Wireless communication network dynamically assigning communicators to allocated channels by considering the interference and noise environment to maximize the number of communicators and effective bandwidth of the channel. The present invention provides a digital wireless modem capable of measuring interference and noise in a channel, signaling the information on a control channel, accepting dynamic channel assignments from a controlling element and demodulating signals in the presence of interference and noise. The modem uses a demodulator capable of recovering information from data signals in the presence of noise and interference stronger than the primary signal, and there is a controlling element for transmitting noise and interference measurements to a central network controller and a controlling element for determining channel assignments with the central network controller and setting the modem to the correct transmission and reception channel.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a digital signal demodulator and modulator and particularly to such a demodulator and modulator for networks where efficient use of allocated frequency bandwidth is desirable.
2. Background Art
The telecommunications industry has been expanding at an unprecedented growth rate. In particular, the wireless sector, including 3G, wireless local area networks, smart appliances, telephone traffic with digital voice encoding, video conferencing, wide area computer network connectivity, Internet service and Bluetooth devices, has grown far beyond expectations and at a much higher rate than the fixed telecommunications counterpart. The content of the wireless sector is also changing, with more and more data being transmitted, including Internet connectivity and live feeds. And, this wireless phenomenon is not limited to any geographical boundaries, as the growth is occurring around the globe. While the content is expanding with new applications arising for use in wireless frequency bands, the amount of bandwidth allocated for these applications is a generally fixed or at least limited resource.
Wireless networks are employed to facilitate the communication between computers and other electronic devices. Network management is thus a control scheme that tries to efficiently use a given bandwidth and in order to transmit the most information. In all cases, it is desirable to maximize the network traffic capacity in a given bandwidth in the presence of interference and noise.
A variety of schemes exist for efficiently partitioning the network elements into communication channels. Frequency domain multiple access (FDMA) schemes assign each terminal to a separate, non-overlapping frequency band. Time domain multiple access (TDMA) schemes assign each terminal to a separate non-overlapping time slot. Code division multiple access (CDMA) schemes assign each terminal to a separate modulating waveform so that the cross correlation between each terminal is negligible.
Digitally modulated signals like binary phase shift keyed (BPSK) and quadrature phase shift keyed (QPSK) signals are transmitted between the various network nodes. Examples include satellite communications networks where terminals transmit through satellite transponders, terrestrial elements where terminals transmit through repeating towers and indoor local area networks where terminals transmit through central repeating elements. In each instance digital data is exchanged through wireless transmission to central repeating elements.
All of these schemes are inefficient in the sense that given sufficient signal to noise strength or coding redundancy, more communicators could use the allocated bandwidth if provided with means for detecting the excess signal margin and means for demodulating signals in the presence of interference.
In the past, prior art communication systems generally utilized Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) methods to achieve channel access. FDMA refers to a communication channel wherein a signal's transmission power is concentrated into a single radio frequency band. Interference from adjacent channels is limited by the use of band pass filters. However for each channel being assigned a different frequency, system capacity is limited by the available frequencies and by limitations imposed by channel reuse.
In TDMA systems, a channel consists of a time slot or frame in a periodic train of time intervals over the same frequency, with a given signal's energy confined to one of these time slots. Adjacent channel interference is limited by the use of a time gate or other synchronization element that only passes signal energy received at the proper time. The system capacity is limited by the available time slots as well as by limitations imposed by channel reuse, as each channel is assigned a different time slot.
One of the goals of FDMA and TDMA systems is to try and prevent two potentially interfering signals from occupying the same frequency at the same time. In contrast, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) techniques allow signals to overlap in both time and frequency. CDMA signals share the same frequency spectrum and in the frequency or time domain, the CDMA signals appear to overlap one another. The use of CDMA greatly increases the capacity of the analog TDMA/FDMA systems and with a high bit rate decoder permits superior voice transmissions. CDMA also provides for variable data rates allowing many different grades of voice quality to be offered. Finally, the scrambled signal format of CDMA eliminates cross talk and makes it more difficult to eavesdrop or monitor calls therefore providing greater security.
In a CDMA system, each signal is transmitted using spread spectrum techniques. The transmitted informational data stream is impressed upon a much higher rate data stream termed a signature sequence. The bit stream of the signature sequence data is typically binary, and can be generated using a pseudo-noise (PN) process that appears random, but can be replicated by an authorized receiver. The informational data stream and the high bit rate signature sequence stream are combined by multiplying the two bit streams together, assuming the binary values of the two bit streams are represented by +1 or −1. This combination of the higher bit rate signature signal with the lower bit rate data stream is called spreading the informational data stream signal. Each informational data stream or channel is allocated a unique signature sequence.
In operation, a plurality of spread information signals, such as binary phase shift keying (BPSK) or quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation, modulate a radio frequency (RF) carrier and are jointly received as a composite signal at the receiver. Each of the spread signals overlaps all of the other spread signals, as well as noise-related signals, in both frequency and time. The receiver correlates the composite signal with one of the unique signature sequences, and the corresponding information signal is isolated and despread.
Wireless networks are employed for a variety of communications, for example, connectivity between computers. Digitally modulated signals like binary phase shift keyed (BPSK) and quadrature phase shift keyed (QPSK) signals are transmitted between the various network nodes. Examples include satellite communications networks where terminals transmit through satellite transponders, terrestrial elements where terminals transmit through repeating towers and indoor local area networks where terminals transmit through central repeating elements or hubs. In each instance digital data is exchanged through wireless transmission with some control over the communications.
The computer elements connected to these networks provide a variety of user services. Examples include telephone traffic with digital voice encoding, video conferencing, wide area computer network connectivity, and Internet service. In each case it is desirable to maximize the network traffic capacity in a given bandwidth in the presence of interference and noise.
The prior art schemes are inefficient in the sense that given sufficient signal to noise strength or coding redundancy, more communicators could use the allocated bandwidth if provided with means for detecting the excess signal margin and means for demodulating signals in the presence of interference.
There have been attempts at multi user receivers, and there are numerous articles related to the topic based on theoretical postulations, however these also have general deficiencies. One multi user approach demodulates all user signals in an initial stage and forms an interference replica for each user. In subsequent processing all interference replicas except for the desired signal are subtracted from an input signal received to remove the interference. In the following stage, demodulation is made again about the desired signal by using a signal obtained by the initial stage. As a result, the user signal quality is improved as compared with the initial stage, and it is readily apparent that interference cancellation characteristic is gradually improved by repeating this process several times with a multistage structure. Another receiver employs a serial structure for canceling interference. When performing interference cancellation at each stage, the interference replica is transferred between stages and the interference replica is stored in memory. The deficiency here is that signals must have substantially different amplitudes for successive cancellation to be feasible. Since interfering amplitudes are arbitrary, this circumstance rarely occurs. Moreover, successive interference cancellation tends to distort the residual signal, and at some point, the cancellation process renders the signal of interest unrecoverable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,439 ('439) discloses one form of a transmitted digital modulation that allows it to be subtracted out so that a full duplex link fits on a single channel. This method works for a pair of transmissions on a duplex link, and it is complementary to the method of the present invention described herein. The joint detection method described therein works with the reference signal method, as the reference signal is a known waveform that may be subtracted out. However, the method of the present invention is more general. The method in the referenced '439 patent applies to a pair of signals on a duplex link when one of the signals is transmitted by the terminal applying the method. The method of the present invention applies to any number of interfering digital signals on the same channel provided that sufficient signal to noise margin exists to jointly demodulate all of the signals.
In another technique, multipath signals other than the main path signal are considered to be interference and the multipath signals are not utilized to be combined into the desired signal. Multipath is a separate issue that is handled by the design of the present invention as well as many other methods.
The need for adding more users to the existing infrastructure and within a limited bandwidth are generally recognized. Thus far, the efforts of multi-user systems have been hampered when going from the theoretical models to the working models. The present invention describes a working model. What is needed is a more efficient communications system that provides a communication network that dynamically assigns communicators to allocated channel by considering the interference and noise environment with an objective of maximizing the number of communicators and effective bandwidth of the channel.

Bandwidth-efficient wireless network modem

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.


A micro-controller includes a USB control unit, an MC unit having an operation mode and a stop mode and an oscillating circuit, which is commonly used by the USB control unit and the MC unit. The USB control unit includes a watching circuit for watching a condition of a first data and a second data, which is complement data of the first data. The operation of the oscillating circuit is controlled in response to an operation control signal, which is generated by a watching result, and an oscillation control signal whose voltage level is changed in response to the mode of the MC unit.

1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to a micro-controller used for controlling data-transfer between a main electric device such as a personal computer and a peripheral device such as a printer or a display-panel, more particularly to a micro-controller for transferring data between a main electric and a peripheral device by using an universal serial bus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A computer system includes a main electric device (called as a host, hereinafter) such as a personal computer (PC) for processing several kinds of information and several kinds of peripheral devices such as printers and display-panels. In the computer system, a desired process can be performed by transferring information between the host and peripheral devices.
In recent years, the popularity of some portable electric devices such as digital cameras or memory cards has increased dramatically. By connecting these portable electric devices as a peripheral devices to a PC, information stored in these portable electric devices can be processed in the PC. However, once the PC is turned on, the PC does not recognize the connection with the peripheral devices while the PC is in operation, even if the peripheral devices are connected to the PC. Therefore, it is necessary to turn the PC off and to turn on the PC again for initializing all settings of the PC in order to recognize the connection with peripheral devices.
To avoid these complicated operations, a universal serial bus (USB) is widely used for performing the interface between the host and the peripheral devices easily. When a peripheral device, having a micro-controller of the USB specification acting as a transfer control device, is connected to the PC, the PC recognizes it even if the connection has been made while the PC is activated. Therefore, it is not necessary to turn the PC off, and information stored in the peripheral device can be transferred to the PC through the USB.
The transfer control device of the USB specification includes an USB control unit and a micro-controller (MC) unit. The USB control unit sends data to the host or receives data from the host though a USB connector, which connects the peripheral device to the host. The MC unit receives data from an internal circuit in the peripheral device and sends data to the internal circuit through an I/O port, which is forming an interface with the internal circuit. The MC unit also controls the USB control unit and the internal circuit as a main control unit.
There are several types of the transfer control device. One of them is a separating-type transfer control device; the other is an incorporating-type transfer control device. The separate-type transfer control device includes a first semiconductor device functioning as the USB control unit and a second semiconductor device functioning as the MC unit, wherein the first and second semiconductor devices are mounted on a single circuit board. The incorporating-type transfer control device include a single semiconductor device having the USB control unit and the MC unit formed on a single semiconductor chip. In these devices, although under the USB 1.1 standard, the USB control unit should be operated by a clock signal having a 48 MHz frequency, the particular frequency of the clock signal used to operate the MC unit is not regulated. Therefore, the MC unit may be operated by a clock signal having a 48 MHz frequency, which is the same frequency as that of the clock signal operating the USB control unit. Further, it is possible to use a clock signal for the MC unit whose frequency is higher than that of the clock signal for the USB control unit when high speed operation is required. On the other hand, the frequency of the clock signal for the MC unit can be lower than that of the clock signal for the USB control unit when low power consumption is required.
In recent years, peripheral devices of low power consumption have been required. To meet this requirement, the MC unit has a function, performed in what may be called a stop mode, for halting its operation, and the USB control unit has a function, performed in what may be called a suspend mode, for halting its operation as well as a stop mode while no communication has been made between the host and the peripheral device.
As described above, in the separate-type transfer control device, each of the first and second semiconductor devices has an oscillating circuit for outputting the oscillation signal generated by an external oscillator. That is, one oscillating circuit is used for the USB control unit, and the other oscillating circuit is used for the MC unit. As does the separate-type transfer control device, the incorporating-type transfer control device has two oscillating circuits for the USB control unit and the MC unit respectively in the single semiconductor device. The reason why these transfer control devices require two oscillating circuits is described below.
On some occasions, the MC unit should be operated when the USB control unit is in the suspend mode, or the USB control unit should be operated when the MC unit is in the stop mode. Therefore, even if one of the units is halted, the clock signal should be sent to the other unit. That is the reason why each unit should have an oscillating circuit. However, the electric power consumed by the oscillating circuit is not negligible small. Further, when there is a phase difference between the clock signals generated by each oscillating circuit, this phase difference cause an operation gap between the USB control unit and the MC unit. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the operation gap. Furthermore, the cost of the oscillating circuit is not cheap so that the cost of the transfer control unit is also increased. Therefore, the technology for sharing the oscillating circuit between the USB control unit and the MC unit is essential.
However, if the single oscillating circuit is simply used commonly for the USB control unit and the MC unit, the following problems may occur. If the operation of the co-used oscillating circuit is halted completely in response to operation in one of the low power consumption modes, which are the suspend mode of the USB control unit and the stop mode of the MC unit, the MC unit can not perform any process or the USB control unit can not receive any data from the host. Therefore, the, operation of the co-used oscillating circuit can not be halted completely in response to operation in one of the low power consumption modes. On the other hand, when the co-used oscillating circuit is normally operated regardless the low power consumption modes of the USB control unit and of the MC unit, power consumption will be increased so that the benefit of the low power consumption of the transfer control device can not be expected. Further, in a BUS-POWERED method ruled in the USB standard that power for the micro-controller in the peripheral device receives from the host through the USB, it is difficult to operate the oscillating circuit all the time because of the current flow restriction of the USB control unit in the suspend mode. Specifically, the low power consumption for the portable electric device whose power is supplied from batteries is highly required because the micro-controller as the transfer control device is installed therein. That is, the increase of the power consumption on the micro-controller should be avoided.

Micro-controller having USB control unit, MC unit and oscillating circuit commonly used by the USB control unit and the MC unit


A floor seal for a forwardly facing opening through a floor of a plant cutting machine through which a knife arm extends for side to side reciprocating movement for driving a sickle of the machine as the machine is moved forwardly for performing a plant cutting operation. The floor seal includes a stationary outer peripheral seal element engaged with a peripheral edge of the floor about the opening and carrying a cover element in covering relation to the opening about the knife arm and defining and bounding a forwardly facing aperture containing the knife arm and an inner peripheral seal element carried in the aperture by the cover element bounding and forming a barrier to entry of loose material or sealed condition about the knife arm and movable side to side therewith relative to the outer seal and cover.

The disclosure of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/520,895, filed Jun. 16, 2011, is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
Sickles typically including cutter bars supporting a row of knives, have been used to cut plants, including, but not limited to, hay, grasses, small grains and the like, for many years. The knives are composed of a plurality of knife or sickle sections which are mounted in side by side relation forming an elongate metal knife assembly. The elongate knife assembly is normally supported so as to slide longitudinally along an elongate stationary bar that has forwardly projecting, spaced apart guards bolted to a structural beam or knife back. The knife assembly moves back and forth in a reciprocating movement to move the knives relative to the guards so that the leading knife edges of the knives cross over the guards or through slots in the guards. This produces a shearing or cutting action which severs plant stems and stalks or other material captured between the knives and the guards.
In a harvesting machine, such as a combine or windrower, the knife assembly and stationary bar are typically supported in connection with a cutting head or header, and are oriented so as to extend sidewardly along a forward edge portion of structure such as a floor or pan of the header, hereinafter sometimes referred to generally as the floor. The floor or pan defines the lower periphery of a cut crop or plant flow area, which can include conveying apparatus, such as one or more augers or belts, operable in cooperation with a reel in machines so equipped, for conveying the cut plant material and crops, for instance, to a feeder inlet of a combine or windrow forming apparatus of a windrower.
Historically, many known sickle knife or cutter drive mechanisms have been located on the side end of the sickle, and connect to the knife assemblies utilizing connecting rods or Pitman arms, such as illustrated in Wanamaker U.S. Pat. No. 1,622,299, issued Mar. 29, 1927, and Boyer U.S. Pat. No. 2,332,840, issued Oct. 26, 1943. More recent known sickle drives are located in or below the floor or pan of a header or plant cutting machine, and are sometimes referred to as center drives or center knife drives, as shown in Priepke U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,810,304; 7,805,919; 7,730,709; 7,520,118; and 7,401,458, and Bich U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,011,272 and 8,151,547. Center knife drives such as these are advantageous as they are compact, and provide an efficient manner of translating epicyclic or crank motion to side to side knife motion.
A problem observed with the above center knife drives and other center drives such as pivotally driven drives, is that because of their location in or below the floor or pan, the drives are at least partially contained in a relatively low profile or flat housing or cover, on which loose crop material or residue and other undesirable material such as dust, dirt, and debris, can collect or accumulate. This is undesirable, as the material, if allowed to accumulate, can insulate the drive to reduce dissipation of heat generated by operation of the drive so as to possibly result in overheating and premature failure of drive components such as bearings.
As another problem, accumulated material can become lodged between the drive and underside of the floor or pan, and can even be compacted into a solid mass, so as to limit or prevent upward movement of the drive. This can be problematic, for instance, if the drive is used with a cutter bar and sickle that can flex upwardly, and wherein the sickle can be configured in a float mode so as to be movable upwardly toward the floor or pan. As another possible problem, some crop can be lost through openings or apertures of the floor or pan through which knife arms or other elements connecting with the knife assemblies pass.
Reference Rutishauser U.S. Pat. No. 1,567,013, which discloses an apparatus operable for preventing accumulation of material on a lever or knife arm of a sickle drive. The Rutishauser patent accomplishes this using a triangular distributing member that is pivoted back and forth over the lever to deflect and distribute the material cut by the sickle to the sides of the lever, which are open to allow the material to fall to the ground below. This keeps the cut material from collecting on the lever, but does not appear to have utility for preventing or substantially limiting passage of loose material through an opening or aperture in a floor of a plant cutting machine through which a side to side moving lever or knife arm extends.
As still another problem, the openings in a floor of a plant cutting machine through which the knife arms or levers driving a sickle extend, are typically located in a curved or tapered forward edge region of the floor or pan, so as to be at least partially forwardly facing, so as to be directly in the flow of cut crop and other loose material when the machine is moving forward during a plant cutting operation, and so as to be susceptible to having the loose material become trapped or jammed between the sides of the openings and the knife arms or levers which can cause increased stress loads on the drives and resultant wear and damage.
Thus, what is sought is a durable floor seal for preventing or limiting passage of loose material through an opening in a floor or pan of a plant cutting machine through which a knife arm or lever driving a sickle extends and moves in a side to side reciprocating manner, and which overcomes one or more of the problems set forth above.

Floor seal for a center knife drive for a sickle of a plant cutting machine


A plurality of longitudinal channels for supplying pressure medium are arranged within a carrier having a closed profile. A plurality of operating cylinders have pressure spaces which are flow-connected to the channels for moving the pressure rollers inward and outward in order to press coverings onto a printing unit cylinder.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for pressing a covering onto a printing-unit cylinder of a rotary press with the aid of at least one pressure roller which can be set against the printing-unit cylinder by means of an operating cylinder.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,792 shows pressure rollers which are arranged along a forme cylinder on a carrier and can be set against a flexible printing forme which is situated on the forme cylinder by means of pneumatic operating cylinders. The pressure spaces of the operating cylinders are fed with compressed air via hoses.
In this apparatus, it is disadvantageous that the expenditure and space requirement for the routing of the hose lines rises with an increasing number of operating cylinders.

Apparatus for pressing a covering onto a printing-unit cylinder for a rotary press


A polarization bearing detection type two-dimensional light reception timing detecting device for implementing a fast surface shape measurement that can accommodate an animal body measurement, and a surface shape measuring device using it. The polarization bearing of a detection light is turned in synchronization with slit light scanning, and the polarization bearing is two-dimensionally recorded by two sets of analyzers and storage type image detectors in a crossed Nicols arrangement, and thereby it is possible to determine, with only one-time imaging, timing at which a slit light is beamed into respected pixels in the storage type image detectors.

Many technologies which measure the surface form of an object have been proposed. They are roughly divided into two types: one type measures one point at a time and the other type measures many points simultaneously. Although the one point measurement type is highly accurate and reliable, a large amount of measurement time, from several tens of minutes to several hours, is needed when measuring a whole object surface. On the other hand, while the many point simultaneous measurement type has a feature of high-speed, it has difficulties in respect to reliability and accuracy. A light section method, grating projection phase shifting method, and measuring method using confocal microscopy (hereinafter referred to as "confocal method"), all of which are many point simultaneous measurement types, have high reliability compared with other many point simultaneous measurement methods that have been proposed at the laboratory level and have already been used practically. Although these methods are high in speed compared to the one-point measurement type methods, it cannot be said that these are sufficiently high in speed for in-line inspection in the FA field.
As will be explained later in detail, the light section method, the grating projection phase shifting method, and the confocal method need an imaging device as a detector, and some type of scanning which requires time. Usually, images are acquired with the imaging device for every partial scanning. After many repetitions of this process, the measurement is completed. In practice, one measurement (of one field of view) involves several tens to several hundreds of images either by the light section method or the confocal method. A long measurement time is unavoidable since an imaging cycle of a TV camera as an imaging device is about 30 images per second. The grating projection phase shifting method, although relatively high in speed, needs at least three images which are captured at the different time, therefore measurement of moving objects is still impossible. The light section method, the grating projection phase shifting method, and the confocal method are described below in detail.
FIG. 11 is an example of the measurement system proposed on the basis of the light section method. This system is highly reliable with many practical applications as indicated in the non-patent reference 1. The figure here shows only one slit light scanning part on a side in order to explain only the main points of the above-mentioned reference, while the slit light scanning parts are on both the right and left sides in the reference.
Images are continuously input to the image processing device 115 by a television camera 114, while light from a laser slit light source 111, scanned by a scanning mechanism 112, irradiates an object 10 from an angle different from the optical axis of the imaging lens 113. In one image as shown on the display device 116 of FIG. 11, one slit will appear distorted according to any irregularities on the surface of the object 10. While in FIG. 11 the slit light moves from the right to the left until a slit scan is completed, images of 256 sheets to 512 sheets are input. For every pixel of the image input, the image processing device 115 detects the timing (for example, tp in the figure) at which the value of the pixel becomes the largest, that is, when the slit light passes over the position on the object 10 with which the pixel corresponds, and calculates the three-dimensional position of the object 10 surface as intersection P between the projection angle of the slit light at that time and the angle of the main beam of the imaging lens 113 determined by the position of each pixel. (Uesugi Mitsuaki, 1993, The Optical Three-Dimensional Measurement edited by Toru Yoshizawa, Shin-Gijyutu Communications, page 39–52)
FIG. 12 is an example of a measurement system which uses the confocal imaging system 121. As the confocal imaging system 121, any one of a laser scanning microscope, a Nipkow board scanning microscope, a non-scanning confocal imaging system or the like can be used, and the figure is simplified since any one of these is sufficient.
The main feature of the confocal imaging system 121 is that only the position 122, which is in focus, is imaged, i.e., hardly any light from the portion which is out of focus will reach a detector 123. The feature is called optical sectioning. When the image is continuously input using the detector 123 while moving an object 10 in the optical axis direction by a Z stage 124, only the in focus portion in the field of view is imaged as shown in the display device 116 of FIG. 12 and this portion expresses the contour line. While the object being moved downward from top to bottom in the figure until a scan of the Z stage 124 is completed, about several hundreds of images are input. The image processing device 115 will detect the timing for each pixel when the value of the pixel becomes maximum. That is, the optical system focuses on the position of the object 10 with which the pixel corresponds, and the position of the Z stage 124 at that time will itself express the relative height of the surface of the object 10.
Next, the grating projection phase shifting method is briefly explained using FIG. 13. The grating projecting method projects a plurality of slit light rays simultaneously on an object while the light section method projects one slit light ray. A so-called sinusoidal grating 132 of the phase shifting method, which will be explained below, is used to make transmittance changes in a sinusoidal curve as shown in FIG. 14. The image of the sinusoidal grating 132 illuminated by a lighting source 131 is projected onto the surface of an object 10 by the projection lens 133, and is imaged by an imaging lens 113 and a television camera 114 from a different angle. If the phase of the grating pattern projected for each pixel of the obtained image is known, the relative relief of the surface of the object 10 can be obtained. The phase can be determined by the phase shifting method. By shifting the sinusoidal grating 132 by a known value at least twice with the phase shifter 134, at least three images of the projected grating with different phases are taken. More than three values will be obtained for every pixel from at least three or more images with different phases, and since these values are considered to be values sampled from the sinusoidal curve, the phase can be obtained as the initial phase by fitting to the sinusoidal curve.

Polarization bearing detection type two-dimensional light reception timing detecting device and surface form measuring device using the same


A method and apparatus for measuring use of a commodity and for transmitting the measurement over a global computer information network to a remote location. The apparatus comprises a data acquisition and reporting device and an automatic meter reading device operatively arranged to measure use of a commodity and transmit the measurement over a global information network to the data acquisition and reporting device.

Electric power restructuring began in the United States in 1978 with enactment of the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA). PURPA established competition in power generation, forcing utilities to purchase power from independent generators at prices equal to their "avoided costs." Independent power producers flourished and by 1993 more than 50% of all new generation plants were by independents, dispelling the notion that economies of scale necessitated a natural monopoly on electricity generation by utilities. Restructuring continued in the United States with enactment of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which permits wholesale customers a choice of suppliers and requires utilities to transport power across their grids to accomplish this ("wheeling"). Although the 1992 Act prohibits federal mandating of retail wheeling, it allows states to permit this, and many states are considering doing so. Sally Hunt and Graham Shuttleworth, Unlocking the Grid, IEEE Spectrum 33:7, July 1996, p. 20.
It is envisioned then, that deregulation will likely enable utilities and power brokers to buy and sell electricity at real-time rates determined by supply and demand, much like other commodities. In order for this to occur, however, technology must be able to measure and communicate energy usage on a real-time basis
Historically, utility companies have used meter reading personnel to literally read and record the consumed commodity information provided by utility meters (i.e., gas, water, electricity and the like). However, in recent years significant strides have been made in the deployment of fully Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) systems.
Most remote meter reading systems have similarities in their designs. Generally, they comprise three major subsystems: (1) some type of encoder device physically attached to a meter and electronically connected to an end device (AMR) to give an indication of the meter reading, (2) means for storing the meter reading indicated, usually a dedicated microcontroller, and (3) means for transmitting meter data over a communication link to a central station. Various types of communication links have been used to transfer the meter data from the individual end devices to the central station:
Wireless
One wireless system utilized a mobile van carrying a radio transmitter for interrogating meter-reading end devices which include transponders. The interrogated radio transponders would then return messages to the van, which messages include meter identification and readings. Another system is based upon technology similar to that of cellular phones; radio transponders are installed throughout the metropolitan area in order to relay such messages to and from the end devices.
Because of the need for large investments in infrastructure, these wireless systems are not feasible for servicing customers who are widely separated; examples are members of multiple competing "power pools" formed by emerging enterprises called "aggregators" to achieve economies of scale in their purchase of utility commodities.
Wired via Power Line Carrier
There exist arrangements in which the power lines of the subscriber and the electric utility company are used as the link between the customer's meter and the central station. One such arrangement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,181, comprising a central station which includes a computer with input-output equipment for the multiplex generation of commands and the multiplex receipt of data over a plurality of communication lines. The system also includes an end device located at each customer residence. Each end device is connected to the power line, and receives commands from and transmits messages to the control unit over the connecting power line. Each end device is capable of selectively communicating with a plurality of utility meter encoders for reading a plurality of meters and for selectively driving a plurality of loads at a customer residence.
Although power line carrier networks are useful for reaching customers within a geographically constrained area (e.g., metropolitan), they are not feasible for reaching customers arbitrarily located across a continent, or around the world.
Wired via Telephone
Using telephone lines for automatic reporting of meter and status data is well known. In some of these systems, an interrogation signal is sent from a central receiving station to an end device (reporting station) in order to initiate the transmission of a report, the end device being either located at a telephone exchange or being connected through a telephone line thereto. Such systems may involve ringing of the customer's telephone or the installation of special ring-suppression equipment at the customer's facility or, alternatively, special equipment at the telephone exchange.
In another type of system, an end device initiates the transmission of a report. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,098,13 (Stonor) discloses a system in which a pulse-dialing operation is automatically performed, followed by the transmission of a message to report the condition at the end device. U.S. Pat. No. 3,357,011 (Diaz) discloses a system in which the call-in time is controlled by a clock at the end device, the clock also being used to periodically trigger transfers of data to a local memory for later transmission to the central station upon command.
Other systems in which calls are made periodically or at preset times are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,046,339 (Breen); U.S. Pat. No. 3,294,910 (Jackson); U.S. Pat. No. 3,510,591 (Klein); U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,684 (Lindstrom); U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,434 (Bocchi); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,486 (Martin et al.). In the Klein system, a schedule of times to call in is sent to an end device to be stored in memory and to be compared with clock signals to make a call-back at a desired time. U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,628 (Vittoz) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,993 (Emile, Jr.) illustrate systems in which signals may be transmitted through a telephone line to regulate the frequency or set the time at a remote clock.
Much of the effort thus far has been directed at the residential AMR market, which is far larger than the industrial/commercial users targeted by aggregators, but of little interest to them. Consequently, the sharing of a telephone line is not an issue; most large users have in-house PBX systems and local area networks, offering very low incremental cost for a connection. Similarly, aggregators have little interest in the small initial savings per end device that many of these specialized circuits yield. They can well afford to invest in the next higher level of integration, the computer-on-a-board, because the increase in functions (via software) yields substantial reductions in operating costs. Conventional AMRs were designed specifically to perform a chore that the utility companies were required to do.
Computer and microprocessor technology has developed very rapidly. Since the mid 1970's, microprocessors have been commercially available at relatively low cost to perform many complex functions. In addition, restrictions on the connection of equipment to telephone lines were removed during the period 1970-1975. Currently (the mid 1990's), similar deregulation is occurring in the telephone and the electric power industries, while commercial restrictions on the use of the global computer information network have been abandoned.
What is needed to enable real-time continuous trading of utility commodities is an AMR system that sends hourly (or more often) readings from geographically dispersed end devices at a very low cost per reading. Ideally, costs should be minimized by connecting each end device to the most economical network available at a customer's facility: local telephone calls to an e-mail network, in-house network messages leading to e-mail via the global computer information network, or long distance calls of very short duration to the central station.


A multi-layer insulation product which achieves low emissivity values by using at least one layer of metallic foil. The metallic foil (25, 29) is used at exterior locations of the insulation product by way of novel strengthening means positioned below said metallic foil. A central layer of foamed material (21) adds to the insulative effect. The strengthening features of the invention allow use of the insulation product on exterior locations which has not heretofore been possible in the art.

This invention is generally related to the insulation arts and, in particular, to a novel type of low emissivity insulation having a very high degree of structural integrity and useability.
The use of foamed and blown-in insulation materials has found widespread usage in the construction industry in recent years. Fiberglass or foamed insulation materials improve heat loss or gain due to the conductive or convective components of heat transfer.
However, radiant energy transfer is virtually unaffected by such fiberglass or foamed insulation products.
Typical insulation systems slow down convection and conduction, but have little effect on radiant energy which can account for up to 93% of summer heat gain and up to 75% of winter heat loss.
Furthermore, many currently used insulation materials are environmentally hazardous and thus must be used in sealed areas such as attics or within walls. Many types of insulation used today are difficult to work with and require numerous and expensive precautions against respiratory harm to installers.
Some prior art systems have taught the use of metal foils as part of an energy barrier for home usage. However, such usage has been limited to internal wall or floor usage since metal foils, such as aluminum, are easily torn or damaged.
An aluminum or other metal foil structure has not heretofore been shown in the prior art which has sufficiently high structural integrity that it may also be used in an external manner, i.e. as a cover for air conditioners, pipes, garage doors, hot water heaters, or other items.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to demonstrate an insulative layered structure which is fully environmentally safe for both installing contractors and other end users.
It is also an object of the invention to set forth insulation which greatly reduces radiant energy transfer in buildings or other products.
It is a further object of the invention to illustrate a low-emissivity insulation which may be economically manufactured for widespread distribution and commercial use.
It is a still further object of the invention to set forth an insulation construction which may be easily and quickly installed to greatly reduce labor time and costs.
It is also an object of the invention to demonstrate a novel insulation which has a high degree of structural integrity, which is light weight and which has very thin dimensions for widespread use in home and product locations.
It is a further object of the present invention to set forth an insulation which also serves as a vapor barrier in addition to its insulative function.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the description which follows.


A wind-actuated warning device which mounts onto a vehicle to provide an alert or warning to the operator of a vehicular condition which requires the operator to exert special attention and appropriately respond to the condition. Examples of such conditions include a high profile condition, a roof top carrier or a reminder to deploy landing gear on an aircraft. The warning device has a base member with coupling for mounting the base member onto the vehicle. The warning device further has a cover member pivotally mounted to the base member. The cover member has a frontal and a rearward surface with a warning or other indicator associated with the rearward surface of the cover. The cover is biased against the base, which is overcome by wind loading to pivotally collapse the cover onto the base and provide a substantially flat elevational profile of the warning device on the vehicle.

The present invention relates generally to warning devices for mounting onto vehicles to provide the vehicle operator with a visible reminder, warning, or notification of a danger or potential danger situation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a wind-actuated sign which mounts onto the vehicle to alert or warn the operator of a condition which requires a response from the operator.
Many vehicles, especially motor vehicles such as automobiles, motor homes, trucks and trailers, either carry additional loads on the roof-top which present a high-profile or have a permanent highprofile created by the height of the truck or trailer. For example, many automobile drivers carry luggage racks or car top carriers for mounting bicycles, boats, skis, or other items for carriage. The mounting of these additional items onto the roof of the motor vehicle results in the motor vehicle obtaining a higher profile. Additionally, may drivers rent moving trailers or motor homes which have a permanent higher profile than the driver's automobile.
The higher profile of the vehicle is often times an unusual condition for the vehicle operator and presents a potential danger for collision with overhead obstructions, such as the top of an underpass, the roof of a gasoline station, the top of a garage doorway, etc. Of course, damage will usually result to the vehicle or to the items being carried on top of the motor vehicle which may collide with the obstruction.
Various types of warning devices for mounting onto motor vehicles are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,141,253, issued to Bartram in 1964, discloses an automobile driver signalling device which consists of a mounting plate to mount the device onto a vehicle dashboard. A sign or other indicator is pivotally mounted to the end of a stem or upstanding stalk. The upstanding stalk is, in turn, pivotally mounted to a base member secured to the vehicle dashboard. The sign or other indicator is pivotally mounted onto the stalk and may be fitted with a coil spring to facilitate the driver raising or lowering of the sign. The principal disadvantage of this device is that it requires the driver to actuate the device. This causes the driver to have a momentary inattention to the driver's responsibilities for operating the vehicle. The device also is a permanent fixture on the vehicle dashboard which tends to obstruct the driver's view during operation of the vehicle.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,237,330, issued to Dinstbir in 1966, also discloses a dashboard-mounted warning device which consists of a suction cup base and a sign which is rotatably mounted in a bore or recess in the suction cup base. Like the Bartram patent, this device is a dashboard-mounted device, and suffers from the same disadvantages noted above. As with many suction cup devices, the mounting is unstable and the sign may often times fall off the dashboard when the suction or vacuum is lost and the suction cup releases. Release of the device from the dashboard will divert the driver's attention from the road and possibly endanger the driver or other drivers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,456, issued to Gruber in 1972, discloses a vehicle-mounted warning device which consists of a spring-loaded telescoping arm mounted in the trunk fender with a remote linkage to the driver position. The telescoping arm has two elements which are movable relative to each other, one element being fixed to the vehicle and the other element being moveable between a retracted and extended display position. Movement of the telescoping arm is actuated by a spring which extends the telescoping arm to provide a warning signal, such as a warning flag to evidence that the vehicle is in motion. The spring may be deployed via actuation of the remote control linkage by the driver. While this type of warning device is instrumental for others viewing the movement of the vehicle, it does not provide for any consistent warning to the vehicle operator that the vehicle is carrying a load which renders the vehicle a high profile vehicle and susceptible to collision with overhead obstructions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,152, issued to Morton in 1972, discloses a distress signalling device which has a storage housing for storing a triangular-shaped and foldable distress signal. One element of the foldable signal is a hook which is provided on the housing to mount the device onto a vertically-adjustable window of the vehicle. In its deployed condition, the device projects laterally from the window of the motor vehicle to provide warning to approaching vehicles of the stalled or distressed condition of the motor vehicle. The device of this patent would not be suitable for a warning to the driver of the distressed vehicle of a high profile load condition during operation of the motor vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,931, issued to Babut, et al., in 1973, discloses a low overhead warning signal device which is mounted on the front of a truck cab. The signal device consists of a steel rod which extends upwardly from a support arm mounted to the truck cab. The upper end of the steel rod supports a feeler wire which extends above the top of the truck body, and is deflected upon encountering an overhead obstruction to emit a rubbing sound to warn of the obstruction. While this type of system provides the necessary warning upon encountering an obstruction, it would not adequately serve to remind the driver on a continual basis of the high profile condition of an ordinary automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,022, issued to Wood, Jr. in 1979, discloses a dashboard-mounted sign to remind the driver in accordance with a message carried on the device. The device mounts on the dashboard and reflects an inversely-written message upwardly onto the inside of a windshield for viewing and reading by the driver. The principal disadvantage of this sign is that it provides a constant reflection on the windshield which would be a distraction to the driver and is not removed from the field of view during operation of the vehicle at normal speeds. Moreover, varying angles of windshield position would alter the relative position of the reflection on the windshield and the reflection may or may not be in an optimal position for viewing the field of operation for the motor vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,352, issued to Kaiser, Jr. in 1988, discloses a hood-mounted thermometer which is placed on the vehicle hood in the field of vision of the driver. The device is meant to be permanently mounted, either by gluing or by bolting onto the hood of the vehicle. This device is illustrative of types of hoodmounted ornaments or functional indicators which are mounted external to the driver's cabin, on the hood of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,646, issued to Miller, et al. in 1989, discloses a vehicle sign device which provides a variable height support structure adjustable by a scissor action. The device is meant to carry a removable and interchangeable message card and coupled to the interior window sill of a motor vehicle for extension and retraction to carry messages, such as sales messages. This type of sign is not suitable for mounting in the driver's field of view, nor could it be used exterior to the passenger compartment during operation of the motor vehicle.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,893, issued to Jones in 1989, discloses a vehicle distress sign which consists of a base member fitted with a magnet to mount onto an automobile, the base having a plurality of upstanding support members each fitted with one-half of a hook and loop material. A distress sign, such as "out of gas" is provided with a corresponding other half of the hook and loop material. In use, the user mounts the magnetic base onto the motor vehicle and then mounts the warning sign onto the upstanding support members by engaging the hook and loop material. While this patent illustrates a type of removable magnetic sign, the construction of it would not permit its use on the hood of a motor vehicle while the motor vehicle is being operated at normal speeds to warn of a high profile or of potential obstruction conditions.
From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are no wind-actuated warning devices which are easily adaptable for removable mounting onto the vehicle within the operator's field of vision, which are in a collapsed or a closed condition during normal speed operation of the vehicle, but which, upon slowing of the vehicle and reduction of a wind load on the sign, open to provide the vehicle operator a warning of a vehicular condition which requires the operator to exert special attention and respond to the condition, such as a high profile condition for the motor vehicle. For example, a high profile condition warning reminds the driver that the driver is operating a high profile vehicle and to take heed of any overhead obstructions which may serve to damage the vehicle or items being carried in the overhead load.
It is known in the art to provide various types of spring- or bias-loaded signs which are capable of receiving a wind load and deflecting and returning to an unbiased upstanding position upon reduction of the wind load. Examples of such signage are found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,646,696, issued to Sarkisian on Mar. 7, 1972, U.S. Pat. No. Re. 32,359, issued to Seely in 1987, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,921, issued to George in 1988. Each of the foregoing relate to either portable or permanent-mounted signs which have either a flexible sign material or which have a spring mounting to receive the deflection of the supported sign under a wind load. None of these patents are readily adaptable to nor are suggested to have utility in mounting directly onto an automobile hood.
Accordingly, there has been recognized a need for a removably mountable wind-actuated warning sign capable of being mounted onto a vehicle within the field of vision of the motor vehicle operator. Optimally, the device would have a low profile in its closed or retracted position so that there is a minimal obstruction of the driver's field of vision at normal vehicle speeds, such as over approximately 15 m.p.h. However, when the vehicle slows to approximately less than 15 m.p.h, the wind load on the sign decreases and the sign is returned to an unbiased raised or deployed position whereby the driver would be reminded of vehicular condition which requires the driver to exert special attention to the stated condition, such as a high profile condition of the motor vehicle.


A method and system for providing a substitute font that visually approximates a selected font that is unavailable in a computer system is provided. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method and system first selects as the substitute font a font that is available in the computer system. The method and system then adjusts the overall widths of the characters of the substitute font to match the overall widths of the corresponding characters of the selected font. This causes the same combinations of characters of the substitute font and of the selected font to have substantially the same size and appearance. The method and system then makes the substitute font available to a program that has requested the selected font.

Most general purpose computer systems (computers) are able to display text, comprised of characters (letters, numerals, and other symbols), on attached display devices, such as monitors and printers. A monitor consists of a grid of points, or pixels, each of which can be individually illuminated. Computer printers and other computer display devices also use pixels to display images.
In order to display text on a display device, computers use one or more raster fonts. A raster font is comprised of character bitmaps. Each character bitmap contains data reflecting which pixels in a subset of the display grid must be illuminated in order to form a particular character. When a computer needs to display a particular character at a display location, it accesses the bitmap for that character. The computer then turns the illumination of pixels near the display position on or off in accordance with the data stored in the character bitmap. FIG. 1A is a diagram showing how one possible bitmap of the letter A could be displayed on a display device.
At one point, computers each used only a single raster font, permanently stored in read only memory. Since then, computers have been adapted to use several different raster fonts simultaneously. This permits a user to display text in more than one typeface and point size. (A typeface is a specific design for a set of characters. Point size is a measurement of the height of a font's characters.) These raster fonts are now stored in writeable random access memory, which allows existing raster fonts to be altered and new raster fonts added.
Computers now also use another, more robust type of font, called outline fonts. Outline fonts contain an outline for each character, comprised of straight lines and curves that form the shape of the character's outline. FIG. 1B is a diagram showing one possible outline of the letter A. The outline font describes these straight lines and curves in terms of an arbitrary system of coordinates. The computer can resize these character outlines to any point size, then convert them to a raster font. Outline fonts also contain hints, which are routines that, when executed, adjust the shapes of the outlines for various point sizes to improve their appearance.
Computers use outline fonts to create raster fonts in various sizes. Computers also transmit outline fonts to smart display devices that are themselves able to create raster fonts from the outline fonts. Many computers now store several outline fonts, each corresponding to a different typeface.
Using outline fonts, computers can now create raster fonts dynamically in different typefaces in response to the needs of users. Computer programs like ProvideRaster provide this service. FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the ProvideRaster program. This program is an example of a font manager program that is called by application programs (applications), such as a word processor or a spreadsheet, when they require a raster font. The program is passed a requested typeface name, point size, and horizontal and vertical densities of the intended display device. The program returns a raster font of the requested typeface and point size for the intended display device.
In step 201, if a raster font of the correct point size and horizontal and vertical pixel density is available within the computer, then the program continues at step 202, else the program continues at step 203. In step 202, the program retrieves the appropriate raster font. The program then returns the retrieved raster font to the application program.
In step 203, if an outline font for the requested typeface is available within the computer, then the program continues in step 204, else the program continues in step 205 to create a substitute font for the unavailable outline font. In step 204, the program retrieves the outline font for the requested typeface, which contains both character outlines and hints. The program then continues at step 206.
In step 205, the program calls CreateSubstituteFont to produce a substitute outline font that visually approximates the unavailable outline font. The program passes CreateSubstituteFont the unavailable outline font name. The CreateSubstituteFont program returns a substitute outline font for the unavailable font, which contains both character outlines and hints. The details of CreateSubstituteFont are discussed further below. When CreateSubstituteFont returns, the program continues at step 206.
In step 206, the program calls a ConvertToRaster program, passing it the outline font retrieved or created, the requested point size, and the requested horizontal and vertical densities. The program then returns the raster font created by ConvertToRaster to the application program.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of ConvertToRaster. The program receives as parameters an outline font, a requested point size, and a requested horizontal and vertical density. The outline font contains character outlines and hints.
In step 301, the program resizes the character outlines of the outline font to the requested point size by multiplying the coordinates that define the outlines' lines and curves by the requested point size. This alters the height and width of each character. In step 302, the program applies the hints of the outline font to the magnified outlines.
FIGS. 4A-B are screen images demonstrating the need to use hints to improve the appearance of rasterized outlines. FIG. 4A is a screen image showing a letter "n" that has been rasterized without first being hinted. The unhinted letter's left base serif 401 does not match its right base serif 402. Further, its left vertical stem 403 is wider than its right vertical stem 404. Finally, its crown 405 is skewed toward the top row of pixels. FIG. 4B is a screen image showing a letter "n" that was rasterized after being hinted. The hinted letter's base serifs 411 and 412 are of the same width relative to their respective vertical stems 413 and 414. Those vertical stems are both now two pixels wide. The height of its crown 415 has been balanced by moving the vertical stems apart slightly. The hints demonstrated by FIG. 4B ensure the symmetry and regularity of the characters of a font. Other traditional hints ensure the vertical alignment of corresponding features of characters. Further traditional hints ensure good color--that is, consistent weighting among characters of a font. Applying hints to a character is said to regularize the character.
In step 303, the program rasterizes the hinted outlines of the outline font by superimposing a grid corresponding to the horizontal and vertical density of the intended display device over the hinted outlines, then turning on any pixels of the grid whose centers fall within the hinted outlines. This technique is well known in the art of digital typography. The program returns the resulting raster font to the application program, which may use it to display text. The raster font may also be stored in a buffer to be used to satisfy any identical requests received in the future.
The function served by CreateSubstituteFont is quite important. It is difficult for a computer user to anticipate which outline fonts he or she will need. Outline fonts will hereafter be referred to simply as fonts. Since individual fonts can be expensive to license, and even more expensive to independently develop, it has become quite useful for a computer to be able to construct a substitute font for an unavailable font.
The substitute fonts created by CreateSubstituteFont should: (1) be similar in appearance to the unavailable font, if possible; and (2) have exactly the same overall character widths as the unavailable font. These requirements are dictated by the paradigm of using the substitute font in place of the unavailable font to display a particular section of text in a document. The first requirement ensures that a sense of any aesthetics intended for the section will be conveyed. The second requirement ensures that lines and pages will break at the correct points.
Existing implementations of CreateSubstituteFont work by selecting an available font (the basis font) on which to base the substitute font, then modifying the basis font to create the substitute font. Basis font selection processes vary, as do their effectiveness at selecting a basis font with an appearance similar to the unavailable font.
Modification processes typically consist only of adding space before or after each character of the basis font whose overall width is smaller than the corresponding character of the unavailable font. Such implementations produce fonts with the same overall character widths in the case of characters of the basis font whose overall widths are smaller than or equal to those of the corresponding characters of the unavailable font. Such implementations cannot, however, produce fonts with the same overall character widths in the case of characters of the basis font whose overall widths are larger than those of the corresponding character of the unavailable font. It can be seen that these implementations of CreateSubstituteFont satisfy the first requirement for substitute fonts to varying degrees, and the second, more important requirement only sporadically.

Method and system for providing substitute computer fonts


A snowmobile having a lightweight fabricated frame assembly. The frame assembly includes a number of reinforcing elements, some of which comprise heat exchangers for the liquid cooling system of the engine, so as to provide high rigidity and light weight. The engine of the snowmobile is provided with an exhaust system that permits a relatively short effective length, but minimizes pulse-back effects by forming internal expansion chambers around the exhaust branch pipes. The drive for the snowmobile includes a reversing transmission and a brake assembly associated therewith in addition to a main brake assembly for the snowmobile. Furthermore, there is provided a parking brake assembly that is easy to operate and which will provide the operator with a visual and physical warning of its condition so that the operator will not attempt to operate the snowmobile with the parking brake engaged.

This invention relates to a parking brake for a vehicle and more particularly to an improved parking brake and actuator therefore for a snowmobile.
As is well known, many types of vehicles are provided with parking brakes. The parking brake, when engaged, will retain the vehicle in position when not being utilized. Snowmobiles are a type of vehicle in which the utilization of parking brakes is common. However, the brake and actuating mechanism for a snowmobile presents unique design problems because of the very nature of the vehicle on which it is used. As is well known, snowmobiles are designed for use primarily in inclement weather and particularly very cold weather. Therefore, it is common that the operator of the vehicle wears heavy clothing including heavy gloves. This makes it very difficult to actuate the parking brake. The parking brake actuator should be of the nature that it can be conveniently accessed but also of a nature so that it will not be inadvertently actuated.
The conventional type of parking brake utilized on many snowmobiles positions a brake actuating lever, similar to the main brake lever and throttle control on the handle bar assembly. Normally the parking brake operating lever is pivoted to an engaged position and then some form of wedge or stopping mechanism is placed in contact with the lever to hold it in its braked position.
Obviously this type of mechanism is quite complicated to operate even when the user is not wearing gloves. When wearing heavy gloves, the project becomes much more cumbersome and difficult.
In addition to the difficulties and actually actuating the parking brake, there is also a difficulty in the rider's acknowledgment or knowledge as to the state of the parking brake. Because of the cowling over the handlebar assembly and the weather conditions, frequently the operator may not see that the parking brake is set. The operator then may actually move the vehicle causing considerable wear not only to the brake but also to the drive mechanism.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved parking brake actuating mechanism for a vehicle such as the snowmobile.
It is a further object to this invention to provide an improved parking brake mechanism for a snowmobile or the like which will give the operator a warning when the brake is in its actuated or operated position.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved parking brake and actuator for a vehicle such as a snowmobile wherein the brake mechanism is self-locking in both its released and its engaged positions.


The selection of favorites for a video presentation system.

The present invention relates to video favorites.
Television broadcasting technology has improved tremendously since its inception. Television signals are broadcasted on the airwaves, broadcast through cable, fibre, and networked connections, and broadcast via satellites. The number of available stations readily accessible today has increased from one to hundreds, if not thousands, of stations. To select a program to view, many viewers simply use the remote control to "channel surf" until they find a channel that has a desirable program. Channel surfing refers to the process of using the channel "+" or "−" key on the remote control to sequentially view each channel on the display. Although some viewers find channel surfing among hundreds of stations enjoyable, most viewers prefer a more direct method for selecting a program to view.
Some systems, for example, the RCA Direct Satellite System or DSS (Direct Satellite System and DSS are trademarks of Hughes Communications, a division of General Motors Corp.), provide a television channel selection guide which displays a listing of the channels typically in numeric order and the titles of the programs broadcasted or to be broadcasted on the channels. A simplified block diagram of such a guide is illustrated in FIG. 1. The viewer or user of the system may then select the channel by entering in the number or selecting the device. The system responds by removing the guide displayed and tuning to the station selected and displaying the broadcasting signals of the station.
This system has a number of drawbacks. The guide provides only the title of the program. To get additional information, such as a written description of the program, the user must select an information button which responds by bringing up a second layer of the menu having the program description. Thus, as the number of stations increase, the efficiency of reviewing programs and program descriptions decreases. Furthermore, many viewers prefer to view the actual broadcast before determining whether to select that station to watch. Therefore, the user has to select each station to view, and subsequently go back to the channel guide in order to view program titles on other channels. Of course, the user can always channel surf by skipping from channel to channel in sequence using the channel "+" or "−" buttons.
Typical television viewers will have favorite stations which they like to watch. Some systems provide a channel skip function in which a viewer or user of the system can designate those channels that they prefer to view by selecting those channels from a displayed list of channels. Thereafter, using the channel "+" or "−" buttons, the user can sequentially view those selected channels.
Chilamakuri et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,285,414, disclose a channel selector for a television receiver for deselecting specified channels for a predetermined period of time. When a channel has been deselected it will be skipped when a user "surfs" through the sequence of channels. After the predetermined period of time expires the deselected channel is returned to the sequence of available channels. Channels may be deselected for time periods corresponding to a standard time slot, for example each half hour. Alternatively, channels may be deselected for periods corresponding to the actual length of the program determined from transmitted program scheduling data. While of some benefit to reduce the number of channels while the user channel surfs, the de-selection only lasts for a limited duration. Moreover, it is burdensome to manually de-select many channels from a selection of hundreds.
Atkinson, U.S. Pat. No. 6,084,644, discloses a television remote control with channel-defined keys. The remote control includes a plurality of control keys having a pair of volume keys for remotely controlling a volume of the television, and a pair of channel toggle keys for remotely changing channels of the television in an incrementing and decrementing manner. The remote control also includes a plurality of user keys configured in a matrix. Each user key effects the transmission of a signal to change the channel of the television to a predetermined channel associated with the user key. Each user key has indicia associated therewith which corresponds with the corresponding channel. While efficient after the user has gone through the arduous task of programming all the keys, it is quite burdensome to reprogram the keys each time the user's preferences change.
Blondstein, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,043 disclose a television (TV) graphical user interface (GUI) in a satellite TV system to enable users to create customized channel lists. Everyday, favorite and theme lists may be generated to respectively combine TV channels being watched regularly, favorite TV channels and channels relating to particular subjects. In a regular channel changer mode, the TV GUI displays graphical channel changer composed of channel boxes that show numbers and logos of available TV channels. To create a customized channel list, the TV GUI is switched into a change list content mode, wherein a channel grid is displayed in addition to the channel changer. Using a "drag and drop" procedure, graphical boxes corresponding to selected channel boxes may be moved from the channel changer to cells of the channel grid, to create a customized list of TV channels or to add new channels to an existing list. TV channels may be removed from the list by moving boxes that represent unwanted channels from the grid and placing them outside the grid area. TV channels may be put into the customized list in order of their priority established by the user. The position, graphical configuration and operations of the channel changer that represent the customized channel list remain unchanged compared with the channel changer in the regular channel changer mode. Accordingly, the user manually creates a favorites list which the user accesses through a set of actions.
Noguchi, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,426,779, disclose a line guide that provides the user of a multiple channel television broadcast system with programming information. The guide enables the user to select a particular program to watch. In particular, the system enables the user to scan program information of channels that the user has designated as his favorite channels. A button is provided that is designated as "favorite". When the user is in a broadcast guide and selects the button, the system responds by displaying program information regarding the favorite stations at the top of the guide. Thus, the user sees at the top of the list the current programming with respect to his favorite stations, followed by program information for the remaining stations. Accordingly, the user manually creates a favorites list, and in response to pressing the button designated as "favorite" while browsing an electronic program guide, presents the list of favorites.
Sony, in a WEGA TV KV-32FS13, incorporates a favorite channel button on the remote control. The favorite channel functionality may alternatively be, access to any one of 5 programmed channels, or access to the last 5 channels that the user just watched or switched through.


An exercise system may include an exercise mat; sensors integrated into the exercise mat, each of the sensors configured to sense when a force is applied to a respective portion of the exercise mat; and displays coupled to the exercise mat and configured to display indications corresponding to desired locations for body parts of a user in accordance with an exercise routine. On one or more of the displays, indications corresponding to desired locations of a user's body part may be displayed in accordance with a form of one of stored exercise routines; and one or more of the sensors may sense an application of force to the exercise mat. One or more of the displays may display at least one marker identifying a direction from a location of the sensed application of force to a display location of the at least one of the indications.

An exercise mat provides a user with support, grip, and cushioning when the user is exercising on a hard surface such as a wood, tile, or concrete floor. Exercise using an exercise mat is typically performed in a group setting, such as a gym class, or on an individual basis, such as at home, in the park, or any other location. Depending on a user's skill level, the user may require varying levels of instruction to perform the forms or motions of an exercise routine properly. For example, in the group setting, an instructor performs the routine for the class, acting as a model that each user then attempts to follow or duplicate. The instructor may also move about the class and correct individual users during the session.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Instructional surface with haptic and optical elements


The invention relates to a force-limiting device for aircraft landing gear shock absorbers, in particular for helicopters, and also to a shock absorber fitted with such a device. According to the invention, a box 201 is provided that forms a partition in the main body 101 of the shock absorber, the box having a bottom 202 whose central portion has a diaphragm 210 with small throttling orifices 211 and force-limiting members also being provided comprising firstly an annular valve member 225 disposed around the diaphragm 210 such that when open it allows a large volume of hydraulic fluid to pass through the box in a very short time, and a resilient return member 226 holding the annular valve member 225 in its closed position, but allowing the valve member to open above a predetermined threshold.

In the particular case of helicopters, for example, there is a need to ensure force-limiting action in the system that is intended to absorb energy when the helicopter falls at high speed due to a failure of its support system. When the landing gear of a helicopter is of the rocking am type, the bottom end of the shock absorber is hinged to the rocking am and its top end is hinged to the structure of the helicopter, with the shock absorber being disposed substantially vertically so that reaction from the ground acts, via the associated wheel or wheels, tending to pivot the rocking am and to thrust the rod of the shock absorber into the body of said shock absorber. As a result, in the event of a crash landing, since the vertical impact speed is much greater than in normal operation, it becomes necessary to provide force limitation which is capable of coming into play as quickly as possible.
Numerous shock absorbers are already in existence, and some of them include force-limiting means that act in the event of excessive pressure.
In general, the shock absorbers used are of the type comprising a main body in which a rod-piston slides, associated firstly with a diaphragm hydraulic shock absorbing means that acts under normal conditions of use, and secondly with an energy absorbing means having two chambers containing gas under pressure, one of which is at low pressure and the other of which is at high pressure, said means being operative during a crash landing.
The force-limiting means that may optionally be provided are either included within a component on the shock absorber (e.g. a separator piston delimiting the volume of the high pressure chamber), or else they are constituted by a pressure release valve specially designed to act in the event of excess pressure due to the rod of the shock absorber being pushed into the body of the shock absorber at high speed.
An example of the first-mentioned type comprises a shock absorber having a main body at its bottom end and a rod-piston at its top end, the main body widening out downwards to form a high pressure chamber that is delimited by a separator piston which is in turn surmounted by a volume of oil. The rod-piston is hollow so as to delimit a low pressure top chamber adjacent to a volume of oil which is in communication with the oil contained in the chamber of the main body via a throttling device (an orifice through a partition) provided at the bottom end of the rod.
Under normal operating conditions, the vertical reaction from the ground causes the red to be pushed into the main body, thereby compressing the volume of gas contained in the low pressure chamber, with this retraction motion being braked by the throttling device. In contrast, in a crash landing, since the impact speed is much higher, the pressure generated by the throttling device is communicated via the oil from the cylinder to the separator piston, and since the pressure then applied to the separator piston exceeds the inflation pressure of the high pressure chamber, said piston moves downwards, compressing said chamber.
Forces are thus limited "naturally" by the separator piston.
Such a system is in use at present and provides satisfactory operation. However, the structure of the shock absorber lends itself poorly to long retraction strokes. In addition, in the event of a crash landing, oil flows both upwards (passing through the throttling orifice to penetrate into the hollow rod) and downwards (passing into the enlarged portion of the main body to move the separator piston downwards), and as a result hydrodynamic disturbances can be generated under certain conditions of impact.
An example of the second above-mentioned type of shock absorber comprises a shock absorber having a main body at the bottom and a rod-piston at the top, the main body including a high pressure chamber at its bottom end, which chamber is adjacent to a low pressure chamber, being separated therefrom by a flexible membrane that may bear against a perforated rigid support secured to said body, the shock absorber further including a throttling device that brakes displacement of the rod within the main body by throttling the fluid contained in said body and adjacent to the low pressure chamber. The rod-piston is hollow and receives a separator piston delimiting two hydraulic chambers.
One such shock absorber is described in the document FR-A-2 608 242.
The throttling device then provided (which is associated with a cylindro-conical tube that absorbs energy by plastic deformation) includes firstly a plurality of small through orifices organized in a circle and that act when the rod is pushed in at normal speeds, and secondly a central pressure relief valve of larger section than the above-mentioned orifices, said valve being kept in its closed position by conical resilient washers stacked on the rod of said valve, but acting to obtain a larger through passage in the event of the rod being pushed suddenly at high speed into the body of the shock absorber, thereby avoiding excess pressures that might cause damage.
Such a system nevertheless remains relatively complex, requiring several parts that must be adjusted accurately.
In addition, the throttling device suffers from drawbacks or limitations that are inherent to the disposition of the components from which it is made: the assembly comprising the valve rod and the conical resilient washers has relatively high inertia and exhibits friction that it is difficult to minimize, which means that very short response times are not possible, not to mention possible risks of the valve rod jamming. In addition, the flow section through the central opening remains limited (the diameter of the valve rod cannot be reduced too far without weakening it, and the central opening cannot be of very great diameter without the risk of excessively reducing the mechanical strength of the corresponding fixed component).
An object of the invention is to design force-limiting means that provide better performance than the known means outlined above, and capable of responding with a very short response time in the event of high impact speed (as occurs in a crash landing).
Another object of the invention is to design force-limiting means that make it possible simultaneously to provide considerable force limiting and accurate control of the associated headloss so as to control the force which is transmitted.
Another object of the invention is to provide a force-limiting device whose structure is simple and whose manufacturing cost is reasonable, while still being suitable for integration in shock absorbers of conventional design.

Force-limiting device for an aircraft landing gear shock absorber, and a shock absorber including such a device


A stacked type image sensor including color separation elements, and an image pickup apparatus including the stacked type image sensor, are provided. The stacked type image sensor includes a first light sensing layer including first pixels configured to absorb and detect light of a first wavelength band and transmit light of a second wavelength band and a third wavelength band, and a second light sensing layer disposed to face the first light sensing layer, the second light sensing layer including second pixels configured to detect light of the second wavelength band and third pixels configured to detect light of the third wavelength band. The color separation elements are disposed between the first light sensing layer and the second light sensing layer, and are configured to direct the light of the second wavelength band toward the second pixels, and direct the light of the third wavelength band toward the third pixels.

1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a stacked type image sensor including a color separation element and an image pickup apparatus including the stacked type image sensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Color displays and color image sensors may display multicolor images and detect colors of light incident thereon by using color filters. Color displays and color image sensors may use an RGB color filter scheme in which, for example, green filters are disposed in two of four pixels and blue and red filters are disposed in the other two pixels. Alternatively, a CYGM color filter scheme, in which filters of complementary colors, i.e., cyan, yellow, green, and magenta, are respectively disposed in four pixels, may be used.
However, since the color filters absorb all colors of light except for a filtered color, the light use efficiency of the color filters may be low. For example, since RGB color filters may transmit only about ⅓ of incident light and absorb about ⅔ of the incident light, the light use efficiency of the RGB color filters may only be about 33%. Therefore, most of the optical loss of the color filters of the color displays or the color image sensors may be caused by the color filters.
Attempts have been made to use color separation elements rather than the color filters to increase light use efficiency of the color displays and the color image sensors. The color separation elements may separate colors of incident light based on diffraction or refraction characteristics of light varying according to wavelengths of light, and may transmit the separated colors to pixels of corresponding colors. Therefore, the light use efficiency may be higher when using the color separation elements than the color filters. However, since color separation efficiency of color separation elements may change according to incident angles of light, color separation efficiency of a plurality of pixels of an image sensor may vary, and thus, the plurality of pixels may have different sensitivities.

Stacked type image sensor including color separation element and image pickup apparatus including stacked type image sensor


A infant carrier base positionable on a vehicle seat for coupling and uncoupling with respect to an infant carrier. The base has an upper surface for the receipt of an infant carrier thereon and a lower surface for being received upon the seat of a vehicle. The base has a foot end, a head end, and generally parallel side walls therebetween. Coupling mechanisms on the base are cooperable with an infant carrier including a first coupling mechanism and a second coupling mechanism. The first coupling mechanism includes an inverted J-shaped hook extending upwardly from the foot end of the base. The hook is provided with an upwardly extending recess with an upper surface beneath the central portion of the hook adapted to receive the upper edge at the foot end of an infant carrier therein.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an infant carrier base positionable on a vehicle seat for coupling and uncoupling with respect to an infant carrier and more particularly pertains to coupling and uncoupling a base with respect to an infant carrier in a safer and more convenient manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of base systems for receiving infant carriers and other child care products of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, base systems for receiving infant carriers and other child care products of known designs and configurations heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of coupling and uncoupling base systems, infant carriers, and other child care products with respect to each other are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
While known prior art devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe an infant carrier base positionable on a vehicle seat for coupling and uncoupling with respect to an infant carrier that allows coupling and uncoupling a base with respect to an infant carrier in a safer and more convenient manner.
In this respect, the an infant carrier base positionable on a vehicle seat for coupling and uncoupling with respect to an infant carrier according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of coupling and uncoupling a base with respect to an infant carrier in a safer and more convenient manner.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved an infant carrier base positionable on a vehicle seat for coupling and uncoupling with respect to an infant carrier which can be used for coupling and uncoupling a base with respect to an infant carrier in a safer and more convenient manner. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A device for incising tissue to a pre-selected incision depth within a body conduit of a patient includes an elongated balloon catheter and at least one elongated straight blade that is mounted on the balloon. To control the incision depth, each blade has a blunt section formed with a non-incising surface and a cutting edge positioned distally to the blunt section. A proximal portion of the blade is attached to a proximal balloon section, and in operation, the balloon/blade combination is advanced into the body conduit and positioned distal to the target tissue/stenosis. The balloon is then inflated. With this inflation, the blade is inclined relative to the axis of the catheter with an increasing distance between the blade and the axis in a distal direction. The device is then withdrawn, proximally, to incise the tissue/stenosis.

The creation of superficial incisions within a body conduit can be used for several purposes. For example, a properly placed incision can be used to facilitate the dilation of the conduit's lumen when the conduit is stenosed or otherwise blocked. Applications where the creation of an incision is beneficial can include, but are not limited to, the dilation of vessels and valves in the vasculature. Other conduits where incisions can be used for dilation and other purposes include the esophagus, urethra and portions of the airway system. For some (if not all) of these applications, it is important to control the depth of the incision. If the incision is too shallow, the incision will be ineffective in promoting dilation of the conduit lumen. On the other hand, if the incision is too deep, the incision can cause damage to underlying tissue. This underlying tissue can include vital organs, nerves and nerve endings, and other delicate anatomical structures, the damage of which may be irreparable.
One exemplary application which warrants further discussion is the incision and dilation of the aortic valve as a treatment for Aortic Valve Stenosis (AS). Functionally, the aortic valve controls the flow of oxygen-rich blood from the left ventricle into the aorta. Anatomically, the aortic valve consists of three semilunar cusps (i.e. right, left and posterior cusps) that are attached around the circumference of an opening that is located between the aorta and left ventricle. During each heart cycle, the cusps (also called flaps or leaflets) fold back against the inside wall of the aorta as the left ventricle contracts, effectively opening the aortic valve to allow blood to be pumped through the aorta and into the arteries in the vasculature of the body. Between contractions of the left ventricle, however, the cusps extend into the passageway between the left ventricle and aorta to close the aortic valve and form a tight seal that prevents blood from leaking back into the left ventricle from the aorta.
For any of several reasons (e.g. aging, or birth defects), it can happen that the aortic valve is somehow damaged and may become stenosed. When this happens, the aortic valve does not open to its normal extent and the flow of blood from the heart into the aorta is constricted. This leads to an undesirable heart condition that is commonly known as aortic valve stenosis (AS). If left untreated, AS can worsen and lead to a number of complications including endocarditis, arrhythmia and in some cases heart failure.
Heretofore, the conventional methods used to treat AS have typically involved either an aortic valve replacement or a procedure commonly known as percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty. In the case of a valve replacement, an extensive surgical procedure is generally required in which the aortic valve is replaced either by a mechanical or a porcine valve. On the other hand, being a percutaneous procedure, balloon valvuloplasty is somewhat less involved than a valve replacement procedure. Nevertheless, for many reasons including a high recurrence rate, and despite its initial acceptance, balloon valvuloplasty is now used infrequently and only palliatively or as a bridge to a subsequent valve replacement.
More recently, efficacious treatments for aortic valve stenosis have been developed which entail incising and dilating the stenosed aortic valve. For example, a device and method for treating AS is disclosed in co-pending, co-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/353,827, filed by Leonard Schwartz (Schwartz '827) on Jan. 27, 2003, for an invention titled "A Device for Percutaneous Cutting and Dilating a Stenosis of the Aortic Valve", and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
As indicated above, in some applications, it is important to control the depth of the incision. In this regard, the present invention is directed to a percutaneous device and method for making incisions in a body conduit having a controlled, pre-selected incision depth. Preferably, the invention provides a cutting device for treating aortic valve stenosis by making controlled depth incisions in the aortic valve to thereby establish a more normal flow of blood from the left ventricle of the heart into the aorta.

Balloon catheter with controller depth incising blade