A circular saw has a table for placing a work to be cut thereon and has a saw unit slidably supported on the table by means of a slide mechanism. A slide stopper mechanism is adapted for fixing the saw unit in position in a sliding direction and has a slide stopper operation member disposed adjacent a front portion of the table on the side of an operator who operates the saw unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circular saw, and more particularly to a circular saw which has a table, a saw unit having a saw blade and slidably mounted on the table, and a slide stopper mechanism for fixing the saw unit in position in a sliding direction relative to the table.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional circular saw is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-44321 and includes a stopper mechanism which has an operation knob adapted to be rotated by an operator. The operation knob is disposed on a rear side of a saw unit which is the side opposite to a front side where the operator is positioned for operating the saw unit. With this arrangement, in order to operate the operation knob, the operator must reach out his hand to the rear side of the saw unit and grope for the operation knob to grasp the same. Therefore, the conventional circular saw has a problem in its operability. In particular, since the operation knob is positioned on the rear side of the saw unit, the operator feels difficulty in getting a view of the operation knob. In addition, in some cases, the knob is covered by a dust absorbing bag which is normally mounted on the rear portion of the saw unit, so that the knob is difficult to be operated in this respect.
Further, in case of a circular saw which has a saw unit slidably movable relative to a turntable and rotatable with the turntable, the position of an operation knob is changed for each rotational operation of the turntable. Therefore, the operator must grope for the operation knob in a further unreliable manner. Otherwise, the operator must move from the position on the front side of the saw unit to a different position for visually recognize the position of the knob before he operates the knob. The conventional circular saw has a problem in its operability also in this respect.
In another aspect, with a conventional circular saw having a turntable rotatable with a saw unit, a rotation stopper mechanism is normally provided for fixing the rotational position of the turntable. Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 54-39692 discloses a circular saw having a rotation lock mechanism. The rotation lock mechanism includes a lock pin mounted on a front side of the turntable and includes lock holes formed in a base on which the turntable is rotatably supported. The lock pin is biased by a spring in a direction toward the base for insertion into any one of the lock holes. The lock pin is removed from the corresponding lock hole when an operator pulls the lock pin forwardly toward himself, so that the turntable is brought to be free to rotate. When the operator releases the lock pin with the turntable positioned in a desired position, the lock pin is brought to be inserted into the corresponding lock hole by the biasing force of the spring, so that the turntable is fixed in position in the rotational direction.
However, the operation for releasing the lock pin is rather difficult for the operator since he must pull the lock pin toward himself and since the pulling operation must be made against the biasing force of the spring. The conventional circular saw has a problem in its operability also in this respect.


There is provided a radio bearer to user equipment on a first component carrier by a first network node and on a second component carrier via a second network node connecting to the first network node. A control plane configuration message is transmitted that indicates an uplink component carrier of a network node that terminates an air-interface protocol linked to the first and/or the second component carrier. The uplink component carrier (it can be more than one) is then used for uplink transmission of data units that include information about reception of data units of the air-interface protocol.

Long Term Evolution (LTE) carrier aggregation (CA) is part of the LTE-Advanced standard, 3GPP Release 10. Carrier aggregation is a key feature of LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) that enables operators to create larger "virtual" carrier bandwidths for LTE services by combining separate spectrum allocations. The benefits of this aggregation include higher peak data rates and increased average data rates for users.
In inter-site CA data is delivered to UE on carriers of different sites, enhanced NodeBs (eNBs). The dividing of data to different eNBs takes place typically in the eNB controlling the Primary Cell (PCell), referred to herein as a Master enhanced NodeB (MeNB). A part of the data flow to the user equipment (UE) is transmitted via the MeNB using one or more carrier frequencies, while rest of the data flow is forwarded via an X2 interface to an eNB controlling a Secondary Cell (SCell), referred to herein by a slave eNB (SeNB). From the SeNB the data flow may be delivered to the UE using one or more other carrier frequencies.
Data-transport protocols employing ACK/NACKs and providing reliable in-sequence data delivery (e.g. TCP, RLC Acknowledged Mode, etc.) have restricted resources, e.g. numbering space, available for book-keeping of transmitted Protocol Data Units (PDUs). When these resources have been fully assigned to follow up transmitted PDUs, protocol stalling may occur and new data cannot be transmitted to the User Equipment (UE) until some of the book-keeping resources are freed.
The concept of inter-site CA introduces delay to the data by the data being transmitted over the X2 interface between the MeNB and SeNB. This may increase the delay to the PDUs delivered via the SeNB up to 20 ms. Additional delay may be caused by scheduling at the SeNB due to non-ideal flow control.
Due to the delays protocol stalling may be increased which again reduces data rates received by users.

Providing a radio bearer on a plurality of component carriers


A filter is arranged to selectively block or allow a data access command from an initiator according to whether the initiator is secure or insecure and whether a data source or destination being accessed is privileged or unprivileged. The data access command contains an identification of the initiator from which the data access command originated and an identification of the data source or destination being accessed. The security filter compares the initiator identification and data source or destination identification contained within the data access command with a list of those initiators defined as secure and a list of those data sources or destinations which are defined as unprivileged. The filter then blocks or allows the data access command signal according to a set of rules.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to secure devices such as set-top-boxes in pay-television systems in which access to data within the system needs to be restricted.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many electronic devices, access to data by users and other devices may need to be restricted. For example, in subscriber based systems such as pay-television systems, subscribers gain access to services in the form of broadcasts by making payments to a broadcast service provider. It is therefore desirable to prevent unscrupulous parties from gaining access to those broadcasts without making any payments. In order to prevent unauthorized access to data within systems various security features are used. For example, in pay-television systems, broadcast data is usually broadcast over air and received by a set-top-box in an encrypted form. Cryptographic keys are then used to decrypt the data within the set-top-box. In this example, it is desirable to restrict access to data corresponding to the decryption keys used to decrypt encrypted broadcast data, and also to the decrypted broadcast data itself.
The data present within a secure system such as that described above is usually stored in several different memories and data access within a secure system may be requested by several different parts of the system. A device in the system which requests data access is often referred to as an initiator. Since some initiators may be more vulnerable to hacking than others and since some data sources and destinations may contain more sensitive data than others, we have appreciated that it is desirable to restrict the access that some initiators have to some data sources and destinations.
Often, the initiators and the data sources and destinations are accessed through different types of data buses, having different bandwidths or data transfer protocols for example. In this case, when a data access request is transmitted from an initiator to a data source or destination, it may be necessary to convert the format of the request signals when the request passes between busses. We have appreciated that such a conversion process often causes information relating to the origin of the data access request to be lost so that it is then not possible to restrict data accesses at a data source or destination based on the origin of the data access request.


Provided is a foldable display apparatus that is foldable along a folding line. The foldable display apparatus includes a first display panel for displaying a first image, a second display panel for displaying a second image, wherein the second display panel is spaced apart from the first display panel, and a flexible electric connection unit disposed between the first and second display panels and electrically connecting the first and second display panels, the flexible electric connection unit comprising a groove overlapping with the folding line.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a foldable display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the foldable display apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
The range of uses for display apparatuses has diversified in recent years due to the reduction in form factor and weight of the display apparatuses.
For example, a foldable display apparatus is a display apparatus that can be folded by a user, therefore making the display apparatus easily portable. In addition, when the display apparatus is unfolded, a large sized screen can be realized. The foldable display apparatus may be provided in mobile phones, televisions, display monitors, electronic readers, etc.
In some instances, the foldable display apparatus may include a plurality of display panels that can be folded along a folding line, and the plurality of display panels may be used for different applications.

Foldable display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same


A fixing heat dissipating unit that is disposed in an electronic device is connected to a substrate and a heat source. The fixing heat dissipating unit includes a fixing element and a heat conducting element. The fixing element is connected to the substrate to hold the substrate in the electronic device. The heat conducting element is respectively connected to the heat source and the fixing element. The heat source is a part of the electronic device and the fixing element is integrated with the heat conducting element as a single component. An electronic device having the fixing heat dissipating unit is also disclosed.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing heat dissipating unit with integrated functions of holding and heat dissipating, and an electronic device having the fixing heat dissipating unit.
2. Related Art
As the electronic devices are operating, the elements inside, such as the chips, usually generate heat energy. The accumulating heat energy may, however, easily overheat the electronic device and hence lead to the malfunction of the electronic device. Thus, the electronic device usually has a heat dissipating element, such as a fan, a metal heat dissipation sheet, a ceramic heat dissipation sheet, or a heat pipe, for heat dissipation. Nevertheless, the fan or the heat pipe takes a lot of space in the electronic device; and as for the fan, the heat flow is also another factor to be considered while designing. Hence other than the material cost, the design cost will as well be increased.
Additionally, the shaking occurred while moving the electronic device may damage the elements in the electronic device. Therefore, the fixing glue or a fixing element is normally used to hold the elements for increasing the reliability of the electronic device. For the elements needed to be held, the metal fixing elements usually provide better steadiness for the elements.
The above heat dissipating element and fixing element are usually separate elements, so the design cost or the testing time cannot be effectively controlled. Thus an important subject is to provide a fixing heat dissipating unit having integral design and an electronic device having this fixing heat dissipating unit.

Fixing heat dissipating unit and electronic device having fixing heat dissipating unit


A method of detecting an activated condition of a wide range air-fuel ratio sensor is provided. With this method, application of a current to a heater is started idiately after an engine is started (S00). Then, a current Icp for pumping is passed through an electromotive force cell (S10). A lapse of a predetermined time Tin is waited for (S18). After a lapse of time Tin, a voltage Vs across both electrodes of the electromotive force cell is detected (S20) and labeled as Vs0 (S22). Then, application of Icp is suspended (S30) and a routine is held on standby until a time of 25 ms elapses (S35). At the point of time when the time of 25 ms has elapsed, the voltage across the electrodes on the opposite sides of the electromotive force cell is detected (S40) and labeled as Vs1 (S45). A resistance value Rs1 is calculated from Vs0, Vs1 and Icp (S50). The resistance value Rs1 is compared with a value Rss which has been prepared previously (S55) and it is judged, when Rs1 is smaller than Rss, that the electromotive force cell has been put into an activated condition. An apparatus for detecting an activated condition of a wide range air-fuel ratio sensor is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for detecting whether a wide range air-fuel ratio sensor has been activated or not.
2. Description of the Related Art
For controlling an air-fuel ratio mixture to be supplied to an engine in a way as to allow the air-fuel ratio to be maintained at a target value (i.e., stoichiometric) and thereby reducing the concentration of CO, NOx and HC in the engine exhaust gases, it is known to carry out a feedback control of a quantity of fuel to be supplied to the engine. For such feed-back control, a .lambda. (lambda) sensor whose output changes abruptly or sharply (i.e., stepwise) in response to a particular oxygen concentration, i.e., a theoretical air-fuel ratio mixture and a wide range oxygen sensor or air-fuel ratio sensor, whose output changes smoothly and continuously (i.e., not stepwise) in response to a variation of the air-fuel ratio from a lean mixture mode or range to a rich mixture mode or range are mainly used. The wide range air-fuel ratio sensor is, as mentioned above, capable of detecting the oxygen concentration in an engine exhaust gas continuously and improving the feedback control accuracy and speed, and is thus used in case the higher-speed and more accurate feedback control is required.
The wide range air-fuel sensor is provided with two cells made of oxygen ion conductive solid electrolytic bodies, which are disposed so as to oppose to each other with a certain interval or gap (measurement chamber) therebetween. One of the cells is used as a pump cell for pumping out the oxygen from or into the gap between the cells. The other of the cells is used as an electromotive force cell for generating a voltage depending upon a difference in the oxygen concentration between an oxygen reference chamber and the above gap. The pump cell is operated in such a manner that the output of the electromotive force cell is constant, and the current supplied to the pump cell to this end is measured for use as a value proportional to a measured oxygen concentration. An example of such a wide range air-fuel ratio sensor is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,174,885 and 5,194,135.
The above described feedback control for reducing the noxious components contained in the exhaust gases starts after warm-up of the engine is completed. This is because the wide range air-fuel ratio sensor is not active or operable until it is heated up to a predetermined temperature to make higher the activity of its oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte. For this reason, a heater is provided to the wide range air-fuel ratio sensor in order to make it operable as soon as possible after starting of the engine.
In this connection, before the feedback control by means of the above described wide range air-fuel ratio sensor starts, the air fuel ratio is regulated to a rich mode so that the exhaust gases with a relatively high concentration of CO and HC are emitted. In order to finish the emission of such exhaust gases with a high concentration of the noxious components within a short time, judgment on whether the wide range air-fuel ratio sensor has been activated or not is made by applying a predetermined current or voltage to the electromotive force cell for measurement of the resistance in order that the wide range air-fuel ratio sensor can be put into action as early as possible after starting of engine.
Referring to FIG. 8A, a prior art technology on such judgment will be described. FIG. 8A is a graph of a voltage across an electromotive force cell, resulting when a constant current is passed through the electromotive force cell, as a function of a time elapsing after heating of the electromotive force cell starts. The electromotive force cell decreases in resistance gradually as it is heated for a longer time. That is, the temperature of the electromotive force cell is assumed on the basis of the resistance, and judgment on whether the electromotive force cell has reached a predetermined temperature at which the electromotive force cell becomes active or operable is made on the basis of the assumed temperature. In this instance, when the voltage of the electromotive force cell has reached a value Vs1, it is judged that the electromotive force cell (i.e., wide range air-fuel ratio sensor) has reached a temperature at which it becomes active, and after a margin of about 10 seconds elapses the operation of the wide range air-fuel ratio sensor is made to start.
In this connection, the reason why the wide range air-fuel ratio sensor is made to operate after a margin of about 10 seconds elapses in the above described prior art technology is that the voltage Vs of the electromotive force cell varies depending upon a variation of the surrounding atmosphere. That is, an electric potential is generated in the electromotive force cell on the basis of an oxygen concentration in the surrounding atmosphere, so the temperature that the electromotive force cell has at the time of its voltage having reached the above described value Vs1 varies depending upon whether the surrounding atmosphere shows a rich mixture or a lean mixture. For this reason, assuming that the electromotive force cell does not yet become actually active or operable even when its voltage has reached the above described Vs1, heating is continued for further 10 seconds or so.
A further accurate technology of detecting whether the electromotive force cell has become active or operable is disclosed in Japanese patent provisional publication No. 4-313056. By this technology, as shown in FIG. 8B, application of a current to the electromotive force cell is periodically stopped or suspended, whereby the resistance of the electromotive force cell is measured on the basis of the voltage fall Vsd3 resulting when the application of current to the electromotive force cell is stopped or suspended, and judgment on whether the electromotive force cell has become active or operable is made based on the resistance measured as above. That is, the voltage Vs of the electromotive force cell is the sumn of the result obtained by multiplying the resistance of the electromotive force cell and the current passed through the same, and the internal electromotive force (hereinafter also referred to simply as electromotive force) of the electromotive force cell, so the voltage fall at the time of stoppage or suspension of the supply of current to the electromotive force cell is dependent only on the resistance value of the electromotive force cell. Thus, the temperature of the electromotive force cell can be measured irrespective of the internal electromotive force which varies depending upon a variation of the surrounding atmosphere.
However, it was found that the above described prior art technology was insufficient in accuracy in detecting the resistance of the electromotive force cell. That is, the voltage across the electrodes at the opposite side surfaces of the electromotive force cell after the current or voltage to be applied to the electromotive force cell is suspended or stopped, is not necessarily constant but varies momentarily even during a quite short time (e.g., 1 ms or less), so the prior art of FIG. 8A-8B encounters such a problem that it is unclear that at what time after application of the current or voltage is suspended or stopped, measurement of the voltage across the electrodes at the opposite side surfaces of the electromotive force cell should be made for accurate detection of the activity of the sensor.
The cause of voltage variation within a quite short time has not yet been clearly explained but may roughly be assumed as follows.
As shown in FIG. 1, an electromotive force cell 24 has such a structure as having electrodes 22 and 28 at opposite side surfaces of a solid electrolytic body and is not a simple, pure resistance in view of an equivalent circuit but has characteristics of complex impedance resulting from a combination of a resistance and a latent electrostatic capacity. Accordingly, as described above, a response to a sudden, step-like variation of applied voltage (stoppage of application of voltage) does not occur in a sudden, step-like manner but exhibits a complex variation resulting from a combination of several exponential variations.
In this instance, if judgment on the activity is made by using a voltage detected at a suitable timing, there may possibly be caused a problem that the output of the wide range air-fuel ratio sensor is inaccurate or judgment on the activity is delayed with the result that the wide range air-fuel ratio cannot function properly or desirably.

Method of and apparatus for detecting an activated condition of a wide range air-fuel ratio sensor


An improvement in production of an optical recording medium of phase change type is provided. In the present method, the step of repeated recording and erasing which had to be carried out after initialization and before shipment in the conventional process is eliminated. The optical recording medium produced by the present process retain good properties after repeated overwriting. In the process of the present invention, the prior art initialization step is replaced by modification treatment and the subsequent crystallization treatment. The modification treatment is a step wherein non-crystalline recording layer formed by sputtering is melted and cooled to change the crystal-lographic state into a non-crystalline state which is different from the non-crystalline state immediately after the formation of the recording layer. The crystallization treatment is a step conducted after the modification treatment wherein the recording layer in non-crystalline state is heated for crystallization.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for preparing an optical recording medium of phase change type, and more specifically, to a method for initializing such optical recording medium.
2. Prior Art
Highlight is recently focused on optical recording media capable of recording information at a high density and erasing the recorded information for overwriting. One typical rewritable (or erasable) optical recording medium is of the phase change type wherein a laser beam is directed to the recording layer to change its crystallographic state whereupon a change of reflectivity by the crystallographic change is detected for reproduction of the information. Optical recording media of the phase change type are of great interest since they can be overwritten by modulating the intensity of a single light beam and the optical system of the drive unit used for their operation is simple as compared with magneto-optical recording media.
Most optical recording media of the phase change type used Ge-Te systems which provide a substantial difference in reflectivity between crystalline and amorphous states and have a relatively stable amorphous state. It was also recently proposed to use new compounds known as chalcopyrites.
Chalcopyrite compounds were investigated as compound semiconductor materials and have been applied to solar batteries and the like. The chalcopyrite compounds are composed of Ib-IIIb-VIb.sub.2 or IIb-IVb-Vb.sub.2 as expressed in terms of the Groups of the Periodic Table and have two stacked diamond structures. The structure of chalcopyrite compounds can be readily determined by X-ray structural analysis and their basic characteristics are described, for example, in Physics, Vol. 8, No. 8 (1987), pp. 441 and Denki Kagaku (Electrochemistry), Vol. 56, No. 4 (1988), pp. 228.
Among the chalcopyrite compounds, AgInTe.sub.2 is known to be applicable as a recording material by diluting it with Sb or Bi. The resulting optical recording media are generally operated at a linear velocity of about 7 m/s. See Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. (JP-A) 240590/1991, 99884/1991, 82593/1991, 73384/1991, and 151286/1992.
In addition to these phase change type optical recording media using chalcopyrite compounds, JP-A 267192/1992, 232779/1992, and 166268/1994 disclose phase change type optical recording media wherein an AgSbTe.sub.2 phase forms when a recording layer crystallizes.
In the conventional optical recording medium of phase change type, the recording layer has been formed by such means as vacuum deposition apparatus, and the recording layer immediately after its formation is in non-crystalline state. When the disc having such recording layer is utilized for a rewritable medium, crystallization of the recording layer is generally required and such crystallization is accomplished by a process called initialization.
Various processes have been proposed for the initialization. Typical processes are the process wherein the substrate is heated to crystallization temperature of the recording layer after the deposition of the recording layer (JP-A 3131/1990); the process called "solid phase initialization" wherein the recording layer is crystallized after its deposition by laser beam irradiation (JP-A 366424/1992, 201734/1990, and 76027/1991); a process wherein the substrate having the recording layer deposited thereon is irradiated with a flash light to utilize optical properties of the chalcogen compounds for pseudo-crystallization of the recording layer by photodarkening (JP-A 281219/1992); a process wherein the recording layer is crystallized by means of RF induction heating; a process wherein the substrate is heated simultaneously with the deposition of the recording layer for crystallization (JP-A 98847/1990); a process wherein a dielectric layer is formed as the first layer, and the recording layer is formed on the first layer and heated for crystallization, and the second dielectric layer is formed on the crystallized recording layer (JP-A 5246/1990).
Initialization by laser beam irradiation, however, is a time-consuming process and this process also suffer from insufficient productivity. On the other hand, the process involving the heating of the entire medium prohibited use of inexpensive resin substrates, since the heating during the initialization resulted in deformation of the resin substrate to result in tracking problems. Use of flash light required repeated irradiation to accomplish the crystallization, and productivity was insufficient.
In view of such situation, an apparatus called "bulk eraser" is currently used for the initialization in commercial scale production. A bulk eraser is an apparatus which is capable of irradiating a high power gas laser 6r semiconductor laser beam without tight focusing so that multiple tracks can be crystallized at once. Use of such bulk eraser enables localized heating of the recording layer, and temperature elevation of the substrate is thus avoided to enable the use of a resin substrate of low heat resistance.
In the conventional optical recording medium of phase change type, the medium initialized with a bulk eraser had to be subjected to a step called "priming" before its shipment. The "priming" is a step wherein recording and erasing are repeated for several ten times. The reason for conducting such "priming" is described by referring to FIG. 1B.
FIG. 1B is a schematic view showing crystallinity of the recording layer of phase change type at the stages of immediately after the layer formation, after the initialization, and after the overwriting. In FIG. 1B, crystallinity is represented by the ordinate axis.
The recording layer formed by sputtering is in non-crystalline state. This state is designated non-crystalline state A. When the recording layer of this state is initialized by the conventional method, the recording layer is crystallized. In the conventional initialization, the recording layer is heated for melting, and then allowed to cool slowly. The resulting post-initialization state is designated "crystalline state B". When the thus initialized recording layer is subjected to recording, the recording layer is heated to a temperature near its melting point, and quenched to leave a recording mark in non-crystalline state. Such state is designated "non-crystalline state C". After such recording, the recording layer is heated to a temperature above the crystallization temperature but below the melting temperature for crystallization of the recording mark. This is the erasing upon overwriting. Such post-erasing state is designated "crystalline state D".
In FIG. 1B, the post-initialization crystalline state B and the post-erasing crystalline state D shares the common feature that they are in their crystalline state. The post-initialization crystalline state B and the post-erasing crystalline state D, however, are different in crystallinity, and the crystallinity of the post-initialization crystalline state B is higher than that of the post-erasing crystalline state D. More illustratively, the post-initialization crystalline state B attained by crystallization after melting has a crystal grain size larger than that of the post-erasing crystalline state D attained by crystallization without melting. Such difference in the crystallinity between the region crystallized in the initialization and the region crystallized in the overwriting results in the difference of reflectivity, and it is only after overwriting the entire region of the medium that the reflectivity becomes consistent. In the mark edge recording as used in the overwritable DVD-RAM, such inconsistency in the reflectivity invites misrecognition of the mark edge.
The step of "priming" is conducted to clear such difference in crystallinity between the region crystallized by the initialization and the region crystallized by the erasing.
The "priming", however, is a quite time-consuming process, and productivity is greatly sacrificed by such "priming".
Initialization of the conventional method also suffers from various problems associated with the use of bulk eraser.
A 12 cm optical recording disk usually takes about several ten seconds to several minutes for its initialization with a bulk eraser, and therefore, the process of initialization is the rate-determining step in the production of the optical recording disk.
In the initialization with a bulk eraser, many tracks are initialized at once by using a high power laser beam, and the problems as described below are involved with such bulk initialization.
In such initialization with the bulk eraser, the laser beam is not tightly focused and a beam spot of substantial area is formed. The energy density within the beam spot, however, is not consistent. In addition, in the spiral scanning of the optical recording medium with the beam spot during the initialization, there is some overlap between the annular region scanned by the beam spot in one turn and the annular region scanned in the next turn. Consequently, the reflectivity after the initialization is different from track to track, and the step of "priming" was necessary to clear such difference in the reflectivity, and the inconsistent reflectivity also resulted in the focus servo failure of the driving unit during the "priming". It should also be noted that, in the prepit region of the substrate where unoverwritable pits are preliminarily formed, the reflectivity inconsistency resulting from the initialization can not be cleared by the process of "priming", and the prepit region may have some difficulty in servo and reproduction. In FIG. 1B, the inconsistency in the reflectivity is represented by the hatched region with considerable variation in the degree of crystallinity.
As mentioned above, the beam spot of a bulk eraser is of substantial area, and only limited energy is applied to each track compared to the total beam energy. Typical countermeasures are repeated irradiation of the same track and increase in the laser beam power, which resulted in damages of the recording layer and/or the dielectric layers sandwiching the recording layer, reduced number of overwritable operations, and inconsistent reflectivity. The stress applied to the dielectric layers upon the melting of the recording layer in the course of bulk initialization is larger than the case of single track initialization since multiple tracks, namely, larger area is initialized in the case of the initialization with a bulk eraser. Therefore, the damages of the recording layer and/or the dielectric layers in the case of the initialization with a bulk eraser is serious, and this damage results in the inconsistent reflectivity. In addition, degree of the damage would be different from track to track due to the inconsistent beam intensity within the beam spot and the beam spot overlap as mentioned above. The inconsistency of the reflectivity caused by such damage can not be completely compensated by the process of "priming", and the resulting inconsistency of the reflectivity within the crystallized regions will invite increased jitter and servo failure of the driving unit.

Method for preparing optical recording medium


In one embodiment, a device in a network receives a machine learning encoder and decoder trained by a supervisory service. The service trains the encoder and decoder using vibration measurement data sent to the service by a plurality of devices. The device trains, based on the received encoder, a classifier to determine whether vibration measurement data is indicative of a behavioral anomaly. The device receives vibration measurement data captured by a particular set of one or more vibration sensors of a monitored system. The device evaluates, using the trained decoder, the received vibration measurement data to determine whether the data is indicative of a structural anomaly in the monitored system. The device evaluates, using the trained classifier, the received vibration measurement data to determine whether the data is indicative of a behavioral anomaly in the monitored system.

The Internet of Things, or "IoT" for short, represents an evolution of computer networks that seeks to connect many everyday objects to the Internet. Notably, there has been a recent proliferation of 'smart' devices that are Internet-capable such as thermostats, lighting, televisions, cameras, and the like. In many implementations, these devices may also communicate with one another. For example, an IoT motion sensor may communicate with one or more smart lightbulbs, to actuate the lighting in a room when a person enters the room. Vehicles are another class of 'things' that are being connected via the IoT for purposes of sharing sensor data, implementing self-driving capabilities, monitoring, and the like.
A key observation is that vibrations are often an early indication of faults in machines, motors, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and many other devices and systems. However, actually detecting a fault using vibration measurement data remains challenging for a number of reasons. First, most devices and systems that exhibit vibrations prior to failure also exhibit some degree of vibration during their normal use, making it very difficult to create a model able to discern between normal and problematic behaviors, such as structural or behavioral anomalies. In addition, vibration sensors often produce inconsistent results across multiple devices of the same type. Thus, even were a model trained to assess a system based on vibration measurements from the system, the model is unlikely to be applicable to other systems.

IoT-based network architecture for detecting faults using vibration measurement data


A catalyst for reforming hydrocarbons may include a nickel nanoparticle having a controlled crystal facet, the controlled crystal facet being a surface of the nickel nanoparticle and including a {100} face, a {111} face, or a combination thereof. The present disclosure also relates to a production method thereof and a method of reforming hydrocarbons using the same.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a catalyst for reforming hydrocarbons, a method of producing the same, and hydrocarbon reforming processes using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hydrocarbons (such as natural gas, petroleum gas, or the like) may be reformed in the presence of a reforming material (such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and oxygen) and a catalyst so as to be converted to hydrogen, carbon monoxide, or the like. Such reactions may be used for various purposes, for example, for hydrogen supply in fuel cells, which are considered to be an alternative energy source to fossil fuels. For example, methane in natural gas may produce hydrogen gas via a carbon dioxide reforming (CDR) reaction represented by Reaction Scheme 1 or a combined steam carbon dioxide reforming (CSCDR) reaction represented by Reaction Scheme 2.

Nickel catalysts may be used in such reactions of reforming hydrocarbons, but carbon deposition occurs more easily with a nickel catalyst than with a precious metal catalyst, thereby causing a serious decrease in catalyst efficiency. Conventional nickel catalysts currently being used are amorphous and have a spherical particle shape.

Catalysts for reforming hydrocarbons and production methods thereof

Yonsei University, University—Industry Foundation (UIF)


A method and system for displaying information on an electronic paper (or “e-paper”) is included herein. The method includes passing the e-paper through an e-paper printer. Additionally, the method includes changing a status of a pixel on the e-paper.

The methods and systems disclosed herein relate to displaying information from computer systems. More specifically, techniques for displaying information on electronic paper are disclosed.
One of the most common methods of displaying information via electronic devices is with a standard printer and paper. The printer receives data from a computer, and then uses ink to embed, or print, text and images onto a sheet of paper. The printed information is permanent and cannot be easily altered or disposed of outside of physically destroying the paper itself. Furthermore, the amount of ink that a printer can store is finite and must be replenished regularly. Thus, the use of a printer requires users to purchase and dispose of a large quantity of resources.
Another method that has gained wide acceptance in recent years is the use of an electronic reader or "e-reader". An e-reader functions by displaying text and images on a screen of limited size on the device. The information displayed by the screen is dictated by a document interpreter and renderer, which sends instruction to a driver to change the state of the pixels displayed on the screen. The electronics are fixed to the display screen, meaning that the device has a rigid form factor and cannot be resized or reshaped. Further, the electronics used to display the information add significant cost to the display. The e-readers are also incapable of displaying multiple pages of information simultaneously.

Printing information on electronic paper


Automatic pricing of remotely hosted applications permits users to enter customer data and flexibly prices various product offerings, product lines, and applications. An initial build of a computer system, modifications to an existing computer system configuration, extended services, and enhancements are incorporated. Errors are checked for and can be corrected. Using the invention, a sales team can quickly and efficiently price products and services at the inception of a business relationship, and can easily modify prices during the business relationship.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to pricing computer services and more particularly to pricing remote hosting of applications by an Application Service Provider (ASP).
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Business organizations commonly establish computer centers for hosting software applications such as corporate e-mail systems and human resources systems. The increasing complexity of designing, operating, and maintaining software applications, and administering computer systems to host the applications, has increased personnel costs and often delayed the rollout of new software applications and computer systems into production environments.
Application Service Providers (ASPs), through centralization and economics of scale, resolve delays and minimize costs by providing the service of hosting software applications for customers wanting to be relieved of hosting applications themselves. ASPs typically set up large computer systems, install software applications on the systems, employ personnel to administer the systems and applications, and, through networks, service remote access customers. The customer's remaining concerns are its requirements for software applications and the terms of their Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the ASP.
ASPs have various ways of pricing their services. Some ASPs charge for use of a computer system separately from charges for use of a software application. Other ASPs charge by user accesses to computer systems and software applications. ASPs also charge costs for licensing software applications. Conventional pricing methodologies are typically carried out manually and slowly, which hinders sales by an ASP. Therefore, what is needed is an automated yet flexible method for automatically pricing remotely hosted applications.

System and method for automatic pricing of remotely hosted applications


In an electrical connector, in a state in which an abutting portion of a support is abutted against a receiving face of a retainer or an inflator housing, if the connector housing is pressed toward the mating side and then released before being inserted into the retainer to a predetermined depth, then the connector housing is pressed back in the counter mating direction due to restoring force generated in the support. If the connector housing is pressed toward the mating side and inserted into the retainer to the predetermined depth, the abutting portion becomes displaced in the abutment cancelation direction so as to separate from the receiving face, and thus the connector housing is inserted into the retainer to the predetermined depth or more so as to be mated to the retainer, and electrical terminals become connected to squib terminals. Also, a squib connection device includes this electrical connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention belongs to the technical field of electrical connectors, relating to an electrical connector for connection with a partner device that has an inflator housing, a squib, and a retainer. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a squib connection device that includes the partner device and the electrical connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
JP-2012-22990-A discloses a connector that can suppress deformation of a locking arm that presses a slider assembled to a housing via a biasing means. This connector includes an initiator and a housing. A shunt of the initiator is provided with the locking arm. A slider is assembled, via a spring, to a terminal housing portion provided in a housing body of the housing. When mounting the housing to the initiator, the locking arm rides up the housing, then comes into contact with an arm reception portion of the slider and presses the slider in resistance to the biasing of the spring. Then, the locking arm undergoes restoration so as to become locked with the terminal housing portion. The end face of the slider that comes into contact with the locking arm is tapered so as to guide the locking arm in the restoring direction of the locking arm.

Electrical connector and squib connection device


A pharmaceutical or medicinal preparation comprising a mixture of herbs including Bacopa monniera, Convolvulus pluricaulis, Nardostachys jatamansi, Valerian wallichi, Myristica fragrans, Centella asiatica, Withania somnifera, Ocimum sanctum, Acorus calamus, Boerhavia diffusa and Tinospora cordifolia or a mixture of the active ingredients that have been extracted from such herbs for treatment of conditions involving hormone imbalances, circulatory conditions, musculo-skeletal problems, gastrointestinal problems, psychological conditions, sleep disorders, and problems in the nervous system among others.

Various psychological, pathological, and physiological conditions of the human body are conventionally treated or regulated using drugs. Such treatments include chemically synthesized preparations, or other therapies, including radiation or chemotherapy, which often have adverse side effects. These drugs and therapies address the medical problem with carrying degrees of effectiveness, but often overlook one of the most important factors in treatment: psychological well-being. A well-rested, optimistic, and upbeat person has a better chance of recovery or quality of life than a tired, depressed, and angry patient. Further, many drugs and therapies adversely affect a patient with unwanted and unwelcome side effects.
There is a need for improved medicinal preparations for use in the treatment or regulation of the aforementioned conditions, without the adverse effects associated with conventional modes of treatment. It is an object of the present invention to provide such a preparation.

Herbal composition to improve psychological functions as an anxiolytic, tranquilizer, and non-narcotic sedative, as well as other physiological functions


Provided is a circuit device having conductive patterns which are equally spaced apart and a manufacturing method thereof. A method for manufacturing a circuit device of the present invention includes the steps of: preparing a conductive foil; forming conductive patterns, which are included in a unit having at least regions for mounting circuit elements, by forming isolation trenches having a uniform width in the conductive foil; electrically connecting the conductive patterns to the circuit elements; sealing with a sealing resin so as to cover the circuit elements and to be filled in the isolation trenches; and removing the conductive foil in its thickness portions where no isolation trenches are provided.

Priority is claimed to Japanese Patent Application Numbers JP2003-342082, filed on Sep. 30, 2003, and JP2004-251364, filed on Aug. 31, 2004, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entireties.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit device and a manufacturing method thereof, more particularly to a circuit device having conductive patterns which are equally spaced apart and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, circuit devices set in electronic equipment have been required to be made smaller, thinner and lighter since the circuit devices are adopted in portable telephones, portable computers and the like.
For example, as the circuit device, a semiconductor device will be described as an example. A wafer-scale CSP having the same size as a chip, which is called a CSP (chip size package), has been recently developed.
FIG. 11 shows a CSP 66 which is slightly larger than chip size. In the CSP 66, a glass epoxy board 65 is adopted as a supporting board. Here, the CSP 66 will be described assuming that a transistor chip T is mounted on the glass epoxy board 65.
On a surface of this glass epoxy board 65, a first electrode 67, a second electrode 68 and a die pad 69 are formed. On a back of the glass epoxy board 65, a first back electrode 70 and a second back electrode 71 are formed. Accordingly, through a through hole TH, the first electrode 67 and the first back electrode 70 are connected to each other. Furthermore, through a through hole TH, the second electrode 68 and the second back electrode 71 are electrically connected to each other. Moreover, the bare transistor chip T is die bonded to the die pad 69 and an emitter electrode of the transistor and the first electrode 67 are connected to each other through a thin metal wire 72. Furthermore, a base electrode of the transistor and the second electrode 68 are connected to each other through a thin metal wire 72. A resin layer 73 is provided on the glass epoxy board 65 so as to cover the transistor chip T.
In the CSP 66, the glass epoxy board 65 is adopted, which leads to an advantage that, unlike the wafer-scale CSP, an extension structure from the chip T to the back electrodes 70 and 71 for external connection can be easily formed and the CSP 66 is manufactured at low cost.
However, in the CSP 66 described above, the glass epoxy board 65 is used as an interposer. Thus, miniaturization and thinning of the CSP 66 had limitations. Consequently, a circuit device 80 requiring no package board, as shown in FIG. 12, was developed (for example, see patent document 1).
With reference to FIG. 12, in the circuit device 80, a circuit element 82 is die bonded to a conductive pattern 81. The circuit element 82 and the conductive pattern 81 are connected to each other through a thin metal wiring 84. A sealing resin 83 covers the circuit element 82, the thin metal wiring 84 and the conductive pattern 81 while exposing a back of the conductive pattern 81. Therefore, the circuit device 80 is configured to require no package board and is formed to be thinner and smaller than the CSP 66.
The conductive pattern 81 in the circuit device 80 is formed by etching a conductive foil. To be more specific, first, a surface of the conductive foil is half etched to form an isolation trench 87. By forming the isolation trench 87, a convex conductive pattern 81 is formed in the surface of the conductive foil. Next, the circuit element 82 is electrically connected to the conductive pattern 81. Thereafter, the sealing resin 83 is formed so as to cover the circuit element and to be filled in the isolation trench 87. Furthermore, the conductive foil is removed from its back until the sealing resin 83 filled in the isolation trench 87 is exposed. Thus, respective conductive patterns 81 are separated. By performing the steps described above, the conductive patterns 81 having a desired shape are formed.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-076246 (Page 7, FIG. 1)

Circuit device and manufacturing method thereof


A joint scheduling apparatus and method for increasing frequency efficiency and fairness in a distributed antenna system using frequency reuse and common control power. Packets are selected for transmission to be transmitted to MSs are selected, taking into account QoS in at least one of a BS and an RS and grouped into packet groups. The packets are selected from the packet groups, links corresponding to the packets are grouped into a link group, a joint power control is performed on the link group, link elimination and link addition are performed for the link group until optimal solutions are achieved for the links of the link group in the joint power control. Channels are allocated to the links when the optimal solutions are achieved for the links, and the status of a user queue of at least one of the BS and the RS is updated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a technique for interaction between a scheduler and a power controller in a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technique for joint scheduling and power control among a Base Station (BS) and Relay Stations (RSs) in order to increase fairness and transmission efficiency on a downlink in a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) using frequency reuse and common power control.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional cellular system, a scheduler typically selects packets to be transmitted to Mobile Stations (MSs) according to their priority levels. Therefore, every MS and every BS have a common scheduler. MSs are known to suffer from different signal attenuation and interference according to their locations at given point in time. This difference in signal attenuation and interference results in the problem that when MSs are allocated the same transmit power, they have different Signal-to-interference and Noise Ratios (SINRs). In an attempt to make the SINRs of the MSs uniform, a power controller allocates higher power to remote MSs relative to the BS (or RS) and lower power to nearby MSs relative to the BS (or RS).
In a DAS that operates using frequency reuse and common power control, the link between a BS and an RS is established by a dedicated line, such as an optical fiber, and each RS functions like the BS, in that each RS serves as an antenna of the BS. The BS and the RS have their independent service areas and frequencies that can be reused in the service areas. It may occur that two MSs are located near to the boundary between the service areas, although in the different service areas and sharing the same channel. When a scheduler selects packets for the MSs, the MSs have low SINRs due to interference from the neighboring service areas, and thus there is a high probability that transmission of the packets to the MSs will result in failure. If a high power level is allocated to one or both of the MSs to increase their SINRs, a resultant increase in mutual interference nullifies the effect of the power control increasing the power level. The reason for the increase in mutual interference that nullifies the effect of the increased power level is because the power control is being performed after the scheduling. As scheduling and power control take place independently, data transmission to the MSs is failed and/or a minimum data rate is not met, thereby causing an outage. Accordingly, as the number of MSs increase and the use of the networks increase, the likelihood of the aforementioned problems will likely increase as well. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide a solution to this problem.

Method and apparatus for joint scheduling to increase frequency efficiency and fairness in a distributed antenna system using frequency reuse and common power control

Maetan-Dong, Yeongtong-Gu, Suwon-Si, Gyeonggi-Do

Industry-University Cooperation Foundation Sogang University


A method and apparatus for compensating for color and brightness variations in a white-light printer is described where the white-light printer automatically adjusts exposure of a photosensitive medium to optimize a printed image thereon. The white-light printer generates compensation factors used by the white-light printer to individually correct for primary colors within an image by monitoring chromatic transmission through the same or equivalent color filters as are being used to expose the photosensitive medium. A method is disclosed where the video output is set at maximum and brightness, or Luma, is varied and measured in foot-Lamberts. The Luma that gives "white", a film table is recorded, and that Luma is fixed such that proper white, black, and grays are attained. A similar procedure is repeated for each primary color, thereby compensating for color and brightness variations due to differing CRTs and the warm-up state of each CRT.

The present invention relates generally to white-light printers for use as a computer peripheral, and, more particularly, the invention relates to white-light printers for printing onto photosensitive media which use photosensors within the white-light printer to monitor light output of the white-light printer thus providing enhanced exposure control.
Electronic printers have long been used with computers to print images from the computers. To do so, the computer transmits an image as image data representative of the image to the printer through a common interface, and this image data, usually in digital form, is interpreted by the printer such that the image is printed on a hard copy medium. When a photographic print is desired, a white-light printer is generally used and the hard-copy medium is a photosensitive medium. The white-light printer then uses a modulated light source to scan image-bearing light across the photosensitive medium to create an image thereon.
Commonly, the modulated light source is a cathode ray tubes ("CRT") which is a fast, accurate, and easy to modulate light. A problem with using a CRT for this purpose is that as the CRT screen warms, the color of the light emitted from the CRT can change. Therefore, in order to get consistent exposures, the CRT must be fully warmed requiring that the printer be turned on for an extended period of time prior to making a first print.
Further, as the CRT ages the light output and color of the light continues to change. This results in precise factory calibration for light and color output of the CRT becoming useless over a period of time.
A further problem with using a CRT in a printer is that each CRT gives off a different amount of light, even with a constant voltage input. This problem has been addressed in factory calibration by intensity measurement and initial adjustment to ensure accuracy. This accuracy comes at the expense of increased manufacturing time and costs, and may not be stable over the life of the equipment.
To solve this problem, commercially available white-light printers have placed a photosensor within the white-light printer to monitor light intensity, or brightness, of the CRT light output. The results from the sensor are fed back to a processor which compensates the image signal from the computer for changes in brightness. While this method of compensation addresses the problem of varying brightness, it ignores changes in color of the white light.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a white-light printer that automatically compensates for color changes in the white light.
It is another object of this invention to compensate for light intensity changes irrespective of a CRT used within a CRT-based white-light printer.
It is a further object of the invention to decrease manufacturing time by automatically calibrating each white-light printer without requiring mechanical adjustments.
These and other objects of the invention will be obvious and appear hereinafter.

Automatic color correction for a white-light printer


A case forming machine for erecting cases from knock down case form to an open form and move an opened case downward to a bottom forming station using a fixed and a moveable jaw system is improved by providing a plurality of radially spaced, concentric stabilizer bars fixed to the fixed jaw and arranged to form concentric segments of circles centered on the pivotal axis of the moveable jaw and having their bottom edges in a radial plane relative to the pivotal axis. Also provided is a micrometer type adjustment mechanism that is used for adjusting the gap between the fixed and moveable jaws when the jaws are in the parallel pick-up position.

In the manufacture (erection and taping of flaps to produce a carton or case from a knocked down blank) the knocked down carton or case is first squared and then the bottom flaps folded into closed position. The squaring operation generally withdraws a single knocked down case blank from a magazine of such blanks held in face to face position, opens the blank from the knocked down condition into a squared condition wherein adjacent side walls of the case are generally mutually perpendicular and positions the squared blank into a bottom flap folding station. In the bottom flap folding station the minor flaps (generally the shorter flaps) one connected to each of the leading and trailing side panels of the case (oriented in the direction of travel of the case from the erecting station) are folded relative to their respective side panels and then the major flaps one connected to each of the remaining side wall (walls parallel to the direction of travel) are folded into underlining relation (outwardly exposed relation) to the minor flaps. The so erected case is then moved into a bottom closure station which may be a taping station where a tape or adhesive is applied along the bottom major flaps extending in the direction of travel of the case through the taping station to secure the major flaps in folded closed position and thereby the case in squared condition with the adjacent side panels mutually perpendicular. In this condition the top closing flaps are generally in open position so that the case may be filled and then the top flaps are closed and secured in closed position for example by taping or adhesive similar to the bottom taping operation to complete the erecting filling and closing cycle and the filed box is ready for shipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,954 issued Nov. 10 1985 to Sewell et al. describes the erector to which the present invention is a significant improvement and the disclosure of this patent is incorporated herein by reference. This patent teaches the use of relatively pivoting jaws a fixed jaw oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel of a case through the erector i.e. from a bottom erector station and a moveable jaw that pivots on a pivotal axis between a pick-up or gripping position with the moveable jaw substantially parallel to and spaced from the fixed jaw to a position perpendicular to the fixed jaw. These erectors normally are designed to erect case blanks having significantly different thicknesses so the erector is normally made so that the spacing between the moveable and fixed jaws in the parallel position is adjustable to accommodate knocked down case blanks of different thicknesses. This is accomplished in the prior art by moving the fixed jaw.
The jaws grip the top flaps extending from a pair of adjacent side panels of a case and open (square) the case by pivoting the moveable jaw on the pivotal axis. These jaws in their mutually perpendicular position (open or squaring position) then move the so opened (squared) case down into the bottom erecting station wherein bottom flaps are folded as above described.
In the prior art system a single substantially circular stabilizer bar is removably mounted on the fixed jaw and extends in an arc centered on the pivot axis or hinge point between the jaws and passes through suitable opening in the moveable jaw (to permit the relative movement of the moveable jaw between parallel (pick-up) and open (squaring) position). The stabilizer bar is positioned with its bottom edge in position to contact with to top edges of the other major and minor top flaps adjacent to the free corner (corner remote from the pivotal axis) of the case to keep the case in proper orientation i.e. stop the free corner of the case from moving upward as the case is moved into the bottom forming station. The stabilizer bar must be moveably mounted to accommodate different sized cases i.e. cases having their free corner spaced from the pivotal axis by significantly different lengths and the above described thickness adjustment (change in the space between the fixed and moveable jaws in the parallel pick-up or gripping position) to position the stabilizer bar in a position whereby it will pass through holes in the moveable jaw positioned between adjacent grippers.
In the prior art machine wherein the stabilizer bar position required adjustment when significantly different sized boxes or cases were to be erected the spacing between the jaws in the parallel pick up position which also had to be changed when knocked down blanks for cases of significantly different thickness were to be erected, was adjusted by physically moving the fixed jaw. Movement of the fixed jaw requires unbolting the fixed jaw, moving it and bolting it back in position which also required in many cases that the separator bar that moves the lead blank down from the magazine (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,954) required adjustment to be properly positioned relative to the fixed jaw in its new position. These procedures required a significant amount of time and skill to ready the machine to process blanks of the new (different) thickness.

Thickness adjustment and stabilizer bar system for a case erector


There is provided a brake control device for a brake device including a basic fluid pressure generating unit which generates a basic fluid pressure according to an operation to a brake operating member, a hydraulic pump which generates a fluid pressure to generate a differential pressure, a pressure regulating valve which regulates the differential pressure, and a friction brake mechanism which applies a fluid pressure obtained by adding the differential pressure to the basic fluid pressure, to a wheel cylinder. The control device includes a regulating unit which regulates the differential pressure according to an operating amount correlated value and which decreases the differential pressure according to an increase of the basic fluid pressure due to an increase of the operating amount correlated value when the vehicle is stopped and the differential pressure is regulated to a value larger than 0 by an operation to the brake operating member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brake control device for a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been known a brake device including a master cylinder which generates a basic fluid pressure (master cylinder fluid pressure) according to an operation to a brake pedal by a driver, a hydraulic pump which generates a differential pressure generation fluid pressure to generate a differential pressure (a linear valve differential pressure) to be added to the basic fluid pressure, a pressure regulating valve (normally open linear electromagnetic valve) which regulates the differential pressure using the differential pressure generation fluid pressure, and a friction brake mechanism which applies a wheel cylinder fluid pressure, obtained by adding the differential pressure to the basic fluid pressure, to a wheel cylinder, thereby generating a friction braking force according to the wheel cylinder fluid pressure (for example, see JP-A-2007-276500).
In the brake device disclosed in JP-A-2007-276500, in order to reduce the load of the linear electromagnetic valve, the wheel cylinder fluid pressure is limited to "the minimum fluid pressure necessary for maintaining a vehicle in a stopped state on a sloping road" when the vehicle is in a stopped state.
Meanwhile, in the above brake device, when the vehicle is in a stopped state, the differential pressure is always maintained at a value larger than 0 while the driver is operating the brake pedal. In other words, the liner electromagnetic valve is always driven. Therefore, in terms of durability of the linear electromagnetic valve, there is a room for improvement in that brake device.


This disclosed invention concerns improvements in forewarning of critical events via phase-space dissimilarity analysis of data from mechanical devices, electrical devices, biomedical data, and other physical processes. First, a single channel of process-indicative data is selected that can be used in place of multiple data channels without sacrificing consistent forewarning of critical events. Second, the method discards data of inadequate quality via statistical analysis of the raw data, because the analysis of poor quality data always yields inferior results. Third, two separate filtering operations are used in sequence to remove both high-frequency and low-frequency artifacts using a zero-phase quadratic filter. Fourth, the method constructs phase-space dissimilarity measures (PSDM) by combining of multi-channel time-serial data into a multi-channel time-delay phase-space reconstruction. Fifth, the method uses a composite measure of dissimilarity (Ci) to provide a forewarning of failure and an indicator of failure onset.

The field of the invention is computer methods for analyzing nonlinear processes to forewarn of critical events in nonlinear processes
Examples of critical events are mechanical or electrical failures in machines; epileptic seizures, ventricular fibrillations, fainting (syncope), breathing difficulty, and sepsis in human medical patients; and other physical processes. Further examples of nonlinear processes include brain waves, heart waves, chest sounds, transients in power systems, airflow over automobiles and airplanes, weather and climate dynamics, water flow around submarines, machine tool-part interaction (e.g., tool chatter), nuclear reactor instabilities, fusion plasma instabilities, earthquakes, turbulent flow in pipes, planetary/satellite motion.
Engineering, medical, and research applications frequently must distinguish a difference between two apparently similar but actually different states in a nonlinear process. Examples include various data for machine failure, pre-seizure versus non-seizure brain waves, pre-fibrillation versus fibrillation heart waves, pre-syncope versus syncope heart waves, pre-sepsis versus sepsis heart waves, and normal versus abnormal chest sounds as an indicator of breathing difficulty. The electrical/mechanical community calls this problem, "condition monitoring." The equivalent term in the medical community is diagnostic, medical, or health monitoring. In the computer/networking world, the term is "security monitoring."
Hively et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,743,860 and 5,857,978 disclose methods for detecting and predicting epileptic seizures by acquiring brain wave data from a patient, and analyzing the data with traditional nonlinear methods.
Hively et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,413 discloses the applicability of nonlinear techniques to monitor machine conditions, such as the condition of a drill bit or the performance of an electrical motor driving a pump.
Clapp et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,145 discloses the removal of artifacts representing eye blinks from EEG data using a zero-phase quadratic filter. As one normally skilled in the art can appreciate, the same method can remove other artifacts from data, such as quasi-periodic variations from three-phase electrical current, voltage, or power; and quasi-periodic oscillations from one or more channels of acceleration; and breathing artifacts from heart waves and chest sounds;.
Hively et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,132 discloses a plurality of nonlinear techniques for using and enhancing phase space dissimilarity measures (PSDM) to forewarn of machine failures, as well as impending epileptic events from scalp EEG in ambulatory settings. PSDM yield superior performance over traditional nonlinear indicators, such as Kolmogorov entropy, Lyapunov exponents, and correlation dimension.

Methods for improved forewarning of critical events across multiple data channels


A control apparatus and methods using context-dependent difference learning for controlling e.g., a plant. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes an actor module and a critic module. The actor module provides a control signal for the plant. The actor module is subject to adaptation, which is performed to optimize control strategy of the actor. The adaptation is based upon the reinforcement signal provided by the critic module. The reinforcement signal is calculated based on the comparison of a present control performance signal observed for a certain context signal, with a control performance signal observed for the same context in the past.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to intelligent control systems and more particularly in one exemplary aspect to computer apparatus and methods for implementing an adaptive critic within e.g., an adaptive critic framework.
2. Description of Related Art
So-called "intelligent control" is a class of control techniques that utilize various computing approaches from artificial intelligence, including neural networks, Bayesian probability, fuzzy logic, machine learning, evolutionary computation and genetic algorithms (see White, D. and Sofge, D. (Eds.) (1992) Handbook of Intelligent Control: Neural, Fuzzy and Adaptive Approaches. Van Nostrand Reinhold, N.Y., incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). Intelligent controllers are finding increasing use today in complex systems control applications, such as for example autonomous robotic apparatus for navigation, perception, reaching, grasping, object manipulation, etc. (see Samad T., (Ed.) (2001) Perspectives in Control: New Concepts and Applications," IEEE Press, N.J., incorporated herein by reference in its entirety).
Typically, intelligent controllers need to infer a relationship between the control signals (generated by the controller) and operational consequences upon a controlled apparatus (also referred to as "the plant"), that are described by changes of the plant state. Various learning methods are often used by intelligent controllers in order to approximate such relationships (see White and Sofge discussed supra; and Samad, T. (Ed.) (2001) Perspectives in Control Engineering. New York, each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). By way of example, controllers that are used in tracking applications (such as, for example, robotic arms welding or painting car pieces along a predefined trajectory, mobile robots following predefined paths, etc.), aim to ensure that the plant state follows a desired trajectory (the target state trajectory) as closely as possible. In order to achieve trajectory tracking, the controller modifies control parameters (such as e.g. control gains) aiming to minimize an error between the target plant state (such as, for example, a desired robot configuration) and the actual (observed) plant state (such as, for example, an actual robot configuration) at every time instance. Performance of such controllers is typically quantified either by the magnitude of the tracking error, or by certain monotonic functions of the tracking error that are minimized, corresponding to minimized error between the target and actual state. Such functions are commonly referred to as the performance measures (see Goodwin G. (2001). Control System Design. Prentice Hall, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety).
Adaptive critic design (ACD) is a class of adaptive algorithms for intelligent control applications that is suitable for learning in noisy, nonlinear, and non-stationary dynamic systems. A family of ACD algorithms was proposed by Werbos P. J. (1992) in "Approximate dynamic programming for real-time control and neural modeling". Handbook of Intelligent Control: Neural, Fuzzy and Adaptive Approaches, White D. A. and Sofge D. A. discussed supra, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, as an optimization technique.
The ACD methods utilize two parametric blocks, commonly referred to as the controller (or the "actor") and the "critic", as described below with respect to FIG. 1. The actor implements various parameterized control rules and generates control signal. In a typical setup, the critic estimates a function that captures the effect that the control law will have on the control performance over multiple time periods into the future. Depending on this estimate, the critic sends a reinforcement signal to the actor. The actor uses the reinforcement signal to modify its control parameters in order to improve the control rules so as to minimize the performance measure, which is equivalent to minimizing the control errors. More details on various adaptive critic designs can be found in: Werbos P. J. (1992), or Prokhorov D. V and Wunsch D. C. (1997) Adaptive Critic Designs, IEEE Trans Neural Networks, vol. 8, No. 5, pp. 997-1007, each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Referring now to FIG. 1, one typical implementation of the intelligent control apparatus according to prior art is described. The control apparatus 100 comprises a control block comprised of a critic module 108 and an actor block 104, configured to control operation of a plant 106, such as for example a robotic apparatus, a heating ventilation and cooling (HVAC) plant, autonomous vehicle, etc.
The control apparatus 100 is configured to perform control tasks in order to achieve the desired (target) plant state. The control apparatus 100 receives the input desired state signal xd(t) (such as for example, a reference position of a robot, or a desired temperature for the heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system), and it produces a current plant state signal x(t). The control apparatus may further comprise a sensing or state estimation apparatus (not shown) that is used to provide a real-time estimate of the actual plant state x(t). The state signal x(t) typically represents full or partial dynamical state of the plant (e.g. current draw, motor position, speed, acceleration, temperature, etc.). In one variant, such as applicable to control applications where the full plant state x(t) is not available directly, various estimation methods may be used for state estimation, such as those described by Lendek Z. S., Babuska R., and De Schutter B. (2006) State Estimation under Uncertainty: A Survey. Technical report 06-004, Delft Center for Systems and Control Delft University of Technology, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The control blocks 104, 108 of the control apparatus 100 receive the target state input xd(t) via the pathways 102 and implement various parameterized control rules in order to generate the control signal u(t) (comprising for example, vehicle speed/direction in a position tracking application; or heater power/fan speed in an HVAC application). The control signal is provided to the plant 106 via the pathway 110, and is configured to move the current plant state x(t) towards the desired state (the target state) xd(t). The control system 100 implements feedback control (closed-loop control), where the feedback signal x(t) is provided via the signaling lines 112 to the actor block. Alternatively, the control system 100 implements an open-loop control (feed-forward control) and in this case no feedback signal from the plant state to the actor is present. Other implementations exist, such as a combination of open-loop and close-loop control schemes.
The critic block 108 receives the target state input xd(t) via the pathway 102, the control signal u(t) via the pathway 110, the current state signal x(t) via the pathway 112_1. The critic block 108 is configured to estimate the control performance function V(t), also referred to as the "cost-to-go", that is typically defined for discrete systems as follows:V(t)=Σk=0NγkJ(t+k),  Eqn. 1where:
γ is a discount factor for finite horizon problems (0<γ<1);
k is the time step index; and
J(t) is the performance measure (also known as a utility function or a local cost) at time t.
For continuous systems, the summation operation in Eqn. 1 is replaced by an integral, and the term γk is replaced with an exponential function.
The 'cost-to-go' function V(t) captures the effect that the control rules (implemented by the actor block 104) have on the control performance of the control apparatus 100 over a predetermined period of time into the future.
At every time step k, the critic block 108 provides 'guidance' to the actor block 104 via the reinforcement signal R(t) via the pathway 114. For discrete time systems, the reinforcement signal R(t) is typically defined based on the current estimate of the cost function V(t) and a prior estimate of the cost function V(t−1) as follows:R(t)=J(t)+γV(t)−V(t−1)  (Eqn. 2)
where γ is the same constant parameter as in Eqn. 1. More details on this methodology are be found e.g. in R. S. Sutton and A. G. Barto (1998), Reinforcement Learning—An Introduction. MIT Press, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
For continuous time systems the reinforcement signal is calculated as:R(t)=J(t)−βV(t)+{dot over (V)}(t)  (Eqn. 3)where □ is a constant parameter and {dot over (V)}(t) is a time derivative of V(t). More details on the continuous time version are provided in; Kenji Doya (2000), Reinforcement Learning in Continuous Time and Space, Neural Computation, 12:1, 219-245, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Typically, the actor block 104 has no a priori knowledge of the plant 106 dynamic model. Based on the reinforcement signal R(t), the actor block 104 modifies its control parameters (such as for example, gain) in order to generate the control signal u(t) which minimizes the cost-to-go function. For example, in the case of trajectory tracking or set-point control tasks, the minimization of the cost-to-go function corresponds to minimizing the cumulative error between the target and actual plant state, computed as the plant progresses along control trajectory towards the target state.
FIG. 2 illustrates a typical implementation of the critic module 108 for discrete systems in the considered class of control systems (i.e., for set-point control or trajectory tracking tasks) according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 2, the critic apparatus 108 (denoted by a dashed rectangle) comprises the performance measure block 230, the value estimator block 220, the adjustment block 224, and the delay block 226. The performance measure block 230 calculates the performance measure J(t) given the desired plant state xd(t) provided through pathway 202_1 and the actual plant state x(t) provided through pathway 212_1.
The value estimator block 220 in FIG. 2 receives the desired plant state signal xd(t) provided through pathway 202, the actual plant state signal x(t) provided through pathway 212, the control signal u(t) provided through the pathway 210, and reinforcement signal R(t) provided through the pathway 214. At each discrete step of the critic block operation, the value estimator block 220 generates a cost-to-go value signal V(t), based on the received inputs. The reinforcement signal R(t) is used by the value estimator block 220 to modify internal value estimator parameters as described in, e.g., Werbos; White D. A. and Sofge D. A.; or Prokhorov D. V and Wunsch D. C., discussed supra.
The adjustment block 224 (denoted by the γ symbol in FIG. 2 receives the value signal V(t) through the pathway 232 and produces the discounted value signal γV(t). The delay block 226 (denoted by symbol z−1 in FIG. 2) receives the value signal V(t) through the pathway 232_1 and produces the value signal delayed by one simulation step, which is denoted as V(t−1) in FIG. 2. The reinforcement signal R(t) is then calculated by the computation block 240 as defined by Eqn. 2., given the performance signal J(t) provided through the pathway 218, the discounted value γV(t) produced by the adjustment block 224 and the delayed value signal V(t−1) provided by the delay block 226.
FIG. 2A illustrates a typical implementation of the critic block for continuous time control systems according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 2A, the critic apparatus 208 (depicted by a dashed rectangle) comprises the value block 220, the performance measure block 230, the β-block 244 and the derivative block 248 (denoted in the FIG. 2A as d/dt). The value block 220 and the performance measure block 230 receive and produce the same signals and operate similarly to the discrete-time control apparatus described with respect to FIG. 2, supra. The β-block 244 of FIG. 2A receives the value signal V(t) through the pathway 232 and produces the discounted value signal βV(t). The derivative block 248 receives the value signal V(t) through the pathway 232_1, and produces the temporal derivative of the value signal {dot over (V)}(t). The reinforcement signal R(t) is calculated by the computation block 250 according to the relationship defined in Eqn. 3, given the performance signal J(t) provided through the pathway 218, the discounted value βV(t) produced by the β-block 244 and the temporal derivative {dot over (V)}(t) of the value signal provided by the derivative block 248.
Traditional ACD approaches, such as those described with respect to FIGS. 2 and 2A, suffer from several shortcomings, such as for example requiring estimates of future performance of the control system. Such predictions invariably are of limited accuracy, and often suffer from the problem of the "curse of dimensionality"; i.e., when system control solutions become unattainable as the number of the variables governing the dynamic system model increases.
Accordingly, there is a salient need for an adaptive critic design apparatus and associated methods that aim at optimizing control rules without the foregoing limitations; e.g., that are based on the observed present and past control system performance.


A snowmobile footrest has a top surface, a first foot gripping element extending upwardly and forwardly from the top surface, and a second foot gripping element extending upwardly and rearwardly from the top surface. A snowmobile frame and a snowmobile having the footrest are also disclosed.

When riding a snowmobile, a rider will generally be seated on a straddle seat with his hands on a handlebar and his feet resting on footrests disposed on either side of the seat.
Snowmobiles are frequently operated on uneven terrain. When a snowmobile encounters a bump as it travels over the ground, the rider may wish to raise himself off the seat and support himself on the footrests in a partially standing position to minimize the impact of the bump. When he does this, his weight is supported entirely by the footrests.
When the snowmobile is being operated, and in particular when the rider is supported entirely by the footrests, it is important for the rider's feet to have good traction on the footrests, so as to maintain the rider's feet in position and prevent them from slipping.
One way to provide improved grip on a snowmobile footrest is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,594 (Wubbolts) issued on Aug. 12, 2003 and assigned to the owner of the present application, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Wubbolts describes a snowmobile footrest having foot gripping elements extending upwardly and forwardly from the top surface thereof. While this footrest provides adequate grip for the foot of a rider and prevents slippage in the rearward direction, it is believed that further improvements in snowmobile footrests are possible.

Snowmobile footrest having foot gripping elements


A method optimizing a recording current in consideration of operating temperatures of a hard disk drive and a method of setting a recording density in consideration of tracks per inch (TPI) or adjacent track erasure (ATE) characteristics. The method of optimizing the recording current measures a rate of errors under a test condition corresponding to the operating temperature of a hard disk drive, while changing a recording parameter, selects a recording parameter value corresponding to a smallest rate of errors, and optimizes the recording current for the hard disk drive under operating environmental conditions using the selected recording parameter value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hard disk drive, and more particularly, to methods of optimizing a recording current according to an operating environment temperature, and setting tracks per inch (TPI), or recording density, in consideration of the adjacent track erasure (ATE) characteristics of a head.
2. Description of the Related Art
A hard disk drive is a recording device used to store information. In general, tracks are concentric circles formed on a recording surface of a magnetic recording disc, and information is recorded on at least one track. In the hard disk drive, a disk is rotated with respect to a spindle motor, and information is accessed by a read/write unit built in an actuator arm that is rotated by a voice coil motor. The voice coil motor is excited by an electric current, rotates the actuator arm, and moves a write/read head. The write/read head senses a change in magnetism generated on the surface of the disk, and reads information from the recording surface of the disk. An electric current is supplied to the head to record information on a data track. The supplied electric current generates magnetism and the magnetism magnetizes a portion of the recording surface of the disc.
Recording density can be increased by increasing a density of track, (Track Per Inch; TPI) and by decreasing a flying height (FH) of a head. However increase of TPI and decrease of FH may cause erasure of data recorded on a track adjacent to a target track due to the magnetism generated by the magnetic recording head. Such a phenomenon is called adjacent track erasure (ATE). The ATE becomes important when a recording current generated by the head is excessively high. However, the recording performance of the hard disk drive deteriorates when the recording current is insufficiently supplied.
Meanwhile, as hard disk drives have been developed to have a high capacity, or high density, the TPI has been required to increase, thereby causing track width to become narrower, and thus, recording control performance needs to be improved to adjust a recording width of the magnetic head, and reduce noise produced by the magnetic head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,053 discloses a method of setting a write condition by recording data on m+1th and m−1th tracks of a disk by a specific offset, measuring the rate of errors in data recorded on an mth track, and setting tracks per inch (TPI) to adjust the rate of errors to a desired level. However, this method is not capable of preventing ATE of a head caused by a level of a write current, which is a portion of the recording current, as will be explained later.
Conventionally, the recording current is optimized in consideration of the degree of ATE of a head during a burn-in test process of a hard disk drive.
To prevent ATE, the level of the write current is reduced through adaptive read channel optimization (ARCO) in a hard disk drive, for respective data zones of a disk, or according to temperature.
In general, during manufacture of hard disk drives, adjacent track writing (ATW) is performed several hundred or several thousand times, to adjust heads undergoing ATE. In general, during manufacture of a hard disk drive, processes such as a servo write process, a functional test, and a burn-in test are sequentially performed. The servo write process records location information on a disk. The functional test checks whether a maintenance cylinder has defects or whether a read/write operation can be satisfactorily performed in a data zone of a disc. The burn-in test carries out optimization of a read channel and optimization of a write channel of the hard disk drive. The optimization of the read and write channels is performed by a controller included in the hard disk drive.
More specifically, the coercivity of the hard disk is varied according to a temperature. The coercivity is decreased at high temperature and increased at low temperature.
To solve this problem, conventionally, the write current (WC) or an overshoot current (OSC) (which, as previously mentioned, is part of the recording current) in the hard disk drive is optimized according to the temperature of the hard disk drive. More specifically, the WC or the OSC is increased to reduce the coercivity of the hard disk drive at low temperatures. Similarly, the WC or OSC is reduced to increase the coercivity.
But the conventional optimization of the recording current is disadvantageous, in that the recording current is optimized at a room temperature during the burn-in process, and the write current is uniformly increased or reduced to a predetermined level at environmental conditions during use, e.g., a high-temperature mode and a low-temperature mode. That is, since the recording current is not optimized in consideration of the characteristics of the head, the write current may be increased or reduced to an undesirable level, and cause deterioration of the performance of the hard disk drive.
In particular, the conventional optimization of the recording current does not consider thermal pole tip protrusion (TPTP) affected by a level of the OSC. Accordingly, when conventional optimization is applied to a head of a high-degree TPTP, the level of the WC or the OSC become excessively high or low, and thus a head/disk interface (hereinafter referred to as "HDI") worsens. The deterioration of HDI is likely to cause many problems, such as damage to the head, thermal asperity (TA), and a reduction in altitude margin (marginal change due to a change in the FH of the head due to a change in an atmospheric pressure).

Methods of optimizing recording current and setting recording density of hard disk drive