Embodiments of a stage lighting console are disclosed which may be used to control the light level of a plurality of stage lighting interments. The stage lighting console includes a plurality of sliders, each of which may control a separate lighting instrument and several settings of multiple sliders may be recorded for later playback. The sliders move from a +100% position to a −100% position such that they may be used to add to or subtract from the illumination of lighting instruments.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a console for setting stage lighting and more specifically to a stage lighting console which provides for a simple, efficient method of changing light levels of stage lights.
2. Background Information
In this country and around the world there are thousands of stages and similar venues which are lighted by a plurality of lights most often referred to as lighting instruments. In most cases it is possible to direct the lighting instruments to a particular area of the stage and to adjust the light level of each lighting instrument. That is, each lighting instrument may be made brighter or dimmer depending upon which light level settings provide the optimal appearance of the stage and the action upon the stage at any given time. During the performance of a relatively simple play, for example, there may be dozens of light level settings which are programmed to change at particular points during the production. Various audio or visual cues indicate the points at which the light level settings are to be changed during the production.
During rehearsals and at various other pre-production points, a person, often referred to as the operator, experiments with a variety of light level settings and lighting changes to determine the optimal or most dramatic light level settings during multiple stages of the production. Most modern stages have a lighting console which controls the various light level settings and allows them to be recorded in the proper sequence. During the production, the operator observes the various cues and, when the appropriate cue is given, manipulates a control and the proper, prerecorded, light level setting is automatically produced on stage.
With conventional stage lighting controls, difficulties often occur when an operator wishes to change a particular light level setting pre-production or, even, during a production. Most conventional lighting consoles are equipped with multiple slide controls that may be moved linearly from a setting of 0% to 100%. Movement of each slide control controls the light level of a particular lighting instrument or a combination of lighting instruments. That is, for example, movement of slide control 1 controls lighting instrument 1. When slide control 1 is at 0 the lighting instrument is off and, when slide control 1 is at 100, lighting instrument 1 is at its brightest. If, for instance, a stage had twenty lights, the operator would use slide controls 1 through 20 to set the light level for each of the 20 lighting instruments for each of multiple lighting configurations or lighting set. Each of these level settings may be recorded and changed or displayed in order when the appropriate cue is received.
With most conventional lighting consoles, the console either includes what is known as a patch table. Using the patch table, the various slide controls may be associated with a plurality (often forty-eight) channels or signals. A plurality of outgoing channels (often five hundred and twelve) are sent from the patch table in an industry standard DMX protocol to a separate dimmer. There are a number of conventional dimmers on the market. The dimmer is connected to the various lighting instruments. Based upon the DMX channels received from the patch table, it is the dimmer which actually sets the illumination level of the various lighting instruments. The dimmer is not considered a part of the instant invention. Slide control 1, for instance might be associated with channel 1 using the patch table. Outgoing channel 1 directs the dimmer to set the light level of lighting instrument 1 based upon the signal from outgoing channel 1. Using the patch table, it is possible to associate more than one lighting instrument with a particular channel. That is, channel 1 might control lighting instruments 1, 3, and 5. Henceforth, it should be understood that a reference to setting a channel results in the setting of the lighting level of an associated lighting instrument and references to setting a lighting level with a slide control assume that the slide control sets the channel and the channel directs the dimmer to set the lighting level.
Conventional lighting consoles have what is often referred to as a highest takes precedence method of operation. That is, once a setting for a particular channel has been recorded, the setting will not change until the control slide has been moved to a higher point on the control. If, for example, channel 1 (and consequently lighting instrument 1) was recorded at 70% using slide control 1, slide control 1 must be moved to a point above 70% for a change to occur. If the operator wishes to increase this light level above 70%, the slide must be moved slowly upward until the operator notices a change in the light level (above 70%), move the slider to the new position and then record the change when using most conventional consoles. If the operator wishes to decrease the light level, the slide must be moved slowly upward until the 70% level is "captured," move the slide down to the desired level, and record this new level. There are other conventional methods to accomplish decreasing light levels including using a keypad.
Several problems relating to the above described method of changing light levels are apparent. Changes are slow, awkward, and require a certain skill and dexterity level.
The stage lighting console of the instant invention is believed to solve, in a new and unique fashion, the above described problems relating to recording and changing lighting levels and light level settings for a stage production.
One of the major objects of the present invention is to provide a stage lighting console which may be used to change lighting configurations or lighting sets in a simple and efficient manner.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a stage lighting console which has control slides which operate in a lowest takes precedence mode or a summing mode of operation when changing settings rather than the highest takes precedence mode of operation used in conventional stage lighting consoles.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a stage lighting console which is simple, safe, rugged, inexpensive, and easy to use.
These and other features of the invention will become apparent when taken in consideration with the following detailed description and the drawings.


A display panel, a driving method thereof, and a display device are described. The display panel includes a first substrate and a second substrate opposite to each other, and a light transmission control layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate. The light transmission control layer includes a first electrode on a side of the first substrate facing the second substrate, a second electrode on a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate, a dispersant between the first electrode and the second electrode, and opaque flake dispersions dispersed in the dispersant. The first electrode and the second electrode are configured to form an electric field to control an arrangement state of the flake dispersions in the dispersant.

In the related art, a liquid crystal display panel generally includes an array substrate and a color filter substrate which are assembled, and a liquid crystal layer sealed between the two substrates. Limited by the polarization characteristics of liquid crystal molecules, a liquid crystal display panel needs to use polarized light for display, so polarizers need to be attached to both sides of the panel. In addition, in order to ensure that the liquid crystal molecules can be arranged along a predetermined direction and form a certain pretilt angle to facilitate the deflection of the liquid crystal molecules under the action of an electric field, a uniform alignment layer needs to be formed on the surfaces of both the array substrate and the color filter substrate.
Therefore, in the conventional liquid crystal display panel, since the backlight must pass through the polarizers and the alignment layer, the transmittance of the backlight is reduced and thus the utilization of the backlight is relatively low. Meanwhile, due to the need to provide polarizers and an alignment layer, the thickness of the display panel is increased, which is contrary to the trend of lightening and thinning of the display device; and the overall structure of the display panel is relatively complicated, which further complicates its manufacturing process.

Display panel, driving method thereof and display device


In a system including analog circuits of multichannel, channels which have a short distance therebetween are grouped so as to be included in the same group. During a reception period, a common correction signal is supplied to master channels allocated to the respective groups, and received signals are supplied to slave channels other than the master channels. A correction coefficient which tracks a characteristic fluctuation of each group is continuously searched for through continuous comparison between outputs of the respective master channels, and an output of each slave channel is corrected by using the correction coefficient of a group including the slave channel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical diagnostic signal detection apparatus and a medical diagnostic signal detection method, and particularly relates to a signal detection apparatus which receives a multichannel signal and a signal detection method therefor.
2. Background Art
In a medical diagnostic apparatus such as an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus or a sonar, multichannel signals are required to be received in order to obtain a highly accurate image. The total power loss of all channels increases due to the use of multichannel reception circuits. In addition, in a case where multichannel transmission circuits are also necessary as in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the power loss is also considerable during operations thereof. Therefore, a heat generation problem due to the power loss may be more serious than before. In other words, a temperature fluctuation occurs in a module or an IC chip due to the heat generation, and a power supply voltage fluctuation also occurs as a result of the temperature fluctuation.
A threshold voltage or mobility of a MOS transistor forming a circuit of each channel fluctuates due to the temperature fluctuation. A sa result of the fluctuation and the power supply voltage fluctuation, a gain, a DC offset voltage, and a frequency bandwidth of an amplifier or an analog-digital converter fluctuate. In addition, a delay time of a clock buffer which supplies a sampling clock to the analog-digital converter also fluctuates, and thus sampling timing of the analog-digital converter also fluctuates.
Since a temperature or a power supply voltage cannot be expected to be uniform in all of the channels, a mismatch in the temperature or the power supply voltage between the channels causes mismatches in gain, DC offset voltage, frequency bandwidth, and sampling timing between the channels. As a result, an artifact (false image) is generated in a final image, and thus the accuracy of a medical diagnostic apparatus or a sonar is reduced.
In JP-A-4-114637, in a system including a plurality of channels, a common reference voltage is supplied to the channels during testing of a correction value, and an output value of each channel is acquired. Next, a correction value for correcting a gain mismatch between amplifiers of the respective channels is obtained on the basis of the result.
During reception, a gain of the amplifier of each channel is adjusted by using the correction value obtained during the correction value test as described above, and thus the gain mismatch between the amplifiers is removed. However, in this method, while each channel performs reception, a reference voltage for correction cannot be supplied to the channels, and thus a correction value cannot be tested.

Medical diagnostic signal detection apparatus and medical diagnostic signal detection method


The invention provides a process for production of Trichoderma harzianum Rifa T77 deposited as CMI CC. No. 333646 on a commercial scale. The process involves loading receptacles with culture medium; sterilization of the medium in situ; inoculating the sterilized medium with spores of T77; incubating the inoculated for 21 days at 29 degrees centigrade; cooling; and packaging under ambient conditions.

This invention relates to the bulk production of Trichoderma harzianum Rifa and more particularly to the T77 strain.
The T77 strain of Trichoderma harzianum Rifa is known from Zimbabwe Patent no. 104/89 granted to the Tobacco Research Board of Zimbabwe and its pathology has been described therein. The microorganism Trichoderma harzianum Rifa strain T77 is identified as CMI CC Number 333646 by CAB International Mycological Institute, Ferry Lane, Kew Surrey TW9 3AF, United Kingdom where the organism has been deposited, for the purposes of patent procedures under the Budapest Treaty, CMI culture collection being an International Depository authorized under the Treaty, and was there tested as being viable. The deposit was received by the CAB International Mycological Institute on Jul. 3, 1989 and accepted for deposit on Jul. 18, 1989.
It is an object of this invention to produce Trichoderma harzianum Rifa T77 on a commercial scale for general use. This microorganism is useful when added to soil in suitable conditions for it to multiply and grow in close association with plants' roots to partially protect them from invasion by certain plant pathogenic fungi and to stimulate plants' growth.

Production of Trichoderma harzianum Rifa CMI CC No. 333646


An undergarment for men is formed with multiple layers of fabric materials attached together. A first fabric piece (10) is formed in a brief shape to have a front part (10c), a rear part (10d), a pair of side parts (10e) extending between the front and rear parts (10c, 10d), and a bottom part (10f) extending between a lower portion of the front part (10c) and a lower portion of the rear part (10e), the front part (10c) having a first elastic thread line (14) attached by stitching or sewing to a central area of the front, bottom, and rear parts (10c, 10f, 10e) to exert a suitable elastic force a genitalia region of the wearer. A second fabric piece (20) is attached externally to the first fabric piece (10), wherein the second fabric piece has a belt-like shape extending in a circumferential direction and covering a substantial portion of the first fabric piece (10) but not covering a central portion of the front part of the first fabric piece. A third fabric piece (30) is attached externally to the first and second fabric pieces (10, 20), wherein the third fabric piece is formed in a partial brief configuration having a front part, a rear part, a pair of side parts extending between the front and rear parts, and a bottom part extending from a lower portion of the front part and having a free end, in a shape such that, when attached to the first and second fabric pieces, the front and side parts cover substantially an entire area of the front and side parts of the first fabric piece, respectively, the rear part covers an upper portion of the rear part of the first fabric piece, and the bottom part covers substantially an entire area of the bottom part of the first fabric piece. The third fabric piece (30) preferably includes a second elastic thread line (32) attached by stitching or sewing to a central area of the front part of the third fabric piece.

As is well known in the art, an underwear for men represents clothing, which is worn between the skin and outer trousers. In most cases, the underwear is worn to cover and protect the genitalia of a human body or in an effort to maintain a temperature of the human body. Recently, underwears with nice and fancy designs have been developed using various fabrics and patterns.
Specifically, these days, in conformity with social changes, many men enjoy wearing tight trousers to improve their appearances. When wearing these tight trousers, the configuration of the man's underwear is considered to playing an important role since the figure of the human body is determined by the functionality of an underwear.


The invention prioritizes elevator service by an electronic lock and key circuit which uses a pre-existing capacitive touch button, an electronic key for receiving a 10 KHz first button pulse train from the face of the capacitive touch button and modulating said capacitive touch button pulse train with a signal of a preset frequency. A modulated first pulse train is provided back to the capacitive touch button face and an electronic lock for modulating a demodulated first pulse train received at the capacitive touch button face so as to provide a high priority hall call or a car call.

There are numerous electronic lock and key circuits available. U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,714, "Electronic Lock and Key Systems Employing Paired Key and Master Coding Modules", discloses a system for activating an electric latch when a valid key is inserted into a key receiving receptacle. The system is energized by the insertion of the key into the receiving receptacle to energize both the key and the master coding card to cause a correlation sequence to be implemented to determine whether information contained on the key is valid by comparing this information with the predetermined information on the master coding card.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,356, "Coded Electronic Lock and Key", discloses an electronic key comprising a first binary counter and a first multiplexer for pulse code modulating a uniform clock pulse train to produce a first coded pulse train modulated within a given code. The key is connected to an electronic lock comprising: (i) a second binary counter and a second multiplexer for pulse code modulating the same clock pulse train to produce a second coded pulse train modulated with the same code; (ii) an exclusive OR gate to which said first and second multiplexers are connected; (iii) a first NAND gate having one input connected to the output of the exclusive-OR gate; (iv) a flip-flop or binary counter having its clock input connected to the output of the NAND gate; (v) an initial logical one output connected to a second input of the NAND gate; (vi) a second NAND gate having one input connected to the output of the flip-flop or counter and another input connected to the output of the second multiplexer; and (vii) a binary counter having its clock input connected to the output of the second NAND gate. The output of the lock is taken from one of the counting outputs of the output counter.
Still further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,121, "Electronic Locking Apparatus for Motor Vehicles", discloses an electronic key and an electronic lock with each containing a synchronized, constantly operating, precision oscillator.
There is a need for allowing certain passengers entering car calls or hall calls to be serviced prior to other passengers. This need to "unlock" the elevator system for select persons and further provide them priority service is not met by any of these lock and key schemes.

Elevator button improved to function as a lock


An optical communication system includes a digital signal processer coupled to the coherent receiver, said coherent receiver including a nonlinearity compensation module for compensating for nonlinear effects in fiber in the optical link for increasing capacity or transmission distance of the fiber, the nonlinearity compensation module includes a spectral slicing of the signal into bands, computing nonlinear interaction between the bands with parameters opposite to those of the fiber to reverse the non-linear effects in the fiber, and only certain nonlinear interactions between bands are considered thereby reducing complexity of the nonlinearity compensation.

The present invention relates generally to optical systems and, more particularly, to inter-band cross-phase modulation compensation for the mitigation of intra-channel nonlinear impairments in optical fiber transmission.
Although the following references, articles or publications are referred to in this specification., they are NOT considered relevant to the patentability of the claims herein. They are noted to provide complete information, regardless of their materiality to the claims. [1] Watanabe, S.; Shirasaki, M.; "Exact compensation for both chromatic dispersion and Kerr effect in a transmission fiber using optical phase conjugation," Lightwave Technology, Journal of, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 243-248, Mar 1996. [2] Mateo, E. F.; Xiang Zhou; Guifang Li; , "Electronic phase conjugation for nonlinearity compensation in fiber communication systems," Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition (OFC/NFOEC), 2011 and the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference, vol., no., pp. 1-3, 6-10 Mar. 2011. [3] Ip, E. M.; Kahn, J. M.; , "Fiber Impairment Compensation Using Coherent Detection and Digital Signal Processing," Lightwave Technology, Journal of, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 502-519, Feb. 15, 2010. [4] Lei Li; Zhenning Tao; Liang Dou; Weizhen Yan; Oda, S.; Tanimura, T.; Hoshida, T.; Rasmussen, J. C.; "Implementation efficient nonlinear equalizer based on correlated digital backpropagation," Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition (OFC/NFOEC), 2011 and the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference, vol., no., pp. 1-3, 6-10 Mar. 2011. [5] E. Mateo, M. Huang, F. Yaman, T. Wang, Y. Aono, and T. Tajima, "Nonlinearity compensation using very-low complexity backward propagation in dispersion managed links," in Optical Fiber Communication Conference, OSA Technical Digest (Optical Society of America, 2012), paper OTh3C.4. [6] NECLA IR No. 10112 entitled "Equivalent-Link Backward Propagation Method for Nonlinearity Compensation in Fiber Transmission Systems". [7] Fludger, C. R. S.; Duthel, T.; van den Borne, D.; Schulien, C.; Schmidt, E.-D.; Wuth, T.; Geyer, J.; De Man, E.; Khoe Giok-Djan; de Waardt, H.; , "Coherent Equalization and POLMUX-RZ-DQPSK for Robust 100-GE Transmission," Lightwave Technology, Journal of, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 64-72, Jan. 1, 2008. [8] E. F. Mateo, X. Zhou, and G. Li "Improved digital backward propagation for the compensation of inter-channel nonlinear effects in polarization-multiplexed WDM systems" Optics Express 19(2), pp. 570-583. [9] Seb J. Savory, "Digital filters for coherent optical receivers," Opt. Express 16, 804-817 (2008).
The capacity of optical fiber is ultimately limited by the Kerr nonlinearity, where refractive index changes with field intensity, causing localized phase shift proportional to power as the signal propagates. This nonlinear phase shift, which accumulates over distance, together with the action of fiber dispersion could severely distort the signal. Such distortion sets an upper limit for fiber capacity at a given transmission distance or alternatively, it limits the transmission distance for a given fiber capacity.
Two main approaches have been taken over the years for the nonlinearity compensation (NLC) in optical fiber transmission: Optical techniques and digital signal processing DSP techniques.
Optical Techniques: This approach is based on the generation optical phase conjugation. Optical phase conjugation can be used to compensate both fiber dispersion and fiber nonlinearity provided that the transmission link has certain symmetry properties. Typically, optical phase conjugation is implemented by using optical nonlinear processes such as wavelength conversion or Four-wave mixing [1]. Recently, a method to generate optical phase conjugation in the opto-electronic domain was proposed [2].
DSP Techniques: With the advent of coherent detection technologies, the compensation of fiber impairments such as, chromatic dispersion, polarization mode dispersion or fiber nonlinearity, could be now implemented in the digital domain by means of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) methods. Many different methods have been proposed to compensate fiber nonlinearity using DSP techniques. Amongst them, Digital Back-propagation (DBP) has been widely studied and tested in many different transmission links [3]. Although effective, DBP is extremely resource hungry for the current DSP platforms. As a consequence, significant efforts have been made to simplify the DBP algorithms. Some examples of that are the ones published in [4] for dispersion unmanaged links and [5, 6] for dispersion managed links. However, the DSP complexity is still very large and further simplifications have to be made for practical implementation of nonlinear compensation algorithms. This is the main purpose of the invention.
Accordingly, there is a need for a solution to compensate nonlinear effects in fiber that can increase fiber capacity and/or transmission distance beyond their limits.

Inter-band cross-phase modulation compensation for the mitigation of intra-channel nonlinear impairments in optical fiber transmission


Disclosed is a light socket and socket adapter including a socket adapter inserted in a light socket of a decorative light string to electrically connect an electric ornament to the electric circuit of the decorative light string. The two opposite contacts of the light socket are short-circuited by a conductive spring as the socket adapter was disconnected, and therefore the integrity of the electric circuit of the decorative light string is maintained.

The present invention relates to a light socket and socket adapter, and more particularly relates to a socket adapter for a light socket as constructed in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,343.
Various light sockets for decorative strings or Christmas tree light assemblies are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,343 discloses a light socket having two opposite contacts respectively connected to the electric circuit of a decorative light string or Christmas tree light assembly, and a conductive spring disposed below and in contact with the two opposite contacts. As a light bulb was inserted in the light socket, the two opposite contacts are respectively connected to the two opposite contacts of the light socket, and at the same time, an insulative tip of the light bulb conductive spring disconnect the conductive spring from the two opposite contacts of the light socket.


The present disclosure relates to a mobile crane comprising an undercarriage and a superstructure arranged in a revolving manner thereon with a device for the reception of ballast. In accordance with the present disclosure, the device for the reception of ballast comprising at least three pulling means which can be moved up and down vertically and which can be connected to a pallet or base plate carrying the ballast and located beneath the total center of gravity of the ballast to pull the pallet or base plate toward the superstructure and to connect it to it or to let it down from it.

Whereas the ballast is arranged at the rear part of the superstructure during the operation of the crane, it is removed from the superstructure on the transporting journey of the mobile crane and placed on the undercarriage or on a separate transport vehicle to take account of the axle loads of the undercarriage. A number of devices for the reception of the ballast are already known. As a rule, they have hydraulic cylinder arrangements arranged at right angles to the superstructure which can be connected to the respective ballast packages or ballast pallets to lift them onto the superstructure.
It is the object of the present disclosure to provide a mobile crane in which the device for the reception of the ballast can be integrated into the superstructure of the mobile crane in as space-saving a manner as possible.
This object is solved in accordance with the present disclosure by a mobile crane comprising an undercarriage and a superstructure arranged in a revolving manner thereon with a device for the reception of ballast, where the device for the reception of ballast includes at least three pulling means which can be moved up and down vertically and which can be connected to a pallet or base plate carrying the ballast and located beneath the total center of gravity of the ballast to pull the pallet or base plate toward the superstructure and to connect it to it or to let it down from it. The ballast placed on a pallet or base plate can be taken up securely and moved on and off by means of these pulling means even with a high center of gravity, with it being of particular advantage here that the ballast can also be picked up off the floor.
Various additional features may also be included. Lugs can be arranged at the superstructure with which the pallet can be bolted for fastening to the superstructure. If therefore the ballast is pulled up to the superstructure via the balancers, the lugs lie in corresponding cut-outs of the pallet carrying the ballast and can then be bolted there via suitable bolts.
In accordance with a further preferred aspect of the present disclosure, the pulling means can extend horizontally in the revolving deck of the superstructure and can be sheared in a multiple manner. Due to the multiple shearing, for example a dual shearing, double the lifting movement of the ballast can be carried out with a corresponding movement of the pulling means in the longitudinal direction of the superstructure.
Chains or ropes can be used as pulling means in accordance with the present disclosure.
When ropes are used, they can be broken down, for example, into eight flat ropes which in turn consist of five individual ropes. This has the advantage that the rope pulleys can be made very small with respect to their diameter ratio (D/d ratio) so that the pulley blocks can be arranged in the relatively low available construction height of the revolving deck of the superstructure.
At least one hydraulic cylinder can be arranged horizontally or slightly inclined in the revolving deck of the superstructure in order to move the pulling means up and down by extension or contraction. It is ensured by this horizontal or slightly inclined installation in the revolving deck of the superstructure that the revolving deck does not have a high construction.
A respective hydraulic cylinder with the associated ropes, the pulley blocks and the balancers preferably form an assembly which can be inserted into the revolving deck for installation and can be bolted thereto. In an embodiment having four balancers, two assemblies are typically provided which can each be installed laterally between two side walls in the revolving deck.


A method 401 and implementing system 101 are provided in which a site selection program is operable to selectively initiate sample data transfers from a plurality of mirror sites 313 on the Internet, and to make a determination, prior to a selection of a site to be contacted for a download, as to which of the sites exhibits the best transfer rates at the time of the site selection. The methodology includes a cut-off time 507 process for terminating a sample operation of any one site if the transfer time for a predetermined number of bytes "X" exceeds a predetermined maximum amount of time "Y" for the sample operation for any particular site. When the maximum time is exceeded, the program stores the number of bytes transferred during that time for comparison with other site data. After all sites have been sampled, the program determines a selected site which exhibits the best rate of data transfer, and selectively initiates the establishment of a communication link with the selected site.

As computer systems and networked computer systems proliferate, information access time becomes more critical. For many reasons, access time to information databases has a tendency to increase even with frequent equipment upgrades and technology advances. This tendency is apparent in mostly all database accesses which involve telecommunications links and is especially visible to the growing number of users of the Internet and worldwide web applications where extensive graphics are implemented.
In most cases, a user has no informed control over the telecommunications link chosen to access sites on the Internet or "net". Most Internet applications provide a user a plurality of selections for accomplishing a "search" for specific information in which a user may be interested. In those cases, the access speed may depend upon the search engine program design and also upon the telecommunications link and the data path selected. Once a user selects a search engine and then later selects a data path, if the data is coming in at too slow of a rate, the only course of action available to the user would be to stop the transaction and begin again using another selected engine or data path.
In other applications, a link screen is provided for the user to select one or a plurality of "web sites" where each web site is a so-called "mirror site", i.e. one of several listed sites which contain copies of the same information which is sought by the user. Each site may be served by the same server or a different server in the same room or a different server in another city or even in another country. The access times to any of the servers would also depend on a number of factors including the number of users logged on to the access page or using the telecommunications link at any given time.
Thus, the fastest link at a given access time for one user may be the slowest link several minutes later for another user who may be attempting to use the same link. In some cases, access to mirror sites in foreign countries will provide faster access and data transfer time than corresponding sites in the same neighborhood as a user. Thus, a user may have successfully used a link or site on one day with great success and satisfaction but, later in the day, a subsequent use of the same link or site will not provide satisfactory results. In that case the user's only recourse to speed-up the transaction is to stop the current transaction and retry the access using a different mirror site selection. Unfortunately, that solution is not satisfactory either since much transaction time is lost in re-logging and engine start-up routines in addition to the time lost in waiting for results to return from the first site selection.
Accordingly, there is a need for an enhanced method and processing apparatus which is effective to determine the most efficient of several available telecommunication links from a user site to remotely accessed databases or information sites based upon real time transmission criteria sampling.

Apparatus and method for selecting an optimum telecommunications link

International Business Machines Corporation


A compression connector for securing wires therein is disclosed. The compression connector comprises a first body portion connected to a second body portion, each of the first and second body portions having two pairs of leg portions extending therefrom to form two conductor receiving channels, respectively. The compression connector also has a first pair of slots and a second pair of slots for receiving a cable tie to secure wires therein before crimping. At least one transversely-oriented slot extends between the first pair of slots and the second pair of slots. A method for securing wires within a compression connector is also disclosed.

The present invention is directed to an H-tap compression connector and, more particularly, to an H-tap compression connector with an easy installation feature and a longitudinally-oriented hole therethrough.
Examples of H-tap compression connectors can be found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,307,216; 3,183,025; 3,235,654; 3,354,517; 5,162,615; 5,396,033; 5,552,564; 5,635,676; and 6,525,270. However, none of these prior art compression connectors have a transversely-oriented slot extending between a first pair of slots on one side of the compression connector and a second pair of slots on the other side of the compression connector. Moreover, none of these prior art compression connectors have a longitudinally-oriented hole extending through the center of the compression connector.


External jolts, such as those occurring during shipment, may inadvertently activate an electronic device. Such inadvertent activations may result in the electronic device entering an active mode during shipment, draining battery power. This document describes a power cut off mode that prevents inadvertent device activations and minimizes current consumption during shipment or storage of a device. This conserves battery power for operational use by the user.

Electronic devices, such as electronic book readers ("eBook reader devices"), cellular telephones, portable media players, desktop computers, laptops, tablet computers, netbooks, personal digital assistants, and the like, rely on electrical power to function.
Within these electronic devices, several components utilize significant amounts of power during operation, including the processor(s) and peripheral devices. These peripheral devices include external memory interfaces (EMIs), Universal Serial Bus (USB) controllers, image processing units (IPUs), and so forth. These peripheral devices may reside on the same "chip" or die as the processor and/or may reside on another die.
Inadvertent activation of the electronic device due to environmental factors may occur. For instance, devices may experience transient accelerations from jostling during transport and, in response, may activate or power up certain components of the device. For example, a box containing the electronic device may be dropped during shipment. Such a drop may inadvertently activate the device. During inadvertent activation, the electronic device consumes power, thus depleting power available in a battery powering the electronic device. A user that later attempts to use the electronic device may thus find the battery substantially or completely discharged. The user is therefore required to charge the device, a process which may be inconvenient and take several hours, depending upon the charger, battery capacity, and other parameters.
While mechanical switches with high activation forces may mitigate this problem, these solutions introduce other problems. For instance, design and engineering constraints, such as available volume, ability to control the device, and so forth, may preclude device designers from including such mechanical switches in electronic devices. Furthermore, such an approach may render inoperable a real-time clock of the device, introducing adverse side effects with regard to digital rights management (DRM).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Power cut off mode for conserving power in electronic devices


Materials, heretofore unknown for use in bearing assemblies, which produce equal or better wear resistance at reduced materials cost have been identified. These alternatives fall into three general categories: (1) solid materials from which bushings and washers can be fabricated, (2) coatings bonded to metallic bushings and/or vanes to minimize total system wear, and (3) solid lubricant coatings placed on any bushing or vane stem to reduce friction.

In gas turbine engines, for example, aircraft engines, air is drawn into the front of the engine, compressed by a shaft-mounted rotary compressor, and mixed with fuel. The mixture is burned, and the hot exhaust gases are passed through a turbine mounted on a shaft. The flow of gas turns the turbine, which turns the shaft and drives the compressor. The hot exhaust gases flow from the back of the engine, providing thrust that propels the aircraft forward.
Gas turbine engines generally include a high pressure compressor, a combustor, and a high pressure turbine. The high pressure compressor, combustor, and high pressure turbine are sometimes collectively referred to as a core engine. Such gas turbine engines also may include a low pressure compressor for supplying compressed air, for further compression, to the high pressure compressor, and a fan for supplying air to the low pressure compressor.
The high pressure compressor typically includes a rotor surrounded by a casing. The casing is typically fabricated to be removable, such as by forming the casing into two halves that are then removably joined together. The high pressure compressor includes a plurality of stages and each stage includes a row of rotor blades and a row of stator vanes. The casing supports the stator vanes, and the rotor supports the rotor blades. The stator vane rows are between the rotor blade rows and direct air flow toward a downstream rotor blade row.
Variable stator vane assemblies are utilized to control the amount of air flowing through the compressor to optimize performance of the compressor. Each variable stator vane assembly includes a variable stator vane which extends between adjacent rotor blades. The variable stator vane is rotatable about an axis. The orientation of the variable stator vane affects air flow through the compressor.
A known variable vane assembly includes a variable vane; a trunnion seal, for example, a bushing; and a washer. The variable vane assembly is bolted onto a high pressure compressor stator casing and the bushing and washer surround an opening that extends through the casing. The variable vane includes a vane stem that extends through the opening in the casing and through the bushing and washer. The bushing and washer are referred to herein as a bearing assembly. The bearing assembly produces a low friction surface that prevents metal on metal contact between the vane stem and the casing. Such variable vane assemblies have possible air leakage pathways through the openings in the casing. Also, the high velocity and high temperature air causes oxidation and erosion of the bearing assembly, which may accelerate deterioration of the bearing assembly, lead to failure of the bearing assembly, and eventual failure of the variable vane assembly.
To improve the overall operation of the compressor, several compressor stator vanes are rotatively mounted to allow each vane to rotate around its longitudinal axis (which extends in a radial direction from the centerline of the engine) to adjust the angular orientation of the vane relative to the airflow through the compressor. A lever arm is fixedly joined to the vane stem extending outwardly from the vane bushing. The distal end of the lever arm is operatively joined to an actuation ring that controls the angle of the vane. All of the vane lever arms in a single row are joined to a common actuation ring for ensuring that all of the variable vanes are simultaneously positioned relative to the airflow in the compressor stage at the same angular orientation.
Once the bearing assembly fails, an increase in leakage through the opening occurs, which results in a performance loss for the compressor. In addition, failure of the bearing assembly can result in contact between the stator vane and the casing, which causes wear and increases overhaul costs of the engine.
Known bearing assemblies have been fabricated from Vespel, a specially developed polymer having the highest temperature application for polymeric sliding bearings. These Vespel bearings have an upper temperature limit of 600° F., but extended operation at these temperatures limit their life. Vespel parts do not withstand the combination of high temperature and vibration loading well, leading to a relatively short part life. Therefore, these parts have an extended life when operating in the temperature range of 450-500° F. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide bearing assemblies fabricated from materials having performance characteristics that will reduce or eliminate air leakage between the stator vane stem and the compressor casing while providing an increase in the durability of the bushing and washer to increase part life in high temperature and vibration loading applications. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.

Variable stator vane bushings and washers


A system and method for enhancing communications between a WiFi terminal and other devices coupled to a wireless network. A wireless Access Point is configured to receive data from a data network through a wired link and to transmit and receive data over an 802.11 wireless link to one or more wireless devices. The wireless Access Point also includes a preset communications profile. A set of IP addresses and capability set information associated with devices of the wireless network is provided. Accordingly, a WiFi terminal WiFi terminal can automatically establish a link capable of data exchange with the wireless Access Point by simply powering up the WiFi terminal. In one embodiment, IP address and capability set information is automatically exchanged between the WiFi terminal and other compatible devices of the wireless network.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wireless communications systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems for improved WiFi access using a wireless device.
2. Background of the Invention
The proliferation of wireless devices provides users opportunities for more convenient, effective and enjoyable communications. For example, wireless terminal devices used in the home and office environment such as cordless telephones and wireless devices employing 802.11 communications standards (also termed "WiFi" devices, hereinafter), allow a user to use and carry the wireless terminal device during use anywhere within a communications range of an access unit that is used to transmit and receive signals to and from the wireless device. For example, handsets of cordless telephone systems can typically be operated effectively within about 10 to 100 meters of a base station. A user of a WiFi terminal device, such as a personal digital assistant, can likewise employ the device within a similar range of a WiFi Access Point, a wireless router, for example.
One advantage of cordless telephone systems is that setup and use of the cordless system is simple. Installation of a new cordless phone system typically involves simply plugging a base station into a power source and landline telephone connection. Typically, a user can subsequently operate the cordless handset to place or receive a telephone call by simply pressing a single button, such as a "talk" or "on" button.
WiFi devices are designed to communicate using an 802.11 standard which employs a fixed frequency band spanning frequencies around 2.4 GHz, similar to frequencies employed by many cordless telephones. Accordingly, in typical circumstances a user can employ a WiFi terminal such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) within a similar range of communications of an Access Point, as is found for cordless telephone handsets. WiFi terminal devices allow a user to send and receive digital data, such as text messages and digital voice information, by communicating with the Access Point, which is in turn linked to a data network or other network designed for transmitting digital information.
However, in a typical circumstance, a user of a WiFi terminal device (hereinafter also referred to as "WiFi handset" or "terminal device") employs a series of steps in order to link to the Access Point to receive and transmit data. FIG. 1 illustrates steps employed for a user of a known WiFi terminal device to link to an Access Point (also termed "AP", "wireless access point", or "wireless AP" herein). In step 100, when a WiFi handset is powered on, the WiFi handset searches for any 802.11 networks or service sets that are present within the vicinity of the WiFi handset. For example, any Access point in a WiFi wireless network, such as a local area network (LAN), includes a service set identifier (SSID) that identifies the Access Point. A home LAN may have one or more Access Points, which typically are set to have the same SSID. When a user powers on a WiFi handset near an access point of the home LAN, an SSID identifying the handset is sent to the wireless device.
In step 102, a list of any available networks is provided to the user on the handset. SSIDs associated with the user's "home" network and also those belonging to additional wireless networks in the vicinity may be detected and displayed on the WiFi handset.
In step 104, the user then selects the SSID of the network that is to be joined.
In some systems, as indicated in step 106, a user must enter a password before the user can join a network having the selected SSID.
In order to reduce the length of this process, a user could enter information into the WiFi handset that causes the device to look for a specific SSID to link to upon power up, thus avoiding the need to specify the SSID to be linked to each time the device is powered on. However, the user is still required to set up the automatic SSID searching procedure at least once.
In step 108, an authentication process is initiated. In order for data to be transmitted in a secure manner between the wireless Access Point and the WiFi handset, an encryption protocol is typically employed. Authentication may be based on a shared key, for example, a Wireless Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption key.
If authentication is successful, in step 110, the wireless terminal links to the wireless network at the Access Point.
In step 112, if a system other than WEP is used, a user supplies a predetermined encryption key, which is sent to the Access Point, after which, in step 114, the WiFi terminal and Access Point are associated and data exchange can take place.
In light of the foregoing, it will be apparent that a need exist to improve the ease of use of WiFi terminal devices.

Method and system for enhanced communications between a wireless terminal and access point


A platinum catalyst which is prepared by reacting a platinum halide with an organic compound having at least one --C.tbd.C-- group in the presence or absence of a base to form a complex which promotes the addition of silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms to silicon-bonded aliphatic unsaturated hydrocarbon groups in the presence of no-clean flux.

When electrical components are connected together, for example, to form a circuit board, the electrical components are very susceptible to various contaminants such as dirt and moisture, particularly if they are stored for a considerable period of time. Additionally, the components are subject to various contaminants and moisture and may be damaged when they are attached to a substrate such as a circuit board. To avoid this problem, coatings have been applied to cover the components or circuit board containing the electrical components.
The electrical components and/or circuit boards have been coated with organopolysiloxane compositions to protect the components from moisture, contamination and damage. However, it has been found that organopolysiloxane compositions which cure by the addition of silicon bonded hydrogen atoms to organopolysiloxanes having olefinic unsaturation in the presence of a platinum catalyst do not cure at the interface of the metallic connectors. It is believed that the no-clean flux, i.e., flux which is not removed after soldering electrical components, inhibits curing of these organopolysiloxane compositions.
Therefore, this invention relates to a platinum catalyst and a one-component organopolysiloxane composition containing a hydrosilation catalyst which may be applied to circuit boards and/or hybrid circuitry to form a curable coating thereon.
Organopolysiloxanes which are curable by the reaction of silicon-bonded, terminally unsaturated olefinic radicals and silicon bonded hydrogen atoms in the presence of hydrosilation catalysts such as platinum compounds and complexes thereof are well known and are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,593 to Willing and U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,283 to McAfee et al.
Platinum catalysts which have been employed to promote the hydrosilation reactions such as the addition of organosilicon compounds containing .tbd.SiH groups to organosilicon compounds containing aliphatic unsaturation are complexes such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,452 to Karstedt, in which an unsaturated organosilicon compound is reacted with a platinum halide and thereafter treating the resultant mixture with a base to remove the available inorganic halogen.
Another platinum complex which may be used in the hydrosilation reactions is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,215 to Chandra et al., in which the platinum complex is prepared by reacting a platinum vinylsiloxane complex prepared in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. '593 to Willing and U.S. Pat. No. '452 to Karstedt. In general these platinumvinylsiloxane complexes are prepared by contacting a vinylsiloxane such as described above with a platinum compound such as chloroplatinic acid (H.sub.2 PtCl.sub.6 .multidot.6H.sub.2 O). The resultant platinum-vinylsiloxane complex is then contacted with an alkyne to form a platinum alkyne complex.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 3,445,420 to Kookootsedes et al., discloses an organopolysiloxane composition comprising a mixture of an olefin containing organosilicon polymer, an organosilicon compound containing silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms, a platinum catalyst and an acetylenic compound as an inhibitor.
One of the disadvantages of the organopolysiloxanes described above is that they must be mixed just prior to use. When inhibitors are incorporated in these compositions and they are stored for a period of time before use, they will not cure or will cure very slowly in the presence of no-clean flux.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a one-component organopolysiloxane composition which cures in the presence of no-clean flux. Another object of the present invention is to provide a circuit board having a cured coating thereon. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a platinum catalyst which promotes curing of an organopolysiloxane composition in the presence of no-clean flux. A further object of the present invention is to provide a process for preparing a platinum catalyst which promotes the addition of .tbd.SiH groups to Si-bonded aliphatic unsaturated hydrocarbon groups. A still further object of the present invention is to provide a platinum catalyst which is not inhibited by no-clean flux.

Platinum catalyst and a curable organopolysiloxane composition containing said platinum catalyst


The invention relates to a method and a device for monitoring a fluid flow delivered by means of a pump. In the method the pressure distribution of the fluid is continuously or quasi-continuously measured as actual values in partial areas of the pump stroke and compared with desired values. In the device at least one pressure sensor is provided for the continuous or quasi-continuous measurement of the pressure of a fluid at least in partial areas of the pump stroke and a comparator is provided for comparing the measured actual values of the pressure with desired values.

When a fluid is delivered by a pump a number of problems can arise. Thus, at a constant speed of the motor driving the pump the volume flow can be undesirably modified by pressure fluctuations in the system, e.g. can fall when the plant pressure rises. In addition, a number of faults can arise, such as an inadmissibly high cavitation, a flat or shallow pressure rise at the start of the pressure stroke with a reduced discharge capacity due to air or gas inclusions, leaks to the outer chamber and relative to the inlet and outlet valve (suction/pressure valve). If such faults occur, they should either be eliminated or there should at least be a corresponding fault report.
For fault detection purposes a system is known, in which a pressure sensor is fitted to the hydraulic chamber of a pump and measures the pressure in the chamber. This pressure is not representative for the pressure in the dosing or metering chamber, particularly as a result of the inherent rigidity of the diaphragm, which applies to a greater extent with the double diaphragms used for leak detection and also due to a possibly inserted return spring, without which a reliable suction function is often no longer ensured. Criteria for the detection of fault functions should solely be the average suction and discharge pressure, as well as the pump efficiency, which can only describe a fault behavior in a very global manner.
It is also known to provide a pressure sensor on the pressure side and to generate fault signals if the system pressure drops below a lower preset value and exceeds an upper preset value. This neither permits a pump control, nor a precise fault detection and identification.
For the detection of imperfect operating conditions of a pump it is known to record in time-based manner the pressure distribution over the piston stroke, in that during the piston travel pressure values are continuously recorded at constant time intervals and the pressure change is investigated over time. It is disadvantageous that this presupposes a known, fixed piston or motor movement with a constant angular velocity.
Therefore the problem of the invention is to provide a method and a device of the aforementioned type, by means of which a reliable, precise fault detection and identification is possible.

Method and device for monitoring a fluid flow delivered by means of a pump


An apparatus can be used to control a door for a vehicle. A sensor unit is provided in the door and is configured to sense an object adjacent to a region outside of the door. A controller is configured to calculate a distance at which the object is positioned based on a signal received from the sensor unit and to control the door to be opened while the distance to the object is gradually reduced in a state where the door is closed, such that the object is sensed within a predetermined range.

A tailgate of a vehicle refers to a rear gate of a sports utility vehicle (SUV), a pickup truck or the like, and has been recently mounted with a system of warning a user that the tailgate may be safely opened together with a function of opening and closing the tailgate in an electric manner.
However, a safety opening warning system of the tailgate generally interworks with a rear parking sensor to sense only an obstacle in a horizontal direction adjacent to a bumper, such that it is difficult to sense an obstacle in a vertical direction in which the tailgate is opened, and the safety opening warning system and a tailgate switch are independently installed, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost and weight.
Meanwhile, in a case of a vehicle in which a rear license plate of the vehicle is positioned in the tailgate, the tailgate switch is installed in a concavely recessed portion on the license plate.
However, in a case of a vehicle in which a rear license plate is positioned in a rear bumper, a space in which the tailgate switch is installed in a hidden state may not be separately provided on a rear panel, such that it is difficult to configure the tailgate switch.
The tailgate switch may be installed in a state where it is directly exposed to an outer surface of the vehicle, but in this case, the tailgate switch may be easily contaminated, such that user's will to operate the tailgate switch is reduced.
The contents described as the related art have been provided only to assist in understanding the background of the present disclosure and should not be considered as corresponding to the related art known to those having ordinary skill in the art.

Apparatus and method of controlling door for vehicle


Provided are an information transmission/receiving method, apparatus, device and a readable storage medium. The method includes: establishing an association relationship among parameters configured for a user equipment (UE), where various parameters with the association relationship belongs to a same parameter group, and the parameters configured for the UE include at least one of: multiple component carriers (CCs), multiple bandwidth parts (BWPs), configuration parameters in one or more CCs or sub-parameters of the configuration parameters in one or more CCs, or configuration parameters of one or more BWPs or sub-parameters of the configuration parameters in one or more BWPs; and transmitting information of the parameter group to the UE.

In a New Radio (NR) Release-15 version, a joint transmission of multiple transmission receive points (TRPs) has not been fully discussed, in particularly, there is little discussion on a scenario where multiple TRPs have no dynamic interaction. Therefore, the NR version does not support the solution in which multiple TRPs perform data transmission on a same user.

Information sending/receiving method, apparatus, device, and readable storage medium


Process for observing at least one sample region with a light raster microscope by a relative movement between the illumination light and sample via a first scanner along at least one scanning axis essentially perpendicular to the illumination axis wherein several illuminated sample points lie on a line and are detected simultaneously with a spatially resolving detector. At an angle to the plane of the relative movement, a second scanner is moved and an image acquisition takes place by coupling the movement of the first and second scanners and a three-dimensional sampling movement being done by the illumination of the sample. The second scanner is coupled to the movement of the first scanner such that straight and/or curved lines and/or plane and/or curved surfaces are scanned which are extended along at least one scanning direction of the first scanner as well as along the scanning direction of the second scanner.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for the observation of at least one sample region with a light raster microscope by a relative movement between the illumination light and sample.
(2) Related Art
In DE 19702753A, DE 19702752A, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,583 laser scanning microscopes are described.
Along with the X/Y movement of the light point over the sample, which usually is produced by galvanoscanners, it is a known practice to also perform a z-movement in order to acquire image stacks in depth.
This movement in the z-direction is done, for example, mechanically by movement of the objects by means of a z-movement of the sample tray (piezo tray, HRZ tray in U.S. Pat. No. 6,636,351) or also by movement of the objective (for example, objective with piezo drive).
Here, in the first case, a target position in the z-direction can be predefined, where a measured value acquisition occurs after ending the feed movement of the z-drive or, in the second case, there is a continuous movement in the z-direction, where after the termination of a run-in phase of the positioning movement of the z-drive (acceleration phase) a measured value acquisition is done continuously or discontinuously.
The first variant is very slow.
The second variant does, in fact, make possible, for example, the rapid acquisition of a z-stack. Between sequential z-scans, however, a pause for braking or accelerating of the z-drive is needed until the predefined movement has begun.

Process for the observation of at least one sample region with a light raster microscope with linear sampling


A lighting fixture with infra-red responsive motion detector unit incorporated into the fixture design. The lighting fixture includes a motion detector housing forming an integral part of the lighting fixture body and having a generally convexo-convex shape fitting in with the decorative styling of the fixture body. The bottom portion of the housing has an upwardly curving bottom wall containing an azimuthally extending lens aperture. A plastic lens member is positioned in the lens aperture and is formed to conform to the curvature of the convex bottom wall so that the lens member appears to form a continuous portion of the wall. The lens member defines a plurality of Fresnel lenses which are disposed to direct infra-red radiation from an object in their aggregate field of view to an infra-red sensor mounted within the housing. The housing is incorporated into the body of the lighting fixture itself, instead of being mounted on a separate mounting base, and is disposed on the lighting fixture such that no other portion of the lighting fixture obstructs the aggregate field of view of the plurality of Fresnel lenses.

The present invention relates to infra-red motion detectors of the type used in residential outside lighting, for example, to illuminate a walkway or driveway when a person or automobile approaches.
Lighting devices responsive to the infra-red radiation emitted by humans or motor vehicles have been known for some time. These devices turn on a light when they receive infra-red radiation from a person or vehicle moving in the field of view of the device. Such lighting devices are desirable because they improve safety by automatically providing a lighted path for approaching guests, they save energy by automatically turning off the lights when no one is nearby, and they improve security by illuminating the area when an unwanted intruder approaches. The devices are coupled to a motion detector unit which includes a sensor responsive to infra-red radiation and an arrangement of lenses or mirrors for directing infra-red radiation from an approaching person or object to the sensor. The motion detector with its lenses or mirrors must be positioned in full view of the area to be monitored so that the device can "see" approaching persons or other target objects.
The typical lighting fixture by the front door of a house is decoratively designed, often characteristic of a particular stylistic period complementing the style of the house. The motion detector unit in known decorative lighting fixtures is a self-contained unit mounted in the vicinity of the lighting fixture as an adjunct to the fixture. Typically an extra mounting base is supplied to hold the motion detector unit and associated circuitry, and the lighting fixture is separately mounted on the mounting base.
FIG. 1 illustrates the problems in mounting a decorative lighting fixture with motion detector unit according to known practice. A mounting base 10, illustrated in phantom, is mounted on an exterior sidewall of a house located, for example, by the front door. A motion detector unit 11 (also shown in phantom) and lighting fixture 12 are mounted on base 10. A first problem with this mounting method is that an extra mounting base 10 must be supplied with the lighting fixture, which adds to the inventory of parts that must be maintained and amount of the product packaging. Another problem evident from FIG. 1 is that not all lighting fixtures can be functionally mounted in this manner. The lighting fixture illustrated in FIG. 1, for example, is a popular design including a long, downwardly extending, decorative tail piece 13. In the conventional mounting method the tail piece necessarily obstructs the field of view, indicated at reference numeral 14, of motion detector unit 11. Thus, the conventional method may practically be used only with lighting fixtures of limited outline leaving a clear area for the motion detector field of view. To avoid this problem, mounting base 10 may of course be made larger to extend beyond the lighting fixture outline, but this results in an undesirable tradeoff. To the supplier or producer of the lighting fixtures, providing a larger mounting base sufficient to avoid the lamp outline calls for yet a greater parts inventory to match a variety of lamp outlines, calls for more product packaging, and ultimately increases the cost of the fixture. To the consumer the necessity of a larger mounting base highlights another problem with the conventional mounting method. A conventional mounting base and motion detector unit do not generally conform to the style of the lighting fixture. The base and motion detector unit can appear incongruent and out of place because they do not follow the lines of the fixture design or because they visibly impose an unwanted piece of twentieth-century electronics into an old-world lamp design.

Lighting fixture with integral motion detector


Provided is a crystalline TiO2 powder in the form of aggregated primary particles having a variable sintering stability at a BET surface area of 70-100 m2/g and a rutile content of greater than 10% but less than or equal to 40%, and a process for preparing the crystalline TiO2 powder, which involves: introducing a TiCl4 vapor and, separately therefrom, H2 and a primary air into a mixing chamber to produce a gaseous mixture; igniting the gaseous mixture in a burner to produce a flame, which is burned into a reaction chamber to produce the crystalline TiO2 powder and gaseous substances; and separating the crystalline TiO2 powder from the gaseous substances, wherein the relative amounts of TiCl4 vapor, H2 and primary air are selected to provide crystalline TiO2 powder having the aforementioned BET surface area and rutile content, with the proviso that factor A has a value of 0.1-0.4 g/m2 in accordance within the following formula: factor A=105{[(TiCl4 vapor×H2)/(amount of air×gaseous mixture)]/BET]}.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a crystalline titanium dioxide powder having a variable sintering stability, a process for preparing the crystalline titanium dioxide powder, and a catalyst and/or a catalyst support comprising the crystalline titanium dioxide powder.
2. Discussion of the Background
Titanium dioxide may be produced by pyrogenic processes including flame oxidation and/or flame hydrolysis. In flame oxidation, a titanium dioxide precursor (e.g., titanium tetrachloride) is oxidized with oxygen according to the following equation (1). In flame hydrolysis, titanium dioxide is formed by hydrolysis of the titanium dioxide precursor, with the requisite water for hydrolysis obtained from combustion of a fuel gas (e.g., hydrogen) with oxygen according to the following equation (2).TiCl4+O2→TiO2+2Cl2  (1)TiCl4+2H2O→TiO2+4HCl  (2)
Titanium dioxide is generally present in the crystalline forms of anatase and rutile. In the references described below, the primary focus is on maximizing the proportion of anatase.
WO 96/06803 describes a process for preparing titanium dioxide by a combination of flame oxidation and flame hydrolysis. Gaseous titanium tetrachloride and oxygen are mixed in a reaction zone and the mixture is heated in a flame produced by combustion of a hydrocarbon as a fuel gas. Titanium dioxide powder having a BET surface area of about 70-110 m2/g and a rutile content of less than 10% is described.
Powder Technology, Vol. 86, No. 3, pp. 87-93 (March 1996) describes a flame oxidation process carried out in a diffusion reactor. No rutile is detected in a BET surface area of about 80-120 m2/g.
DE-A-102004055165 describes a titanium dioxide powder that is prepared by flame hydrolysis and has a BET surface area of 20-200 m2/g. Although the anatase/rutile ratio is said to be able to be varied in a range from 2:98 to 98:2 at a given BET surface area, the examples show that the proportion of anatase clearly dominates. In a BET surface area of about 70-100 m2/g, the anatase content is at least 90%.
JP-A-10251021 describes three titanium dioxide powders obtained by flame oxidation, wherein the three titanium dioxide powders have a BET surface area of 3.2 m2/g, 28 m2/g and 101 m2/g and a rutile content of 97%, 32% and 15%, respectively.
As evidenced by the aforementioned references, there is a pronounced interest in pyrogenically produced titanium dioxide and the complex processes associated therewith.

Titanium dioxide having a variable sintering stability


A hydraulic lash adjuster mechanism for an internal combustion engine, the adjuster having a body having a bore formed therein with a piston slidingly received within the bore. The lash adjuster is in communication with one end of a cam follower that is in communication at its other end with a valve stem. A rotating cam contacts said cam follower to apply force to the piston during a valve lift event. The lash adjuster has a low pressure chamber formed in the piston and a high pressure chamber formed between the bottom of the bore and the bottom of the piston. Engine fluid that is passed to the low pressure chamber is in communication with the high pressure chamber through a valve opening. A mechanism selectively opens or closes the valve opening in response to pressure differences between the low pressure chamber and the high pressure chamber. An actuating means is included for allowing free leak down of engine fluid from the high pressure chamber to the low pressure chamber when the cam follower is on the cam base circle.

Hydraulic lash adjusters are well known for use in internal combustion engines. Hydraulic lash adjuster mechanisms are used to eliminate clearance or lash between engine valve train components which can occur under varying operating conditions. Hydraulic lash adjusters are also used in order to maintain engine efficiency, reduce engine noise, and reduce wear in the valve train.
Hydraulic lash adjusters operate by transmitting the energy of the valve actuating cam through oil trapped in a pressure chamber beneath a plunger. During each operation of the cam, as the length of the valve actuating components varies due to temperature changes for example, small quantities of hydraulic fluid are permitted to enter or escape from the pressure chamber. As the hydraulic fluid enters or escapes the pressure chamber, the position of the plunger is adjusted and consequently the effective total length of the valve train is adjusted which minimizes or eliminates the lash.
Conventional hydraulic lash adjusters have a leak down rate controlled by a leak path defined by precise clearance between two concentric tubes, namely, the plunger and the outer cylinder, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,147. The leak down rate must be sufficiently fast so that as the exhaust valve heats and expands, the lash adjuster can relax and accommodate the expansion. If the leak down rate is too slow, the exhaust valve may not seat completely, potentially causing engine problems such as loss of power output and deposit buildup on the valve stem. These problems can be exacerbated with engine strategies that deliberately create high-temperature exhaust to quickly light off the catalyst, with the result that the exhaust valve also quickly heats and expands. While lash adjusters can quickly compensate for component shrinkage, they require more time to compensate for component expansion.
Similarly, a lash adjuster leak clown rate that is too fast can cause the adjuster to relax sufficiently during a single cycle that the cam follower loses contact with the cam. When this occurs, the exhaust valve can slam shut, causing noise which is most evident under hot idle conditions. Furthermore, since the leak down rate varies with oil viscosity, both the grade of oil used and the temperature will affect the leak down rate. Thus, current lash adjusters with fixed leak paths may be unable to provide leak down rates that are satisfactory for all operating conditions. For example, when an engine's oil is cold, and thus highly viscous, the leak down rate is slow. Because the leak path between the plunger and the lash adjuster body remains constant prior adjusters cannot increase the leak down to compensate for this condition.
Moreover, since the leak down rate depends strongly on the magnitude of the gap between the two concentric tubes, slight changes in dimensions will have a large effect on the leak down rate. As a result, these tubes typically are provided with a lapped finish and are matched to provide the required accuracy in leak down rate. Providing lash adjusters with consistent leak paths is an expensive process.

Hydraulic lash adjuster mechanism with pressure controlled leak down


A GPS receiver calculates a position with as high accuracy as possible by appropriately setting a threshold of a reception level of the signal from each GPS satellite and a DOP threshold based on an interrelation between the satellites. A positioning calculator performs predetermined positioning calculation using a reception signal from each satellite. When the reception level of the satellites are below a threshold set by a reception-level-threshold setting section, and thus a positioning-calculation determination section determines that the positioning cannot be performed, a threshold change processor gradually relaxes the threshold. Once relaxing the threshold enables the positioning calculation, a DOP value is determined from a constellation of the satellites used for the positioning calculation, and then is compared with a DOP threshold set by a DOP threshold setting section. If a DOP value determination section determines that the DOP threshold is not satisfied, the DOP threshold is relaxed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a global positioning system (GPS) receiver which receives a signal from a GPS satellite in measurement of a present position to measure the precise position, while capable of securely obtaining data on the present position, and to a GPS reception method using same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, navigation apparatus widely used in vehicles have employed one or both of a autonomous navigation method and a GPS navigation method as a measurement method in measurement of a position of a vehicle, the combination of these navigation methods being referred to as a hybrid navigation method. The autonomous navigation method involves calculating a travel distance from signals indicative of a vehicle speed or based on an acceleration sensor, and determining a rotation angle of the vehicle based on an azimuth detection sensor such as an angular speed sensor or the like, thereby constantly adding the travel direction taken and the traveled distance to those previously determined. The GPS navigation method involves receiving electric waves from a GPS satellite to detect the present position.
To display the present position of the vehicle and the travel direction thereof thus determined on a map screen in the navigation apparatus, map data about a map covering the present position and its surroundings is read from a map data storage medium, such as a DVD-ROM, installed in the navigation apparatus, and an electronic map associated with the map data is displayed on a monitor screen with a mark indicative of the vehicle position being superimposed and displayed on the map. The navigation apparatus has a map matching function of matching a measured position of the vehicle onto an appropriate map route by comparison with data about roads on the map so as to display the vehicle position on the map. When there is a plurality of roads taken as a candidate after determination of the position of a moving member, this map matching function is performed to select a road with the highest existing probability from among the roads as the appropriate road, for example, by giving a high priority to the route along which the vehicle is being guided.
In such a navigation apparatus, it is very important to accurately measure the present position of the vehicle. In particular, in cases where the data mainly used is reception data from the GPS satellites, the GPS data itself to be received must be precise, and the GPS satellite constellation needed for the measurement must be appropriate. In receiver techniques, the so-called "all-in-view" mode in which all visible satellites are used for positioning calculation has recently become mainstream. It is further very important to select appropriate satellites from among all the visible satellites.
Note that the above-mentioned GPS receiver for receiving the signals of the GPS satellites to measure the present position is used not only for the above navigation apparatus mounted on the vehicle or the like, but for other devices, such as a personal computer, a portable information terminal, a portable telephone, or the like. Thus, the GPS receiver is widely used in various fields for precise measurement of the present position and displaying it on the map screen.
For measurement of the present position using the GPS satellites as described above, the reception signals including the GPS data to be received must be precise, while the signals actually received from the GPS satellites may be degraded by attenuation due to an inappropriate distance from the GPS satellite or due to obstacles, such as clouds high in the sky, or by occurrence of multipath noise due to the influence of surrounding buildings or the like. Since the large electric field strength of electric waves from the GPS satellite enables precise detection of the position, an S/N value associated with the electric field strength of the electric waves received from the GPS receiver is measured. Then, an S/N threshold is set such that the GPS data with the S/N value less than a predetermined value is not used for the positional detection. On the other hand, when the threshold is set to the higher value so as to use only the highly reliable signals of the GPS satellites, the number of the GPS satellites which can be used for the positional detection becomes decreased.
An influence on the measurement precision or accuracy of the GPS satellite constellation needed for measurement is represented by a dilution of precision (DOP) value (hereinafter referred to as a DOP value). The DOP value indicates a numerical value representing the arrangement or constellation of a plurality of GPS satellites used for measurement of the present position. For example, when three or more of the GPS satellites are used to detect the present position, the DOP value is represented by the value of an area enclosed by the plurality of GPS satellites. The smaller the DOP value, the more accurate the position detection can be.
In selection of a combination of the satellites with the smallest DOP value from among the visible satellites, if the smallest DOP value of the combination is larger than a predetermined value, accurate positional data is not available. Thus, the data obtained from the satellites whose DOP value is larger than a predetermined threshold is not used. For this reason, setting the threshold to the smaller value enables usage of the more accurate data, but the combination of the satellites which satisfy the threshold may not often be obtained, thus resulting in failure in detection of the present position by the GPS satellites.
It should be noted that there are proposed various types of techniques for performing appropriate position detection considering the above-mentioned DOP value, and that one of these techniques is disclosed in a JP-A-6-18644. This technique involves calculating a DOP value of each of the possible combinations of a predetermined number of visible satellites at predetermined calculation time intervals, and selecting the combination of the satellites with the smallest DOP value. In performing positioning calculation based on the reception data of the satellites constituting the combination selected, the limit of the DOP value is pre-set. Even if a combination of the satellites other than the combination previously selected has the minimum DOP value at the DOP value calculation timing, as long as the DOP value of the combination previously selected does not exceed the limit pre-set, the combination selected is maintained for the positioning calculation thereby to prevent changes in data due to a change from the selected combination of the satellites for the positioning calculation to another for a short period of time, thus resulting in a smooth track of the present position obtained from the positioning calculation.
In the above-mentioned GPS receiver used, for example, in the navigation system, the personal computer, the portable information terminal, the portable telephone, or the like, it is important to accurately determine the present position. In addition, the GPS receiving system is required to be able to measure the position with high accuracy using the high-quality signals and by use of the satellites with high probability. However, the noise effect, the obstacles in a propagation path, or the multipath effect may degrade the reception signals, which include error components, leading to an increased error in the position measured.
On the other hand, in some cases, the reception signals may not be used for the positioning calculation due to low level thereof, and the DOP value of the satellite constellation may become so large at the timing of positioning calculation, whereby the reliability of result of the positioning calculation may become low, and the positioning solution cannot be utilized.
These two phenomena have the characteristics opposite to each other. To aim for the high-accuracy positioning, tightening adoption criteria of signals to enhance the quality thereof, or setting strictly the DOP value that serves as an adoption criterion of a positioning solution leads to a low probability of positioning or measurement. In contrast, lowering criteria of signal quality for increasing the probability of positioning, or setting widely the criterion of the DOP value can improve the positioning probability, but results in degradation in the measurement accuracy. These problems are mutually contradictory.
This situation is illustrated in FIG. 3. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, in a GPS system mounted on a vehicle C, GPS satellites currently receivable are designated by reference numerals S1 to S8, and distances from the respective GPS satellites to the vehicle are designated by reference numerals r1 to r8. The GPS satellite S1 is affected by a nearby construction B, and the GPS satellites S5 to S8 are affected by a forest F, resulting in degradation in reception signals therefrom. Since only signals from three GPS satellites S2 to S4 satisfy a threshold value previously set, only these three GPS satellite signals are used to measure the position. Alternatively, if the three GPS signals are not sufficient to allow the appropriate positioning, then the position measurement by the GPS satellites may not be taken until four GPS satellite signals can respectively satisfy the threshold after the vehicle further moves. As mentioned above, heightening the threshold value with respect to the reception signal from the GPS satellite for the accurate position measurement may result in decreased number of the GPS satellites that meet the threshold. This may often fail to measure the position using the GPS satellites.
The same goes for the following situation. That is, in addition to the level of reception signals from the respective GPS satellites, when only the combination of the GPS satellites are selected whose DOP value based on the positional relationship among the GPS satellites exceeds a pre-set threshold value, heightening the DOP threshold value may also lead to decrease in the number of the GPS satellites that satisfy the threshold.
Thus, in the conventional GPS receivers, the threshold value of the level of reception signal from each of the GPS satellites is set and fixed, and the DOP value based on an interrelation between the satellites is also set and fixed in selection of the appropriate GPS satellites from all visible satellites for reception of the signals from the GPS satellites and for performing positioning. Tightening up these thresholds to improve the measurement accuracy often fails to perform the positioning using the GPS satellites. Especially, the recent GPS receiver is required to measure the position with high sensitivity and accuracy, taking into consideration an application to the portable telephone.


Control method and apparatus for a moveable control member with n observed states, the apparatus incorporating a sliding mode control system, operable to maintain the state point of the moveable member on a predetermined hyperplane having n-1 dimensions, and comprising digital processor means operable to reference, at a first frequency, n-1 low order observed states to the predetermined hyperplane to establish a desired value of the highest order observed state, the control system further comprising comparator means operable to compare, at a second frequency, said desired value with the observed highest order state, the first frequency being less than the second frequency, and means responsive to the comparator means and operable to implement the control action necessary to maintain the state point on the predetermined hyperplane.

This invention relates to method an apparatus for controlling apparatus and in general to such apparatus or method in which the magnitude of the drive signal to the apparatus under control is calculated. More specifically, the method and apparatus is based on the known sliding mode control technique which involves predefining the dynamic response of the output of the apparatus under control by describing the paths that output is to follow on a phase plane of the output. The phase plane is a two or more dimensional plane having as its axis the controlled states. The control action is determined by the position on the phase plane of the actual output compared with the path describing the desired trajectory or hyperplane. Consequently, sliding mode control is dependent on the measurement of the output of the apparatus under control and its derivatives and the calculation of the actual position of the output at a given instant on the phase plane. For sliding mode control, the number of derivatives required by the control system equals the predominant order of the apparatus under control.


The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display panel and a manufacturing method thereof. The display panel includes: an active area; and an aperture area at least partially surrounded by the active area, wherein at least one barrier wall is provided between the active area and the aperture area, a thin film encapsulation is provided on a first side of the display panel, and the thin film encapsulation covers the barrier wall and the active area, and wherein a convex-concave structure is provided on at least one surface of the barrier wall in contact with the thin film encapsulation.

With the development of technology, special-shaped screens and full screens have gradually come into everyone's field of vision in recent years. Both special-shaped screens and full screens are aimed at increasing a screen-to-body ratio of the display device. Then, in order to obtain a higher screen-to-body ratio, some additional components (such as cameras and sensors) are disposed in a display screen, so some aperture areas (such as apertures) need to be reserved for the components in some locations of the display.
For products with apertures disposed in the display screen, in encapsulation process of display panels (especially organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panels), there may be a solution leveling area in an organic encapsulation layer in a thin film encapsulation. Thickness of the film will increase first and then decrease in the solution leveling area, which may cause uneven thickness near the aperture area.

Display panel and manufacturing method thereof


A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head of the invention includes: a waveguide; a plasmon generator; and a light-absorbing protrusion layer provided on a leading side of the plasmon generator. A ratio W1/W2 is within a range from 2/3 to 55/3, where W1 is a width of the light-absorbing protrusion layer in an air-bearing surface, and W2 is a width of the waveguide in the air-bearing surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head that uses lowering in coercivity caused by irradiation of near-field light to record information in a magnetic recording medium, and to a head gimbals assembly, a head arm assembly, and a magnetic recording unit that are each provided with the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head.
2. Description of Related Art
In the past, a magnetic recording unit such as a hard disk drive (HDD) has been used for magnetically writing and reading information.
The magnetic disk unit typically includes a magnetic recording medium (a magnetic disk) and a magnetic read write head that performs a write process and a read process of information. The magnetic read write head is formed on one surface of a magnetic head slider, and has a surface (an air-bearing surface) facing the magnetic disk. The magnetic head slider is provided on one end of a suspension, and the other end of the suspension is attached to a pivotable arm.
In recent years, along with a progress in higher recording density (higher capacity) of the magnetic disk, improvement in performance of the magnetic read write head has been demanded. Therefore, as a magnetic recording system capable of dealing with higher recording density, a thermally-assisted magnetic recording system has been studied. In the thermally-assisted magnetic recording system, a magnetic disk in which a magnetic recording layer has large coercivity is used, and heat is applied to a recording region (a region where information is to be recorded) of the magnetic recording layer together with a recording-use magnetic field (recording magnetic field) at the time of writing. Accordingly, the coercivity of the recording region is lowered as well as the recording region is magnetized in response to temperature increase, and therefore information is written.
In the thermally-assisted magnetic recording system, near-field light is generally used for supplying heat to a magnetic disk. Accordingly, a magnetic recording head of the thermally-assisted magnetic recording system (a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head) includes a light source generating laser light, a waveguide allowing the laser light to propagate therethrough, a plasmon generator generating the near-field light, and a magnetic pole generating recording magnetic field. The plasmon generator is disposed between the waveguide and the magnetic pole. When surface plasmons are generated by the plasmon generator, the surface plasmons are used to generate the near-field light in the vicinity of the air-bearing surface in the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head, and thus heat is supplied to the magnetic disk.
In the case where the near-field light is used, in Japanese Patent No. 4104584 specification, surface plasmon polariton coupling is used in order to prevent overheat of the plasmon generator due to direct irradiation of light. In this case, the light propagating through the waveguide (guided light) is not directly applied to the plasmon generator, and the guided light is coupled to the plasmon generator through evanescent coupling. As a result, surface plasmon polaritons are generated on a surface of the plasmon generator.
In the case of using the surface plasmon polaritons, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,400,885 specification, a spot diameter of the near-field light is made small and the shape of a tip surface of the plasmon generator is formed into a rectangle in order to make the gradient of light intensity steep. In this case, since light is collected to the vicinity of the tip surface of the plasmon generator, intensity of the light is increased.
When light absorption amount of the plasmon generator is increased in response to increase in the light intensity, the plasmon generator generates heat (is thermally expanded), and thus easily protrudes toward the magnetic recording medium. In this case, a distance between the plasmon generator and the magnetic recording medium is shorter than an appropriate value, which may cause unintentional collision between the plasmon generator and the magnetic recording medium. If the plasmon generator and the magnetic recording medium collide with each other, the plasmon generator is deformed or broken, which results in degradation in generating capacity of the near-field light. Accordingly, recording property is degraded.
Therefore, is it desirable to provide a technology capable of obtaining excellent recording performance.

Thermally-assisted magnetic recording head, head gimbals assembly, head arm assembly and magnetic recording unit