A color coded electronic user interface system is provided for use between an end user and a computer system. The system includes a graphical user interface that presents information to the user from the computer system on a display device. This information preferably includes instructional icons having associated therewith a computer system procedure from different predetermined functional categories and a color. In addition, a user input device receives user instructions for initiating computer system procedures. The user input device includes a function key having a color which corresponds to each of the instructional icons. Also, the system includes a controller which initiates the computer system procedure based on which function key is actuated. As a result, the user can associate and initiate computer system procedures based on a uniform color coding scheme of associated instructional icons and function keys. In addition, a color coded electronic user interface method and storage device readable by a computer system for implementing the method are provided.

For years, manufacturers have worked towards producing computing systems which assist our lives in a wide range of ways and allow us to perform a variety of different tasks with increased speed and ease. Generally speaking, such computing systems comprise a combination of electrical hardware components, including but not limited to microprocessors, which are interconnected and programmed to perform one or more specified functions. A user interface is provided, typically in the form of a keyboard or keypad arrangement in combination with an accompanying video graphics monitor or display unit, to allow the user to interact with and control the operations of the computing system. The software programming associated with such systems may be resident exclusively within the microprocessors or processing units, as is the case with a common calculator, or it may be selectively loaded into the internal memory of the system, as is the case with a typical personal computer. In this regard, the production of tailor-made software application programs for use with such personal computing systems has proliferated to the extent that it is possible to procure software capable of performing seemingly any task. For instance, programs for word processing, spread sheet/data-management, entertainment/video games, and accessing remote databases via the Internet are just a few prime examples of the different ways in which such computing systems pervade and improve our daily lives.
One of the main goals of manufacturers, of course, is to provide a system which is adequately powerful and sophisticated so as to allow a user to accomplish a host of ordinarily manual or mundane tasks in a quick and expedient fashion, while at the same time ensuring that the system is relatively simple, straightforward, and "user friendly" such that people can readily understand, grasp, and exploit the technology. By producing computing systems in this "user friendly" and inviting fashion, manufacturers serve the higher goal of increasing the user base for the particular system which, it will be appreciated, nay translate into increased profits and a more prominent presence in the marketplace. The efforts undertaken thus far in this regard have focused primarily on providing simplifications to either the keyboard/keypad assemblies, or the various screen displays generated by the computing system and displayed on the video graphics monitors or display modules. Once again, these simplifications are provided to make the computing system more "user friendly" such that a greater number of people can operate and master the particular computing system.
First with regard to the keyboard/keypad assemblies, perhaps the most common and long-standing simplification effort involves the use of function keys (F1, F2, F3, etc.), which are provided on the keyboard and preprogrammed to perform a host of macro operations with the striking of a single key. The use of these function keys effectively minimizes the number of keystrokes necessary to accomplish a given task, thereby simplifying the operation of the application program for the end user. However, while this simplification arrangement does reduce the number of keystrokes required to accomplish a given task, there is still a substantial amount of memorization that must be undertaken to master what operation is performed by each function key. Moreover, it is typical that the definition associated with each particular function key changes in meaning depending upon where the user is operating within the overall application software program. This, of course, further adds to the complexity of operating the computing system in that it requires memorizing not only the primary operation to be carried out by each function key, but also the multitude of secondary operations which can be performed by each particular function key. To overcome the disadvantage of having to undertake such laborious memorization measures, various template arrangements have been provided in close proximity to the function keys so as to identify the various operations performed by each function key. Providing such a template arrangement, however, can detract from the ergonomic appearance of the computing system and, moreover, presents the possibility of becoming lost or displaced such that the user will be unable to adequately identify the appropriate function keys for the desired operations in the absence of the template.
Another drawback of this arrangement is that the simplification is merely one dimensional, with the improvement being restricted to the keyboard/keypad assembly itself and not offering any supplemental improvement or simplification to the screen display. Although this technique effectively reduces the number of interactions necessary to perform a specified function, there is little or nothing on the screen which further aids the user in managing the operation of the computing system. This lack of direction and instruction may be especially troublesome for those individuals who are either inexperienced or uncomfortable with computers and related technology in that they may still be incapable of mastering the particular application program notwithstanding the simplification offered by the preprogrammed function keys.
With the commercialization of the Internet and the ever increasing gap between those individuals who are computer literate and computer illiterate, it is of paramount importance that the available technology be made as simple, straightforward, and approachable so that every man, woman, and child is capable of operating and mastering such computing systems.
Many other attempts at simplifying keyboard/keypad arrangements have been made which focus more directly on facilitating the mechanical operation of such computing systems. For example, keyboards have been developed which are capable of being operated with one hand. Also, a scheme for color coding a keyboard has been taught where the keyboard is subdivided into one or more fields with actuation of two keys from the same field concurrently representing a particular character in the alphabet. However, these efforts at simplifying the physical operation of a computing system are essentially one dimensional in that the improvement is confined to the keyboard/keypad assembly itself and is not tied to other parts of the user interface such as the visual screen display or the pointing device (e.g., mouse, trackball or trackpad). A need exists for an easier interface to a computing system which incorporates all of the elements of the user interface such that individuals who are unfamiliar and/or phobic of computing systems will be more inclined to work with such systems.
Another keyboard/keypad simplification technique has been taught for use with children. This particular simplification involves a color coded computer keyboard for facilitating the operation of application programs by children. In this regard, each particular set of keys are color coded according to their function. For example, the alphabet keys are a first color, the numbered keys are a second color, the function keys are a third color, etc. However, this color coding arrangement merely assists the children in grouping each set of keys according to color and does not eliminate the substantial amount of memorization that must be performed to master the multiple definitions attached to the various function keys. These memorization requirements further add to the complexity of operating the computing system in that the user is still required to memorize not only the primary operation to be carried out by each function key, but also the multitude of secondary operations which can be performed by each particular function key. Moreover, this simplification technique is one dimensional with the improvement being narrowly tailored to the keyboard/keypad assembly without any supplemental simplification on the screen display. As noted above, such a technique merely addresses a select portion of the greater problem of making the operation and control of technologically sophisticated computer systems a realizable goal for an ordinary, inexperienced computer user.
Turning now to the video graphics monitors and display units, probably the most common simplification technique involves setting forth pictorial representations on the screen display (i.e., icons) which serve as shorthand instructional aids for each particular function. By incorporating the use of a mouse, joystick, or similar device, the various icons on the screen displays may be "clicked" upon or otherwise selected so as to initiate a given function without the need for any keystrokes on the keyboard or keypad arrangement. For example, it is typical to provide instructional icons containing pictures of a printer, a pair of scissors, and a computer disc to graphically represent the computer functions of printing, cutting/editing text, and saving a file, respectively. Thus, to initiate any of these functions, a user need only click upon the appropriate pictorial instructional icon. However, as with the aforementioned simplification techniques, this icon arrangement suffers the disadvantage of being one dimensional and, therefore, inadequate. This simplification technique differs from those previously enumerated in that the improvement is confined to the video graphics monitor/display unit, rather than the keyboard/keypad assembly. As such, a void exists in the user interface in that there are no guiding features on the keyboard which correspond to and complement the pictorial instructional icons illustrated on the video graphics monitor or display unit. Once again, this one dimensional simplification effort merely addresses a portion of the greater problem of producing computing systems which are truly "user friendly" and non-threatening to computer novices.
Another simplification technique for involving color has been taught which involves a user inputting information to a computer using colors by typing a filename in a specified color that the application interprets and performs a specific function related to that color. Similarly, the technique involves assigning color to data elements, wherein the particular color indicates what specific function, attribute, or value should be associated with the given data element. By associating a color with the filename and/or data element, the specific functions to be performed can be communicated to the computing system without the overhead of additional keystrokes or character information. However, the technique as taught changes the meanings attached to the various colors used throughout the application program depending upon where the user happens to be in the program. As such, a given color may have several different meanings associated therewith which, again, adds to the complexity of learning and operating such a computing system. This, of course, cuts directly against the general need to keep things an simple as possible to appeal to novice computer users.
A need therefore exists for an improved user interface scheme for computing systems and the like which provides a two dimensional simplification technique with substantive improvements to both the keyboard/keypad assembly and the screen displays on the video graphics monitor or display units such that the particular computing system is easy to learn, master, and operate for any potential user, regardless of their level of experience with computers and high technology. By presenting a two dimensional simplification technique which is simple, straightforward, and easy to learn with complementary improvements to both the keyboard/keypad assembly and the screen displays, such an user interface scheme will advantageously serve to narrow gap between those individuals who are computer literate and computer illiterate such that a larger number of individuals will be capable of operating and mastering such computing systems.
A need also exists for an improved user interface scheme for computing systems and the like which is relatively simple, straightforward, and "user friendly" so an to minimize the amount of memorization and/or study effort required to operate and master said computing systems. By providing such a "user friendly" simplification technique, this will advantageously ensure that people can readily understand, grasp, and master the particular computing system so as to exploit the available technology. Moreover, providing such a "user friendly" instructional scheme will also advantageously serve the higher goal of increasing the user base for the particular system, potentially translating into increased profits and an elevated market presence.
The present invention provides a solution to this and other problems, and offers other advantages over the prior art.

Color coded instructional scheme for computers and the like system, method and article of manufacture


An electric drive apparatus has an electric motor having a rotor and a stator; and a magnetic pole position detecting portion having a sensor rotor attached to the rotor, and a sensor stator that is adjacent to the stator, and that is fixed to a case, and that extends over a partial region of the sensor rotor extending in a circumferential direction. Because the sensor rotor of the magnetic pole position detecting portion is attached to the rotor and the sensor stator is adjacent to the stator and is fixed to the case, it is no longer necessary to use an all-round embracing type magnetic pole position detecting portion that embraces the entire shaft of an electric machine.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to an electric drive apparatus, an electric drive control apparatus, and an electric drive control method.
2. Description of Related Art
In a related-art apparatus, an electric drive apparatus is mounted in an electric motor vehicle, which is an electric drive vehicle, so as to cause generation of torque of an electric motor that acts as an electric machine, that is, motor torque, and transfers the motor torque to driving wheels. The electric motor receives direct current from the battery, and is therefore driven to generate the motor torque during powering (driving). During regenerative operation (power generation), the electric motor receives torque due to the inertia of the electric motor vehicle, and therefore generates direct current and supplies the current to a battery.
Furthermore, in an electric drive apparatus which is mounted in a hybrid vehicle, as an electric drive vehicle, and in which an electric motor is coupled directly to a crankshaft of the engine, the electric motor is driven to start the engine, and the motor torque is transferred to the driving wheels.
Such an electric drive apparatus is equipped with, for example, an inverter for driving the electric motor, a motor control apparatus as an electric machine control apparatus, etc. When supplying current from a battery to the electric motor so as to drive the electric motor and therefore cause the electric motor vehicle or hybrid vehicle or the like to run, the motor control apparatus detects the position of the rotor of the electric motor, that is, the magnetic pole position, and generates a pulse width modulation signal corresponding to the magnetic pole position, and sends the pulse width modulation signal to the inverter, so that the inverter generates U-phase, V-phase and W-phase currents.
Normally, the detection of the magnetic pole position is accomplished through the use of an all-round embracing type resolver that is disposed on a shaft of the electric motor and embraces the entire shaft. However, if the resolver is disposed near the motor shaft, the size of the electric drive apparatus correspondingly increases.
Therefore, a low-resolution pulse generating type sensor is disposed near an outer peripheral surface of the rotor, and is used to detect the magnetic pole position. In this case, the detection of the magnetic pole position can be accomplished merely by disposing the sensor, so that the electric drive apparatus can be considerably reduced in size (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-369570).

Electric drive control apparatus and method


The invention relates to the use of custom color inks in printing. According to various aspects of the invention, printing apparatus and processes are provided for dispensing a first primary color ink to a custom color chamber associated with a print head, dispensing a second primary color ink to the custom color chamber, mixing the first primary color ink and the second primary color ink to create a custom color, and printing the custom color ink from the custom color chamber with a print head. The invention also relates to using valves to select a printing ink from a number of available ink chambers.

The invention relates to the use of custom color inks in printing.
In printing, custom colors are often used for accent colors. For use with printing presses, custom color inks are pre-mixed and are typically used for large runs with long setup times for each job. Such pre-mixing of large batches is inefficient for smaller print jobs that make use of custom colors, and setup and cleanup can be difficult and time consuming.

Custom color printing apparatus and process


A multi function hand tool comprising:    a body;    an internal cavity having access on a first side of the body constructed within said body;    a second cavity accessed in a second side opposite said first cavity;    a cutting means fixedly placed within said second cavity and constructed in a manner to cut articles contacting said means within said second cavity;    a rotational tool having a first retracted position within said cavity and a second extended position outside said cavity;    a first contact tip formed on one end of said body; and    a second contact tip formed on said rotational tool, whereby each of said first contact tip and second contact tip impart a configuration for simultaneous contact and use when said rotational tool is in a retracted position.

Multi function hand tools and knives are very widely used and popular. The well-known Swiss Army knife first went into use in 1891.
Tools with added utility are met with added difficulties, chief of which is the bulk of design.
One area that has not received attention are utility articles for rescuers and first responders. Although there are many advances in this field, these professionals still have tools and instruments that do not fulfill their needs. The present invention addresses this situation.


A reverberator for reverberating an audio signal includes a feedback delay loop processor for delaying at least two different frequency subband signals representing the audio signal by different loop delays to obtain reverberated frequency subband signals.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a reverberator and a method for reverberating an audio signal. Further embodiments of the present invention relate to an efficient frequency transform domain reverberator with control for arbitrary reverberation times.
Reverberators are used in creating room effect to audio signals. There are numerous audio signal processing applications where there is a need to add room effect to the signal, namely early reflections and reverberation. Of these two, the early reflections appear for only a very short time period after the signal itself, and can thus be modelled more easily, while the reverberation spans over a long time interval and is often audible up to several seconds after the offset of the dry source sound. The long time span brings the design of the reverberator into the main focus in systems which necessitate a room effect while necessitating low to medium computational cost.
The design goal of the reverberator may be to maximize the perceptual similarity to a certain real or virtual space, or to create reverberation that maximizes some other perceptual property to maximize the listener preference. There exist several algorithms for reverberation, especially for time domain signals, and the design goal almost is to find a balance where the desired quality is maximally reached while the computational load is minimized.
Historically, the reverb design has almost entirely focused on time domain signals. However, in modern audio processing schemes it is very common to have the processing in a short time frequency transform domain, such as in the QMF (quadrature mirror filterbank) domain used in MPEG surround and related technologies, MDCT (modified discrete cosine transform) domain, used in perceptual audio codecs and STFT (short time Fourier transform) domain which is used in a very wide range of applications. While the methods have differences, the common factor is that the time domain signal is divided into time-frequency tiles, such as illustrated in FIG. 16. The transform and the inverse transform operation is typically lossless, and the information about the sound content is thus fully contained in both representations. The time-frequency representation is used especially in perceptual processing of audio since it has closer resemblance to the way human hearing system processes the sound.
According to the state-of-the-art, there are several existing solutions in creating reverberation. In "Frequency Domain Artificial Reverberation using Spectral Magnitude Decay", Vickers et al, 2006, 121th AES convention October 2006 and in US 2008/0085008 A1, a known reverb algorithm functioning in frequency domain is described. Also, "Improvements of Artificial Reverberation by Use of Subband Feedback Delay Networks", Igor Nicolic, 112nd AES convention, 2002, proposes creating reverberation in frequency bands.
An infinitely repeating while decaying impulse response of a reverb can be found in "Artificial Reverberation Based on a Pseudo-Random Impulse Response" parts I and II, Rubak & Johansen, 104th AES convention 1998 and 106th AES convention 1999 and "Reverberation Modeling Using Velvet Noise", Karjalainen & Järveläinen, 30th AES conference March 2007. However, the just-mentioned references are about time-domain reverb algorithms.
In "The Switch Convolution Reverberator", Lee et al, 127th AES Convention October 2009, an artificial reverberator having low memory and small computation costs, appropriate for mobile devices, is presented. The reverberator consists of an equalized comb filter driving a convolution with a short noise sequence. The reverberator equalization and decay rate are controlled by low-order IIR filters, and the echo density is that of the noise sequence, wherein the noise sequence is regularly updated or "switched". Moreover, several structures for updating the noise sequence, including a leaky integrator sensitive to a signal crest factor, and a multi-band architecture, are described.
An underlying problem of the existing solutions is that the current most advanced efficient reverberation algorithms function in the time domain. However, many applications, which work in the frequency domain, necessitate a reverberation unit. Thus, in order to apply these time domain algorithms to a signal, the application will have to first inverse transform the signal before applying the reverberation algorithm in the time domain. This, however, may be impractical depending on the application.
Another disadvantage of known time domain reverberators is that they can be inflexible in terms of designing the reverb to fit a certain set of frequency dependent reverberation times, which is especially important for human spatial perception.

Reverberator and method for reverberating an audio signal

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.


Actuator for an inhaler for delivering medicament by inhalation. The actuator includes a main body having a tubular member for receiving a canister containing medicament and having a valve stem extending therefrom, and an outlet assembly, as a part formed separately of the main body, having a mouthpiece for guiding medicament to the mouth of a user and a nozzle block for receiving the valve stem of the canister and delivering medicament from the canister into the mouthpiece. At least a part of the outlet assembly is configured so as to deform and optionally break on withdrawal of the outlet assembly from the main body so as to prevent re-use of the outlet assembly.

For some time, actuators have been known for delivering metered doses of medicament from aerosol canisters. These actuators comprise a single integral moulding and are usually coloured to identify the medicament being delivered. After use with only one canister the actuator is discarded. This is desirable, since some medicaments which are delivered, will, over time, become deposited in the nozzle block and the mouthpiece of the actuator.


A gateway (GW) for relaying a communication between a public telephone network and a routing server for managing use status of the GW and a network are provided on the internet. When a connection request is received, the GW issues a request to retrieve a route in which the costs are minimum and a necessary bandwidth can be reserved. The routing server retrieves the route of the minimum costs using the bandwidth reservation status of the internet and the partner""s telephone number and notifies the request issued GW of the address of the partner GW. The costs at that time point may be notified to the user and the user selects whether the communication is performed or not. By managing the current connection information established by each GW, if a necessary bandwidth cannot be reserved, an audio compression ratio may be changed.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a communication system and, more particularly, to a system for transmitting and receiving data in a real-time manner by using the internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
The internet based on TCP/IP is rapidly being spread. The worldwide information communication system such as WWW (World Wide Web) further promotes the spread of the internet. It becomes a common sense that multimedia data including audio and video data is transmitted on the internet. In association with it, a protocol such as RSVP (Resource reSerVation Protocol) or ST-11 to reserve a bandwidth has also been proposed. The RSVP has been disclosed in xe2x80x9cRSVP: A New Resource ReSerVation Protocolxe2x80x9d, (IEEE Network 93/9, p. 8) and xe2x80x9cResource ReSerVation Protocol (RSVP), Ver. 1, Functional Specificationxe2x80x9d, (""97/9). By the bandwidth reservation, a data communication at a rate corresponding to the reserved bandwidth is guaranteed without being influenced by the other traffic.
Under such a background, a communication system called an internet telephone such that a communication terminal is connected to the internet, audio data is transmitted or received in a real-time manner, and a communication similar to a telephone is provided is being spread. A motion to unify a communication onto the internet is becoming active. Particularly, attention is paid to an internet telephone of the type such that the user accesses from a general telephone to an access point in the internet, the internet is used for an interval from the access point to an access point near a partner whom the user wants to call, and the other access point calls a partner telephone using a public telephone network. Thus, for example, now assuming that access points are located in Tokyo and Osaka, if the telephone user calls from Tokyo to Osaka by internet telephone, he pays both of a telephone charge from his telephone to the access point in Tokyo and a telephone charge from the access point in Osaka to a partner""s telephone, so that he can call from Tokyo to Osaka cheaper than the case of the telephone communication using the public telephone network. Particularly, such an advantage remarkably appears in case of the international telephone. It is known that the total telephone charge is equal to or less than about {fraction (1/10)}of the present international telephone charge. The internet telephone has also been disclosed in xe2x80x9cReal-Time Voice Over Packetxe2x80x94Switched Networks (""98/2)xe2x80x9d. It is demanded that the internet telephone conforms with ITU (International Telecommunication Union)xe2x80x94T Recommendation H.323.
In the conventional communication system disclosed in the above literatures, when a plurality of access points have been established, no consideration is taken with respect to whether the selected access points (gateway: GW) provide the minimum costs or an enough bandwidth can be obtained between those access points. In a communication using the selected access points, there is also a problem such that an actual telephone charge which is required for the communication cannot be known when the system is used but can be known only after a debit or the like of such a communication is sent to the user.
It is an object of the invention to realize a real-time performance of a communication by assuring a necessary bandwidth onto a communication path in case of performing the communication through the internet.
Another object of the invention is to manage costs for communication, select a communication route of the minimum costs, and inform the user of a charge.
A communication system according to the invention comprises: an internet; a telephone network; a plurality of GW(Gateway)s which are connected to the internet and the telephone network; and a routing server which is connected to the internet. Each of the GWs accepts an internet relay request of a communication and a destination telephone number from a telephone.
The routing server has a GW location table for registering a set of each GW and a telephone number of an area where each GW takes charge in a relay and a bandwidth reservation information storage table for managing all of the bandwidths which the GWs have and the reservation bandwidth. The routing server receives the destination telephone number and the reservation bandwidth from the source GW, selects a GW which can cover the telephone number at the minimum costs and can reserve the bandwidth with reference to the table, and notifies the source GW of the selected GW. The source GW establishes a connection to the notified GW while making the bandwidth reservation and executes a data relay. A fact that the bandwidth has been reserved is notified from the destination GW to the routing server. The routing server updates information in the bandwidth reservation information storage table.

Communication system with communication route retrieval and selection function


A brake chamber stroke indicator system for a brake system including a brake air chamber includes an indicator rod or a string pot gauge including a housing with an indicator rotatably positioned within the housing. A string has a first end attached to the indicator of the string pot gauge. A spring urges the indicator to rotate in a first direction whereby the string is retracted into the housing. The second end of the string is attached to a brake push rod or a pressure plate. The indicator rod is mounted by a base onto a pressure plate.

As is known in the art, an air brake system for a vehicle, typically includes an air chamber that, when the vehicle operator activates the brakes by pushing on the brake pedal, receives pressurized air to move a brake push rod that actuates a slack adjuster. As a result, a brake cam shaft is turned which causes the brake shoes of the system to engage brake drums at the wheels of the vehicle to slow or stop the vehicle. Over time, as the brakes are used, the brake push rod travel distance or stroke increases, eventually requiring readjustment of the brake system and/or replacement of components. As a result, various types of devices exist for monitoring the stroke of the brake push rod to provide a visual indication of an out of adjustment condition or excessive wear of vehicle brake components leading to brake failure.
An example of a prior art device for monitoring the stroke of a brake push rod is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,818 to Ware, where a visual marking or surface discontinuity is placed on the brake chamber pushrod. If the mark is visible when the brakes are applied, then the system is out of adjustment. Another example is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,411,206 to Weant et al., wherein an electronic stroke monitor system makes use of hall effect sensors to monitor a magnetic field to determine stroke. A sleeve is put around the base of the pushrod, and the signal is transmitted via radio frequencies. Another example is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,165 to Crewson, where an indicator is mounted to the slack adjuster and chamber clevis and visually shows the amount of stroke that has taken place when the brake is applied. Another example is provided is U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,385 to Thibodeau, where a bracket that is mounted to the chamber stud provides a stationary reference viewing envelope for a visual pin attached to the chamber pushrod or clevis. If the pin is within the reference envelope when the brake is applied, the system is operating within acceptable limits. Another example is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,242 to Hockley, which discloses a device similar to the Thibodeau '385 patent, but contains a lubricated clevis pin. Another example is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,197 to Judson, where a grommet is attached to the pushrod and seals the housing when the chamber is at zero stroke. The grommet is also a visual indicator of the system being out of adjustment when the brakes are applied and the grommet has traveled beyond the visual reference.
There are several problems and/or difficulties with the prior art devices and systems illustrated in the above patents. One is that the reference location is often in an obscure location underneath the vehicle making it difficult for the inspector to see if the system is operating within tolerance. In addition, several of the devices and systems of the above patents require the user to be at a certain viewing angle so that a true measurement is observed.
Furthermore, the prior art indicators and reference brackets are often exposed to the environment and in snowy or muddy climates when road slush or grime is kicked up. As a result, the stationary brackets serve as a collecting spot for ice and other debris. This can then obscure the inspector's view or even bend the bracket such that false readings are provided. Such environmental buildup may also damage other parts of the indication system.
A need exists for a brake chamber stroke indicator system and method that addresses the above issues.

Brake chamber stroke indicator system and method


A hydrodynamic bearing device 4 comprises a shaft 41, a second thrust flange 41c, a sleeve 42, a radial bearing 71, and a thrust bearing 73. The second thrust flange 41c is fixed near one end of the shaft 41. A third cylindrical protrusion 42e that protrudes farther in the axial direction than the second thrust flange is fixed to or integrally machined at one end of the sleeve 42. A notch 50 that communicates between a radial inner space and a radial outer space separated by the third cylindrical protrusion 42e is provided to the third cylindrical protrusion 42e.

The popularity of video distribution over the Internet has brought with it a need to increase the recording capacity of the servers that serve as information sources for such distribution. To this end, an increase in data distribution speed and recording capacity has been accomplished in server applications by employing a RAID structure. The number of hard disk drives (hereinafter referred to as HDDs) has to be increased to use a RAID structure, so the general practice has been to install a plurality of HDDs in a tower housing. However, since this is limited to the amount of installation space that is available, it is necessary at the same time to increase the recording capacity of each individual HDD. It is therefore important to increase the number of disks installed in a HDD.
Also, it is becoming increasingly common for individual users to record to a HDD rather than a conventional VCR. Here again, users want to be able to record distributed video to a HDD for as long a time as possible, so there is a strong demand for greater recording capacity in HDDs.
In the past, one method for increasing the number of disks that could be installed in a HDD was to fix the top end of a motor shaft with a screw to the cover constituting the HDD housing, and use the rigidity of the shaft to suppress vibration of the housing.
A structure here in which a shaft is fixed at both ends is also called a "tied" structure, and is often used in structures that involve ball bearings.
Meanwhile, there has been a sharp increase in the planar recording density of HDDs, and particularly the track density, and it has been difficult to keep NRRO (Non-Repetitive Run Out) to 100 nm or less with conventional ball bearings, and from the standpoint of noise and impact resistance as well, ball bearings are gradually being replaced by hydrodynamic bearings.
However, a hydrodynamic bearing needs to be designed so as to suppress leakage or evaporation of the lubricant (lubricating oil). In particular, with a hydrodynamic bearing having a tied structure, in which both ends are open, more structural modification is necessary than with an untied structure, which has a pouch-like oil reservoir. More specifically, there is greater importance in the seal structure at openings where the liquid surface is exposed to the air.
There have been many proposals for the seal structures of hydrodynamic bearings, and particularly the constitution near the outer ends thereof (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).
In all of Patent Documents 1 to 3, the constitution is a spindle motor for a HDD, in which a shaft is fixed to a base or chassis. A sleeve is rotatably provided around the shaft. Radial dynamic pressure generation grooves are formed in a herringbone pattern at two vertical levels in the axial direction around the inner peripheral cylindrical face of the sleeve, and the sleeve pairs with the shaft to constitute a radial bearing.
Also, thrust flanges that are fixed to the shaft are provided at above and below positions in the axial direction of the radial bearing. The thrust flanges are disposed across from the ends of the axial end faces of the sleeve. Thrust dynamic pressure generation grooves are formed in a spiral or herringbone pattern on the sleeve-side end faces of the thrust flanges, and constitute thrust bearings between the thrust flanges and the sleeve.
A lubricant continuously fills the space between the radial bearing and the thrust bearings. Openings those expose the liquid surfaces of the lubricant to the atmosphere are provided at vertical positions in the axial direction of two thrust bearings, and seal structures are formed in the openings. These seal structures prevent the lubricant from leaking out while the hydrodynamic bearing is stopped, rotating, in shipment, or being installed in an instrument.
Also, a thrust vertical communication hole is provided at a radial position of the sleeve across from the outer peripheral edges of the thrust flanges in the axial direction, so as to communicate with the vertical thrust bearings in the axial direction. This thrust vertical communication hole is also filled with lubricant. The effect of this thrust vertical communication hole is that when there is variance in the assembly precision or machining precision of the thrust bearings or the radial bearing, even if the pumping force of the each bearing (a force that tries to push the lubricant in one direction) should be non-uniform, the pressure will be substantially the same as atmospheric pressure because the thrust vertical communication hole is near the opening of the bearing. This makes it possible to equalize the pressure differential between the bearings, which means that the lubricant will be less likely to leak during rotation.
Further, female threads are formed at one end of the shaft, and the HDD cover is fixed to the shaft with female threads. With a constitution such as this, the HDD cover and the lower chassis are securely fixed via the shaft. As a result, the rigidity of the overall housing is greatly increased, resistance to vibration and shock is improved, and there is less chassis vibration, which is caused by motor vibration that occurs during motor rotation. Accordingly, there is less transmission of harmful vibration to a voice coil motor (VCM) to which the recording and reproduction head is mounted, which affords higher-density recording. Furthermore, even if there is an increase in the number of disks, which account for the majority of the rotor weight, it will be possible to reduce the rocking mode frequency component attributable to the bearings. As a result, many more disks can be accommodated than with a single-ended motor in which the motor shaft is supported at just one end, and the overall recording capacity of the HDD can also be increased by several multiples.
Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose a peripheral wall that is either fixed or integrally machined in the sleeve or hub. This will be described through reference to FIG. 18.
A peripheral wall 302 is integrally formed on the axial upper side (the upper and lower directions in the drawing are referred to as the axial upper side and axial lower side) of a sleeve 300. As shown in FIG. 18, the peripheral wall 302 is provided in order to facilitate the centering of a clamping member 306 for clamping a disk 304 during the fixing of the clamping member 306 to the outer periphery of a hub 308 fixed to the outer peripheral side of the sleeve 300. With the structure disclosed in Patent Document 2, the distal end of the shaft is formed lower than the distal end of the peripheral wall. This is because the thickness of the HDD is determined by de facto standard, so the female threads must not protrude past the HDD cover when the HDD cover is fixed with female threads.
The peripheral wall is constituted so as to cover the vertical (axial direction) seal structure from the outer peripheral side. The peripheral wall thus serves as a barrier that prevents any jig or a worker from accidentally coming into contact with the seal structure in the course of assembly.
With the constitution given in Patent Documents 1 to 3, the hydrodynamic bearing is open at both ends, which makes the lubricant sealing performance at both ends especially important. In particular, the lubricant must not leak from either open end even if the hydrodynamic bearing device should be subjected to turbulent vibration, impact, or the like, or if the orientation of the device should change, whether in the completed state of the hydrodynamic bearing device, the completed state of the motor equipped with the hydrodynamic bearing device, or the completed state of the drive equipped with that motor. To that end, it is necessary to achieve good precision in the shape of the seal structure, the structure of the bearings, the dimensional tolerances, and so forth, and to equalize the pressure within the bearing at the top and bottom with the above-mentioned thrust vertical communication hole.
Up until the cover is in place and the HDD is complete, there is generally nothing that serves as a protective cover from the top side (the cover side) of the hydrodynamic bearing device. Consequently, there is the possibility that this side will come into contact with a jig or a finger through the opening on the cover side. This generally occurs, for example, when a person's finger touches the hydrodynamic bearing device in the course of visually inspecting the motor or the hydrodynamic bearing device.
For instance, as shown in FIG. 19, if a person's finger Fg1 touches and applies even just a little more force (see the finger Fg2) so as to block off the peripheral wall 302 of the sleeve 300, the air near the opening 310 will be compressed and apply pressure to the lubricant liquid surface.
Usually, the surface level of the lubricant in a hydrodynamic bearing device is located in the middle (axial direction) of the tapered opening 310 (see L1 in the drawing). In a state in which force is applied to a finger blocking off the peripheral wall 302, the volume of the space located to the inside (radial direction) of the peripheral wall 302 is reduced by the volume indicated by S1, and the liquid level is lowered at the opening 310 by an amount corresponding to this reduction (see L2). As a result, there is the possibility that the liquid level at the other tapered opening in the axial direction will move closer to the open end side through the thrust vertical communication hole 312, eventually causing the lubricant to overflow from the opening 314. Leakage of the lubricant from the other opening 314 is particularly apt to occur when the peripheral wall 302 is blocked off very suddenly. This is because the concussive application of pressure to the lubricant surface makes it impossible for the surface tension alone at the tapered opening 314 to withstand both the pressure that is transmitted through the lubricant and the lubricant weight.
It can be confirmed by visual inspection whether the lubricant has leaked before the hydrodynamic bearing device is installed in the motor. In this case, it is a relatively simple matter to remove from the assembly line any products that do not pass inspection because of lubricant leakage. However, once the hydrodynamic bearing device has been installed in the motor, or when that motor has been installed in a HDD, it is difficult to tell whether the lubricant has leaked.
When the peripheral wall 302 (see FIG. 19) is blocked off more gradually, there is no concussive pressure fluctuation, so the lubricant can be retained in the tapered opening 314. Nevertheless, even if the lubricant does not leak from the opening 314, if the lubricant is pushed down at the opening 310, this allows air bubbles to get into the thrust bearing 316 on the axial upper side, which communicates with the opening 310. When this happens, if the hydrodynamic bearing device starts rotating while these bubbles are admixed, there may be lubricant breakdown in the thrust bearing or radial bearing, which can lead to motor lock within a short time. The admixture of bubbles in the thrust bearing or radial bearing is difficult to ascertain by visual inspection, so the infiltration of these bubbles must be prevented.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2001-355631
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2002-311131
Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2005-16672

Hydrodynamic bearing device, motor, recording disc driving apparatus and assembly jig


A pipelined analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that converts an analog input voltage signal Vin into a digital output value Dout. The ADC has a sequence of stages including a first calibrated stage having: (1) an ADC sub-module that receives Vin and provides an ADC sub-module digital output value based on Vin, (2) a DAC sub-module that receives the ADC sub-module digital output value and outputs a corresponding analog voltage signal VDAC, (3) a first difference module that generates an analog residual-voltage signal based on a difference between Vin and VDAC, and (4) an artificial-noise-insertion module that inserts an analog artificial-noise voltage signal into the residual voltage signal to generate an analog combined voltage signal. The analog combined voltage signal is used to calibrate the first calibrated stage. The artificial-noise-insertion module generates the polarity of the artificial-noise voltage signal based on the polarity of the corresponding residual voltage signal.

The present invention relates to analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), and more particularly, to gain error calibration in pipelined ADCs.
ADCs convert the amplitude of an analog input voltage signal to a corresponding digital output value for processing by a digital circuit. One of the simplest conventional ADCs is the flash, or direct-conversion, ADC. A flash ADC uses a linear array of comparators to compare the input voltage to a series of reference voltage values—conventionally generated using a voltage ladder—and generate a digital value based on the results of the comparisons. Flash ADCs are among the fastest ADCs. However, increasing the output precision of a flash ADC exponentially increases the number of comparators needed and, consequently, greatly increases the production and usage costs of the flash ADC. As a result, other types of ADCs that are less costly have been developed. One such type of ADC is a pipelined ADC, which is also known as a subranging quantizer.
A pipelined ADC comprises a connected series of stages. The pipelining through the stages allows for a high throughput rate but does generate some data latency. Each stage generates a digital value corresponding to a portion of the digital output value. In addition, each stage, other than the final stage, provides an analog residual signal—representing the difference between (a) the analog signal received by the stage from upstream and (b) an analog signal corresponding to the portion of the digital output value generated by the stage—to the next stage. The digital values generated by the different stages, including the last stage, are processed by a time-alignment and error correction circuit to generate the digital output value representing the original analog input signal applied to the pipelined ADC. The time alignment is performed because each analog sample is processed by a different stage at a different time.
FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of a conventional pipelined ADC 100, which receives an analog input signal Vin and generates a digital output signal Dout representing the magnitude of the analog input signal Vin. The ADC 100 comprises N stages 101(1)-101(N). Each stage 101, other than the last stage 101(N), operates in substantially the same way.
The first stage 101(1) receives the analog input signal Vin as the input 101a(1) and outputs (a) a first digital value D1 to the summation module 102 via the data path 103a(1) and (b) an analog remainder signal 101b(1) to the second stage 101(2). The first output value D1 represents the one or more most-significant bits of the digital output value Dout. Successive stages output digital values Di representing progressively less-significant bits with the last stage 101(N) outputting an Nth digital value DN representing the one or more least-significant bits. The summation module 102 stores, correlates, and sums the N digital values D1-DN provided by the N stages 101 to provide, via the output path 102a, the digital output value Dout.
In general, the stage 101(i), where i is an integer from 1 to N−1, receives the analog input signal 101a(i), which is provided to the sample-and-hold (S&H) module 104. The S&H module 104 intermittently samples and holds the signal 101a(i) and provides the held output signal 104a to the ADC sub-module 103 and the difference module 105. The ADC sub-module 103 may be a low-resolution flash ADC device, such as, for example, a 3-bit flash ADC. The ADC sub-module 103 outputs the digital output value Di to the summation module 102 and to the DAC sub-module 106 via the data path 103a(i).
The DAC sub-module 106 converts the digital output value Di of the data path 103a into an analog signal for provision as the signal 106a to the difference module 105. The difference module 105 subtracts the analog signal 106a from the held input signal 104a and generates the corresponding remainder signal 105a. The remainder signal 105a is provided to amplifier 107, which multiplies the remainder signal 105a by gain G to generate the residual signal 101b(i), which is provided to the next stage 101(i+1) as the input 101a(i+1) of that next stage 101(i+1). Consequently, the input signal 101a(N), for example, corresponds to the output signal 101b(N−1). The final stage 101(N) does not output a residual signal and does not need any components other than the S&H module 104 and the ADC sub-module 103.
A conventional pipelined ADC may also include calibration circuitry to offset gain errors that may be caused by, for example, capacitor mismatches, limited op-amp gains, and environmental variations. Performing calibration in the background allows for correction that dynamically accounts for variations without interrupting the analog-to-digital conversion.
One conventional calibration method is known as correlation-based background calibration. This method involves adding known random-like noise samples to a stage's remainder signal, which is then amplified by the amplifier in the stage and processed by the following stages (back-end ADC) along with the remainder signal. Random-like samples may be generated by a random-number generator that outputs random or pseudo-random numbers. Since the values of the random-like samples are known, (a) they can be accurately extracted from the ADC's output signal and (b) the effect of gain errors on the samples may be analyzed to determine gain error parameters for the ADC.
FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of a conventional pipelined ADC 200 that includes background calibration circuitry. Components of the ADC 200 that are similarly labeled but with a different prefix are—unless otherwise indicated—substantially the same as the corresponding elements of the ADC 100 of FIG. 1. Typically, only the first few stages 201 include calibration circuitry. Background calibration is typically performed in reverse order so that if, for example, the stages 201(1)-201(3) include calibration circuitry, then the third stage 201(3) is calibrated first, then the second stage 201(2), and then the first stage 201(1).
Each stage 201 that includes calibration circuitry comprises a random-number (RN) generator 208, a calibration DAC 209, and a difference module 210. Furthermore, the summation and calibration module 202 includes additional circuitry (not shown) for cancelling out the artificial noise signal inserted by the calibration circuitry. The RN generator 208 generates a random-like sequence of digital values whose average (mean) value is zero. These digital values are provided to the calibration DAC 209 via the signal path 208a and converted to analog signals, which are in turn provided to the difference module 210 via the signal path 209a. The difference module 210 subtracts the artificial noise signal 209a from the remainder signal 205a to generate the analog signal 210a, which is in turn provided to the amplifier 207. The amplifier 207 amplifies the analog signal 210a by gain factor G and outputs the residual signal 201b(i) to the next stage 201(i+1). The random-like noise inserted by the RN generator 208 and the DAC 209 is subsequently analyzed by the summation and calibration module 202 to estimate the gain error of the amplifier 207.
Conventional correlation-based background calibration is slow to converge on error-parameter values, sometimes requiring millions of clock cycles to sufficiently converge. Some faster systems utilize additional hardware and still require many thousands of clock cycles to sufficiently converge.

Analog-to-digital converter with controlled error calibration


Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a method and apparatus for displaying an interface. A specific embodiment of the method comprises: acquiring device related information of a connected device; querying display interface information corresponding to the device related information of the connected device; and displaying a corresponding interface based on the display interface information. According to the embodiment, a smart terminal can display the corresponding interface according to the connected device, thereby improving the efficiency of acquiring the information by the user.

With the development of the science and technology, the smart devices are having more and more abundant functions. A user may set different smart devices for different scenarios to meet the needs in work and life, which improves the informatization level of the user. For example, when the user is driving a vehicle, an electronic map may be displayed through a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. When the user is in a living room, a music may be played through a smart audio system, and so on.

Method and apparatus for displaying interface

Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.


An automatic matching and tuning unit (AMTU), which connects the output from a low or medium frequency, high power radio transmitter, which requires a 50 ohm terminating impedance, to an antenna with an input impedance comprising low resistance in series with a high capacitive reactance. Sensors measure the phase angle between the input current and voltage. The inductance of a series connected loading coil is continuously varied to resonate the antenna capacitance. The resulting input resistance is transformed to 50 ohms using a matching transformer and pair of resonant, mutually coupled coils with adjustable mutual coupling. Sensors measure the input resistance and continuously adjust the mutual coupling coefficient to maintain the required 50 ohm input impedance. Sensors measure the antenna current and vary the transmitter power level to keep it constant. A microcontroller processes all of the sensor outputs and provides serial communication with the transmitter.

The present invention relates to a matching and tuning unit (AMTU), which connects the output from a low or medium frequency high power radio transmitter to an antenna with a complex input impedance.
Most state-of-the-art high power radio transmitters which operate in the low or medium frequency bands unitize class D switching amplifiers which are much more efficient than their predecessors which operated as Class B amplifiers. This very significant improvement in efficiency has greatly reduced the size of the modem equipment, because large cooling surfaces are no longer required. As a result, these transmitters are much more susceptible than their predecessors to the effects of mismatch at their output terminals which results in reflected power being dissipated in the heat sinks of their final amplifiers. The task of establishing and maintaining an acceptable matched condition between transmitters and antennas, which operate in the low and medium frequency bands presents a uniquely difficult situation. This is due to the fact that the physical height of these antennas is typically much lower than an optimum value. This deficiency in physical height results in an antenna input impedance that is equivalent to a low value resistance in series with a high capacitive reactance. The purpose of the AMTU is to transform this complex input impedance to the purely resistive 50 ohm value required to terminate the transmitter and to compensate for weather related changes in both the capacitive reactance and the resistance of the antenna so that the transmitter remains perfectly matched at all times.
The AMTU resonates the antenna's reactance with a series connected adjustable loading coil. Sensors measure the phase angle between the voltage and the current at the input of the AMTU. A microcontroller controlled motor adjusts the inductance of the loading coil to maintain this phase angle at zero degrees.
The value of the input resistance of the AMTU is transformed to the required 50 ohm value by the combination of a ferrite cored transformer with fixed tapping positions together with a pair of tuned, air cored, mutually coupled coils. Sensors are used to measure the value of the resistance at the input to the AMTU. A microcontroller-controlled motor adjusts the value of the coupling coefficient between the mutually coupled coils to maintain an input resistance value of 50 ohms.
In addition, the antenna current is monitored and feedback to the associated transmitter is used to maintain it at a constant value.
A sensor measures the value of the radio frequency current applied to the antenna. An RS485 serial link between the microcontroller in the AMTU and a microcontroller in the associated transmitter adjusts the output power level from the transmitter in order to maintain a constant antenna current when weather related changes to the loss resistance components of the antenna's input resistance occur.
The use of "TEE" or "PI" networks to implement the necessary impedance transformation, in which inductance and capacitor values are varied to obtain a matched condition is well known in the art. These networks suffer from the drawback that the component values are inter-dependent. A change in the value of any component affects both the resistance and the phase angle of the input impedance making automatic adjustment difficult. With the present invention the component changes to correct for reactive and resistive variations are independent, making automatic tuning and matching easier to implement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,611, uses a similar technique to that embodied in the present invention in that tuned, mutually coupled coils are used to adjust the resistive component of the input impedance. However U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,611 requires a large, very expensive, high power variable vacuum capacitor to tune the secondary winding of the coupled coils. In the present invention, this variable capacitor is not required. A tuned condition in the secondary circuit of the mutually coupled coils is achieved by automatic adjustment of the loading coil inductance. The present invention also improves upon U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,611 with the addition of a feedback loop to maintain the antenna current at a constant value.
The present invention also provides an ability to monitor, control and test the AMTU from the location of the transmitter. The transmitter is typical positioned at a safe distance from the near field of the antenna where high electric and magnetic fields can be dangerous to the health of maintenance personnel. This same monitor and control feature may also be made from any location via the Internet.


A vendable prize delivery mechanism contains a premium that is to be delivered via a vending machine. The vendable prize delivery mechanism has a currency slot to allow for the insertion of differing local currencies in the amount that the local vending machines require in the country in which the promotion is being done. The vendable prize delivery mechanism has a size and shape of a primary product container that is customarily delivered to a consumer by a vending machine. The vendable prize delivery mechanism has an opening to an interior region for insertion of the premium and a removable bottom or snap-apart capability to allow the consumer to access premium.

Vending machines have been used by large consumer product companies to dispense their goods ("primary products") for years. Vending machines have also been used as a means to dispense premiums or promotional items in an attempt to increase sales of those primary products. These vending programs contain a promotional product that is delivered to the consumer instead of the primary product that was first intended to purchase. These vending programs require the money initially inserted by the consumer into the machine to be returned in substantially the same form and amount inserted so the consumer can complete their original intended purchase. Further, for purposes of these programs, these companies have desired to maintain their brand awareness by utilizing containers that are indistinguishable to those used to vend their primary products. This has required extensive research and testing to comply with the detailed size, weight and rigidity specifications of various manufacturers of vending machines in order to ensure that the assembled prize delivery mechanism meets the standards used by the greatest number of machines in the field as possible.
Historically, the approach to these challenges has involved a labor intensive, cumbersome process which allowed for the manual insertion of currency and the premium or promotional items into the same identical package that typically vends the primary products of these consumer products companies, with some necessary modifications to address the detailed size, weight and rigidity specifications of the various manufacturers of vending machines. For example, the process to execute a vending promotion that gives away free premium or promotional items with purchase (with the goal of increasing volume of beverage sales) would typically encompass the following:    Empty containers which would otherwise be used to vend the company's primary products would need to be sourced and delivered locally in the country in which the promotion is being done;    The desired premium or promotional products would need to be sourced and delivered, most often from a different country of manufacture where lower cost labor could be used since the intent was to give these items away free of charge;    The empty containers would be sliced open manually to allow for insertion of the desired premium or promotional products;    The desired premium or promotional products had to be inserted, most often first into a cardboard sleeve which provided for enough rigidity in the assembled container to support beverages to be stacked above the assembled container when placed in a channel in a vending machine;    The desired premium or promotional products had to be of constructed of a size and/or density, and possess the characteristics that would readily lend itself to insertion in the aforementioned sleeve;    The desired premium or promotional products had to be of such a weight that would readily lend itself to vending without substantial modifications being made to the empty containers and sleeves otherwise used to vend the company's primary products;    Currency of the local country had to be sorted in the country where the promotion was being done in the correct denomination and inserted to the empty container along with the premium or promotional product in the above referenced sleeve, in an amount which covers the cost of the primary product which the recipient originally intended to purchase in the local market;    The containers needed to be taped closed manually;    A label, most often similar in design to the company's primary product labels, would be affixed utilizing local labor in the country where the promotion was being done to the container which explained to the recipient that they had won a free premium or promotional item along with enough currency to purchase the original desired product;    The completed assembly would need to be shrink-wrapped utilizing local labor in the country where the promotion was being done to both protect the product from any beverage leakage in the vending channels and provide a level of security regarding the currency that had been inserted.The local market adaptability of these programs has otherwise been restricted as it has been difficult to change the amount or type of currency needed to purchase the primary products to that dictated by the local currency or cost of the company's primary products. For example, not all local markets of consumer product companies in the business of vending 12 oz beverages are priced the same. Further, the premium and promotional programs that are to be executed may not have the same appeal in all local markets.
The high cost of the assembled premium or promotional item has also limited the amount of free promotional or premium items that could be given away to the recipients, thereby limiting the marketing impact on sales of the company's primary products. These cost factors were driven primarily from the need to utilize local labor at third party fulfillment operations as well as the disparate freight costs associated with sourcing the empty containers, sleeves, premiums (typically from a different country of manufacture), currency, labels and shipping containers. The finished appearance of the vessel containing the premium or promotional items has also been compromised by whatever customization was necessary to meet the detailed size, weight and rigidity specifications of the various manufacturers of vending machines, which negatively impacts brand awareness and the ability of the recipient to visualize the premium or promotional item won.
What is desired is an assembly method and mechanism that can deliver promotional or premium items at a significantly reduced cost, and which allows for the flexibility to adapt to the needs of the local market currencies and trends. This mechanism must allow for the insertion of local currency of the desired denomination and amounts necessary to allow the recipient to purchase the primary product originally desired. Further, the mechanism should be constructed of a transparent substrate that allows for the premium or promotional item to be displayed in a professional manner in substantially an identical replica of the container otherwise used by the consumer product companies for vending their primary products, yet complies with the various size, weight and rigidity specifications of the various manufacturers of vending machines.

Vendable prize delivery mechanism for local dispensing of promotional items


A method of treating coronavirus infection, post-acute sequelae of coronavirus infection, and viral mediated respiratory distress in a subject in need thereof includes administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of agent that promotes, increases, and/or induces hemoglobin nitrosylation within red blood cells (RBCs) and GSNO levels in the lung or airways of the subject.

There is a need for the development of new treatments that are effective against respiratory stress associated with viral infections, particularly against viral infections, which are associated with high morbidity and mortality, and which impact on sizable populations. Treatments currently available are inadequate or ineffective in large proportions of infected patients.
For example, a well-known family of pathogenic viruses are the Coronaviruses. Coronaviruses (Order Nidovirales, family Coronaviridae, Genus Coronavirus) are enveloped positive-stranded RNA viruses that bud from the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi intermediate compartment or the cis-Golgi network.
Coronaviruses infect humans and animals and it is thought that there could be a coronavirus that infects every animal. Two human coronaviruses, 229E and OC43, are known to be the major causes of the respiratory distress and can cause pneumonia in older adults, neonates, or immunocompromised patients. Animal coronaviruses can cause respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological, or hepatic diseases in their host. Several animal coronavirus are significant veterinary pathogens.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease caused by a SARS-associated coronavirus, such as SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. SARS is a respiratory illness that has been reported in Asia, North America, and Europe. It is believed that SARS-CoV infections will not be eradicated but will cause seasonal epidemics like the cold or influenza viruses. There is an ongoing need to identify therapeutics and/or treatments capable of treating respiratory distress mediated by viral infections.
SARS-CoV-2 is the pathogen responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 is now recognized as a multi-organ disease with a broad spectrum of manifestations including microvascular thrombosis (impaired microvascular blood flow). Microvascular thrombosis associated with COVID-19 can cause widespread tissue injury and produce a newly encountered clinical syndrome of virally induced lung injury, lung inflammation and tissue hypoxia throughout the body from microvascular blood flow deficits.
Similar to post-acute viral syndromes described in survivors for other virulent coronavirus epidemics, there are increasing reports of persistent and prolonged effects after acute COVID-19. Post-acute COVID or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) is a syndrome characterized by persistent symptoms and/or delayed long-term complications beyond four weeks from the onset of acute symptoms. Symptoms of PASC can include fatigue, dyspnea, chest pain, cognitive disturbances, arthralgia, and decline in quality of life.

Compositions and methods for in vivo lung and blood SNO repletion

UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS CLEVELAND MEDICAL CENTER


Balancing equipment that provides a selectively dynamic platform for an individual thereon. The weight and movement of the individual causes the platform to tilt in any direction, thereby attempting to throw off the balance of the individual, causing the individual to work on maintaining balance while on the dynamic platform. The dynamic nature of the platform can be adjusted to correspond to the balancing abilities of individuals. An adjustment mechanism increases or reduces the amount the platform is able to tilt, without requiring the raising or lowering of any component of the platform. An exercise mechanism can also be connected to the platform to further modify the dynamic nature of the platform.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exercise equipment and more particularly to balancing equipment that provides a dynamic platform on which an individual exercises. The dynamic platform forces the individual to make an effort to maintain his or her balance.
2. The Prior State of the Art
Balancing devices have been developed for recreation and/or exercise that provide an unstable surface on which an individual balances. One such type of balancing device provides an unstable surface through the use of a cylinder that is free to roll on the ground. A board is placed on top of the cylinder and balance is tested as an individual stands on top of the board and attempts to prevent either of the opposing ends of the board from touching the ground. While this balancing device provides an unstable surface, movement of the board is limited to a side-to-side motion.
A second type of balancing device that provides an unstable surface on which to test an individual's balance employs a sphere that is free to roll or pivot in any direction. Such devices generally include some type of board that is placed on or around the object. Balance is tested as an individual stands on top of the board and attempts to prevent any portion of the board from touching the ground While such balancing devices provide an unstable surface in any direction, frequently the devices are not adaptable to the balancing abilities of individuals.
Another type of balancing device that provides an unstable surface on which to test balance includes a board that pivots about a vertical fulcrum that is connected to a base, which remains stationary on the ground. Balance is tested as an individual stands on top of the board and attempts to prevent any portion of the board from touching any portion of the base. Such balancing devices may allow an individual to increase or decrease the angle along which the board is allowed to pivot prior to touching the base. However, an adjustment mechanism that modifies the pivot angle of the board generally requires the board to be raised or lowered.


Error bursts are randomized by an interleaver which makes use of “set leaders” to generate permutation indices. The permutation indices are used to route bits from initial positions in an input bit stream to re-arranged or randomized positions in an output bit stream. When the output bit stream is then transmitted and subsequently received by a de-interleaver which returns the received bits to their initial, pre-randomized positions, the resulting received signal has an acceptable bit error rate.

Wireless communication systems are susceptible to so-called "burst" errors (e.g., a large amount of errors are received over a very short period of time). To prevent such errors from degrading a received signal, existing techniques attempt to break-up these errors and evenly distribute them over time in a random fashion. One technique uses bit or symbol interleaving in combination with Forward Error Correction (FEC) encoding. The interleaver permutes FEC encoded bits before transmission. When these permutated bits are received by a receiver, an inverse de-interleaving is completed to restore the bit stream to its original sequence.
Conventional interleavers and de-interleavers have their drawbacks, however. Many existing interleavers/de-interleavers require the use of look-up tables that require a large number of memory elements which can be costly both in terms of money and space.

Methods and devices for randomizing burst errors


A new and distinct cultivar of Lavandula stoechas L. named ‘Dream’ originated as seedling from a controlled cross between Lavandula stoechas L. ‘Cellers’ and an unnamed Lavandula stoechas L. The terminal inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Dream’ have showy top bracts which are R.H.S. 76A (violet group) at maturity. ‘Dream’ also has a compact growth habit.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lavandula stoechas named 'Dream' by the assignees.
The new cultivar originated as a seedling from a controlled cross between Lavandula stoechas L. 'Cellers' and an unnamed Lavandula stoechas L. cultivar.
The new variety has been asexually propagated by cuttings through three generations, and the characteristics of the new cultivar have been determined to be fixed and stable.


The present invention addresses the critical needs of publishers seeking to create and publish hypermedia content in electronic form across the wide area networks (“WAN's”) such as the World Wide Web. Toward this end, a client-server development platform is provided for handling the important functions of document authoring, content-based indexing and retrieval of documents, management and control of proprietary assets, and a support for developing form-driven interactive services, all in a manner that is uniquely and seamlessly WAN-integrated.

The distribution of information is being revolutionized before our very eyes. Wide area networks ("WAN's"), notably the Internet, are assuming the role of "information superhighways" and are distributing electronic embodiments of mail, textbooks, magazines, advertisements, and even audio and video clips around the world. Herein, the term "document" denotes and includes any and all such electronic content, generically.
FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates the basic architecture of a "client-server" WAN like the Internet. Servers 10a–n form the backbone of the WAN. The servers are interconnected by a telecommunications infrastructure and exchange information in the form of one or more recognized protocols, such as protocol 30. For example, in the case of the Internet, network protocols include FTP, for file transfer, and Telnet, for remote log-in. Each server effectively represents and services its one or more "clients." Basically, the clients are the ultimate sources and targets of underlying information, while the servers dispatch and receive messages across the WAN in compliance with network protocols. Each client may correspond to a single user's computer, or may itself be hierarchically complex and may comprise a further sub-network or collection of numerous computers, such as the well-known, proprietary sub-networks of America Online, CompUServe, and Prodigy. In this way, information of any kind can be distributed worldwide in electronic form at telecommunications speeds.
One of the most rapidly expanding aspects of the Internet is the World Wide Web (the "Web"). The Web is comprised of those Internet servers (and their clients) able to support the Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol, better known as "http." The Web allows documents and graphical materials to be interlinked by means of "hypertext" (or more generally, hypermedia) document elements. When a user utilizes a cursor control device to select and "click" on a hypermedia item in one document, a related document will automatically be accessed as identified by that link. For example, FIG. 2 illustrates a simple example of a popular Web document known as a "home page." Home page 40 includes title 42, graphic image 44, instructional text 48, and list of bullet items 46a–c. Selections 46a–c are each hypertext. A Web hypermedia item is actually encoded with a Uniform Resource Locator ("URL") tag, which literally addresses a document located on a remote network server. If a client of a Web server is equipped with suitable "browser" software, then a user of that client can point and click on any one of the hypermedia items within home page 40, and an http request to view the associated, linked content residing elsewhere on the Internet will automatically be generated and dispatched by the client's server to the appropriate Internet server which "hosts" the linked document. The linked material will then automatically be retrieved and ultimately displayed on the client. Http further includes the Hyper-Text Markup Language ("html"), which may be used to specify a certain layout structure for Web documents, e.g., specifying subsections of the document as a title, image, list, etc. Html specifications are interpreted by a client's browser, resulting in an appropriate display on the particular client's computer platform. A survey and discussion of many popular Web browsers is provided in the Feb. 7, 1995, issue of PC Magazine ("PC Magazine"), at pages 173–196.
An important challenge that must be addressed, especially in light of the burgeoning expansion and popularity of the Internet and the Web, is how best to facilitate the authoring and publishing of hypermedia documents on the Web. Many large and small publishers of content—such as newspaper and magazine publishers, for example—wish to make their content available in on-line form to subscribers. However, this opportunity presents a major bottleneck, because high-quality development platforms and authoring tools have not yet been developed that adequately facilitate the authoring and publishing of hypermedia on a distributed WAN like the Web. A summary of the primary limitations of current Internet and Web publishing tools follows:
1. Current publishing tools are typically not fully network-integrated. Browsers or other "cruiseware" help users view existing WAN content, but do not generally support authoring of new WAN content. Current authoring tools, on the other hand, are typically either "stand-alone" local products, or at best offer a limited bridge to WAN access such that authoring and WAN navigation remain fundamentally non-integrated processes.
For example, in order to publish a document on a WAN, it is typically necessary to edit documents in a local storage context using authoring tools, and thereafter manually copy the documents to a WAN server. Manual copying is often tedious and inconvenient, especially where a publisher frequently publishes a large quantity of content from diverse sources, including text files, graphics images, video and sound clips, etc. Yet, current authoring tools generally provide little assistance with this chore.
The non-integrated nature of current authoring tools presents other difficulties and limitations as well. For example, it is not generally possible to "open" multiple WAN documents for editing and to transfer text, images, and URL's among those documents in the seamless fashion as is presently done with typical word processors for local computer documents. As another example, current Web authoring tools generally do not provide full WYSIWYG ("What You See Is What You Get") feedback as to html markups and hypermedia links. In other words, the creation and editing of documents is typically performed in a purely local context; html and URL codes must then be separately tested in a serial fashion, by loading the document into a WAN browser or the like. This serial, iterative process is highly inefficient.
2. Current WAN publishing tools provide little assistance with managing collections of documents. Although the World Wide Web is famous for supporting hypermedia document links, current tools provide scant support for maintaining and operating on collections of related documents as a group. Much progress is needed in this area. For example, an integrated publishing environment should preferably allow users to visually navigate through collections of interconnected documents; to upload, download, and transport collections of documents from one WAN location to another as a group; and to set access privileges or other attributes for a WAN collection as a group. Current tools generally fall far short of these objectives.
3. Current publishing tools provide little assistance with content-based indexing and retrieval. Current navigational tools, such as browsers, provide very little assistance with systematically organizing and searching the information content contained within the numerous sites comprising a network like the Internet. Clearly, as the volume of both information and traffic on the Internet continues to explode, publishers need to be able to make their content available to subscribers in an intelligently organized fashion that facilitates uniform, content-driven search and access.
4. Current publishing tools provide little assistance with asset management. For commercial publishers of proprietary material like newspapers or periodicals, asset management is critical. In other words, publishers need to be able to control and limit access to their WAN documents, and to keep track of usage for billing and other purposes. Yet, currently available tools for WAN publishing generally ignore this area almost completely.
5. Current Publishing tools do not address the creation of application programs. For on-line network publishing to realize its full potential, publishers will want to do more than simply dump passive, one-way content onto the Internet. They will want to provide application programs allowing network users to take advantage of interactive on-line services such as subscribing to a publication, registering for a conference, or perhaps even more exotic applications like participating in multi-player games contests. Current network publishing and authoring tools largely ignore this area.
Accordingly, there is a great need for a new development platform for distributed publishing that overcomes the various limitations described above. This need is especially pronounced and important in view of the rapid expansion of interest in the Internet and the Web, and the tremendous economic opportunities presently available to publishers if a suitable development platform can be provided. Recently, authoring tools have begun to emerge, which attack some of the foregoing problems in piecemeal fashion. See PC Magazine at pp. 110–196. However, there remains a great need for a comprehensive solution to the problems described, and especially for an authoring/publishing tool that is truly and fully network-integrated.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for publishing hypermedia documents over wide area networks


This invention relates to the field of pharmaceutical chemistry and, more specifically, to pharmaceutical formulations as well as to intermediates used to prepare such formulations and to methods for manufacturing such formulations.

Pyrimidine compounds useful for treatment of diabetes and other metabolic disorders are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,638,541 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. One such compound is 5-ethyl-2-{4-[4-(4-tetrazol-1-yl-phenoxymethyl)-thiazol-2-yl]-piperidin-1-yl}-pyrimidine. Methods for preparing this compound are set forth in U.S. Ser. No. 61/351,803 filed on Jun. 4, 2010 which application is incorporated in its entirety by reference. This compound is an agonist of GPR119, a GPCR that is expressed in the pancreatic islets and the gastrointestinal tract. GPR agonists have been shown to stimulate glucose-dependent insulin secretion and release of incretin hormones leading to a preservation of beta cell health.
Heretofore, described formulations of 5-ethyl-2-{4-[4-(4-tetrazol-1-yl-phenoxymethyl)-thiazol-2-yl]-piperidin-1-yl}-pyrimidine possessed less than optimal bioavailability properties. In turn, increased bioavailability of 5-ethyl-2-{4-[4-(4-tetrazol-1-yl-phenoxymethyl)-thiazol-2-yl]-piperidin-1-yl}-pyrimidine.


An integrated circuit fabrication process is provided in which a sub-level local interconnect is formed between a gate conductor of one transistor and a junction of another transistor. The formation of a sub-level local interconnect allows for higher packing density by removing the local interconnect to a sub-level dielectrically spaced from possibly other local interconnects and from the distal interconnect normally associated with device interconnection. A semiconductor topography is provided which includes a first transistor laterally spaced from a second transistor, the transistors being arranged upon and within the substrate. An interlevel dielectric is deposited across the semiconductor topography. A portion of the interlevel dielectric is removed to form a trench. The trench is then filled with a conductive material to form a local interconnect extending horizontally above a portion of the first transistor and a portion of the second transistor. Portions of the interlevel dielectric and the local interconnect are removed in sequence while retaining the patterned masking layer. Removal of the local interconnect forms vias extending to the gate conductor of one transistor and to a junction of the other transistor, or from the gate conductor of one transistor to a junction of the same transistor. A conductive material may be deposited in these vias to form plugs therein. Further, a capping dielectric layer may be deposited upon the interlevel dielectric and contact regions may be formed which abut the plugs. Therefore, distal interconnect conductive layers may then be formed dielectrically above the local interconnect which are then electrically coupled to the local interconnect through the contact regions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to integrated circuit fabrication and more particularly to forming a high density multi-level metallization scheme employing localized interconnect formed prior to plug formation in order to provide routing between a pair of transistors located within a plane distal from the local interconnect.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Fabrication of an integrated circuit involves numerous processing steps. After impurity regions have been deposited within a semiconductor substrate and gate areas defined upon the substrate, interconnect routing is placed on the semiconductor topography and connected to contact areas thereon to form an integrated circuit. The entire process of making an ohmic contact to the contact areas and routing interconnect material between ohmic contacts is described generally as "metallization". While materials other than metals are often used, the term metallization is generic in its application. It is derived from the origins of interconnect technology, where metals were the first conductors used. As the complexity of integrated circuits has increased, the complexity of the metallization structure has also increased.
Building multi-level interconnect structures is well known in the art. Multi-level interconnect structures were developed as a result of the shrinkage of active devices combined with increased demands required to accommodate interconnect routed between the active devices. In many designs, the area required to route a level of interconnect exceeds the area occupied by the active devices. Multi-level interconnect technology has therefore gained in popularity. Interconnect dispersed across several elevational levels helps reduce the overall lateral area occupied by the interconnect--leading to an increase in integrated circuit packing density.
Local interconnects are a special form of interconnect. Local interconnects are relatively short routing structures, and can be made of numerous conductive elements. A popular local interconnect comprises doped polysilicon, or reacted polysilicon termed "polycide". In whatever form, local interconnect is beneficial to the formation of multi-level interconnect structures. Local interconnect can be used to provide coupling between a gate conductor of a MOS transistor and a source or drain implant region (hereinafter "junction") of that transistor. Such coupling effectuates a diode. Local interconnect has also been used to couple a gate conductor of one transistor and a source or drain junction of another transistor. This form of coupling is prevalent in all input-output connections of, for example, standard logic cells. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an example of such a local interconnect.
The circuit diagram of FIG. 1 depicts a single input forwarded into a pair of gate conductors 10 of an inverter 11. The output of inverter 1 is shown, according to one example, fed into one of the two inputs of a NOR gate 12. Local interconnect 13 is used to effectuate the interconnection between inverter 11 and NOR gate 12 by locally connecting a drain junction 14 of inverter 11 output to a gate conductor 16 of NOR gate 12.
FIG. 2 depicts the circuit diagram of FIG. 1 using logic symbols. Inverter 11 and NOR gate 12 are shown in symbolic form. FIG. 2 further demonstrates that local interconnect 13 output from inverter 11 may also be connected to a second gate conductor via possibly an extension 13a to local interconnect 13. Extension 13a can therefore route to a gate conductor of a second NOR gate 22.
The formation of a local interconnect between a gate conductor of one transistor of, for example, NOR gate 12 and a junction of another transistor of, for example, inverter 11 generally involves a plug. A plug is defined as a structure extending between conductive planes dielectrically spaced from one another. A plug can be formed by forming an opening through an insulative layer and thereafter filling the opening with a conductive plug material. The conductive plug material extends through the insulative (dielectric) layer disposed upon the two transistors and the single-crystalline substrate on which the transistors reside upon and partially within. A first plug extends through the dielectric to the gate conductor of one transistor while another plug, laterally spaced from the first plug, extends to a junction of another transistor. A conductive layer, i.e., a local interconnect, which contacts the upper surfaces of the two plugs is then formed horizontally above the dielectric layer. The local interconnect therefore extends from above one plug to an area above the other plug. The plugs serve as intermediaries between the overlying interconnect and the underlying gate conductor and underlying junction.
A problem with the above-mentioned method for the formation of such a local interconnect is that the plugs occupy one level of the multi-level integrated circuit while the local interconnect occupies another level. The local interconnect occupies space which could better be used for additional routing of distally extending interconnect, such interconnect defined as routing runs which extend across, for example, the entire or a substantial portion of the integrated circuit die. By placing the local interconnect in a plane common to distally extending interconnect, the area available to the distal interconnect is limited. Thus, the packing density of the integrated circuit is somewhat sacrificed by the local interconnect and associated plugs. Moreover, no means is provided for other interconnect structures to communicate with the local interconnect. Packing density around the local interconnect is then further limited. These limitations on density prevent an increase in circuit speed as well as an increase in circuit complexity. It is therefore desirable that a semiconductor fabrication process be developed for the formation of a local interconnect which allows for higher density layout of advanced ULSI integrated circuits containing local interconnect.

Semiconductor fabrication employing a local interconnect