TE' obtained by using the push-pull method and including an offset component resulting from optical axis deviation, etc. of the object lens followed by tracking. The offset component extracting circuit extracts, from the tracking error signal TE', an offset component included in the tracking error signal itself. A hold circuit outputs offset component S1 delivered from the offset component extracting circuit as offset component S2 as it is for a time period during which servo is in OFF state on the basis of a servo command signal delivered from a system controller to hold the offset component S1 when servo operation changes from OFF state to ON state to output the offset component S1 thus held as offset component S2. A differential amplifier subtracts the offset component S2 from the tracking error signal TE' to deliver a tracking error signal TE from which the offset component S2 has been eliminated to a tracking control circuit through a switch 15. The tracking control circuit includes, e.g., a phase compensation circuit, etc. in the servo control, and drives, e.g., biaxial device of the optical pick-up on the basis of the tracking error signal TE delivered thereto. Thus, tracking servo is applied so that spot of light beam is placed in on-track state.

In optical disc apparatuses (units) using an optical recording medium, e.g., optical disc, the push-pull method is known as one of the methods for detecting tracking error signal used in the tracking servo control.
FIG. 1 is a view for explaining the principle of the push-pull method. On the base (substrate) of an optical disc 100, grooves 101 and lands 102 are formed in advance as shown in FIG. 1, for example. The push-pull method is a method of detecting, e.g., a light reflected and diffracted at the groove 101 by means of, e.g., a bisected photodetector, 115 of which divided portions are symmetrically disposed with respect to the center of the track to take out an output difference between these detector sections 115L, 115R as a tracking error signal.
In more practical sense, as shown in the FIG. 1 mentioned above, a reflected light from the optical disc 100 mainly consists of (rays of) the 0-th order diffracted light and (rays of) the +.+-.1-th order diffracted light in a direction perpendicular to the groove 101. In view of the above, respective detector sections 115L, 115R of the bisected photodetector 115 are disposed symmetrically with respect to the center of the track to respectively detect, by means of these detector sections 115L, 115R, sum total of intensities of the 0-th order light +(+1)-th order light and sum total of the 0-th order light +(-1)-th order light, i.e., sum total of intensities of the area S.sub.0 where only the 0-th order diffracted light exists and the area S.sub.1 where the 0-th order diffracted light and the 1-th order diffracted light exist and sum total of intensities of the above-mentioned area S.sub.0 and the area S.sub.1 where the 0-th order diffracted light and the (-1)-th order diffracted light exist. Then, a difference between respective outputs of the detector sections 115L, 115R is determined by, e.g., a differential amplifier, thereby making it possible to obtain a tracking error signal.
Meanwhile, in the push-pull method, as shown in FIG. 2, for example, any offset takes place in the tracking error signal resulting from movement of an objective (object lens) 114 followed by tracking (so called fluctuation (change) of the visual field of the objective) and/or inclination in the radial direction of the optical disc, etc.
In more practical sense, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, light beams emitted from a semiconductor laser 111 of the so-called optical pick-up 110 are changed into rays of parallel light by a collimator lens 112, and are then reflected on a beam splitter 113. The (rays of) reflected light thus obtained is converged onto the optical disc 100 by the objective 114. The light beams reflected on the optical disc 100 return through the light traveling (incoming) path in a manner opposite to the above and are transmitted through the beam splitter 113. Thereafter, these light beams are received by the bisected photodetector 115. In this case, in the system of moving only the objective 114 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis to carry out tracking, when the objective 114 is assumed to be moved to the position indicated by reference numeral 114a, spot of diffracted light would deviate with respect to the center of the bisected photodetector 115. As a result, any d.c. offset might take place in the tracking error signal.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4, for example, when the optical disc 100 is assumed to be inclined as indicated by reference numeral 100a, spot of the diffracted light would deviate with respect to the center of the bisected photodetector 115 in a manner similar to the above. Thus, any offset is produced in the tracking error signal. As a result, even if the center of the objective 114 is located on the center of the track, a tracking error signal of which value is not zero is detected, thus failing to carry out precise tracking servo.
Moreover, in optical disc apparatuses adapted for counting the number of tracks that light beams traverse (cross) on the basis of a tracking error signal in the so-called. track jump or seek, if any offset exists in the tracking error signal as described above, it is impossible to precisely count the number of tracks.
In view of the above, in order to eliminate the offset component of the tracking error signal, in the conventional tracking servo apparatus, there is employed a mechanical mechanism such that visual field fluctuation (change) of the objective resulting from, such as, for example, movement of the optical system constituting the optical pick-up or that of the entirety of the optical pick-up, etc. does not take place. In addition, an approach is employed, as shown in FIG. 5, for example, to eliminate the offset component by information except for the tracking error signal, i.e., to wobble the grooves 101 on the basis of address information to cancel (eliminate) the offset component of the tracking error signal, e.g., by difference between amplitudes of wobble (wobbling) components detected by respective detector sections of the bisected photodetector.
However, in both cases, there is the problem that cost is increased for the purpose of realizing them. In addition, in the method of canceling the offset component of the tracking error signal by the wobble component, there is the problem that since it is impossible to precisely detect the wobble component unless the disc apparatus is in the on track state, it is impossible to precisely detect the number of tracks that light beams traverse.
This invention has been made in view of actual circumstances as described above, and its object is to provide a tracking servo apparatus and a track counting apparatus which can lessen offset quantity of the tracking error signal resulting from movement of the objective (object lens) followed by tracking and/or inclination of the optical disc, and which can precisely detect the number of tracks that spots of the light beams traverse.

Tracking servo apparatus for carrying out tracking by eliminating an offset component from an output signal and method therefor


A portable or "lap-top" computer includes an associated head mounted display. The display is constructed in a manner similar to a pair of eyeglasses but with liquid crystal display screens replacing or forming a portion of the eyeglass lenses. The display screens can be either opaque or light transmitting, and can be hinge mounted to the glasses frame so that they can be swung up and out of the field of vision of the user. Specialized uses for the portable computer and head mounted display include a computer desk for secretarial workstations and the like, a research library workstation, and a moving map installation in an automobile or airplane.

The present invention relates to a portable or "lap-top" computer with a head mounted display which may be stereoscopic.
Conventional personal computers have included a large "QWERTY" styled keyboard, a computer housing containing the CPU, memories, accessory boards, floppy and hard disk drives, modem, etc., and a separate CRT monitor. This arrangement has a number of drawbacks. The size and weight of the various components and the numerous power and connecting cables required, plus the relatively large electrical power requirements of conventional CRT's, have tended to make the systems relatively immobile, thus confining a computer user to one place in the office or home. Furthermore, the number of large separate components have taken up considerable desk space, often rendering a desk or workstation unsuitable for any other purpose. A whole line of computer furniture has been designed around personal computers, but has not significantly reduced these problems, and, in fact, has usually resulted in creating additional space requirements. In addition, radiation from conventional CRT computer displays or VDU's has been a major concern in the workplace. Studies by the Kaiser Foundation and others have revealed that women working at computer terminals have suffered as much as double the rate of spontaneous abortions as other women. Other, long term effects from CRT radiation exposure are unknown, but are of great concern.
In response to these limitations and potential hazards of typical personal computers, portable or lap-top computers have proliferated in recent years. As the size of microprocessors and solid state memory chips have shrunk while their capabilities have expanded, the required size of the computer housings has also shrunk. As a practical matter, the size of a portable computer is no longer limited by the computer chips and memories themselves, but by the power supply, display, and the keyboard and other data I/O devices, such as disk drives and modems, etc. While power supplies, disk drives and modems, etc. have all shrunk greatly in size as well, the keyboard and display are generally the limiting factors in shrinking portable computers.
Keyboard size is limited by the requirement for keyboard switches to be easily manipulated by a user's fingers. While some lap-top computers have used stylus-actuated keyboards with correspondingly smaller switches, such keyboards tend to greatly limit the speed and accuracy with which a user can input data through the keyboard. Thus, keyboard size has shrunk to the point where further reductions in size would severely limit the input-output capabilities of a user.
Similarly, display size has been limited by the requirement for the display screen to have the capability to display a plurality of lines of readable alpha-numeric text. Heretofore, liquid crystal displays of fairly high resolution, i.e., 300-500 lines, which are sized to match the keyboard size have been used in lap-top computers. Generally, the keyboard with the computer housed therein, and the liquid crystal display, have been located in matching halves of a folding case so that the display acts as a cover for the keyboard when the computer is not in use.
While this arrangement has been proven to be generally satisfactory, the inherent limitations of liquid crystal displays have tended to limit the number of viable uses for a portable computer. For example, liquid crystal displays have limited effective viewing angles which require a viewer to be positioned almost directly in front of the display for satisfactory results. The fact that the keyboard and display have been hinged together as a single housing means that the display, of necessity, must be positioned far enough away from the user so that the keyboard can be comfortably manipulated by the user's fingers. This means that, for an average user, the display must be positioned at least 2 1/2 to 3 feet away from the user's eyes. With such a small screen, this tends to strain the eyes of any user who must spend substantial lengths of time using the computer. This is particularly true if the user happens to be myopic or has other vision problems.
The conventional folding keyboard/display arrangement presents other problems as well. The permanent attachment of the display to the keyboard means that the keyboard must always be oriented in such a fashion that the display is visible to the user. This can prevent the user from placing the keyboard in a comfortable position. A fixed display requires a viewer to fixate on one spot which greatly increases eye fatigue. Flat panel liquid crystal displays also provide no sensation of depth to the computer user. Lastly, such a fixed, flat panel display cannot be overlaid over other information or used in a "heads up" arrangement which allows the user to see both the displayed information and objects behind the display. Furthermore, if the display were not attached to the keyboard, the keyboard could then be split in half and folded over itself, thus reducing the size of the computer by half.
It is clear then, that a need exists for a portable or "lap-top" computer which uses a display which is not attached to the keyboard, which is visible in low light conditions, which does not require the computer user to fixate on a single spot, which provides the user with a depth sensation, which has low electrical power requirements, which can be readily customized for special uses, and which can be used in a heads-up fashion.

Portable computer and head mounted display


Disclosed are a data storage apparatus, an assembling method thereof and an apparatus for generating a tracking position error signal capable of storing data using recording media formed with patterns for generating tracking position error signals to obviate errors that may be generated amidst storage of the data, wherein the patterns are formed for generating tracking position error signals on recording media before the recording media and storage are assembled to reduce the manufacturing cost and manufacturing process time.

The following description relates generally to a data storage apparatus, an assembling method thereof and an apparatus for generating a tracking position error signal.
As emerging demands on media capable of storing large amounts of data have increased over the past years, researches and developments on increased storage capacity have been also on the rise. An SDS {SPM (Scanning Probe Microscope)-based Data Storage System}, which is an AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy)-method next generation large data storage system, has suddenly surfaced as a probe storage capable of replacing the future HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) and semiconductor memories due to its merits such as large storage capacity, small size and inexpensive cost.
When data is stored in the SDS, tracks must be searched and read with a precise resolution because bit size is around nano meter. For an accurate tracking, the conventional storage media like the HDDs use a PES (Position Error Signal), where a head is positioned to follow an accurate position of a track. The PES in the SDS is a signal indicating how far a cantilever tip for reading data is deviated from the track. FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c are schematic views illustrating a PES generating method according to prior art, where servo pits are made on recording media by a cantilever tip to generate the PES. In other words, FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c show how servo pits (A, B, C, D) are formed on respectively different positions of a recording medium, and the PESs are generated by the servo pits.
Referring first to FIG. 1a, a position of a servo pit 'B' is downshifted from a center of servo pit 'A' as far down as 'd', where the 'd' is a diameter. A position of a servo pit 'C' is downshifted from the center of the servo pit 'A' as much as d/2, and a P signal and a Q signal (which are PESs) generated from the servo pits are illustrated, where a track pitch (TP) is 3 d/2.
A track pitch (TP) in FIG. 1b is 3 d/2, which is the same as that of FIG. 1a, but a center of the serve pit 'B' is distanced from the center of servo pit 'A' as far as 'TP-d', while a center of the servo pit 'C' is distanced from the center of the servo pit 'A' as far as 'TP/4', which is the diameter. Therefore, the PESs generated from these servo pits are shown as the P signal and the Q signal.
Referring to FIG. 1c, a track pitch (TP) is 3 d/2, which is not same as that of FIGS. 1a and 1b, but the servo pits 'A' and 'B' are distanced as far as 'TP/2' and the center of the servo pit 'C' is positioned above from the center of servo pit 'A' as far as 'TP/4', which is the diameter. The PESs generated by these servo pits come to become more curved than what is illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b.
The method of generating PESs suggested by the prior art suffers from a shortcoming that the PESs are generated by recording patterns of servo pits using cantilever tips after recording media are completely assembled to create an error of data storage on the recording media due to errors generated during recording of the servo pits. The method suffers from another shortcoming that process times are required for recording the servo pits for data storage.

Data storage apparatus, assembling method thereof and apparatus for generating tracking position error signal


Systems and techniques for active asset monitoring are presented. A system can collect a set of voltage measurements from one or more assets. The system can also perform learning associated with the set of voltage measurements and generate a set of digital signatures that includes a set of patterns regarding the set of voltage measurements. Furthermore, the system can determine monitor performance of an asset based on the set of digital signatures that includes the set of patterns regarding the set of voltage measurements.

Generally, it is difficult to manage maintenance of assets in a system. For example, today's industries generally employ maintenance plans where an asset is fixed after it is determined that the asset is broken. As such, conventional maintenance plans for an asset generally lead to decreased performance of the asset, increased downtime for the asset, and increased costs for the asset. As such, it is desirable to improve management of an asset and/or to improve a maintenance plan for an asset.


A method of training a computer system via human voice input from a human teacher is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes presenting a text spelling of an unknown word and receiving a human voice pronunciation of the unknown word. A phonetic spelling of the unknown word is determined. The text spelling is associated with the phonetic spelling to allow a text to speech engine to correctly pronounce the unknown word in the future when presented with the text spelling of the unknown word.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of training a computer system via human voice input from a human teacher, with the computer system including a speech recognition engine.
2. Background Art
A large concatenated voice system with a large vocabulary is capable of speaking a number of different words. For each word in the vocabulary of the large concatenated voice system, the system has been trained so that a particular word has a corresponding phonetic sequence. In large concatenated voice systems and other so-called artificial intelligence systems, manual data entry is usually used to train the systems. This is usually done by first training a data entry person the advanced skill sets required to program the phonetic knowledge into specific elements of the computer program for storage and future use. This type of training technique is tedious, prone to errors, and has a tendency to be academic in entry style rather than capturing a true example of how a word is pronounced or what a word, phrase, or sentence means or translates to.
Although the use of manual data entry to train large concatenated voice systems has been used in many applications that have been commercially successful, manual data entry training techniques have some shortcomings. As such, there is a need for a method of training a computer system that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.

Method of training a computer system via human voice input


To measure flow rates, the cross-sectional shape of the flow path is changed by inserting a multiple position gate into the flow path and altering the position of the gate to maintain the head of liquid constant with a reduced flow cross section. To maintain the head at a desirable range, the depth is measured and controls the position of the gate as a feedback signal. The position of the multiple position gate is correlated with the depth to provide an indication of flow rate. For this purpose, a flow path housing is clamped to a pipe and a multiple position gate is moved by pneumatic pressure into the flow stream to change the flow cross section. The depth of the head upstream of the gate is measured and the position of the gate is measured. Flow rate is determined from these two measurements. Sampling may be performed at an increased depth caused by the gate.

This invention relates to liquid flow rate measuring and liquid sampling methods and apparatuses and more particularly to methods and apparatus which are adjustable to provide for measurement and/or sampling of liquid streams including streams that are flowing at a low rate or are shallow.
One class of flow meter utilizes a movable gate or obstruction in a flow stream to alter the flow so as to enable easier measurement of flow rate and one type of sampler uses an obstruction and fixed flow bed to provide a location of relatively still and deep water from which to draw a representative sample.
One prior art flow measuring device for altering the flow stream to be measured utilizes a buoyant weir plate in the stream of a liquid. The tip of the buoyant weir includes a graduated depth gauge so that as the buoyant weir is lifted by its buoyancy and the rate of flow, the depth can be read on its graduated scale and a calculation of flow rate made therefrom. This type of device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,087,335.
This type of flow measuring device has several disadvantages such as: (1) it is not as precise in its measurements as desired; and (2) it requires a visual on-sight reading and manual entry of depth data to obtain flow rates.
Another prior art flow device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,120. This device controls gas flow with two movable valves in series in a gas stream, such as may be used to mix air with fuel in an internal combustion engine. The first valve is located upstream from the second valve and is varied in orientation in the stream such that the pressure difference between the pressure upstream of the first valve and the pressure between the two valves is kept constant. This is accomplished by extracating the pressure of the two chambers and sending them to a device which measures and amplifies any difference.
The result of this difference is sent to a feedback control mechanism and then to a valve opening mechanism which changes the position of the first valve to maintain the pressure differential between the two chambers. The position of the first valve is used to calculate the velocity of the gas.
This type of apparatus has a disadvantage in that it is complicated and not easily adaptable to a wide range of liquid flow rates because of the fixed position of the second valve and the location of the conduits connecting the chambers.

Variable gate flow analyzing method and apparatus


A near field communication (NFC) operating mode of an image forming apparatus may be set by determining a type of a job to be performed in the image forming apparatus via NFC tagging of a mobile device, determining a first NFC operating mode corresponding to the determined type of the job from among a plurality of NFC operating modes supported by an NFC module, setting the determined first NFC operating mode as an operating state of the NFC module, and performing the job by tagging the mobile device via NFC by using the set first NFC operating mode.

1. Field
One or more embodiments of the disclosure relate to an image forming apparatus supporting a near field communication (NFC) function and a method of setting a NFC operating mode of an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Near field communication (NFC) generally refers to a contactless short-range wireless communication standard between electronic devices within a short distance from each other of about 10 cm with low power consumption by using a frequency of about 13.56 MHz, and was developed by the joint work of NXP Semiconductors of the Netherlands and Sony of Japan in 2002. A data transfer rate of NFC is about 424 Kbps, and NFC has excellent security features due to high proximity and encryption technology. NFC forgoes a complicated pairing process for recognition of devices but allows devices to recognize one another within about 1/10 of a second or less. In particular, NFC is a smart card type contactless wireless communication technology where radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is utilized. In addition, NFC builds upon RFID technology by allowing two-way communication compared to smart cards. NFC has a relatively large memory storage space and offers more variety of services. Accordingly, commercialized electronic devices, such as smartphones and personal computers (PCs), in which the NFC technology may be used, have recently been released.

Image forming apparatus supporting function of near field communication and method of setting NFC operation mode thereof


A deep-area temperature calculating device 441 calculates the temperature Tcore of a deep area on the basis of a first body-surface temperature and second body-surface temperature from body-surface sensors 31A and 31B, and on the basis of a first intermediate temperature and second intermediate temperature from intermediate sensors 32A and 32B. Since the temperature Tcore of the deep area is determined from two body-surface temperatures and two intermediate temperatures, the temperature Tcore of the deep area can be calculated regardless of the heat resistance of the thermometer without making any assumptions regarding the heat resistance of the area that extends from the deep area of the human body to the body surface. Thereby, the temperature Tcore of the deep area can be calculated and the body temperature can be measured with high precision regardless of differences in the body type or contact with clothing or bedding.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a thermometer. More specifically, the present invention relates to a thermometer for measuring body temperature, an electronic device having a thermometer, and a method for measuring body temperature.
2. Background Information
Methods for measuring the temperature of the body surface of a thermal insulating material in contact with a body surface and the temperature of the outside air and calculating the temperature of a deep area have been proposed as methods for measuring the body temperature of humans and other organisms such a method is shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 61-120026, especially on page 3. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 61-120026 is hereby incorporated by reference.
In this measurement method, the depth from the body surface to a deep area where the core temperature can be obtained is assumed to be 2 cm, the thermal conductivity is assumed to be 1×10−3 cal/cm·sec·° C. using the thermal conductivity of muscle, and the heat resistance of the skin is calculated. The value of this heat resistance, the heat resistance of the thermal insulating material, and the temperature of the outside air are then used to calculate the temperature of a deep area corresponding to the measured temperature of the body surface. In such a measurement method, electric power is consumed because there is no need for heaters or other such conventional heating devices that have been needed to cancel out the heat flow conducted from the organism to the thermometer.
However, organisms have various physiques. As in the case of humans, from infants to adults to the elderly, the conditions of developed muscles are largely different. Therefore, the heat transfer characteristics of various organisms are markedly different depending on their various body types, and heat resistance from the body surface to the deep areas fluctuate considerably. Therefore, in a body temperature measurement method in which the heat resistance is constant, there are differences between the measured and the actual body temperature due to the differences in body type. Also, problems occur in that the heat resistance of the thermal insulating material fluctuates when clothing or bedding or the like is in contact with the outer side of the thermal insulating material, and thus, making it impossible to obtain highly precise measurements.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved a thermometer for measuring body temperature, an electronic device having a thermometer, and a method for measuring body temperature. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

Thermometer, electronic device having a thermometer, and method for measuring body temperature


A new New Guinea Impatiens plant particularly distinguished by large, round, flat, pink to lavender-pink flowers, early flowering, uniform, medium green foliage, and a medium size plant habit that is round and bushy, is disclosed.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri W. Bull, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'Fisnics Briam'. The new cultivar originated from a hybridization made in the year 2002 in Hillscheid, Germany. The female parent was the proprietary pink-flowered New Guinea Impatiens plant '02-9152-1' (unpatented), while the male parent was the proprietary violet-pink-flowered New Guinea Impatiens plant '02-915-1' (unpatented). The seeds produced by the hybridization were sown in a greenhouse in Portugal in late Fall of 2002. A single plant selection was chosen for further evaluation and for asexual propagation in April 2003 in Moncarapacho, Portugal.
The new cultivar was created in 2002 in Hillscheid, Germany and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings and tissue culture in Moncarapacho, Portugal and Hillscheid, Germany over a three-year period. 'Fisnics Brian' has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.
Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Switzerland on Mar. 30, 2005 and in Canada on Apr. 20, 2005.

New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Fisnics Briam’


An apparatus, program product and method sample at different times nodes that are performing similar work. Performance data associated with first and second node subsets performing the similar work are sampled at different times, e.g., in a round-robin fashion, and in accordance with a given sampling rate. The performance data is analyzed. Nodes whose performance suffers as a result of a sampling operation may be identified and removed from a subsequent operation.

Computer technology has continued to advance at a remarkable pace, with each subsequent generation of a computer system increasing in performance, functionality and storage capacity, and often at a reduced cost. A modern computer system typically comprises one or more central processing units (CPU) and supporting hardware necessary to store, retrieve and transfer information, such as communication buses and memory. A modern computer system also typically includes hardware necessary to communicate with the outside world, such as input/output controllers or storage controllers, and devices attached thereto such as keyboards, monitors, tape drives, disk drives, communication lines coupled to a network, etc.
From the standpoint of the computer's hardware, most systems operate in fundamentally the same manner. Processors are capable of performing a limited set of very simple operations, such as arithmetic, logical comparisons, and movement of data from one location to another. But each operation is performed very quickly. Sophisticated software at multiple levels directs a computer to perform massive numbers of these simple operations, enabling the computer to perform complex tasks. What is perceived by the user as a new or improved capability of a computer system is made possible by performing essentially the same set of very simple operations, but doing it much faster, and thereby enabling the use of software having enhanced function. Therefore continuing improvements to computer systems require that these systems be made ever faster.
The overall speed of a computer system (also called the throughput) may be crudely measured as the number of operations performed per unit of time. Conceptually, the simplest of all possible improvements to system speed is to increase the clock speeds of the various components, and particularly the clock speed of the processor(s). E.g., if everything runs twice as fast but otherwise works in exactly the same manner, the system will perform a given task in half the time. Enormous improvements in clock speed have been made possible by reduction in component size and integrated circuitry, to the point where an entire processor, and in some cases multiple processors along with auxiliary structures such as cache memories, can be implemented on a single integrated circuit chip. Despite these improvements in speed, the demand for ever faster computer systems has continued, a demand which can not be met solely by further reduction in component size and consequent increases in clock speed. Attention has therefore been directed to other approaches for further improvements in throughput of the computer system.
Without changing the clock speed, it is possible to improve system throughput by using a parallel computer system incorporating multiple processors that operate in parallel with one another. The modest cost of individual processors packaged on integrated circuit chips has made this approach practical. Although the use of multiple processors creates additional complexity by introducing numerous architectural issues involving data coherency, conflicts for scarce resources, and so forth, it does provide the extra processing power needed to increase system throughput, given that individual processors can perform different tasks concurrently with one another.
Various types of multi-processor systems exist, but one such type of system is a massively parallel nodal system for computationally intensive applications. Such a system typically contains a large number of processing nodes, each node having its own processor or processors and local (nodal) memory, where the nodes are arranged in a regular matrix, or lattice structure. The system contains a mechanism for communicating data among different nodes, a control mechanism for controlling the operation of the nodes, and an I/O mechanism for loading data into the nodes from one or more I/O devices and receiving output from the nodes to the I/O device(s). In general, each node acts as an independent computer system in that the addressable memory used by the processor is contained entirely within the processor's local node, and the processor has no capability to directly reference data addresses in other nodes. However, the control mechanism and I/O mechanism are shared by all the nodes.
A massively parallel nodal system such as described above is a general-purpose computer system in the sense that it is capable of executing general-purpose applications, but it is designed for optimum efficiency when executing computationally intensive applications, i.e., applications in which the proportion of computational processing relative to I/O processing is high. In such an application environment, each processing node can independently perform its own computationally intensive processing with minimal interference from the other nodes. In order to support computationally intensive processing applications which are processed by multiple nodes in cooperation, some form of inter-nodal data communication matrix is provided. This data communication matrix supports selective data communication paths in a manner likely to be useful for processing large processing applications in parallel, without providing a direct connection between any two arbitrary nodes. Optimally, I/O workload is relatively small, because the limited I/O resources would otherwise become a bottleneck to performance.
An exemplary massively parallel nodal system is the IBM Blue Gene®/L (BG/L) system. The BG/L system contains many (e.g., in the thousands) processing nodes, each having multiple processors and a common local (nodal) memory, and with five specialized networks interconnecting the nodes for different purposes. The processing nodes are arranged in a logical three-dimensional torus network having point-to-point data communication links between each node and its immediate neighbors in the network. Additionally, each node can be configured to operate either as a single node or multiple virtual nodes (one for each processor within the node), thus providing a fourth dimension of the logical network. A large processing application typically creates one or more blocks of nodes, herein referred to as communicator sets, for performing specific sub-tasks during execution. The application may have an arbitrary number of such communicator sets, which may be created or dissolved at multiple points during application execution. The nodes of a communicator set typically comprise a rectangular parallelopiped of the three-dimensional torus network.
The hardware architecture supported by the BG/L system and other massively parallel computer systems provides a tremendous amount of potential computing power, e.g., petaflop or higher performance. Furthermore, the architectures of such systems are typically scalable for future increases in performance. However, unless the software applications running on the hardware architecture operate efficiently, the overall performance of such systems can suffer.
As an example, BG/L system performance can be hindered by various conditions. Communication bottlenecks between nodes can result from poor network utilization or ported code. Other problems may be attributable to incorrect assumptions about communication nodal matrix geometries. For instance, a designated path between nodes may be longer than it should be, resulting in a load imbalance or link contention. Poor performance may likewise result from cache misses and/or temperature-related problems.
It is consequently incumbent upon system designers and administrators to locate and fix such problems. When assessing performance in massively parallel computers, administrators conventionally gather and evaluate performance data in one of two ways. Using the first technique, administrators simultaneously run one or more performance tools on all of the nodes of the system. The performance data is aggregated and later evaluated. Although this conventional technique provides comprehensive results, the simultaneous burden from analysis on all of the nodes can result in a tremendous overhead on the entire system.
Administrators analyzing performance data using the second technique will conventionally run a performance tool(s) on a single node. Information gleaned from the tool is used to infer performance with regard to the remaining nodes of the lattice. This technique, however, disproportionally burdens the sample node. The resultant overhead on the node can result in slowed system performance, particularly where the monitored node is disproportionately burdened and impacts the overall amount of work that can be done.
To counteract the overhead generated by these conventional techniques, analysts often compromise performance assessments by reducing the sampling rate. A conventional sampling tool may periodically initiate ("wake up"), e.g., every one-five milliseconds, and determine what instruction the processor each node is executing. The handling of the initiating and recording of the sample data may result in overhead that can detrimentally affect system performance. As a consequence, performance analysts reduce the sample rate to lessen the impact on the system being tested. This compromise, however, causes the analyst to have to wait longer to get their results. Since performance analysis is often an iterative process, any additional waiting for each collection can result in significant dissatisfaction for the analyst and a larger bill for a client.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved manner of assessing performance of a plurality of interconnected nodes of a parallel computer system.

Low-impact performance sampling within a massively parallel computer

International Business Machines Corporation


A signal receiving coil device for an MRI apparatus, to be fitted to a patient for detecting nuclear magnetic resonance signals, comprising a coil member assuming a substantially cylindrical shape when fitted to the patient and having at least one flexible section and at least one rigid section disposed sequentially and alternately in a circumferential direction of said cylindrical shape; a first coil unit disposed on the coil holding member, and having a signal receiving direction thereof crossing substantially orthogonally the direction of a static magnetic field generated by the MRI apparatus when the coil holding member is fitted to the patient; and a second coil system disposed on the coil holding member, and having a signal receiving direction of reception thereof crossing substantially orthogonally both of the direction of the static magnetic field and the signal receiving direction of the first coil unit when the coil holding member is fitted to the patient.

This invention relates to a signal receiving coil device for use in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus (hereinafter referred to as the "MRI apparatus"). More in particular, it relates to a signal receiving coil device having flexibility such that it can be brought into close contact with a patient.
The MRI apparatus displays a tomographic image by placing a patient in a strong and homogeneous static magnetic field generated by a magnet for generating the static magnetic field, applying a high-frequency magnetic field and a gradient magnetic field to the patient in accordance with a predetermined pulse sequence so as to allow a nuclear spin of a predetermined section of the patient to cause nuclear magnetic resonance (hereinafter referred to as "NMR"), detecting the resulting NMR signals, and subjecting the detection signals to two-dimensional Fourier transform etc. for image reconstruction.
Detection of the NMR signals is effected by placing an high-frequency signal receiving coil in the proximity of the patient, and conventional detection methods include a method which receives unidirectional NMR signals by the use of a set of coil units such as solenoid coil units or saddle coil units, and a method which uses two sets of coil units, arranges them in such a manner that the directions of their sensitivity cross each another at right angles, and receives bidirectional NMR signals in order to improve a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). Since the signal receiving directions of the two coil units are orthogonal to each other in the latter, the coils are referred to as "QD" (Quadrature Detection) coil unit.
The QD coils that have been proposed so far include a QD coil unit for a horizontal magnetic field comprising the combination of a saddle coil unit with another, for example, and a QD coil unit for a vertical magnetic field comprising the combination of a solenoid coil unit with the saddle coil unit, for example.

Signal receiving coil device for MRI apparatus


A protection circuit for preventing non zero-voltage switching of a lamp resonant output circuit driven by upper and lower half-bridge switches. The protection circuit includes a sense resistor disposed between the lower half bridge switch and ground for developing a voltage corresponding to the current flowing through the lower switch. A comparator compares the voltage developed across the sense resistor against a fixed reference voltage and generates an output indicative of a non zero-voltage switching condition when the voltage across the sense resistor exceeds the fixed reference voltage. A latch is connected to the output of the comparator and generates a latch output signal which disables the generation of drive signals to the upper and lower switches in the event of a non zero-voltage switch condition.

When driving a resonant load with a high and low side half-bridge driver circuit, it is necessary to fulfill zero-voltage switching. This ensures smooth AC currents and voltages and provides a continuous uninterrupted inductor current. Should non zero-voltage switching occur while driving a fluorescent lamp with a resonant output stage (FIG. 1), high current spikes appear in the half-bridge switches, which can exceed the maximum current ratings of the switches and/or the resulting power losses in the switches can cause the switches to thermally destruct.
Non zero-voltage switching can occur due to one or both lamp filaments breaking resulting in an open-circuit, or a normal running lamp but a decreasing DC bus voltage. In each case, the half-bridge output voltage, V.sub.S (FIG. 2), must commutate to zero volts before the lower switch turns on or must commutate to the DC bus voltage before the upper switch turns on. If no lamp is present, no inductor current flows to commutate the capacitance from V.sub.S to ground due to the switch and (if present) the snubber capacitor C1. The circuit of the present invention senses the resulting current spike and turns both half-bridge switches off if spike exceeds a predetermined value.

Non zero-voltage switching protection circuit


In an x-ray diffractometer having (i) first and second motors 10, 17 for respectively rotating a sample 4 and an x-ray detector 13 around a rotational axis 7 and (ii) .theta.-2.theta. interlock control means 22 for supplying drive signals to the motors 10, 17, such that a .theta.-2.theta. relationship is always maintained between the angles of the sample 4 and the x-ray detector 13 with respect to irradiated x-rays 2, there is disposed a rotational vibration control unit 23 for supplying, to the first motor for rotating the sample holding member 6, a drive signal for rotationally vibrating the sample, in addition to the drive signal for .theta.-2.theta. interlock. Eliminating an individual drive mechanism for rotationally vibrating the sample 4, this arrangement makes it possible that, with a simple and economical structure, diffracted x-rays are efficiently detected even for a sample having an uneven surface, thereby to obtain an accurate measurement result.

The present invention relates to an x-ray diffractometer for measuring the x-ray diffraction pattern of a polycrystalline sample, a powder sample or the like.
In a qualitative or quantitative analysis of a powder sample or the like, or in an analysis of a crystalline structure, there is generally used a so-called goniometer method in which, while an x-ray beam having a suitable angle of aperture is irradiated to a sample placed at the center of a goniometer and an x-ray detector is rotated around the sample, there is measured the intensity of x-rays diffracted by the sample. In such a goniometer method, there is generally used a so-called .theta.-2.theta. interlock scan method in which, when the angle of the sample with respect to a zero angle direction in which the x-ray generator and the goniometer center (i.e., the sample center) are connected to each other, is defined as .theta., the sample and the x-ray detector are interlockingly scanned around the same rotational axis such that the angle of the x-ray detector with respect to the zero angle direction is always maintained at 2.theta..
According to the .theta.-2.theta. interlock scan method, an analysis result with high precision can be obtained by a simple operation for a homogeneous sample. However, for an insufficiently mixed sample, a powder sample in which individual crystalline grains are large, a sample having an uneven surface such as metal in which crystalline grains are coarse due to heat treatment, or the like, the intensity of x-ray deffracted measured by an x-ray detector is reduced, according to the reduction in the number of crystalline grains which contribute to the generation of diffracted rays in one direction; so that this .theta.-2.theta. interlock scan method is disadvantageously liable to contain errors in the measurement result.
To solve such a problem, there has conventionally been proposed a sample vibration-type x-ray diffractometer in which, during the .theta.-2.theta. interlock scan, the sample is rotationally vibrated (swung), on the same axis as the rotational axis for the .theta. scan, at an angular speed greater than the scan speed, thereby to increase the number of crystalline grains which contribute to the generation of diffracted rays at each angular position of the sample.
FIG. 5 shows an example of a conventional sample vibration-type x-ray diffractometer of the type above-mentioned. X-rays 52 generated by an x-ray tube 51 are irradiated, as suitably limited in diffusion by a divergence slit 53, to a sample 54 obtained by hardening a powder sample in the form of a plate.
The sample 54 as supported by a sample placing stand 55, is placed on a sample table 56. The sample table 56 is arranged to be rotated around a rotational axis 57 by a motor (not shown) such that the angle .theta. of the sample 54 with respect to the irradiated x-rays 52 varies with the passage of time. This operation is hereinafter referred to as .theta.-scan.
X-rays 58 diffracted by the sample 54, are to be detected by an x-ray detector 60 through a detecting slit 59. The detecting slit 59 and the x-ray detector 60 are to be rotated also around the rotational axis 57 by a motor (not shown), and the rotational position is controlled such that the angle of the x-ray detector 60 with respect to the irradiated x-rays 52 is always twice the angle .theta. of the sample 54 with respect to the x-rays 52, the angle .theta. varying from time to time. More specifically, in association with the .theta. scan of the sample 54, the detecting slit 59 and the x-ray detector 60 are scanned at an angular speed which is double the angular speed in the .theta. scan (hereinafter referred to as 2.theta. scan).
In addition to the .theta. scan by the rotation of the sample table 56, the sample 54 is subjected to rotational vibration around the rotational axis 57 by the following mechanism.
The sample placing stand 55 for supporting the sample 54, is supported by the sample table 56 in a manner rotatable around the rotational axis 57 and has, in a unitary structure, a lever 61. On the other hand, a motor 63 having the output shaft to which an eccentric cam 62 is secured, is mounted on the sample table 56, and the lever 61 of the sample placing stand 55 is biased by a spring 64, causing the lever 61 to be normally brought in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the eccentric cam 62. The motor 63 is rotationally driven at an angular speed greater than that of the motor for rotating the sample table 56 such that the sample 54 is subjected to the .theta. scan. The rotation of the motor 63 causes the sample placing stand 55 to be rotationally vibrated on the sample table 56 around the rotational axis 57 as shown by the arrow in FIG. 5. Thus, the sample 54 is subjected not only to the .theta. scan, but also to a rotational vibration at an angular speed faster than that for the .theta. scan.
According to such a sample vibration-type x-ray diffractometer of prior art, it is required to dispose, on the sample table, a drive mechanism for rotationally vibrating a sample, in addition to the drive mechanism for .theta.-2.theta. interlock scan. However, the sample holding members such as the sample table and the sample placing stand are generally replaced according to the shape and type of a sample. Accordingly, it is required in such a conventional diffractometer to mount a drive mechanism for rotationally vibrating a sample on each of all the sample tables to be used. This increases the cost of a sample table. Further, it is rather difficult to install such a drive mechanism for rotational vibration in a limited space on the sample table.


An apparatus for assembling a heat exchanger includes a dispenser head that dispenses heat exchanger components onto a receiving fixture as the dispenser head traverses across the receiving fixture. The components are dispensed at predetermined positions along the fixture. The components are ejected from the dispenser head at a predetermined velocity. The dispenser is quickly reloaded with the next component. The rate of reloading, predetermined velocity, and predetermined positions measured and controlled by an electronic controller.

The present invention relates generally to the field of assembly of heat exchangers, and more particularly to heat exchangers of a flat shape. However, certain applications may be outside of this field.
Heat exchangers are used in many applications where heat is rejected from a source and absorbed by a sink. For example, automobiles, trucks and buses utilize heat exchangers to reject heat from the engine, air conditioning, and transmission, and also to have heat absorbed by the passenger compartment. The heat exchangers are sometimes configured as an alternating array of tubes and fins. Headers, or collectors, unite the tubes in fluid communication. These heat exchangers may be substantially planar.
To keep the cost of these heat exchangers low, it is necessary to automate certain aspects of their construction. In one example of such automation, a machine utilizes a translating platform to dispense flattened tubes in a substantially downward direction onto positions on a receiving fixture. A motor drives both the platform and a dispenser attached to the platform by a combination of mechanical links such as rack and pinion gears and chains and sprockets. The action of the dispenser to eject tubes is mechanically linked to translation of the platform across the receiving fixture. For example, relatively slow translation of the platform results in relatively slow ejection of tubes. Also, the positions at which tubes are deposited is determined by the mechanical linkage. Changing the predetermined positions of the tubes on the receiving fixture requires changing the mechanical linkage.
A drawback of this machine is in the time and cost required to change the predetermined positions at which the tubes are ejected onto the receiving fixture, also known as the pitch of the tubes. A gearset of the machine must be changed, which requires a partial teardown of the machine, with subsequent rebuild and realignment. Another drawback of this machine is the difficulty encountered in speeding up the machine to increase throughput of assembled heat exchangers. As the machine speed of translation is increased, the velocity with which the tubes are ejected increases. With high ejection velocity, the tubes bounce out of location on the receiving fixture, requiring attention from the human operator before assembly can be resumed.
There are other examples of machines and methods for assembling heat exchangers. Some of this related art can be found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
______________________________________ Patent No. Patentee ______________________________________ 4,637,132 wase et al. Iwase et al. 4,486,933 Breda et al. 4,900,328 Breda et al. 5,029,382 Breda et al. 4,860,421 Beddome et al. 5,226,234 Barnard 4,228,573 Kiesche et al. 4,873,753 McKinney 4,901,416 Ochiai et al. 4,898,232 Sasaki 5,562,153 Chester 4,180,897 Alvarez et al. 5,479,707 Martin et al. 4,321,739 ______________________________________
What is needed is an improved method and apparatus for assembling heat exchangers.

Apparatus for assembling heat exchangers


A safety guard for bows including a tab positionable on a bow handle having an overdraw. The tab extends forwardly from the bow handle to prevent a user's finger from sliding up from the handle into the line of fire of an arrow.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a safety guard for bows and more particularly pertains to securing around a bow handle of a bow equipped with overdraws to prevent contact with an arrowhead with a safety guard for bows.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of overdraw extensions is known in the prior art. More specifically, overdraw extensions heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of allowing extended movement of an arrow are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,972 to Fisk discloses an overdraw extension for compound bows. U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,941 to Schaffer discloses an adjustable overdraw for compound bow. U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,361 to Vyprachticky discloses an archery bow with self-aligning combination handgrip and forearm protector. U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,645 to Damron discloses an archery bow with arrow guiding device. U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,524 to Saunders discloses an adjustable anchor tab. U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,699 to Gerber discloses an arrow guide.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a safety guard for bows for securing around a bow handle of a bow equipped with overdraws to prevent contact with an arrowhead.
In this respect, the safety guard for bows according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of securing around a bow handle of a bow equipped with overdraws to prevent contact with an arrowhead.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved safety guard for bows which can be used for securing around a bow handle of a bow equipped with overdraws to prevent contact with an arrowhead. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A method and control system for modulating a starter turbine (14) speed to a predetermined reference speed to prevent crash engagement with a turbine engine (16) during restart. The turbine engine (16) is coupled to the starter turbine (14) by a ratchet and pawl clutch (17), and crash engagement is prevented by modulating the starter turbine (14) speed to the predetermined reference speed, which is below a minimum pawl engagement speed, until the pawls have locked-in. A control system (10) in accordance with the present invention includes an electronic control (18) section and a mechanical pneumatic actuation means (20) which operate to limit the speed of the starter turbine (14) to the predetermined reference speed which is below the minimum speed at which crash engagements occur. The electronic control (18) provides an adjustment signal (26) corresponding to the difference between a sensed starter turbine speed signal (24) and a reference speed signal (49). The mechanical pneumatic actuation means (20) modulates an air flow into the starter turbine (14 ) in response the adjustment signal (26), thereby modulating the speed of the starter turbine (14) to the predetermined reference speed.

A turbine engine, such as the type used to power aircraft, requires assistance to start. Typically, an aircraft that is powered by a turbine engine has a starter turbine to provide the required assistance. In such a system, the starter turbine is coupled to the turbine engine by a ratchet and pawl clutch, for example such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,733, issued Apr. 17, 1973 to Mrazek.
The ratchet and pawl clutch includes a toothed ratchet member, pivotal pawls, and a set of springs for each pawl. The toothed ratchet member has a plurality of teeth and is operationally connected to a drive shaft which is mounted for rotation therewith the starter turbine. The pivotal pawls are connected to a driven shaft which is mounted for rotation with the turbine engine. When the driven shaft is at rest, i.e., the turbine engine is at rest, the springs act to bias the toes of the pawls inward against the ratchet member such that the pawls engage the ratchet member. When the driven shaft is rotated at high speed subsequent to ignition in the turbine engine, centrifugal force counteracts the spring force so that the pawls disengage, that is lift-off, from the ratchet member.
The ratchet and pawl clutch couples the starter turbine to the turbine engine in such a way that the starter turbine can provide only positive torque to the turbine engine. Assuming the turbine engine is rotating below the disengage speed, if the starter turbine, and thus the ratchet member, is rotating faster than the turbine engine, and thus the pawls, the pawls will lock-in to the ratchet member. However, if the pawls are moving faster than the ratchet member, the pawls will slide or "ratchet" over the teeth of the ratchet member. The term "lock-in" refers to the situation in which the toes of the pawls are nested between adjacent teeth of the ratchet member and the ratchet member is transferring positive torque to the shaft. Engaged pawls may be either locked-in or ratcheting.
During a normal start-up, high pressure air is fed to the starter turbine from an auxiliary power unit or another previously started turbine engine. As the starter turbine begins to rotate, the already engaged pawls lock-in to the ratchet member. Thus, the clutch transmits positive accelerating torque from the starter turbine to the turbine engine. When the main turbine reaches a prescribed speed, ignition occurs. After ignition, the turbine engine accelerates and becomes self sustaining. Eventually, the turbine engine reaches a speed, commonly referred to as "lift-off" speed, where centrifugal force causes pawl disengagement, thereby disconnecting the turbine engine from the starter turbine. At that point, the starter turbine is shut off and the turbine engine accelerates to its steady state speed.
A starter turbine can also be used to restart a turbine engine in the event of a flame-out resulting in an unwanted shut down of the turbine engine. When the flame-out occurs, the turbine engine decelerates due to friction and air loads. If high pressure air is fed to the starter turbine after the turbine engine has decelerated to the speed where the pawls become engaged, the starter turbine will accelerate with the pawls ratcheting until it reaches the speed of the turbine engine. When both turbines are at the same speed, the pawls lock-in and the starter turbine supplies positive accelerating torque to the turbine engine. With the assistance of the starter turbine, the turbine engine ignites and accelerates, eventually becoming self sustaining.
However, depending on the sequence of events, a destructive crash engagement may occur when attempting a restart after flame-out. If high pressure air is fed to the starter turbine before the pawls are engaged, the starter turbine will rapidly accelerate to a speed, termed its no-load speed, much higher than the speed at which the pawls engage. Therefore, when the pawls do engage, the great difference in speed between the two turbines results in a destructive crash engagement which may cause severe damage to the clutch.
It is known in the prior art to prevent crash engagement with a system that disables the starter turbine until all of the pawls are known to be engaged. Such a system is relatively simple to implement as both a turbine engine speed feedback signal and on/off control of the starter turbine are available through an electronic engine control, EEC, which is present on many aircraft. However, such a system still allows a relatively hard engagement since the starter turbine is rapidly accelerating when engagement occurs. Further, an air crew may mistake a disabled starter turbine for a non-functional starter turbine and become unnecessarily alarmed.

Control system for preventing crash engagement of a ratchet and pawl clutch during restart of a turbine engine


A request is received to change an association of a network interface record from a first resource instance to a second resource instance. The network interface record may include an IP address associated with the first resource instance. In response to the request, the first resource instance is prevented from receiving data packets addressed to the IP address of the network interface record through a first network interface object attached to the first resource instance. The network interface record is associated with the second resource instance so that the second resource instance is enabled to receive data packets addressed to the IP address of the network interface record through a second network interface object attached to the second resource instance.

A data center is a facility that houses computer systems and various networking, storage, and other related components. Data centers may, for example, provide computing services to businesses and individuals as a remote computing service or to provide "software as a service" (e.g., cloud computing). To facilitate utilization of data center resources, virtualization technologies may allow a single physical computing machine to host one or more instances of virtual machines that appear and operate as independent computer machines to a connected computer user. With virtualization, the single physical computing device can create, maintain, or delete virtual machines in a dynamic manner.
Some virtualization technologies are capable of providing virtual resources that span two or more physical resources, such as a single virtual machine with multiple virtual processors that spans multiple distinct physical computing systems. As another example, virtualization technologies may allow data storage hardware to be shared among multiple users by providing each user with a virtualized data store that may be distributed across multiple data storage devices, with each such virtualized data store acting as a distinct logical data store that provides users with the illusion that they are the sole operators and administrators of the data storage resource.
Operators of data centers that provide different types of virtualized computing, storage, and/or other services typically use standard networking protocols to receive customer requests and transmit responses to such requests using commodity network hardware such as network interface cards (NICs). Despite recent advances in virtualization technology, many networking-related properties of virtual servers are typically managed at the level of individual physical network interface cards.

Maintaining private connections during network interface reconfiguration


A diaphragm-type pressure gauge which is attached to a vessel to be measured and measures a pressure by introducing a gas inside the vessel includes a housing into which the gas is introduced, and a sensor unit which is arranged in the housing, and includes a diaphragm electrode, a measurement surface of which is arranged parallel to an introduction direction of the gas. When the housing is attached to the vessel, the measurement surface of the diaphragm electrode is arranged parallel to a direction of gravitational force.

In a process of manufacturing an electronic component or semiconductor product, thin film formation and etching can be performed in a vacuum apparatus. In the process, the internal pressure of the vacuum apparatus is adjusted to a predetermined pressure. To measure a pressure in a process, a diaphragm-type pressure gauge is often used, which can perform accurate pressure measurement regardless of the type of gas.
For example, a diaphragm-type pressure gauge having a diaphragm structure like that disclosed in PTL 1 is configured to make a diaphragm electrode deflect in accordance with a pressure. However, since the diaphragm electrode also deflects in the direction of gravitational force, attaching the electrode while it is tilting in the direction of gravitational force will cause an error in a measurement value. In order to correct an error in a measurement value based on the attaching angle of a diaphragm-type pressure gauge, for example, PTL 2 discloses a technique of correcting a measurement value based on the value of a tilt angle.


A glass-fiber-reinforced polypropylene resin composition is provided having:. (A) at least one polypropylene resin, PA1 (B) resin-coated glass fiber obtained by previous coating glass fiber with a thermoplastic resin, and PA1 (C) glass fiber, wherein. the total content of the resins in the components (A) and (B), respectively, being 65 to 95% by weight based on the total weight of the components (A), (B) and (C), PA2 the total content (G) of the glass fibers in the components (B) and (C) being 5 to 35% by weight based on the total weight of the components (A), (B) and (C), and PA2 the melt flow rate M (g/10 min) of the polypropylene resin as component (A) and the above-mentioned total glass fiber content G (% by weight) satisfies the relationship:. M<1000/G.. The reinforced polypropylene resin composition provides a resin molded article having only small protuberances of welds, and a wheel cover having an excellent appearance quality and mechanical properties.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reinforced polypropylene resin composition having only small protuberances of welds when molded, and a wheel cover molded from the reinforced polypropylene resin composition having an excellent appearance quality, heat resistance and mechanical properties such as impact strength, stiffness and modulus in flexure.
2. Description of Related Art
Glass-fiber-reinforced polypropylene resin compositions (hereinafter referred to as reinforced PPG) are widely used in industrial products such as automobile parts, electric appliance parts, and the like, because they generally provide excellent mechanical strength, stiffness and heat resistance at a low cost. Specific examples of the automobile parts are engine compartment parts, such as a battery tray, core material for an instrument panel, timing-belt cover, fan shroud, and the like. Recently, employment of reinforced PPG compositions in external trims such as fenders, rocker panels, wheel covers, and the like has been investigated.
Wheel covers are used, for example, for protecting clamp bolts of wheels and improving the appearance of wheels on an automobile. Japanese Utility Model Registration Application Kokai No. 1-62333 and Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. 3-137150 disclose a reinforced PPG used as a material for wheel covers because of its excellent mechanical strength, stiffness, heat resistance and low cost.
However, the most serious problem in the employment of a reinforced PPG in external trims, including wheel covers, is that a resin molded article made of the reinforced PPG has a poor surface appearance quality because it contains glass fiber.
Therefore, for improving the surface appearance, there has been proposed: the addition of an inorganic substance such as barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, talc or the like in Japanese Patent Application Kokoku No. 1-32856; the employment of the most suitable diameter of glass fiber and the most suitable glass fiber finishing agent in Japanese Patent Application Kokoku No. 4-12297; the addition of fibrous calcium silicate in Japanese Patent Application Kokoku No. 63-67498; the addition of ethylene-.alpha.-olefin rubber in Japanese Patent Application Kokoku No. 63-67499; and the employment of the most suitable diameter of glass fiber, the most suitable glass fiber binder and the most suitable pigment component in Japanese Patent Application Kokoku Nos. 64-6658, 64-7618 and 64-9340.
In the conventional methods, the surface appearance is improved by preventing the glass fiber from rising to the surface of the resin molded article, improvement of the surface gloss, and prevention of silver streaks which are silver lines formed by glass fiber. The conventional methods are only slightly effective in improving the surface appearance.
Employment of a conventional reinforced PPG composition, however, is disadvantageous in that protuberances are formed on the welds of a molded article made of the reinforced PPG composition.
In general, the molded article is often produced by injection molding. For injection molding, in some cases, a molten resin is, as shown in FIG. 1(A) (prior art), casted through a plurality of gates 91 into the cavity of a mold. In other cases, as shown in FIGS. 1(B) (prior art) and 1(C) (prior art), the molded article 9, the product, has a shape with an opening 92 and a boss 95. In such cases, a plurality of resin flows are formed in the cavity, so that in the molded article 9, a weld 93 is formed in a place in which the flows coverage upon each other. For example, in the production of a wheel cover, a plurality of resin flows are formed in the cavity of a molding tool, so that, as shown in FIG. 2 (prior art), welds 93 are formed in the wheel cover 9 in places in which the resin flows 90 coverage. In FIG. 2, numeral 91 shows the position of a gate during molding and numeral 91, an air hole or a hole for heat dissipation of the wheel cover.
As shown in FIG. 3 (prior art), the weld 93 forms protuberances 8. The protuberances 8 are particularly high when a reinforced polypropylene resin composition containing glass fiber 82 is used, which deteriorates the surface appearance of the molded article. The height L of the protuberances reaches 40 to 100 .mu.m using a conventional reinforced polypropylene resin composition.
In particular, because of the recent demand for improvement in decorative design and appearance, wheel covers are required to have various shapes, for example, the positions or shapes of the above-mentioned air holes are complicated or the air holes are enlarged. Therefore, the surface appearance at welds attracts considerable attention.
From the viewpoint of surface appearance, the height of the protuberances must be about 35 .mu.m or less, preferably 30 .mu.m or less.
For reducing the height of the protuberances, a method in which the length of glass fiber is reduced as much as possible (the average length is usually 300 .mu.m or less) by intense kneading in a production process of a PPG material, and a method in which the amount of glass fiber added is reduced are known. These methods, however, are disadvantageous in that with a decrease of the height of the protuberances of welds, the mechanical properties such as impact strength, stiffness and modulus in flexure, and the heat resistance are deteriorated.

Reinforced polypropylene resin composition


The head stack assembly of a hard disk drive includes a bobbin, and a printed circuit board attached to the bobbin. The bobbin forms an end of the head stack assembly that is rotatable about an axis of a shaft. The printed circuit board has a flat conductive pattern of a plurality of traces through which current is supplied. The conductive pattern constitutes the voice coil motor of the hard disk drive. The hard disk drive has magnets disposed above and below the bobbin, respectively, to generate a magnetic field across the conductive pattern such that an electromotive force that rotates the HSA is produced when current flows through the conductive pattern. The flat conductive pattern allows the voice coil motor to be relatively thin while the magnets need to encompass only a small region making the hard disk drive compact and lightweight.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hard disk drive. More particularly, the present invention relates to a voice coil motor (VCM) of a hard disk drive.
2. Description of Related Art
Hard disk drives (HDDs) are widely used as auxiliary memory devices of computer systems because of their ability to rapidly access a large amount of data. HDDs do this by recording data on a disk or reproducing data from the disk using a read/write head. Recent advances in the development of HDDs have led to higher memory capacities, namely increased number of TPI (tracks per inch) and BPI (bits per inch). Accordingly, HDDs are being incorporated into greater numbers of electronic products. In particular, there is now a high demand for compact HDDs for use in portable electronic products such as notebooks, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and mobile phones. In this respect, a compact HDD whose disk has a diameter of 0.8 inches, i.e., a diameter similar to that of a coin, has been recently developed for use in mobile phones and MP3 players.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the structure of a conventional compact HDD. The conventional HDD 101 includes a disk pack 110 consisting of a disk 111 for recording data and a spindle motor (not shown) rotating the disk about an axis 113, a head stack assembly (HSA) 140, a voice coil motor (VCM), and a base 190 on which the aforementioned components are installed. The HSA 140 is rotated by the VCM about a shaft 142. The HSA 140 includes a read/write head 141 for recording data on the disk 111 or reading data from the disk 111, an actuator arm 143, a suspension coupled to an end of the actuator arm 143 and supporting the read/write head 141 so as to bias the head 141 toward the disk 111, a shaft holder 144 that receives the shaft 142 and from which the actuator arm 143 extends such that the actuator arm 143 is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft 142, and a bobbin 145 integral with the actuator arm 143 and extending from the other side of the shaft holder 144 opposite the actuator arm 143.
The VCM is used to rotate the actuator arm 143 and thereby move the read/write head 141 to a position over a desired location (track) on the disk 111. To this end, the VCM includes a voice coil 150 wound around the bobbin 145, magnets 161 disposed on opposite sides of the voice coil 150, respectively, and a VCM yoke (not shown) to which the magnets 161 are mounted. The VCM yoke helps concentrate the magnetic flux of the magnetic field generated by the magnets 161 across the VCM coil 150. The VCM thus operates according to Fleming's left hand rule, that is, a force is generated on the voice coil 150 (conductor) when current flows through the voice coil 150 within the magnetic field produced by the magnets 161.
Referring to FIG. 2, current flows through sections A and B of the voice coil 150 in respective directions that are opposite one another. The poles of the magnets 161 are arranged such that lines of the magnetic field produced by the magnets extend in opposite directions on opposite sides of a center line C of the magnets. Also, the center line C lies intermediate the sections A and B of the voice coil 150 throughout the entire range of rotation of the HSA 140. Thus, the forces exerted on the sections A and B of the voice coil act in the same direction. However, such magnets 161 having different magnetic poles with respect to their center line C are difficult to manufacture.
Also, as is clear from the description above, the VCM yoke to which the magnets 161 are attached must encompass the entire area over which the bobbin 145 can move when the HSA is driven by the VCM. Also, the voice coil 150 is wound around nearly the entire area of the upper surface of the bobbin 145. Accordingly, the magnets 161 must be relatively large. Furthermore, the magnets 161 must be spaced a relatively great distance from one another due to the thickness of the voice coil 150. Therefore, the VCM limits the degree to which the size and thickness of the HDD 101 can be minimized.

Head stack assembly including a swing arm having a bobbin and a printed circuit board with conductive traces attached to the bobbin, and hard disk drive comprising the same