A power module includes a plurality of semiconductor devices constituting upper/lower arms of an inverter circuit, a plurality of conductive plates arranged to face electrode surfaces of the semiconductor devices and a module case configured to accommodate the semiconductor devices and conductive plates, wherein the module case includes a heat-radiation member made of plate-like metal and facing a surface of the conductive plate and a metallic frame body having an opening that is closed by the heat-radiation member, and wherein a heat-radiation fin unit having a plurality of heat-radiation fins vertically arranged thereon is provided at a center of the heat-radiation member, and a joint portion with the frame body is provided at an peripheral edge of the heat-radiation member, and the heat radiation member has a heat conductivity higher than that of the frame body, and the frame body has a higher rigidity than that of the heat-radiation member.

In recent years, it is desired to widely popularize hybrid vehicles and electric automobiles in a short time in order to reduce the environmental load. In hybrid vehicles and electric automobiles, reduction of the sizes of mounted components and reduction of the cost are regarded as important, and a power conversion apparatus is not the exception and the size and the cost of the power conversion apparatus are desired to be reduced. As a result, since the density of heat generation becomes high, it is necessary to improve the cooling performance.
Among electronic components constituting the power conversion apparatus, the highest amount of heat generation is made by a power module. A known example of method for cooling the power module is a both-sides direct cooling method for inserting a power module into a cooling channel and cooling the power module by way of radiation fins provided at both sides (see PTL 1).
The power module described in PTL 1 is made by sandwiching a semiconductor chip with conductive plates and performing vacuum thermocompression bonding upon interposing insulating sheets between the conductive plates and first and second heat sinks, and adhering a bottom case, a top case, and a side case to the integrally structured heat sinks with an adhesive.

Power module and power conversion apparatus using same


A magnetic disk cartridge has a first cassette shell half provided with engagement holes and a second cassette shell half provided with engagement pins. Each engagement hole has an entrance portion enabling insertion of an engagement pin and a shoulder-like engagement portion following the entrance portion. Each engagement pin has an elastic structure enabling it to be compressed and is formed at its tip portion with a bulged portion. The bulged portion is formed at its distal end with a tapered portion and at its proximal end with a sloped provisional retaining surface. The first and second cassette shell halves are formed on inner surfaces thereof with abutting surfaces. The cassette shell halves are provisionally assembled in the final assembly step by bringing the sloped provisional retaining surface of the bulged portion of the engagement pin engaged with the engagement hole into engagement with the shoulder-like engagement portion and bringing the abutting surfaces into abutment with each other. The cassette shell obtained by provisionally assembling the cassette shell halves therefore has high dimensional precision and can be easily disassembled before permanent assembly if necessary.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic disk cartridge, and more particularly, to an improved provisional assembly structure for the cassette shell halves of a magnetic disk cartridge having a rotatable magnetic disk encased in a cassette shell constituted by mating and joining a pair of cassette shell halves.
2. Description of the Related Art
A magnetic disk cartridge comprises a magnetic disk for magnetically recording analog and/or digital signals rotatably encased in a thin cassette shell. The cassette shell is formed in the shape of a flat prism with a rectangular top surface slightly larger than the magnetic disk, a bottom surface having an opening through which a center core supporting the center of the magnetic disk is exposed and narrow side surfaces extending between the outer peripheral edges of the top and bottom surfaces. The magnetic disk cartridge is provided with a magnetic head access opening for insertion/withdrawal of magnetic heads used for magnetic recording and reproducing so as to enable the magnetic heads to be brought into contact with, or close to, the opposite surfaces of the magnetic disk from the exterior. The magnetic head access opening is equipped with a shutter for preventing invasion of dust and the like when the magnetic disk cartridge is not in use. Liners made of nonwoven fabric or the like are attached to the inner surfaces of the cassette shell opposite the main surfaces of the magnetic disk for protecting the surfaces of the magnetic disk from scratching as well as for wiping off dust and the like adhering thereto.
The space inside the cassette shell of the conventional magnetic disk cartridge is fairly large in the direction of magnetic disk thickness and the liners are accommodated in the spaces remaining above and below magnetic disk. Each liner is urged away from the inner surface of the cassette shell and maintained in contact with the corresponding surface of the magnetic disk by a weak plate spring called a lifter. Owing to this arrangement, a certain degree of tolerance is available regarding the dimensional precision of the cassette shell in the thickness direction.
In recent years, new high-density recording methods have led to the development of a magnetic disk cartridge with 50 times the capacity of the widely used conventional magnetic disk cartridge (3.5-inch floppy disk). The magnetic disk of this type of magnetic disk cartridge is rotated at a much faster speed than the conventional one and the magnetic heads used for recording and reproducing signals to/from the magnetic disk are required to be positioned with very high precision.
A quality inspection is conducted as the final step in the assembly of magnetic disk cartridges and a cartridge found to be defective is removed from the line as a reject. Various types of defects may occur. When the defect is in the magnetic disk, not the cassette shell halves, it is preferable for the cassette shell halves to be reusable since they are precision molded and therefore expensive to produce.
The magnetic disk cartridge comprises a pair of mated and joined cassette shell halves and the magnetic disk is encased by the cassette shell halves to be rotatable therein. Thus, if the quality inspection is conducted before the cassette shell halves encasing the magnetic disk are permanently joined by ultrasonic welding or the,like in the final assembly step, a magnetic disk found to be defective can be replaced and the cassette shell halves be reused.
It is therefore preferable to adopt a structure which, in the final assembly step, allows the cassette shell halves to be provisionally assembled after the magnetic disk has been accommodated therein and the quality inspection to be conducted before permanent assembly by welding or the like so that the cassette shell halves can be readily disassembled if the magnetic disk is defective.
Although a provisional assembly structure employing screw fastening has been adopted in conventional audio and video cassettes, screw fastening limits the number of reuses possible because the tapped hole receiving the screw wears with repeated screw fastening. In addition, the screw fastening and screw removal operations are inefficient because each screw has to be turned independently with a screwdriver.
A method of provisionally assembling the cassette shell halves by inserting engaging pins provided on one cassette shell half into engaging holes provided in the other was therefore proposed. Since this method requires a certain amount of play to be established between the engagement pins and the engagement holes, however, some of the resulting provisionally assembled cassette shells turn out to have a loose fit between the cassette shell halves. A thorough quality inspection of a provisionally assembled magnetic disk cartridge with loosely fitted cassette shell halves has been found to be impossible owing to the difficulty of rotating its disk at a high speed.


A simply structured bi-functional roller skate has a pair of shoe embodiments. Each shoe embodiment is provided with a front securing seat which is a tubular device with a forwardly extended board, and a rear securing seat which is a tubular device with a backwardly extended board. Both the front and rear securing seats are embedded at the front end and the rear end of each shoe embodiment respectively. Each tubular device of the front and rear securing seats is in alignment with an engagement hole so as to permit a first and a second wheel axle each having a proper length to be led therethrough at the front and rear end of a shoe embodiment. Each wheel axle has a knob-ended locking screw at one end and an internally threaded section at the other end so as to permit the knob ended locking screw to be secured to the end of each wheel axle after roller wheels are mounted to the wheel axles respectively. The brake block has a threaded rod so as to make the brake block engage internally threaded holes defined at the front and rear securing seats respectively.

The present invention relates to a simply structured bi-functional roller skate which has a shoe that can be converted from a roller skate into a common shoe, the roller skate and common shoe being referred to herein as shoe embodiments. In each shoe embodiment, the shoe is provided with a front securing seat which is a tubular device with a forwardly extended plate, and a rear securing seat which is a tubular device with a backwardly extended plate. Both the front and rear securing seats are embedded at the front end and the rear end of each shoe embodiment respectively. Each tubular device of the front and rear securing seats is in alignment with an engagement hole so as to permit a first and a second wheel axle each having a proper length to be led therethrough at the front and rear end of the shoe embodiment. Each wheel axle has a knob-ended locking screw at one end and an internally threaded section at the other end so as to permit the knob-ended locking screw to be secured to the end of each wheel axle after roller wheels are mounted to the wheel axles respectively. The brake block has a threaded rod so as to make the brake block engage an internally threaded hole defined at the front securing seat.
The present invention provides an improved bi-functional roller skate which can be converted into a common shoe for wearing as a walking means and be easily transformed into a roller skate for skating purposes so as to permit a user to move with speed and ease. It has shorter roller-mounted axles so that accidental collision and damage of the axles can be effectively prevented in use, resulting in longer durability in operation.
Referring to FIG. 1, a prior art bi-functional roller skate has a pair of shoe embodiments 80. Each shoe embodiment 80 is equipped with a pair of wheel axles 81, two springs 82, two locking pins 84 and four roller wheels 85. A pair of axle tubes 801 embedded at the front and rear end of each shoe embodiment 80 match with the lengths of the wheel axles 81 respectively. Each wheel axle 81 has a bulged head at one end 811 and a bifurcated end 812 having a pin hole 813 defined thereon so as to permit a positioning plate 83 whose thickness matches with the width of the bifurcated end 812 to be retained in the bifurcated end 812 by the pin 84. Four roller wheels 85 each having a bearing 852 at its central axle hole 851 are mounted onto the wheel axles 81 and are retained in position by way of the positioning plate 83 which is locked in place by the pin 84. The spring 82 is in abutment against the bulged head and forces the wheel axle 81 to separate from the shoe body in nature so as to make the positioning plate 83 be firmly retained in place against a right roller wheel 85.
Such a prior art bi-functional roller skate has the following disadvantages in practical use:
1. The wheel axles 81 are easily disengaged from the shoe embodiment as a result of failure of the spring 82 due to long period of use.
2. The positioning plate 83 is easily disengaged from the wheel axle 81 when the bulged head 811 of the wheel axle 81 accidentally comes into collision against a foreign object, forcing the spring 82 to be compressed and let the positioning plate 83 free.
Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved bi-functional roller skate which is provided with a wheel axle having an internally threaded end so as to permit a knob-ended screw to be readily secured to the end of the wheel axle with roller wheels to be safely and firmly mounted to the sides of a roller skate shoe embodiment and easily dismounted for maintenance.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bi-functional roller skate which is provided with wheel axles that are short enough and protected by knob-ended covers so as to protect the wheel axles from accidental damage during a collision, to prevent separation of the roller wheels, and to make the appearance of the roller skate is more appealing to users"" eyes.

No. 22, Lane 58, Da Yun St. Yuan Lin Chen


This disclosure is directed to methods, systems, and computer program products for automated avoidance of ground threats by an aircraft. In one example, a method includes determining, by one or more processing devices, whether a sufficient evasive maneuver for an aircraft to avoid a detected ground surface threat is performed via pilot controls of the aircraft within a selected threshold after an alert of the ground surface threat is outputted via one or more cockpit systems of the aircraft. The method further includes, in response to determining that a sufficient evasive maneuver via the pilot controls is not performed within the selected threshold, controlling, by the one or more processing devices, one or more flight systems of the aircraft to perform an automated evasive maneuver to avoid the ground surface threat.

As commercial aviation traffic has continued to increase over the years, airports have grown increasingly busy, leading to increased potential for violations of procedural trajectory separations of aircraft with other aircraft and with ground traffic on airport runways and taxiways. An increasing amount of air traffic has also come to involve very large airliners with very long wingspans, which may sometimes reduce wingtip clearance margins between aircraft while the aircraft are in motion on airport ground surfaces, and which may sometimes make proper wingtip clearance relative to ground structures more of a concern. Potential ground collision threats to an aircraft by another aircraft or ground vehicle on a runway, taxiway, or gate area are referred to as traffic incursions. An aircraft veering off the runway during takeoff or landing is referred to as a trajectory excursion. These trajectory excursions can lead to traffic incursions.

Automated aircraft ground threat avoidance system


A ball screw includes a ball screw spindle, and a ball screw nut extending about the ball screw spindle. The ball screw nut has internal threading that corresponds with external threading of the ball screw spindle to define a raceway for rolling elements. The ball screw nut includes one or more bore holes extending from the exterior surface of the ball screw nut, and partially into the ball screw nut. The bore hole defines an end stop. A spring has one end that contacts the end stop, and another end that contacts one of the rolling elements.

A ball screw is one example of a device for translating rotational movement into linear movement. In one example, when a ball screw spindle is rotated, the surrounding ball screw nut may be translated linearly along the axis of the ball screw spindle. This is made possible by rolling elements in contact between outer threading of the ball screw spindle and inner threading of the ball screw nut; the rolling elements travel along the outer threading of the spindle as the spindle rotates, forcing the ball screw nut to travel axially along the spindle.

Ball screw nut with end stop for reset spring


An engine driven welder-type device and method of powering an accessory are disclosed. The device has an engine coupled to a power converter constructed to generate an electrical power suitable for welding applications. The device also provides a relatively uniform power to an auxiliary outlet across a wide range of engine speeds.

The present invention relates generally to engine driven welder/generator systems and, more particularly, to an accessory output powered therefrom.
Engine driven welder/generator systems generally include an internal combustion engine configured to supply power to the device. The mechanical power generated by the engine is converted to an electrical power signal suitable for welding type applications. In addition to the welding power electrical outputs, such devices are also often equipped with auxiliary electrical power outlets.
The auxiliary power outlets are often configured to power ancillary devices related to metal working processes such as drills, chop saws, and other hand held power tools. Additionally, due to the increased portability of engine driven welder/generator devices, such devices are often operated to power the ancillary tools or other power requiring devices unrelated to welding operations. Such devices can include compressors or pumps if such are not integral to the device. Another accessory commonly powered by the auxiliary outlets are lighting systems. Due to the increased portability of the devices, as well as the demanding schedules of the workplace, welder/generator systems can be operated deep within structures and after sunset where and when ambient light is inadequate for a workable work environment.
Regardless of what ancillary device is powered by the auxiliary outlets, and to maximize the functionality of these devices the devices can be constructed to operate a power signal that is comparable to a power grid power signal. That is, in the United States, these devices are generally constructed to be powered by an AC power signal having a frequency of approximately 60 Hz. Such a construction allows the auxiliary devices to be powered by both a conventional wall outlet attached to a power grid and portable welder/generator assemblies configured to generate a 60 Hz power signal.
Some welder/generator systems are capable of generating an auxiliary power signal of 60 Hz; however, these systems require the engine of the device be operated at near full capacity in order to maintain the power signal at the requisite 60 Hz. When such systems are merely used to power the auxiliary outlets, and not used for welding applications, these systems are considerably inefficient. That is, the mechanical power producer, i.e. the engine, produces much more power, and therefore consumes excessive energy, than is required to maintain sufficient power at the auxiliary outlets. As the engine runs at elevated operating speeds, it consumes a greater amount of fuel than when the engine is operated at a lower engine speed. Additionally, operating the engine at elevated operating speeds shortens the interval between scheduled engine maintenance thereby decreasing the in-service interval of the device.
It would therefore be desirable to have a welder/generator system and method capable of generating a relatively uniform auxiliary output power signal independent of engine operating speed.

Engine driven welder/generator with high power accessory output operable at lower engine speeds


A supplemental financial transaction processing system operates in conjunction with one or more primary financial services systems for purposes of providing supplemental financial transaction processing services to users of the primary financial services system. The supplemental financial transaction processing system comprises a secure web services system and a supplemental transaction server. The secure web services system comprises at least one financial transaction method available to the primary financial services system. Upon receipt of a method call for a financial transaction, the supplemental financial transaction processing system: i) associates a unique redirect URL to the method call; and ii) returns the unique redirect URL to the primary financial services system. The primary financial services system may then pass the unique redirect URL through a secure connection with its client. The supplemental transaction server, upon a client requesting an HTTPS connection to the unique redirect URL, verifies the validity of the unique redirect URL. If valid, a web document object is provided for rendering by the client. The web document object comprises: i) the financial institution defined transaction values (at least one); ii) user interface control script for rendering of controls for obtaining user entry of at least one client defined transaction value; and iii) transaction control script. The transaction control script comprises instructions for i) creating a financial transaction; ii) validating the financial transaction; and iii) posting the validated transaction back to the supplemental financial transaction server.

Banks and other financial institutions utilize a web interface system for providing a web site through which the financial institutions customers may obtain with online web access to their accounts.
The typical architecture 200 utilized for providing a Bank's consumer customers with online account access is as shown in FIG. 1. The architecture 200 generally comprises a plurality of web servers 210 providing an online user interface to customers. The web servers 210 are staged in what is typically known as a demilitarized zone (DMZ) 206 such that customers, operating a web browser on a client computer system 204, may establish a secure connection to the web servers 210 over the public internet 202.
Generally the web servers 210 form a front-end facade for a secure application server 212. The secure application server 212 drives the web servers 210 to provide web pages to each client system 204 for purposes of authenticating the user of the client system 204 and, once authenticating, enabling the user to access their accounts and perform the various functions supported by the web application server 212.
The secure application server 212 is staged within a secure network 208 and, through such network 208, may interface with the banks' back end systems 214. The back end systems 214 may include systems which control user authentication and systems which hold and manage the account data. Data obtained from back end systems 214 may be populated into web pages provided to the client system 204 and transactions initiated through a client system 204 may be validated by the web application server 214 and input to the bank end systems 214. The interfaces between the web application server 212 and the bank back end systems 214 (e.g. file formats and data schema) may be proprietary in nature.
For purposes of implementing a bank's consumer web site, the secure application server 212 may be, or may be similar to, a typical Automated Teller Machine (ATM) application server. For that reason the functions that can be accessed through the bank's consumer web site are typically limited to those functions that are supported by a typical ATM application. Traditional examples include viewing account balances, viewing statements, and transferring funds between accounts. More recent additions that have become common include initiating Automated Clearing House (ACH) debit and credit transactions to accounts held by other financial institutions.
Within the financial industry there exist many types of financial transactions that most banks do not support through their consumer web sites. The International Organization for Standardization developed ISO 20022 which defines a Universal Financial Industry Messaging Scheme (UNIFI). UNIFI comprises a standardize XML syntax for a vast quantity of standard financial transactions ranging from foreign payment transactions, local and state tax payment transactions, securities trade and settlement transactions, and etcetera.
In most cases, it is not cost effective for a bank to "build out" its web application server 212 of its consumer web site to support diverse financial transaction types because the volume of usage would be too low to justify the build out costs. For example, even domestic wire transactions, which are only occasionally used by consumer customers, are not typically supported by a bank's consumer web site.
What is needed is a system and method that enables a bank's customers to execute transactions that are not supported by the bank's web application server (e.g. supplemental transactions) in a seamless manner. What is needed is a system and method that enables a bank to make transaction types available to its customers through the bank's website application server even though such transactions are not of a type that can be created and validated by the bank's web application server.

System and method for providing supplemental transaction processing services to users of a primary financial services system


The present invention relates to an adhesive for a polarizing plate including a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin, a titanium lactate ammonium salt, hydroxycarboxylic acid and water, and having a pH of 3.5 to 6.5, thereby having improved adhesive strength and water resistance, and a polarizing plate and an image display device including the same.

Polarizing plates used for various image display devices such as liquid crystal display devices, plasma display devices and electroluminescence devices have a structure including a polarizer formed with a polyvinyl alcohol-based film, and a protective film formed on at least one surface of the polarizer. Meanwhile, polyvinyl alcohol-based adhesives are mainly used as an adhesive for a polarizing plate for attaching the polarizer and the protective film.
However, polyvinyl alcohol-based resin adhesives are a water-soluble polymer, therefore, have a problem in that the polarizer and the protective film are peeled off since the adhesive is dissolved under high humidity conditions.
In view of the above, methods of modifying a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin by adding an acetoacetyl group thereto, copolymerizing a hydrophobic vinyl monomer such as ethyl acrylate, methyl acrylate, acrylic acid and methacrylic acid, or mixing a cross-linking agent such as glyoxylate or an amine metal salt to a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin have been proposed.
Polyvinyl alcohol-based adhesives prepared using the methods described above tend to have somewhat improved water resistance compared to when polyvinyl alcohol is used alone, however, there is still a problem in that water resistance and adhesive strength are not sufficient when the adhesives are used in high-speed production lines. In addition, modified polyvinyl alcohol-based resin adhesives have a problem in that stains are resulted under alkaline pH conditions, and methods of mixing a cross-linking agent also have a problem in that optical properties of a polarizing plate are degraded depending on the amount of the cross-linking agent used.
Accordingly, adhesives for adhering a polarizer and a protective film having an excellent adhesive property and water resistance while maintaining optical properties of a polarizing plate have been required.

Polyvinylalcohol based resin adhesive for polarizing plate, polarizing plate including same, and an image display device


A dielectric resonator filter and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The dielectric resonator includes a metal housing having a top surface and a bottom surface and defining a resonator cavity, and a dielectric rod located within the resonator cavity. The dielectric rod is short-circuited at both the top surface and the bottom surface. A plurality of holes are formed in the dielectric rod parallel to an axis of the dielectric rod and a plurality of apertures are formed on the top surface corresponding to the positions of the holes, respectively. A plurality of screws are inserted into the holes through the apertures, respectively. The dielectric resonator supports dual TM11 degenerate modes, each of which forms a resonant circuit. An insertion depth and a dimension of each of the screws is adjustable to adjust resonance frequencies of the dual degenerate modes and coupling between the dual degenerate modes.

Dielectric resonator filters have been widely employed in space payloads and cellular base station equipment due to their compact size, good thermal stability and high Q performance.
Single-mode dielectric resonator filters, which have advantages in manufacturability and filter coupling configurations, have been widely used in wireless industry.
In recent years, multiple degenerate mode resonances in a dielectric resonator have also been explored, which utilize either the same type of modes with certain spatial symmetries or different types of modes resonating at the same frequency. U.S. Pat. No. 6,414,571 discloses a dual TM mode composite resonator for use in devices operating at microwave frequencies in the field of cellular telecommunications. U.S. Pat. No. 8,111,115 discloses dielectric resonator filters and multiplexers realized using full cylindrical or half-cut dielectric resonators.

Dual mode dielectric resonator filter having plural holes formed therein for receiving tuning and coupling screws


Disclosed herein is a pen-type wireless transceiver for a mobile communication terminal using Bluetooth. The pen-type wireless transceiver includes a pen type body, an LED, a pattern type antenna, a speaker, an LCD display, a button unit, a battery, a microphone, a Bluetooth controller, an audio interface, a main board, a battery supervisor, a replaceable ballpoint ink container, a locking projection, threaded parts, a pen clip and a guard pad.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a pen-type wireless transceiver for a mobile communication terminal using Bluetooth.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional mobile communication terminals are chiefly employing Infrared Data Association (IrDA) technology. In accordance with the IrDA technology, focused light in an infrared frequency band, along with information, is modulated and can be transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver. However, a device employing the IrDA technology has a limited narrow angle (30°) and does not have an embedded security function.
IrDA is the specification of a method of exchanging information between a mobile communication terminal (hereinafter referred to as a "mobile phone") and a communication instrument using an available protocol. The information includes phone directories, schedules and message information. IrDA includes the Infrared Mobile Communication (IrMC) protocol including the rules for processing call control and real-time voice processing. The applications of IrDA are limited to the transmission of documents from a notebook computer to a printer, the exchange of business cards between Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), the synchronization of schedules and directories between a desktop computer and a PDA, the transmission of photographs from a digital camera to a computer, etc. The application of IrDA between a mobile phone and a wireless earphone is not recommended.
Accordingly, a user of a conventional earphone for a mobile phone generally performs communications while connecting the earphone to the mobile phone by a cable. However, this scheme is disadvantageous in that the earphone is large, and danger may occur in the case where the user is carrying heavy baggage with both hands or driving a car.
Recently, technology using Bluetooth has become widely used. Bluetooth is an ad-hoc technology that is used for short-distance wireless communications. Bluetooth employs Radio Frequencies (RF) and, therefore, must be allocated a frequency band. However, Bluetooth uses the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band, so that additional authorization is not required, thus being widely used.
Currently, a call can be made using a headset without holding a mobile phone by connecting the headset to the mobile phone. The headset can be wirelessly connected to the mobile phone using Bluetooth technology.
A call can be put through to the user when the call comes in, or can be disconnected by pressing a button of the headset while the mobile phone remains held in a pocket or bag. A call can be made using a Voice Activated Dialing (VAD) function without contact with a mobile phone. There is an ear-microphone, which is a wireless communication-related product, employing Bluetooth and is so connected to a mobile phone. The ear-microphone is used to wirelessly take a call received by a mobile phone. When a ring tone is issued or vibration is detected, a call is taken using the ear-microphone worn around a user's ear. After the call is terminated, the ear-microphone is folded and carried, or may be continuously worn on the user's ear. The ear-microphone is generally used by persons engaging in phone-related service business. From the aspects of the shape and function thereof, the ear-microphone is disadvantageous in that it is not applied to the lives of ordinary people and is not typically used by the general population.

Pen-type wireless transceiver for mobile communication terminal using bluetooth


Method for modulating a carrier light wave to achieve, a modulated light wave which carries information by symbols selected from a set of at least two different symbols. The light led through each path is phase-shifted by a respective total variable part phase shift, which for each path is the sum of at least three respective variable part phase shifts. Each variable part phase shift for each modulation state assumes one of two respective predetermined values, and each symbol is modulated using a respective combination of two such total variable part phase shifts. The modulation performed by the two paths is a PSK (Phase Shift Keying) modulation scheme, the group of symbols includes 2N unique symbols, the light led through each respective path is phase shifted using 2N−1 variable part phase shifts, and the respective difference between the respective predetermined values is the same for all variable part phase shifts.

In many applications, in particular for high speed optical communication systems, a modulated light wave is used to carry digital information from a sender to a receiver. In many such systems, the modulation may be phase and/or amplitude modulation. Examples include phase shift keying modulation techniques, such as Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) and Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK), and Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) techniques, such as QAM8, QAM16 and QAM64.
In order to achieve such modulation of a carrier light wave, it is known to split the carrier light wave using a splitter, and to recombine the carrier light wave in a combiner after a relative phase shift of the different light paths between the splitter and combiner. The phase shift can for instance be achieved using electrodes attached to each path, to each of which electrodes a variable electrical signal can be applied so that the refractive index of the path wave guide material changes, forming a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Such variable phase shift can be combined with a predetermined fixed phase shift for each waveguide. This way, each symbol can be modulated as a unique combination of total phase shifts along each path. A modulator in which a first parallel-coupled Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) controls the imaginary part of the electromagnetic field (Q value) and a second parallel-coupled MZM controls the corresponding real part (I value) is called an IQ modulator.
WO 2011022308 A2 discloses using an MZM, yielding two paths, or two parallel-coupled child MZMs on one respective path of a parent MZM, yielding in total four paths, with variable-current electrodes on each path, for such modulation.
Known two-armed structures offers limited possibilities to achieve advanced modulation formats, such as higher-order QAM formats, without using complicated drive electronics. In many cases, it is preferred to use electrode voltages that have predetermined, fixed values, preferably at a few, most preferably only two, different voltage values. This makes the control electronics fast and simple, which is preferable for high bitrates.
Yossef Ehrlichman, et. al., "A Method for Generating Arbitrary Optical Signal Constellations Using Direct Digital Drive", JOURNAL OF LIGHT WAVE TECHNOLOGY, VOL. 29, NO. 17, Sep. 1, 2011, discloses a method for creating various such symbols using a two-armed structure.
Hyeon Yeong Choi, et. al., "A New Multi-Purpose Optical Transmitter for Higher-Order QAM Generation", OFC/NFOEC Technical Digest, 2013, discloses a method for creating arbitrary modulated symbols using a first and a second four-arm MZM aggregate.
These methods require complicated drive electronics, making them expensive and less suitable for high-frequency applications.
Furthermore, WO 2011022308 A2, above, discloses the use of multiple, individually controlled electrode segments for each optical path in the modulator. The purpose of this is to mitigate the nonlinearity of the relation between the electrode voltage and the resulting refractive index of the waveguide material. The segments are controlled individually to select the total phase modulation applied to each path.
A conventional IQ modulator is associated with low output noise, since total or partial anti-symmetric voltage noise results in the reduction of optical phase noise. However, it is a complex structure, requiring many electrical contact points and relatively large build dimensions.
Hence, it would be desirable to achieve an optical modulator capable of modulating complex symbols, such as according to various PSK and QAM modulation scheme versions, which is less complex than a full IQ modulator or the corresponding, and which does not add significant noise as compared to the conventional IQ modulator. Furthermore, it would be desired to achieve such a modulator which can be driven by a driver with only simple control logic. Preferably, such a modulator would also have high power transmission.
In particular, it would be desirable to achieve such a modulator which is suitable for use in mixed material systems, such as systems using silicon for the drive electronics and active bandgap III-V materials such as indium phosphide or gallium arsenide for the optical waveguides.
The present invention solves the above described problems.


An awning assembly for mounting to a curved wall. The awning assembly includes a canopy secured to a roller assembly. The roller assembly is supported by a pair of extensible support arms and a pair of extensible rafters. Each of the support arms includes upper and lower arms locked together by a locking assembly. Inner ends of the rafter are pivotably connected to upper brackets adapted for mounting to the wall. Outer ends of the rafters are slidably and pivotably connected to the support arms. The support arms and the rafters are curved so as to conform to the wall when the awning assembly is in a stored position. Pins extending from the upper brackets space the support arms from the wall when the awning assembly is in the stored position.

This invention relates to retractable awnings in general and, more particularly, to an awning support for mounting to a curved wall.
A conventional retractable awning includes a fabric canopy having an outer portion secured to a roller tube, and an inner portion secured to a vertical wall of a structure, such as a recreational vehicle. The roller tube is supported at its ends by a support structure comprised of a pair of support arms and a pair of rafters. Each end of the roller tube is supported by one of the support arms and one of the rafters. The support arms are connected between the ends of the roller tube and lower brackets attached to the wall, while the rafters are connected between the support arms and upper brackets attached to the wall.
Conventionally, the support structure is movable between a stored position, wherein the support arms and rafters are vertically disposed adjacent to the wall, and an employed position, wherein the support arms and the rafters extend away from the wall. When the support structure is in the stored position, the canopy is rolled up around the roller tube to form an awning roll. In addition, the rafters are usually disposed inside of the support arms and upper ends of the support arms are usually secured to the wall to maintain the support structure in the stored position.
Conventionally, the support arms and the rafters are straight. This construction is suitable for a planar wall, but not a curved wall. Some prior art support structures are constructed for mounting to a curved wall. Many of these support structures, however, do not closely conform to the contour of the side wall when they are in the stored position. In addition, in these support structures, the awning roll typically rests against the wall, which is undesirable because the awning roll can bounce against the wall when the recreational vehicle is moving, thereby damaging the wall.
Based upon the foregoing, there is a need in the art for an improved support structure for mounting to a curved wall. The present invention is directed to such a support structure.

Awning support for mounting to a curved wall


A semiconductor device comprises a high side switching element, a driver circuit, and a low side switching element. The high side switching element is formed on a first semiconductor substrate, has a current path to one end of which an input voltage is supplied, and the other end of the current path is connected to an inductance. The driver circuit is formed on the first semiconductor substrate, on which the high side switching element is formed, and drives the high side switching element. The low side switching element is formed on a second semiconductor substrate separate from the first semiconductor substrate, and has a drain connected to the inductance and a source supplied with a reference potential.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor device including a power MOS field-effect transistor (hereinafter referred to as "power MOSFET") and a driver circuit driving the power MOSFET. In particular, this invention relates to a non-insulated DC-DC converter for high-speed switching, including a power MOSFET and a driver circuit driving the power MOSFET.
2. Description of the Related Art
With reduction in voltages of power sources used for CPUs (central processing unit) of computers and the like, synchronous rectifying power sources have been in heavy use. Further, the current change rate (di/dt) required of power sources for CPUs is further increasing. Also to suppress ripples in output voltages of power sources, it is important to enhance the speed of power sources.
FIG. 1 shows a circuit diagram of a conventional DC-DC converter which transforms a direct-current voltage. In the conventional DC-DC converter, a high side MOS field-effect transistor (High Side FET) 101 formed of a discrete element, a low side MOS field-effect transistor (Low Side FET) 102 also formed of a discrete element, and a driver circuit 103 which drives them are enclosed in separate packages, and connected to one another on a printed circuit board (for example, please refer to MAX1710 evaluations kit, "Products Catalogue: Maxim Integrated Products", Maxim Japan K.K., 1998, p. 1–7).
However, as the current change rate (di/dt) increases, lowering of the conversion efficiency (output electric power/input electric power) due to parasitic inductance 104 on the printed circuit board and parasitic inductances 104 in packages caused by bonding wire are so large that it cannot be ignored.
Further, with increase in the speed, an output resistance of gate resistance and driver resistance existing in discrete elements causes decrease in the conversion efficiency of the DC-DC converter. The low side FET is turned on/off when the drain-source voltage is "0", and thus no switching loss occurs. In the meantime, the high side FET is turned on/off with change in the drain-source voltage, and thus switching loss occurs. Therefore, decrease in the conversion efficiency due to increase in the parasitic inductance and resistances is larger in the high side FET.

Semiconductor device including power MOS field-effect transistor and driver circuit driving thereof


An apparatus is provided for use in a wellbore for reducing the effects of pressure differential forces which act on settable wellbore tools suspended therein. The apparatus operates to provide a bypass fluid flow path through the settable wellbore tool for directing wellbore fluid through the settable wellbore tool in response to pressure differentials developed across the settable wellbore tool during outward radial expansion of the tool. The apparatus further includes mechanisms for maintaining the bypass fluid flow path in an open condition during at least an expansion mode of operation to diminish the effects of pressure differential developed across the settable wellbore tool. The apparatus also includes mechanisms for closing the bypass fluid flow path once a setting mode of operation is obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to settable wellbore tools, and in particular to settable wellbore tools which are carried into wellbores on either coiled-tubing strings or wirelines and subjected to pressure differentials during setting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent advances in the technology relating to the work-over of producing oil and gas wells have greatly enhanced the efficiency and economy of work-over operations. Through the use of either a coiled-tubing string, or a wireline assembly, work-over operations can now be performed through the production tubing string of a flowing oil and gas well. Two extremely significant advantages have been obtained by the through-tubing technology advances. First, the production tubing string does not need to be removed from the oil and gas well in order to perform work-over operations. This is a significant economic advantage, since work-over rigs are expensive, and the process of pulling a production tubing string is complicated and time consuming. The second advantage is that work-over operations can be performed without "killing" the well. As is known by those in the industry, the "killing" of a producing oil and gas well is a risky operation, and can frequently cause irreparable damage the worked-over well. Until the recent advances in the through-tubing work-over technology, work-over operations usually required that the well be killed.
While the through-tubing work-over technologies have significant advantages, some operating problems have been encountered. One problem, which is addressed by the present invention, is that pressure differentials created within the wellbore by the flowing wellbore fluids can cause unintended displacement of settable wellbore tools, such as bridge plugs and packers. Flow in either direction can exist in a wellbore if a producing zone is in hydraulic communication through the wellbore with a consuming zone. Such interzonal "cross-flow" may exist in a well irrespective of whether it is flowing to the surface.
Settable wellbore tools are operable in a plurality of operating modes including running modes of operation, expansion modes of operation, and setting modes of operation. The settable wellbore tool is maintained in a running condition during a running mode of operation, with a reduced radial dimension so that the settable wellbore tool may be passed downward into the oil and gas well through the production tubing. Once the settable wellbore tool is passed beyond the lower end of the production tubing string, and placed in a desired location, force is applied to the settable wellbore tool to urge it into an expansion mode of operation in which the wellbore tool is urged radially outward from a reduced radial dimension to an intermediate radial dimension, which at least in-part obstructs the flow of wellbore fluid within the wellbore in the region of the settable wellbore tool.
The obstruction created by the settable wellbore tool frequently creates a pressure differential across the settable wellbore tool. Most commonly, this occurs when a packer or bridge plug is set above a producing zone. Wellbore fluids, such as oil and water, will continue flowing into the well due to the pressure differential between the wellbore fluids in the earth's formation and the wellbore itself, as well as the pressure differential between different zones. Consequently, the wellbore fluids tend to flow within the well. However, the settable wellbore tool at least in-part obstructs the flow of wellbore fluids, and, consequently, a pressure differential is created across the wellbore tool.
The cross flow of fluids may urge the settable wellbore tool upward within the wellbore, away from the desired setting location. This unintended, and harmful displacement of the settable wellbore tool can occur because the new through-tubing, work-over technologies do not provide suspension means which are as "stiff" as those found in the more conventional work-over technologies. For example, a wireline-suspended, through-tubing work-over tool offers little resistance to pressure differentials which operate to lift the settable wellbore tool in position within the wellbore. Coiled tubing suspension means also do not provide sufficient "stiffness" to upward movement of the settable wellbore tool.
Additionally, if a pressure differential is developed across the settable wellbore tool with a higher pressure level above the settable wellbore tool, the pressure differential may act to disconnect the settable wellbore tool from the suspension means. In a wireline suspended, through-tubing wellbore tool a sufficiently large pressure differential could snap the wellbore tool loose from the wireline cable. Alternately, a high pressure differential could serve to accidentally actuate pressure-sensitive, or tension sensitive, disconnect devices which are used in both wireline-suspended tools and coiled-tubing suspended tools.

Method and apparatus for reducing wellbore-fluid pressure differential forces on a settable wellbore tool in a flowing well


This invention describes a method for co-producing isobutene and methyl tert-butyl ether in a catalytic distillation column, wherein contacting with solid acid catalysts the charged tert-butanol mixture undergoes dehydration and etherification. The mixture of isobutene and methyl tert-butyl ether withdrawn from the column top can be further separated, thus high purity isobutene and fuel-additive methyl tert-butyl ether are obtained.

Isobutene is the raw material to manufacture alkylate, MTBE, diisobutylene, polyisobutene, methacrylic acid, butylated phenols, etc. There are three sources of isobutene: catalytic cracking, steam cracking, and dehydrogenation of butanes. However, in those processes isobutene is always produced as a mixture of C4s. It is costly to produce high purity isobutene from those mixtures due to their close boiling points.
There are currently three important processes for the production of high purity isobutene: (1) the extraction process using an acid to separate isobutene, (2) the dehydration of tert-butanol, and (3) the cracking of MTBE. The expected demand for MTBE precludes the third route for isobutene production. MTBE is more valuable than TBA due to its huge demand as an additive in gasoline fuel. TBA will be an important source of isobutene and MTBE. Large quantities of TBA obtained as a by-product from propylene oxide (PO) plants become an important source for isobutene and MTBE.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,244 discloses a one-step process for preparing MTBE. TBA and methanol are continuously fed to a rectification tower having a packed solid-acid catalyst bed where the TBA and methanol react in the presence of the catalyst to produce MTBE. Stream data show that MTBE was the only product and isobutene was not produced in the claimed process. U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,989 discloses a process for preparing MTBE. TBA, isobutene and methanol are continuously fed into a combination reactor distillation tower having a packed sulfonic acid resin catalyst beds. However, a third raw material of isobutene is required to enhance MTBE yield in this invention. Although isobutene could be recovered from the product, but it eventually consumed and not produced. Consequently, isobutene is not co-produced in the disclosure of these two patents.
Integrating a prereactor and a CD column, the disclosed processes for MTBE production in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,705,711 and 5,741,953 also indicate that isobutene is not co-produced. In the latter case, the isobutene is recovered as a mixture together with TBA and methanol, and recycled to the primary reactor to produce MTBE. Also, the CD column behind a prereactor is not charged with fresh TBA/methanol and is an auxiliary equipment to enhance MTBE yield. The molar ratio of methanol-to-TBA at the prereactor reaches 2.0 so that the energy consumption in recycling methanol is very high.
A serious of acid catalysts were disclosed for converting TBA to MTBE, such as ion-exchange resin, fluorosulfonic acid-treated Y-zeolite and acidic montmorillonite silica-alumina (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,081,318 and 5,099,072). TBA and methanol were contacted with these catalysts and mostly first-stage converted to isobutene and MTBE. A fluoride-treated Y-zeolite or silicoaluminophosphate (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,313,006 and 5,856,588) are claimed to have the ability to improve MTBE yield via the second-stage etherification of the unreacted or recovered TBA.
On the other hand, following patents are focus on the isobutene production via TBA dehydration. U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,271 discloses a method, which uses ion exchange resin as catalyst to dehydrate aqueous TBA in a fixed bed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,811,620 discloses a TBA dehydration method for producing isobutene via a reactive distillation column packed with fluoride-treated catalyst. A similar method is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,849,971. However, no methanol is fed to the column and MTBE cannot be cogenerated with isobutene. In order to manufacture MTBE, an etherification process is required to follow with these TBA dehydration process.
The above methods are limited for industrial application. For example, TBA at high purity is solid state as temperature is below 25° C. The transportation for market trade is inconvenient. Also, these patented processes should be localized around the PO process or isobutene hydration process to avoid the TBA transportation problem.
The kinetics of liquid phase synthesis of MTBE from TBA and methanol catalyzed by ion exchange resin is proposed by Matouq and Goto, Int. J. Chem. Kinnet., 1993, 25, 825-831. In their report, the TBA and methanol undergo etherification and dehydration simultaneously over Amberlyst 15 such that MTBE and isobutene can be co-produced.

Method for coproducing isobutene and MTBE from tert-butanol mixture in a catalytic distillation column


Floorboards for making a floating floor have a core (30) which includes at least two layers of material (L1, L2), which are arranged at different distances from the surface layer (31), and which differ in respect of material properties or material composition. Semi manufactures for making such floorboards are also disclosed.

Laminate flooring usually consists of a core of a 7 8 mm fiberboard, a 0.2 0.8 mm thick upper decorative surface layer of laminate and a 0.1 0.6 mm thick lower balancing layer of laminate, plastic, paper or like material. The surface layer provides appearance and durability to the floorboards. The core provides stability and helps, together with the surface layer, to give the floorboard sufficient impact strength. The balancing layer keeps the board plane when the relative humidity (RH) varies during the year. The floorboards are laid floating, i.e. without gluing, on the subfloor. Traditional hard floorboards in floating flooring of this type are usually joined by means of glued tongue-and-groove joints (i.e. joints involving a tongue on one floorboard and a tongue groove on an adjoining floorboard) on long side and short side.
In addition to such traditional floors, which are joined by means of glued tongue-and-groove joints, floorboards have recently been developed which do not require the use of glue and instead are joined mechanically by means of so-called mechanical locking systems. These systems comprise locking means which lock the boards horizontally and vertically. The mechanical locking systems are usually formed by machining of the core of the board. Alternatively, parts of the locking system can be formed of a separate material, such as aluminum, which is integrated with the floorboard, i.e. joined with the floorboard in connection with the manufacture thereof.
The main advantages of floating floors with mechanical locking systems are that they can easily and quickly by laid by various combinations of inward angling and snapping-in. They can also easily be taken up again and used once more at a different location. A further advantage of the mechanical locking systems is that the edge portions of the floorboards can be made of materials which need not have good gluing properties.
Laminate flooring and also many other floorings with a surface layer of plastic, wood, veneer, cork and the like are made by the surface layer and the balancing layer being applied to a core material.
The first generation laminate flooring, so-called HPL flooring, was made by providing a 6 mm thick particle board with a 0.8 mm surface layer of decorative high pressure laminate, usually referred to as HPL. HPL is made in a separate operation where a plurality of impregnated sheets of paper is compressed under high pressure and at a high temperature to a laminate board.
Later the second generation laminate flooring was developed, which is based on a more modern principle where both manufacture of the decorative laminate layer and the fastening to the fiberboard take place in one and the same manufacturing step. Impregnated sheets of paper are applied directly to the board and pressed together under pressure and heat without any gluing. As a rule, the surface layer is about 0.2 mm thick. This direct laminated flooring, usually referred to as DL flooring, whose main advantage is that the production cost is lower, was first inferior to HPL flooring owing to, inter alia, a lower degree of impact strength and lower moisture resistance. The quality properties of the DL flooring, however, were significantly improved when the particle board was replaced by a qualified HDF type fiberboard—high density fiberboard. The HDF board was considerably harder than the particle board and more resistant to moisture. Thus, the impact strength and moisture resistance of the DL flooring could be improved. As this HDF board was also being manufactured in increasingly larger volumes, the cost was reduced and DL flooring with an HDF core became number one on the market. Although the particle board is considerably cheaper than HDF, the DL technology combined with HDF is altogether less expensive. DL flooring now had quality properties equivalent to those of HPL flooring but was at the same time essentially less expensive.
At this time when DL flooring was being sold in larger quantities than HPL flooring, the laminate flooring was joined using a traditional locking system consisting of tongue, groove and glue. HPL flooring with a core of particle board was easier to glue than DL flooring with a core of HDF. When the mechanical joint systems were developed, also this problem was eliminated, and in a short time DL flooring with a core of HDF captured 90% of the market.
In addition to the above two methods, a number of other methods are used to manufacture floating floors and provide different core materials with a surface layer. A decorative pattern can be printed on the surface of the core, which is then, for example, coated with a wear layer. The core can also be provided with a surface layer of wood, veneer, decorative paper or plastic sheeting, and these materials can then be coated with a wear layer.
As a rule, the above methods result in a floor element in the form of a large board which is then sawn into, for instance, some ten floor panels, which are then machined to floorboards.
In all cases, the above floor panels are individually machined along their edges to floorboards. The machining of the edges is carried out in advanced milling machines where the floor panel is exactly positioned between one or more chains and bands mounted, so that the floor panel can be moved at high speed and with great accuracy past a number of milling motors, which are provided with diamond cutting tools or metal cutting tools, which machine the edge of the floor panel. By using several milling motors operating at different angles, advanced joint geometries can be formed at speeds exceeding 100 m/min and with an accuracy of 0.02 mm. JP-20011329681 discloses a floorboard having a multilayer core and a surface layer comprising wood veneer and a vapor proof layer arranged between the veneer and the core. The core comprises a middle layer of plywood and upper and lower layers of MDF.


This invention teaches methods and compositions to enhance oil and gas recovery from reservoirs. The methods and compositions disclosed enhance hydrocarbon recovery and fluid disposal in subterranean reservoirs by injecting microemulsion fluids with supercritical fluids, water, or an alternating injection phase of each fluid.

Microemulsions are a broad class of micro- and nano-sized fluid particles. They can achieve very low surface tension, can simultaneously have oil, water, surfactant phases, and can be designed to transport a wide variety of chemicals in different thermodynamically stable phases. Specifically, in some supercritical fluids like CO2 used for Enhanced Oil Recover (EOR) projects in the oil and gas industry, the addition of certain microemulsions enhance the supercritical fluids' ability to dissolve highly polar, ionic, high molecular weight species. These high molecular weight species are often found in oil and gas EOR reservoirs.
A microemulsion is a mixture of water, water insoluble and water soluble components forming a visually homogeneous, transparent liquid. One or more active ingredients may be present in the aqueous phase, the non-aqueous phase, or in both phases. A variety of microemulsion formulations may be prepared in which the aqueous phase can be considered the dispersed phase, the continuous phase or, alternatively, where the two phases are considered to be bi-continuous. In all cases microemulsions will disperse into water to form either conventional emulsions or dilute microemulsions. Microemulsion solutions form a unique class of emulsions normally consisting of an aqueous phase, and oil phase and a surfactant phase. This class of emulsion is very small, in the nano- to micro-meter range, is usually optically clear and thermodynamically stable, as opposed to other emulsions that are kinetically stable; and microemulsions normally have low viscosities and ultra low interfacial tension properties. The formation of a microemulsion requires the appropriate blending of an oil phase, a water phase, and at least one surfactant. It is often necessary to add salts to enhance the thermodynamic stability of the emulsion depending on the specific blend of the solution. Non-limiting examples of compositional blends that can be used to form a microemulsion include solutions consisting of 13%-55% of fluids from the turpene group (examples include limonene and others), 0%-30% isopropanol, 0-50% water, 0%-50% triethylene glycol, and 0%-15% salts.
The fact that these are very small particles with reduced surface tension allows them to get into low permeability and low porosity subterranean reservoirs. When injecting fluids into subterranean reservoirs during secondary and tertiary recovery to sweep out the hydrocarbons it is useful to be able to get the injection fluid into all areas if the reservoir, including the low permeability and porosity areas of the subterranean reservoir as the higher permeability and porosity structures are most easily recovered and likely have their hydrocarbons significantly or substantially exhausted during the primary recovery phase of the reservoir.
Presently, the use of microemulsions in oil and gas production has been limited to fracturing and acid stimulation operations. Fracturing operations involve the pumping of hydraulic fluids at high pressure (i.e., pressures above the hydraulic fracturing pressure of the reservoir) into the subterranean reservoir formations of the subterranean zone to crack the subterranean reservoir and enhance the subterranean reservoir permeability. This causes hydraulic fracturing of the subterranean formations, and the release of hydrocarbons through the resulting enhanced permeability, thereby improving hydrocarbon recovery. Microemulsions then allow for and enhance the recovery of fracturing fluids used in the operation to be produced back out of the production well reducing fluid damage in the reservoir and thereby increasing the ability of a well to produce from the fracture system made by these fluids.
Blends of microemulsions and supercritical fluids have not been used for the recovery of oil and gas outside of the context of fracturing and stimulation injection operations. For example they have not been used in secondary and tertiary hydrocarbon recovery where supercritical fluids are often used. In fracturing and stimulation operations, the microemulsion is blended in a fracturing or stimulation fluid at low concentrations, typically on the order of 0.2% of the blend. Additionally, microemulsions have not been used as the actual fracturing or stimulation fluid, but only as an additive to a fracturing fluid. Furthermore, the separation and recycling of the microemulsion from a fracture or stimulation fluid has never been performed. Additionally, fluid compositions comprising microemulsions and supercritical fluids have not been used for the enhanced recovery of oil and gas. The present invention permits enhanced recovery of hydrocarbons using microemulsions with supercritical fluids and further provides a method to reduce the cost of the microemulsion application by providing for the separation and recycling of the microemulsion once it is produced back to surface with the well fluids.

Method and apparatus to enhance hydrocarbon production from wells


The present invention relates to an azide-free gas-producing composition, in particular for use in safety devices for motor vehicles, comprising or consisting essentially of. a fuel consisting of from 20 to 50% by weight of guanidine nitrate and from 0 to 20% by weight of cyanuric acid, isocyanuric acid, cyamelide and/or melamine; PA1 from 45 to 80% by weight of an oxidant, wherein the oxidant is selected from the group consisting of copper oxide (CuO) and CUO together with potassium perchlorate and/or potassium chlorate, and PA1 from 0 to 5% by weight of processing aids.

Gas generators used in safety devices for motor vehicles usually contain a propellant based on sodium azide. Sodium azide is toxic, however, as a result of which there have been numerous attempts to develop azide-free propellants.
The German Offenlegungsschrift DE 195 05 568 A1 discloses azide-free propellants of this type which contain at least one compound from the group of tetrazoles, triazoles, triazines, cyanic acid, urea, derivatives or salts thereof as fuel, compounds from the group of peroxides, nitrates, chlorates or perchlorates as oxidation agents, and in addition burn-off moderators which are suitable for influencing the burn-off and the rate thereof by heterogeneous or homogeneous catalysis, as well as optionally additional charges which are suitable for reducing the proportion of toxic gases which are produced during the combustion of the propellant. Propellants are preferred which contain biuret, guanidine, nitroguanidine, guanidine nitrate, aminoguanidine, aminoguanidine nitrate, thiourea, triaminoguanidine nitrate, aminoguanidine hydrogencarbonate, azodicarboxylic acid diamide, dicyandiainide dinitrate, dicyandiamidine sulphate, tetrazene and/or semicarbazide nitrate as well as urethanes, ureides and derivatives thereof as fuel, at least two compounds from the group of peroxides, nitrates, chlorates or perchlorates as oxidation agents, as well as zinc oxide or carbonates of zinc or calcium as burn-off moderators.
A disadvantage of the propellants described in DE 195 05 568 A1 is the use of nitrates as oxidation agents, since under unfavourable circumstances relatively large quantities of nitrous gases NO.sub.X can be formed during the thermal decomposition of these nitrates. For this reason it is necessary to use aggregates in order to reduce the proportion of NO.sub.X in the gas mixture produced. A further disadvantage of the propellant mixtures described lies in the high burn-off temperatures and explosion heat caused by these mixtures. Tests with various mixtures of propellants have shown, however, that high burn-off temperatures always result in high concentrations of harmful gases in the gas mixture produced.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,715 discloses a gas-producing composition with between substantially 20 and 40% by weight of a fuel, between substantially 20 and 80% by weight of an oxidant, and the remainder customary additives. From 50 to substantially 85% by weight of the propellant consists of a triazole or tetrazole, between substantially 15 and substantially 50% by weight of the propellant consists of a water-soluble fuel, such as for example guanidine nitrate, ethylenediamide dinitrate or similar compounds. At least substantially 20% by weight of the oxidant contains a transition-metal oxide, and the remainder of the oxidant is formed from alkali or alkaline-earth metal nitrates, chlorates or perchlorates. The use of transition-metal oxides as the main constituent of the oxidant is intended to lead to a lowering in the combustion temperatures and to a reduction in the proportion of toxic gases. The production of the compositions described is carried out in a wet-chemical manner by mixing together the constituents of the propellant mixture in an aqueous slurry.
The 5-aminotetrazole preferably used as a fuel in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,715 is extremely hygroscopic, however, and thus makes exacting demands upon environmental conditions both during storage and in the processing of the propellant mixtures. Because of the high degree of hygroscopicity of these propellant mixtures, it is additionally necessary to ensure the sealing tightness of the gas generator containing this propellant over the entire duration of its use, since absorption of water has a very powerful effect upon the burn-off characteristics of the fuel. Water in the form of water of crystallization is bonded by 5-aminotetrazole and is released by it again only under extreme conditions.
A further disadvantage is the treatment of the described propellant mixture in a wet process. This wet process requires additional costly steps of moistening and drying, which preclude an economical production of the propellant. In addition, it has been found in tests that 5-aminotetrazole and copper oxide (CuO) are incompatible with each other. Ballistic tests after long-term temperature storage at 110.degree. C. over 400 hours have revealed greatly increased combustion-chamber pressures in the case of a propellant mixture of this type. There is therefore no guarantee of the long-term stability of these propellant mixtures.


A storage device has a head that floats over a rotating storage medium. The storage device includes a measuring unit that measures the operating time and a head slider having a head element. The head element includes a reading element, a writing element and a heater, and a control unit that controls a protruding amount of the head element, by issuing an instruction causing an amount of power of a first predetermined value to be supplied to the heater until the amount of time measured by the measuring unit becomes a predetermined value. When the amount of time exceeds the predetermined value, the control unit cause an amount of power of a second predetermined value that is lower than the first predetermined value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage device that causes a head to float over a rotating storage medium and writes data, and to a storage device controller. In particular, the present invention relates to a storage device that controls the flying height of a head in a constant amount of time from the start of rotation of a storage medium such that the head reaches an appropriate flying height, and to a storage device controller.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in storage devices represented by HDD (Hard Disk Drive), it has been necessary to lower the flying height of a head with respect to the recording surface of a storage medium such as a magnetic disk in order to realize high recording density. In recent years, a flying height of the extremely small order of 10 nm or less has been realized.
However, when the flying height of the head drops, it becomes easier for the head to collide with minute projections on the magnetic disk surface. Further, because variations in clearance per head are present within a mechanical tolerance range, there is the problem that, in consideration of medium contact, the flying height cannot be set low beyond the tolerance range.
Thus, a method of controlling the clearance between the head and the recording surface of the magnetic disk by installing a heater in the head and utilizing the protrusion phenomenon that results from the thermal expansion of the head floating surface accompanying the supply of power to the heater has been proposed (Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-168274).
Further, a method has been proposed where, as in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-071546, the change in the protruding amount (TPR amount) resulting from a phenomenon (thermal protrusion: TPR) where the head floating surface protrudes in the direction of the magnetic disk is measured by testing or the like and retained in advance on the magnetic disk, and this data is used to manage the flying height per head.
However, adjustment of the head flying height by testing as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-071546 is performed on the basis of a state where the environmental temperature of the storage device has reached a stable or steady state. For that reason, in an environmental temperature during a transitional period until the environmental temperature reaches a steady state, such as immediately after startup of the storage device, the flying height of the head is not invariably an optimum flying height.
Usually, immediately after the storage medium disposed in the storage device begins rotating, such as when the power of the storage device is turned ON and the storage device begins operating, or when the power of the storage device is already ON and the storage medium resumes rotation after being stopped such as during a power saving mode, the environmental temperature of the storage device is lower than in the steady state. For that reason, the flying height of the head ends up being higher than the flying height in the steady state. For example, it is known that, as shown in FIG. 7, immediately after startup of a storage device, the flying height of the head is about 0.4 to 0.6 nm higher than the flying height in a steady state. Further, it is known that it takes about 10 minutes for the head to reach a state where it can operate appropriately at the value that has been preset at the design stage or during testing, that is, for the head to reach the steady state.
Further, with respect to changes in a short amount of time in the local environmental temperature in the vicinity of the head and the magnetic disk, it is also difficult to control the flying height using a temperature sensor because it is difficult to dispose a temperature sensor in the vicinity of the head or the like.
For that reason, within the amount of time until the storage device reaches the steady state immediately after startup, the flying height of the head is higher than in the steady state when the storage device is operated in a condition that has been appropriately set with respect to the steady state of the storage device. Due to this, the reading and writing characteristics of the storage device, and particularly the writing characteristic that is easily affected by the flying height, end up dropping. As a result, the storage device fails at writing and also fails at reading thereafter.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to make the head fly at an appropriate flying height until the environmental temperature of the storage device reaches a steady state immediately after startup. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a storage device with greater reliability whose characteristics during reading and writing during this time are improved.

Storage device and storage device controller including feature for causing thermal protrusion phenomenon in the head during startup period of device


A system generates a test path set in a very efficient manner. The test path set may be tailored to test a target physical system, such as a complex set of source code, a manufacturing line of multiple process nodes, or other physical system. The system may generate the test path set to meet certain goals in testing the target physical system, for example comprehensive testing of system paths, system nodes, or particular subsets. As one example, the system may efficiently generate a test path set that uses the minimum number of test paths to test a coverage goal, for example traversing each of the prime paths in the target physical system.

Rapid advances in technology have resulted in increasingly complex physical systems. In some instances, the physical systems implement software that can reach thousands to hundreds of thousands, and even millions of lines of code. Other physical systems often include multiple physical process nodes with complex interactions. These complex systems can include countless possible paths through which the system is traversed, such as paths through a manufacturing line or paths through a system implementing a complex software application. Manually generating tests to comprehensively test these systems may be laborious, cost multiple days of effort, or be completely infeasible in some cases.

Test paths generation for a physical system


A multifunctional ophthalmic instrument and method for assessing ocular surface health is disclosed. The instrument includes an illumination projector, which contains broadband light sources, covering visible and near infrared spectra, a zoom lens system with continuously variable magnification, a detection system to record said images, and a computer to display and analyze said images. Preferably, an eye alignment system with a beamsplitter is used to provide a fixation target for the eye under assessment. An optional thermal camera, operating in the long wave infrared spectrum is aligned paraxially to the zoom lens system. Further, an optional separate video camera is used to monitor the blink rate. Corneal topography and tear break up time could be evaluated with a low magnification, and microscopic features, such as tear meniscus height, meibomian gland orifices, are imaged at a high magnification. Meibomian glands and lipid layer thickness are analyzed with visible and near infrared spectra.

The ocular surface is the anterior part of an eye and it consists the cornea, limbus, conjunctiva, and tear film. The adjacent structures of the ocular surface, such as the lacrimal gland, the lacrimal drainage apparatus, the eyelids, and the eyelashes, are crucial for the physiological health of the ocular surface.
Tear film is a thin, moist and protective film anterior to the cornea, and it is essential to ocular surface health and visual acuity. Chronic impairment in tear film will lead to dry eye syndrome, which is one of the most common reasons people visit an eye care professional. Patients with dry eye syndrome either cannot secrete enough tears or their tear quality is not good enough. Quantitative measurements of the tear film form the cornerstone for clinical diagnosis and treatment of dry eye subjects.
Tear film is composed of three layers anterior to the corneal epithelial cells, and its thickness is reported to be around 3 μm. The posterior mucous layer contains mucins secreted by the goblets cells in the conjunctiva. The mucous layer forms a viscoelastic matrix to stabilize the tear film on the corneal epithelium. The middle aqueous layer is the major watery part of the tear film, which contains a number of nutrients and proteins related to the immune system, such as globulins, lysozyme, lactoferrin, etc. The aqueous layer is secreted from the lacrimal gland, and it is essential for spreading of the tear film and regulating tear osmolarity. The lipid layer is the most anterior part of the tear film, and its thickness is usually in the order of 1 to 100 nm. It is secreted by the meibomian glands, which are tens of vertical glands lined up inside the tarsal plates of both upper and lower eyelids. The lipid layer serves to prevent and reduce evaporation, and enhance the tear film stability.
Various diagnostic methods have been developed to evaluate the ocular surface. Keratoscope was invented by the Portuguese physician Antonio Placido in 1880, which measures the reflected image off the human cornea of a disk with a central hole, bearing concentric black and white ring patterns. The disk has been referred to as Placido's disk. A large number of variations and improvements of the keratoscope and the corresponding topography reconstruction algorithms have been developed ever since, mainly due to the increasing significance and demand of precise corneal topography measurements for contact lens fitting and keratorefractive surgeries. Projectors with various shapes, colors and ring or mire patterns to replace the original Placido's disk have been described in the prior art, and the basic principle of using the reflected images off the cornea to retrieve the corneal topography remains the same.
Every time after a blink, the tear film is replenished and redistributed, and as the eye remains open for a period of time, the tear film gradually gets thinner, and eventually breaks up at some spots, due to surface tension or evaporation. Clinically, the time interval between the last blink and the first random appearance of a tear break up spot or a dry spot in the tear film is referred to as the tear breakup time (TBUT), and it's indicative of the tear film stability. Conventionally, a TBUT measurement requires the staining of the ocular surface with fluorescein, since the dry spot will be clearly visible under a slit-lamp after the staining. However, it has been reported that the instillation of fluorescein affects the tear stability. Several non-invasive measurement methods of TBUT without staining have been developed to obtain TBUT more objectively, which measure the change in the reflected images off the cornea of a grid or ring pattern, such as the methods taught in "A non-invasive instrument for clinical assessment of the pre-corneal tear film stability." Current eye research 4, no. 1 (1985): 1-7, by Mengher, Lakhbir S., Anthony J. Bron, Stephen R. Tonge, and David J. Gilbert, and "Reliability of a portable noninvasive tear break-up time test on Hong Kong-Chinese." Optometry & Vision Science 70, no. 12 (1993): 1049-1054, by Cho, Pauline.
Tear meniscus height (TMH) measurement is an indirect method to evaluate the tear volume widely used in clinics. A tear meniscus is formed between the eyelid inner surface and the globe of the eye, and along the superior and inferior eye lid margins. It is estimated that the tear menisci holds 75% to 90% of the total tear volume. The larger the tear meniscus height is, the larger the tear volume is. Because of the frequent movement of the upper eyelid, and the obscuration by the eyelashes, usually only the lower tear meniscus is measured clinically. A tear meniscus height of ≤0.2 mm is sometimes chosen to be indicative of dry eye. A number of techniques have been developed to measure TMH. TMH can be measured with or without fluorescein to enhance the contrast, in frontal view or in a cross-sectional view, depending on the technique employed. The simplest TMH measurement is done with a slit lamp, where a reticule is included as part of the eyepiece system. If fluorescein is used, a color filter is usually employed to enhance the contrast. Other than slit lamps, several other instruments such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems or optical pachymeters can also be used for TMH evaluation. In an OCT system, TMH is obtained in a cross-sectional image of the anterior part of the eye.
Bulbar hyperemia is often referred to as bulbar redness due to the redness appearance of the eye caused by the vasodilation of the conjunctival blood vessels. Bulbar redness is a common symptom of a number of ophthalmic diseases such as dry eye syndrome, glaucoma, scleritis, keratitis, xerophthalmia and so on. Clinically, bulbar redness is either graded by comparing with reference to standardized descriptions or illustrations by clinicians subjectively, or the images of the eye is analyzed digitally and objectively along an arc, a line or within a selected region of interest (ROI) of the conjunctival image. Similarly, hyperemia of palpebral conjunctiva can also be quantitatively evaluated by imaging everted eyelids and analyzing the palpebral redness.
Meibography uses the different absorption, translucency, and scattering of light by the meibomian glands, compared to adjacent skin tissues, to form an image with high enough contrast to distinguish the meibomian glands distribution within the upper and lower eyelids. Traditionally, there are two types of meibography, one with transillumination, and the other with direct illumination. Meibography was invented by Tapie in 1977 based on clinical tests. Later, infrared light was used to enhance the contrast. The early meibographers usually employed transillumination. In 2008, Arita et al reported a non-contact meibography system that uses direct illumination to collect reflective images. Later, more direct-illumination, non-contact meibographers have been developed, partly because the direct-illumination type is more comfortable for the patients during measurements, compared with the earlier transillumination type.
Biomicroscopy of the inner lid margin has been used to directly inspect individual meibomian gland orifices at the inner side of the eyelids close to the base of eyelashes. With this method, potential obstruction of the meibomian gland orifices by solidified lipids, a condition that might lead to meibomian gland dysfunction, is directly visible to the inspector.
The lipid layer thickness of the tear film can be evaluated based on the reflected pattern of color due to the interference of multiple-reflection at the thin lipid layer. Similar phenomena in daily life include the iridescent colors of a soap bubble, and the colors of a thin oil film on wet ground. The analysis of the reflected color in the red, green and blue color channels in the visible spectrum could quantitatively determine the thickness of the lipid layer. In the prior art, the illumination for lipid layer thickness is limited to visible light, and the reflected color at each pixel is evaluated by comparing the red, green and blue three color channels with theoretical models, such as the apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,591,033. However, the restriction of the illumination and detection in the visible spectrum for lipid layer thickness measurement limits the accuracy for lipid layer thickness determination in the prior art.
Thermal imaging has been reported to be used to distinguish different types of dry eye syndrome. With the calibration of the thermal emissivity of the eye and the analysis of the temperature cooling pattern after a blink, the thermal dynamical features, including the initial temperature, the steady state temperature and the thermal decay rate could be helpful in dry eye diagnosis.
Blink rate is reported to be indicative for dry eye patients, who tend to have higher blink rate to compensate for the decreased tear supply. Blink rate can be measured by a video camera with large enough field of view and frame rate to detect the downstroke and upstroke of the eyelids movements during a blink.
Even though the aforementioned techniques have been developed independently, there is a need for a novel instrument to integrate these key tear film measurements into one compact device with different system magnifications for different functionalities.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,899,753 and 8,820,935 describe a device that integrates some of these aforementioned parameters. However, in the device described in these patents, there are only three possible magnifications achievable. The clinical diagnosis demands a device with a larger magnification range, and with continuously varying magnifications for different ocular surface parameter measurements in order to facilitate clear observation of various regions of interest, and smoothly transit from one target parameter to another.

Apparatus and method of a multifunctional ophthalmic instrument


A Voice Extensible Markup Language (VXML) based voicemail system that has a distributed architecture is disclosed. The VXML voicemail system includes a media server and an application server. The media server is in communication with a telephone network. The media server receives a telephone call through the telephone network and invokes a voicemail service of the voicemail system by sending a request to an application server. The application server is adapted to generate a Voice Extensible Markup Language (VXML) page in response to receiving the request and provide the media server with the VXML page to the media server, wherein the media server renders at least a portion of the VXML page. Methods for implementing VXML based voicemail systems are also disclosed. One method includes the steps: receiving a telephone call from a caller, the telephone call being received from a telephone network at a media server; receiving, at an application server, a request from the media server for a service; responsive to receiving the request, generating, at the application server, a Voice Extensible Markup Language (VXML) page; and rending at least a portion of the VXML page.

Over the past several decades, the telecommunications industry has continued to expand and experience growth spurts in technology. One of the most prevalent services provided in recent telecommunications technology is voicemail. Voicemail has continued to expand and establish itself as a key element in the successful operations of most businesses. The typical voicemail system today can take on a variety of forms, including a computer card that can operate within a personal computer connected to a businesses telephone system, or a computer card or component that is directly integrated into the businesses telephone system, or as a service provided by a telecommunications company.
Most voicemail systems today typically are heavily reliant on software programming. The systems include many thousands of lines of code that typically execute on a single platform or computing device. The voicemail products are usually developed as the result of a great amount of effort by a highly skilled team of software programmers and hardware developers and typically, a single roll-out of a voice mail product requires many man-hours of development, testing, debugging and perfecting. The amount of work required in such a development effort does not lend itself to developing a customized product line but rather, is the most profitable when customers agree to purchase the fully developed product.
But in today's diverse society with ever expanding needs and nuances, it is difficult to develop a single product line that meets the needs of all prospective customers. Thus, developers are forced to develop products directed towards large business sectors, or attempt to deeply penetrate niche markets. Sometimes developers will launch multiple versions of a product in an attempt to capture a larger market share. This raises additional problems for the developers—mainly in the area of support. The more product variants that are sold, the more complex the companies support infrastructure must be to meet the needs of its customers.
One technique that can be employed by developers is to provide a product that can be customized by the user. Such a product can use configuration files and input parameters to allow for some level of customization in the operation of the system. Such a technique can somewhat address this need in the art; however, the technique falls significantly short of an ideal solution because it heavily relies on the developer to be able to comprehend and program into the system the ability to customize the operation in a manner that the end user will want. This is a daunting task.
Thus, there exists a need in the art for a telecommunications service platform that allows for complete customization by the end user or for the end user and that does not significantly increase the cost to develop, manufacture and market to the end user. The present invention provides such a solution.

Distributed customizable voicemail system


A sensor system including a plurality of transducer groups, with each transducer group having a plurality of transducers. The transducers of each group are adapted to be placed in operative proximity with a sample material. Within each transducer group, each transducer is actuable via application of a different phase-shifted variant of a local oscillator signal to the transducer. The sensor system is also configured so that, for each transducer group, the phase-shifted variants of the local oscillator signal are selectively employed during output processing to inhibit cross-transducer interference occurring between simultaneously active transducers.

Transducer devices are used in a variety of applications to transfer energy between electrical systems and mechanical systems. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), for example, is a transducer-based technology that may employ piezoelectric transducers in various configurations to perform sensing functions. QCM technology takes advantage of the fact that the resonant frequency of a transducer typically varies with the effective mass of the transducer. Accordingly, when portions of a sample material binds to the transducer, the mass of the bonded sample material can be detected by monitoring the resonant frequency of the vibrating mass, relative to a predetermined reference.
A related technology is rupture event scanning (RES), in which transducers may be employed to produce mechanical energy to break bonds within a sample material. In addition to providing energy to break the bonds, the transducers may be used as sensors to analyze acoustic events (e.g., a pressure wave) that can occur when bonds break. Different types of bonds have unique properties that produce distinctive acoustic events. The bonds can be identified and analyzed by using various techniques to study the acoustic events.
Transducer systems such as those described above typically employ multiple distinct transducers. The transducers are often provided in an array, with some type of mechanical suspension being used to suspend the transducers in place relative to a base or other stationary component of the system.
Although many prior systems have multiple transducers, typically only one transducer can be activated at any given time. Alternatively, where multiple transducers are simultaneously active, the activated transducers commonly must be separated by a relatively large physical distance. The reason for this is undesired signal coupling that can occur when physically proximate transducers are active at the same time.
One type of undesired coupling results from the liquid that is often used to hydrate biological samples in QCM and RES applications. Where a well of liquid is spread across multiple transducers, or even where separate liquid wells are employed for each transducer in a multiple-transducer configuration, mechanical vibration produced by one transducer can be transmitted through the liquid (and through intervening structures) to other transducers in the system. Accordingly, when the transducers are simultaneously activated, the electrical signal sensed at the second transducer will then include interference produced by the vibration of the first transducer. The mechanical suspension that holds the transducers in place can also transmit vibration from one transducer to another, even though such suspensions typically are designed to minimize this effect. Finally, stray capacitance and other indirect electrical coupling can produce interference when physically proximate transducers are activated simultaneously.
Because prior systems typically do not provide for simultaneous activation of physically proximate transducers, they may be limited in processing speed and may not be able to provide a satisfactory level of performance in applications where it is desirable to operate multiple transducers at the same time.

Transducer-based sensor system with multiple drive signal variants

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.