An electrical connector that has a first side configured to interface with a battery module and a second side configured to interface with a mating plug coupled to a first load. The electrical connector includes terminals extending through the first and second sides and configured to route power at a first voltage from the battery module to the mating plug; low voltage lines extending through the first and second sides, wherein the low voltage lines operate at a voltage less than the first voltage; and high voltage lines electrically coupled to the terminals via conductive leads and configured to route an electrical signal from the terminals to a second load. The electrical connector contains a secondary connection interface configured to allow access to the low and high voltage lines.

The present disclosure generally relates to the field of batteries and battery modules. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to high voltage battery connectors that may be used in vehicular contexts, as well as other energy storage/expending applications.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
A vehicle that uses one or more battery systems for providing all or a portion of the motive power for the vehicle can be referred to as an xEV, where the term "xEV" is defined herein to include all of the following vehicles, or any variations or combinations thereof, that use electric power for all or a portion of their vehicular motive force. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) combine an internal combustion engine propulsion system and a battery-powered electric propulsion system, such as 48 volt or 130 volt systems. The term HEV may include any variation of a hybrid electric vehicle. For example, full hybrid systems (FHEVs) may provide motive and other electrical power to the vehicle using one or more electric motors, using only an internal combustion engine, or using both. In contrast, mild hybrid systems (MHEVs) disable the internal combustion engine when the vehicle is idling and utilize a battery system to continue powering the air conditioning unit, radio, or other electronics, as well as to restart the engine when propulsion is desired. The mild hybrid system may also apply some level of power assist, during acceleration for example, to supplement the internal combustion engine. Mild hybrids are typically 96V to 130V and recover braking energy through a belt or crank integrated starter generator. Further, a micro-hybrid electric vehicle (mHEV) also uses a "Stop-Start" system similar to the mild hybrids, but the micro-hybrid systems of a mHEV may or may not supply power assist to the internal combustion engine and operates at a voltage below 60V. For the purposes of the present discussion, it should be noted that mHEVs typically do not technically use electric power provided directly to the crankshaft or transmission for any portion of the motive force of the vehicle, but an mHEV may still be considered as an xEV since it does use electric power to supplement a vehicle's power needs when the vehicle is idling with internal combustion engine disabled and recovers braking energy through an integrated starter generator. In addition, a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any vehicle that can be charged from an external source of electricity, such as wall sockets, and the energy stored in the rechargeable battery packs drives or contributes to drive the wheels. PEVs are a subcategory of electric vehicles that include all-electric or battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and electric vehicle conversions of hybrid electric vehicles and conventional internal combustion engine vehicles.
The battery-powered electric propulsion system in an HEV may have a high voltage rating, such as 60 volts, 130 volts, 350 volts or higher. Due to these high voltage ratings, battery systems for HEVs may include specialized interface connections for connecting the battery system to the vehicle's high voltage (HV) network or to a high voltage charger.
Due to the voltages levels present within such high voltage circuits, battery systems for HEVs often include a high voltage interlock (HVIL) circuit. The HVIL circuit is a low voltage circuit coupled with the battery system and is connected to a battery control unit of the HEV. The battery control unit is connected to a power switch that opens and closes the high voltage network. When the HVIL circuit is closed, the battery control unit closes the high voltage network, allowing the battery system to provide power to the various components of the HEV. When the HVIL circuit is opened, due to, for example, routine maintenance, the battery control unit opens and interrupts the high voltage network, effectively turning the battery system off.
Various types of measurement electronics may also be used in a HEV to monitor the battery system as well. These measurement electronics are electrically connected to the battery terminals used to connect the battery system to the high voltage network and/or high voltage charger. To facilitate the multiple required connections, interface connection systems can include cabling for the main high voltage conductors, in addition to low voltage conductors for the HVIL circuit. Additional connections are often made directly to bolted joints that form part of the main high voltage conductors. Such connections can extend the assembly time of the battery system, as personnel must ensure that the connections are made in the correct order and correctly routed away from the connection point. In addition, these connections made directly to the bolted joints can potentially lead to a loss of torque in the joints due to vibration of the vehicle.

High voltage connector system and method


In a gun tube for firing rounds of smart ammunition, a sensor means applied to the ammunition which enables the calculation of muzzle velocity in the instant as the ammunition leaves the muzzle edge of the gun tube. The sensor relies on measurement of magnetic field induced voltages which are unique as the ammunition leaves the muzzle edge of the gun tube. Each round of ammunition has a planar transformer of wiring applied longitudinally on the side of the round, which aids in creating the necessary magnetic fields.

This invention relates to linear velocity measuring sensors. In particular, but not exclusively, this invention is a device that allows gun-fired, smart ammunition to precisely measure its own muzzle exit velocity for use in precision guidance. This invention allows for the precise measurement of velocity in the axial direction of motion, while cancelling the effects of motion in the radial direction.
Sensors are generally used in smart ammunition in order to improve precision, especially at long firing ranges. The ultimate goal is to reduce target impact dispersior of a particular round. While in flight, a smart round will use its sensors to determine if corrections are necessary to its trajectory. For instance, GPS modules, magnetometers, and gyroscopes, can be used to determine location, heading, and orientation respectively. The round's fuze will use that information to determine if maneuver needs to be performed, if the round should recalculate a timer, if the round should dud, and the like.
It is sometimes necessary for a smart round to know its muzzle exit velocity. In smart rounds that use a timed detonation—such as those that have an air burst mode—the time set for detonation is computed from: the range to target, the expected trajectory of the round, and an expected muzzle exit velocity. In order for the round to precisely detonate at a specific point in its trajectory, especially for air burst mode, all of these factors need to be precisely known.
Muzzle exit velocity is typically a value that is not measured, rather it is estimated before the round is shot based on the type of round being fired, its weight, and the type and amount of propellant being used. This is contrary to the range to target and round trajectory, both of which are already accurately determined by laser range finder and ballistic computer, respectively.
While certain methods have been proposed to measure muzzle velocity, each has certain shortcomings. For example, in "Apparatus for Measure the Muzzle Velocity of a Projectile" (U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,201, issued April 1972), Remo Vogelsang describes an invention where two coils sit co-axially at the end of a gun tube, each energized with a DC current source, and connected electrical in series. When a bullet is fired, it generates two voltage pulses as it passes through both coils. The time difference between each pulse is measured, and combined with a temperature compensation technique for the spacing between each coil, velocity is determined.
In "Inductance Type Velocity Measuring Apparatus" (U.S. Pat. No. 3,824,463, issued July 1974), Kenneth L. Oehler describes a similar invention, where again, two coils sit co-axially at the end of a gun tube. In his invention, the both coils are electrically connected as frequency determining elements of an oscillator. When a bullet is fired through the coils, the frequency of the oscillator is modulated twice. An FM discriminator circuit then detects the modulation, subsequent pulse shaping circuits produce "start" and "stop" pulses, whose time interval between along with the spacing of the coils is used to calculate exit velocity.
Finally, in "Device and Method for Determining the Muzzle Velocity of Projectile" (US 2004/0250615 A1, Pub Date December 2004), Aldo Alberti and Klaus Munzel describe an invention where a single coil is placed co-axially at the end of a gun tube, energized with a DC current, creating small localized magnetic field. As a bullet is fired, it changes the magnetic field within the coil, which induces a voltage pulse across the terminals of the coil. This pulse is detected, its pulse width measured, and used to determine exit velocity.
Nonetheless, there remains a need for a more accurate muzzle velocity measuring device as provided by this invention.

Muzzle velocity sensor for smart ammunition

The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Army


A data writing apparatus is disclosed wherein an M-bit data word is converted into an analog data signal using maximum and minimum reference voltages and the analog data signal and the maximum and minimum reference voltages are stored in a nonvolatile memory. One embodiment of the present invention stores the analog data signal in a first nonvolatile memory cell by adjusting a threshold voltage of the memory cell to correspond to the analog data signal and stores the maximum and minimum reference voltages by similarly adjusting the threshold voltages of a second and third nonvolatile memory cell, respectively. A data reading apparatus is shown which reads an analog data signal and maximum and minimum reference voltages from a nonvolatile memory device and converts the analog data signal into an M-bit data word using the maximum and minimum reference voltages.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data writing and reading apparatus, and more particularly to a data writing and reading apparatus for splitting N-bit data into M-bit data (where M is equal to or lesser than N), converting the split M-bit data into an analog signal and storing the analog signal in a nonvolatile analog memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
EEPROMs (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) are widely used nonvolatile memory devices. An example of a conventional EEPROM device includes a modified MOS transistor having a floating gate 1 which is electrically insulated from a peripheral element and used as a charge storage gate, as shown in FIG. 1. The EEPROM maintains the state of stored data in the absence of a power source through ion implantation into or ion emission from the floating gate 1. However, since conventional EEPROM devices store data in a digital format, eight EEPROM cells are needed in order to store the eight bits of data that constitute a byte.
An EEPROM cell consists of two transistors, as shown in FIG. 1. One transistor is a memory transistor MEM TR for storing a digital data bit at a logical "1" or "0" state. The other transistor is a select transistor SEL TR for selecting a memory bit. The memory transistor MEM TR has a double layer gate structure consisting of a control gate 2 in an upper gate layer and a floating gate 1 in a lower gate layer, wherein the floating gate 1 is electrically isolated for storing an electron or electrons. The floating gate 1 includes a very thin silicon oxide layer region 3. To implant or emit an electron from the floating gate 1, a high voltage is applied to the silicon oxide layer region 3 in order to induce an F-N current of electrons tunneling through the oxide layer.
In the electron implanting operation involving floating gate 1, which is performed to erase the logical state of the EEPROM cell, a high voltage level, typically 20 volts (V), is applied to the control gate 2 and a select gate 4. A voltage level of 0V is applied to a source electrode 5 and a drain electrode 6. This activates select transistor SEL TR and the voltage level of 0V at the drain electrode 6 is supplied to a source electrode 7, which is an N+ diffusion region positioned underneath thin silicon oxide layer region 3, of the select transistor MEM TR. Since the control gate 2 is at 20V, the F-N current flows to the source electrode 7 from the floating gate 1 and electrons are implanted on floating gate 1. In this manner, electron implantation erases the state of the logic state of the memory cell.
In an electron emitting operation, by which the logic state of the memory cell is programmed, a voltage of 0V is applied to the control gate 2 and a voltage of 20V is applied to the select gate 4 and drain electrode 6. This activates select transistor SEL TR and the voltage level of 20V applied to the drain electrode 6 also appears at the source electrode 7 of the select transistor SEL TR. Since the control gate 2 is at 0V, a high electric field is generated on the floating gate 1 from source electrode 7 which causes electrons to emit from floating gate 1 and tunnel through the thin oxide layer region 3 onto source electrode 7. In this manner, the electrons of floating gate 1 are emitted and the logic state of the memory cell is programmed.
During the write operation, a voltage level of about 5V is applied to the source electrode 5. The reason for this is that if the voltage of the source electrode 5 is 0V, then a potential drop occurs between the source electrode 7 and the drain electrode 6 of 20V and the electric field between control gate 2 and source electrode 7 will be insufficient to obtain the F-N current needed to obtain electron tunneling from floating gate 1. Therefore, a 5V potential is applied to the source electrode 5.
When an electron is implanted on floating gate 1, a threshold voltage of the memory transistor MEM TR is increased. If an electron is emitted from floating gate 1, the threshold voltage of the memory transistor MEM TR is decreased. The difference in the threshold voltage between the implanted (erased) state and the emitted (programmed) state corresponds to a logical "1" or "0" level of the data bit of the memory cell. However, since a conventional EEPROM stores only a logical "1" or "0" level by using a fixed drain voltage, an integrated state of the EEPROM device cannot be stored.
To improve such an integration problem of the memory device, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,259 entitled "HIGH DENSITY IC ANALOG SIGNAL WRITING AND READING SYSTEM" describes a technique for directly storing an audio signal by using not only logical "1" and "0" levels but also a median level of the drain voltage mapped to an analog data signal instead of applying the fixed drain voltage during the write operation of the memory device, as shown in FIG. 2.
To describe this technique in more detail, an analog audio signal applied to microphone 29 is filtered through input filter 30 into a frequency band which is less than half the signal sample rate of column decoder 26. The filtered audio signal is then applied to column decoder 26 through input amplifier 31 and automatic gain controller (AGC) 32. The analog signal sampled in the column decoder 26 is mapped to a drain voltage for the EEPROM cells of memory array 13 by using a pulse signal provided from a column high voltage generator 21 to an analog column read/write circuit 15 which then writes the analog signal into memory array 13. During a read operation, the analog data stored in memory array 13 is selected by an address output from address sequencer 24 and latched into column address buffer 25 and row address buffer 9 for output to column decoder 26 and row decoder 14, respectively, to produce a time varying analog output signal which is output through output filter 33 and output amplifier 34 to drive a speaker 35.
In the conventional circuit of FIG. 2, the column high voltage generator 21 generates a high voltage pulse signal ranging from 11V to 21V. The analog column read/write circuit 15 receives the high voltage pulse signal output from column high voltage generator 21 and uses the high voltage pulse signal to produce a high voltage data signal which corresponds to the input signal received from AGC 32. The analog column read/write circuit 15 then applies the high voltage data signal to the drain electrode of an EEPROM cell in memory array 13 so that the electric charge stored in the EEPROM cell corresponds to the input signal received from AGC 32. Column read/write circuit 15 reads the data in memory array 13 by comparing the voltage of the drain electrode of the selected EEPROM cell with the high voltage data signal produced from the pulse signal output from the column high voltage generator 21 to produce an analog output signal which is output through output filter 33 and output amplifier to drive speaker 35.
However, the solution of U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,259 is not particularly effective for storing digital data, although it is the first case where a high density IC analog signal writing and reading system has been commercially successful in improving the storage performance of an EEPROM by analog operation.

Data writing and reading apparatus and method for nonvolatile analog storage


Disclosed herein is an apparatus and method for controlling electrically powered liquid-moving pumps, particularly bilge and sump pumps. The apparatus is characterized by the fact that no portion thereof need be located in the hostile environment of the bilge or sump served by the pump controlled thereby.

The present invention relates broadly to an apparatus and method for controlling electrically powered pumps for liquids and is more specifically concerned with an apparatus and method for controlling the operations of bilge or sump pumps.
In a typical bilge pump installation the pump, powered by a fractional horsepower d.c. electric motor, is located at a low point in the bilge of the vessel and is wired to an appropriate source of electric power therefor, such as a battery or, in the case of power boats having electrical power generating capacity, to the electrical system of the boat. While control of the operation of such a pump may be undertaken manually, such as by the installation of a manually operated switch in the power supply circuit to the pump motor, it is usually desired that the pump be controlled automatically in response to water level changes in the bilge. To this end, various float switches are conventionally employed to control bilge pump operations, said switches broadly comprising a fixed base member and a float member which is usually, but not universally, pivotally attached to the base member. The float member carries a switching element, such as a mercury capsule, which is wired in series into the power supply circuit to the pump motor and which is responsive to the position of the float member relative to the base member. Such float switch devices are necessarily located in the bilge. In consequence of this arrangement, the switching element automatically makes or breaks the power supply circuit to the pump as a function of the position of the float member relative to the base member. Unfortunately, the bilges of vessels are normally dirty and often include chemicals such as cleansers, oils and greases as well as such solid particulates and fibrous adulterants as sand, grit, shells, fish scales, cordage, fishing line, paper and the like. Accordingly, the typical bilge environment is extremely hostile to long term good operations of float switches which depend for their effectiveness upon the maintenance of free motion between the float member and the fixed base member.
Another pump control system which has been attempted to be utilized in the automatic control of bilge pumps comprises a pair of electrically conductive low and high water sensing probes which are appropriately positioned in the bilge, said probes being wired, through appropriate circuitry, into the power supply circuit to the bilge pump. Such a bilge pump control system is described, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,932, Gerald K. Miller, Oct. 23, 1979. By suitable adjustment of the high and low water sensing probes within the bilge, the bilge water, at its high level, immerses both probes, thereby establishing a low resistance bridge therebetween and causing the closure of the pump motor power supply circuit. As the pump removes water from the bilge the water level therein decreases to the point where there is ultimately attained a condition wherein neither probe is continuously immersed in the bilge water. At this point both probes signal a high resistance condition and the power supply circuit to the pump motor is opened until such time as the accumulation of water in the bilge is again sufficient to immerse both probes. Again, however, this system depends upon immersion of the sensing probes in the bilge water and, because the bilge water is usually dirty, said probes can quickly become sufficiently fouled as to markedly alter their resistance sensing properties, thereby to adversely affect their desired pump control function.
Pump control apparatuses essentially similar to those broadly described above in reference to bilge pump control are also utilized in controlling sump pumps such as are conventionally employed to remove groundwater and seepage from foundations and cellars. Such pumps are normally driven by a.c. motors. Similar problems as those outlined above also attend sump pump control operations.
In accordance with the present invention, however, there is provided a pump control apparatus which may be connected at any convenient location along the pump motor power supply circuit and which apparatus may be located in its entirety outside the immediate environment of the liquid to be pumped.
There is also provided a novel pump/pump control system or combination wherein the pump control component is physically separate and remote from the pump component, or wherein the pump control component is physically integrated with the pump component.


A storage tank (25) of a storage system. The storage tank (25) includes a container (30) and a dynamic ventilation line (35) incorporated therein, said dynamic ventilation line (35) being provided with an air-no-fuel valve (45) that shuts off in the presence of fuel, the air-no-fuel valve (45) communicating with an internal space (INT) of the container (30) via an upstream pipe (40) placed inside the container (30), a downstream pipe (50) secured to a wall (31) of the container (30) extending from the air-no-fuel valve (45) and opening out into a dynamic air intake (53) communicating with the outside air (200), said storage tank having at least one communication orifice (300) for communicating with other tanks.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tank, to a fuel storage system, and also to an aircraft fitted with the fuel storage system. The invention relates more particularly, but not exclusively, to an aircraft, and in particular to an aircraft having a rotary wing, it being understood that a rotary wing aircraft presents specific characteristics that give rise to significant differences in comparison with an airplane or a car.
(2) Description of Related Art
A fuel storage system usually includes at least one tank containing fuel.
More precisely, a fuel storage system of an aircraft may comprise one tank group per engine of the aircraft.
Each tank group then includes a receptacle for feeding an engine. Such a receptacle is referred to as a "feeder tank".
The feeder tank may be an independent tank or it may represent a space that always contains fuel and that is arranged within a larger tank. For example, a bell or a bag may define a feeder tank within a larger tank.
Furthermore, each tank group may include at least one tank that transmits fuel to the feeder tank of the group. Such a tank is sometimes referred to as a "main tank".
The tank group may also have removable additional tanks referred to as "ferry tanks".
For convenience, the main and ferry tanks are referred to together below as "storage" tanks, where the function of storage tanks is to store fuel that is to be fed to the feeder tank of the group.
Depending on the architecture, the fuel storage system of an aircraft may thus comprise at least one storage tank and a feeder tank, the feeder tank being arranged within the storage tank.
The storage system may then have transfer means between the storage tanks and the feeder tank to ensure that the feeder tank remains full, at least so long as there is a storage tank that still contains any fuel. This minimizes any risk of unpriming the pump that transfers fuel from the feeder tank to an engine.
In addition, when the aircraft contains a plurality of groups, the storage system is provided with an interconnection system between the groups. The interconnection system serves in particular to balance fuel between the groups.
The storage system usually also includes an expansion volume.
The function of such an expansion volume is to receive a fraction of the fuel stored in the tanks in the event of the fuel expanding. The expansion volume thus avoids creating high levels of tension in the walls of the tanks.
Furthermore, the storage system includes a vent system for exhausting fuel vapor to the outside of the aircraft.
A vent system is designed to prevent stored fuel overflowing while being transferred from one tank to another, or indeed whenever the aircraft presents a large inclination. The term "inclination" is used to mean an angle of the aircraft in pitching and/or in roll or even in yaw.
The vent system takes account of potential risks of siphoning under normal operating conditions.
The tanks of an aircraft and in particular of a rotary wing aircraft are sometimes arranged in the lower section of the aircraft even though the engines are arranged in the top portion of the aircraft.
A vent system then conventionally includes at least one vent line that extends upwards from each tank in order to extend outside the aircraft. At least one vent line may pass via an expansion volume.
A vent line is also provided with a first type of check valve.
Each check valve of the first type is suitable for passing both air and fuel under normal conditions. Nevertheless, beyond a threshold angle of inclination, a valve of the first type closes so as to prevent fuel from flowing through.
Under such circumstances, a valve of the first type could be referred to as a "valve for preventing overflow after rolling over". Nevertheless, a valve of the first type is referred to below more simply and for convenience as an "anti-overflow" valve. Such a valve is sometimes also referred to as a "roll-over" valve. The anti-overflow valve thus serves to connect the tanks to the outside air, except during extreme circumstances leading to the aircraft being excessively inclined.
The vent system also includes breather lines having a second type of check valve, known as an "air-no-fuel" valve. Each air-no-fuel valve is suitable for passing a gas, such as air and/or fuel vapor, for example. In contrast, an air-no-fuel valve prevents fuel from passing independently of flying conditions and independently of the attitude of the aircraft.
Such a storage system is in widespread use.
Nevertheless, on an aircraft and in particular on a rotary wing aircraft, the tanks are arranged in a bottom portion of the aircraft. More particularly, the tanks may be arranged in the lower section of the aircraft.
In order to connect with the outside of the aircraft, the vent lines and the breather lines extend upwards from the tanks. The vent lines and the breather lines then pass through compartments of the aircraft before reaching the outside.
The vent and breather lines extend upwards from the tanks in order to avoid unwanted overflow of fuel in flight as a result of a valve malfunctioning.
If a vent or breather line opens out to the side of an aircraft, a malfunction of a valve can lead to fuel overflowing from the aircraft when performing a tight turn.
Aircraft certification regulations are strict in terms of safety and can require each vent and breather line to be made up of double-skinned pipes.
Such a double-skinned pipe comprises an internal pipe running inside an external pipe. Fuel vapor then passes along the internal pipe. A drain system may be provided between the internal and external pipes.
Vent and breather lines of that type then present manufacturing costs and weight that are not negligible.
The technological background includes document U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,506.
That document U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,506 describes a ventilation valve.
Document US 2012/0048413 describes a vent system for an airplane having a tank dedicated to system breathing.
Document WO 2010/131099 describes a fuel vapor vent valve having a dynamic pressure limiter.
Also known are the following documents: U.S. Pat. No. 2,955,787 A, U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,380 A, and WO 2005/079205 A2.

Tank, a fuel storage system, and an aircraft


A switch device includes a base member, a rotary mechanism and a vertical actuation mechanism. The rotary mechanism is received in the base member to move a present circular displacement while a hollow handle turning. The vertical actuation mechanism is received in the base member under the rotary mechanism to move a downward preset displacement in the vertical direction for touching button type switches underneath while the rotary mechanism moving.

The conventional rotary switch is operated by means of rotational mechanism to allow two or more contact points being able to touch to each other for reaching a state of ON. Similarly, the conventional push type switch is operated to allow two or more contact points being able to touch to each other once the switch is pressed for reaching a state of ON. The preceding conventional switches are provided to perform contact points being able to electrically connect with each other.


A defibrillation electrode for implantation in the region of the heart and for connection to a defibrillation system. The electrode comprises multiple independent conductive segments spaced apart for defining a discharge surface of the electrode. In one embodiment, the electrode comprises a plurality of concentric conductive rings electrically connected together. To smooth the current distribution, the interface impedance of the inner conductive segments is made lower than that of the outer conductive segments. In one embodiment, the impedance is determined by the choice of the conductive material. In another embodiment, the impedance is determined by texturing the surface of the conductive segments. In yet another embodiment, the impedance is determined by the ratio of conductive edges to surface of the conductive segment. The discharge surface region can also take the form of a portion of a cardiac catheter.. Other ways to control the current distribution include the use of a floating conductive segment, and the use of discrete segments which receive defibrillating waveforms of different amplitudes and isolating the conductive segments to deliver higher amplitude waveforms to the inner segments than the outer segments.

This invention relates to an electrode for medical applications, and more particularly to an implantable cardiac cardioversion/defibrillation electrode.
Electrodes implanted in the body for electrical cardioversion or defibrillation of the heart are well known. More specifically, electrodes implanted in or about the heart have been used to reverse (i.e., defibrillate or cardiovert) certain life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, where electrical energy is applied to the heart via the electrodes to return the heart to normal sinus rhythm. See, for example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,707 to Heilman, relating to a planar patch defibrillation electrode, and pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/334,652, entitled Cardiac Defibrillation/Cardioversion Spiral Patch Electrode, filed Apr. 10, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,407.
The Heilman patent specifically discloses an implantable cardiac electrode comprised of a planar conductive material insulated completely on one side and partially on its other side. Apertures are provided around the insulated perimeter of the partially insulated side of the electrode to provide for efficient and uniform energy transfer to the heart tissue by eliminating the so called "edge-effect".
The pending application Ser. No. 07/334,652 relates to a spiral patch electrode comprised of an elongated conductor preformed to adapt a spiral planar patch configuration when deployed on or about the heart surface.
The amount of energy delivered by the electrodes to the heart during defibrillation (or cardioversion) depends on the placement of the electrodes and the ability of the electrodes to distribute the energy uniformly throughout a major portion of the heart. This energy is called the defibrillation or cardioversion energy.
For purposes of the following discussion, no distinction will be made between cardioversion and defibrillation, although the respective energy levels and timing sequences may differ. Both will be referred to as defibrillation.
A problem with many defibrillation electrodes is that they fail to provide a uniform current discharge distribution. Specifically, high current densities occur near the edges or perimeter of the electrode which damages underlying tissue. In addition, the high current densities along the perimeter of the electrode result in a large potential drop near the electrode which greatly reduces the voltage gradient within the myocardial mass. Therefore, the effectiveness of the defibrillation pulse is hindered.
Some attempts have been made to obtain more uniform current distribution on externally applied electrodes for external pacing or defibrillation. One such device comprises an externally applied patch system for defibrillation which reduces the potential for skin burning during external defibrillation.
This approach involves the use of various resistances to force a greater percentage of total current towards the center of an externally applied electrode. However, in the field of implantable devices, the amount of energy available is finite. Consequently, implantable defibrillation electrodes must provide a uniform current distribution with minimal interface impedances.

Defibrillation electrode system having smooth current distribution with floating electrode


The bistable deformable mirror device (DMD) used in a high-definition television (HDTV) application must be capable of supporting at least 128 grey levels, using pulse-width modulation. If the DMD is line-updated, then the minimum field time to support 128 grey levels cannot be achieved because of the time required to perform a resonant reset once each line. This disclosure shows how the DMD can be field-updated in order to achieve the minimum required field time.

Bistable deformable mirror devices (DMDs) are the subject of the above-listed copending U.S. patent application entitled SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATOR, U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,049. There are many uses for such devices, such as, for example, a projection light valve for high definition television (HDTV). In certain of these applications, it must be capable of supporting at least 128 grey levels. Because the bistable DMD is a binary device, grey levels are achieved by pulse-width modulation.
There are two approaches to pulse-width modulation. The first approach is to divide the video frame period .tau..sub.f into 128 equal time intervals or fields. During each field, all of the pixels in the array are addressed to one of two states; the positive landing angle (on) or the negative landing angle (off).
The second approach is to express the 128 equal time intervals as combinations of seven time intervals, each interval being a multiple of two times the previous interval. The seven time intervals would be the multiples 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 of .tau..sub.f /128. This approach minimizes the amount of off-chip frame buffer memory that is required.
The shortest field time is .tau..sub.f 128, regardless of which pulse-width modulation approach is chosen. For a DMD projection light valve system where the three color fields are generated in parallel during the standard TV frame time of 33.3 mS, the shortest field time is .tau..sub.f /128=260 .mu.s. During this 260 .mu.s time interval, the 1050 lines of the DMD must be updated, one line at a time. If the bottom 525 lines were to be addressed in parallel with the top 525 lines, then the time available for each line update would be 260 .mu.s/525=0.5 .mu.s.
It is not currently possible to line-update the DMD within a time interval as short as 0.5 .mu.s, because a resonant reset must be applied to the deformable beam prior to each line update. This resonant reset consists of a pulse train typically 2 .mu.s long (.tau..sub.1) followed by a beam settling time of 12 .mu.s (.tau..sub.2) before the differential bias can be reapplied. Its purpose is to unstick the beam from its landed position in contact with the landing surface.
Accordingly, an alternate update scheme must be employed for DMDs running at TV rates and supporting 128 grey levels.


A three phase switchgear or control gear includes: at least one compartment; a plurality of components for a first phase; a plurality of components for a second phase; and a plurality of components for a third phase. The plurality of components for the first phase, the second phase, and the third phase each include a connection to a main busbar, a circuit breaker actuator, a single phase circuit breaker pole, and a cable connection. The circuit breaker actuator and the single phase circuit breaker pole for the first phase are oriented along a first axis. The circuit breaker actuator and the single phase circuit breaker pole for the second phase are oriented along a second axis. The circuit breaker actuator and the single phase circuit breaker pole for the third phase are oriented along a third axis. The first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are inclined.

In state-of-art switchgear and control gear (also called controlgear) designs the primary circuits of the three phases are arranged parallel to each other. There is one common drive mechanism for the circuit breaker, one common drive for disconnector and one common drive for the earthing switch for all three phases.
This arrangement can be problematic for handling and maintenance purposes, and has associated risks of internal arc faults in the complete power circuit.
There is a need to address these issues.


In some implementations, a memory controller is configured receive a data word to be stored in the memory, generate error checking and correcting (ECC) information for the data word, the data word and ECC information forming an encoded word, and distribute bits of the encoded word across the plurality of concurrently accessible memory devices in accordance with one or more indications specifying a number of the bits of the encoded word to store in a wordline of each of the plurality of concurrently accessible memory devices, wherein bits of the data word are to be stored in two or more memory devices of the plurality of memory devices, and bits of the ECC information are to be stored in two or more memory devices of the plurality of memory devices.

A memory module, such as a dual in-line memory module (DIMM), may include multiple memory integrated circuits or chips, such as dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips. A memory module that does not include error checking and correcting capability (referred to as non-ECC memory) typically includes 8 chips per side for storing data. A memory module may be designed with one or more independent sets of memory chips connected to the same address and data buses. Each such set of memory chips is referred to as a rank. Because all ranks of a memory module share the same buses, only one rank may be accessed at a time.
A memory module may include ×4 (by 4) memory chips or ×8 (by 8) memory chips. "×4" or "×8" refer to the data width of the memory chips in bits. For a ×4 memory module, each memory chip has a data width of 4 bits, which provides 4 data bits on each access. A ×4 memory module with 8 chips per side has a data width of 32 bits per side. A memory controller that accesses 64 bits of data at a time needs to access both sides of an 8-chip ×4 memory module at the same time to read or write the data. A two-sided memory module where both sides are accessed at the same time is a single-ranked memory module.
For a ×8 memory module, each memory chip has a data width of 8 bits, which provides 8 data bits on each access. A ×8 memory module with 8 chips per side has a data width of 64 bits per side. A memory controller that accesses 64 bits of data at a time accesses one side of an 8-chip ×8 memory module at a time to read or write the data. A two-sided memory module where one side is accessed at a time is a dual-ranked memory module.
A memory module may include ECC capability to detect and correct bit errors in data stored in the memory module. A memory module that includes ECC capability (referred to as an ECC memory) encodes data by generating ECC bits, e.g., redundancy bits or parity bits, that are stored along with the data in the memory module. A conventional ECC memory may use a Single Error Correct, Double Error Detect (SEC-DED) algorithm to detect and correct single-bit errors and detect, but not correct, double-bit errors in a data word. A data word as used in this disclosure is the largest unit of data, not including the ECC bits, that can be transferred to and from a memory module in a single operation. Enhanced Hamming Code, which generates 7 Hamming check bits and 1 parity bit, may be used to provide SEC-DED protection for each data word.
An ECC memory typically includes 9 chips per side for storing data and ECC bits that can be used to detect and correct errors in the data. An ECC memory can also include an interface that can provide simultaneous access of a data word and its corresponding ECC bits. A data word and its corresponding ECC bits are referred to as an encoded word. For example, an ECC memory that can provide 8 ECC bits for each 32-bit data word may include a 40-bit wide interface to access a 40-bit encoded word. Similarly, an ECC memory that can provide 8 ECC bits for each 64-bit data word may include a 72-bit wide interface to access a 72-bit encoded word.
Because conventional ECC algorithms, such as SEC-DED, detect and correct single-bit errors in a data word, an unrecoverable data loss can occur when multiple bits in a data word are in error or when a memory chip on a memory module fails. In either situation, the number of bits in error is greater than the number of bits protected by a conventional ECC memory. For example, when a ×8 memory chip fails, a conventional ECC memory cannot recover the 8 bits of data that are lost because a conventional ECC memory only protects against single-bit failures.
To prevent unrecoverable data loss, ECC memories have been designed to protect data from single memory chip failures and multi-bit errors from a single memory chip (referred to as advanced ECC). In such an advanced ECC memory, the bits of an encoded word are distributed across multiple memory chips such that failure of or multi-bit errors from a single memory chip will affect only one bit in an encoded word. Each bit that is stored on a memory chip corresponds to a different encoded word. For example, if an advanced ECC memory included ×4 memory chips, each of the 4 bits provided by the memory chip during a read operation would correspond to a different encoded word. Thus, even in the case of an entire memory chip failure, an encoded word will have no more than one bit of bad data, which can be corrected using conventional ECC algorithms such as SEC-DED.
As an example, a 72-bit encoded word may be protected from unrecoverable data loss using an advanced ECC memory that includes 4 memory modules each having 18 chips. The encoded word may be divided into four 18-bit segments. Each 18-bit segment may be stored in a separate memory module. Each bit of an 18-bit segment may be stored in a separate memory chip.
If the advanced ECC memory includes four single-ranked ×4 memory modules, 4 ranks may need to be accessed to transfer a 72-bit encoded word to or from the advanced ECC memory. If the advanced ECC memory includes four dual-ranked ×8 memory modules, 8 ranks may need to be accessed to transfer a 72-bit encoded word to or from the advanced ECC memory. Accessing multiple ranks to transfer an encoded word may impact the performance of an advanced ECC memory by increasing access latency due to a time needed to switch shared buses between the multiple ranks and a time needed to transfer data to or from one rank at a time.
Data that is to be written to an advanced ECC memory may need to be interleaved in order to write each bit of an encoded word to a different memory chip. Data that is read from an advanced ECC memory may need to be de-interleaved to reconstruct the desired encoded word that was stored on multiple memory chips. The interleaving of data that is to be written and de-interleaving of data that is read may also impact the performance of an advanced ECC memory by further increasing access latency corresponding to a time needed to perform the interleaving or de-interleaving of the data.
To transfer a 72-bit encoded word to or from an advanced ECC memory that includes four single-ranked ×4 memory modules, 288 bits (72 bits×4 modules×1 rank per module) of data may need to be transferred to or from the advanced ECC memory. To transfer a 72-bit encoded word to or from an advanced ECC memory that includes four dual-ranked ×8 memory modules, 576 bits (72 bits×4 modules×2 ranks per module) of data may need to be transferred to or from the advanced ECC memory. Generally, to read an encoded word from an advanced ECC memory, large blocks of data that include data other than a desired encoded word may also need to be transferred along with the desired encoded word. To write data to an advanced ECC memory, large blocks of data that include multiple encoded words may need to be generated and buffered before the writing of the data can be performed.
Because large blocks of data that include multiple encoded words are transferred to or from an advanced ECC memory each time a single encoded word is requested or modified, the advanced ECC memory may need to perform read-modify-write (RMW) to modify a single encoded word. For RMW, the advanced ECC memory reads a large block of data that includes the encoded word that has been modified. The advanced ECC memory may replace the bits of an encoded word in the large block of data that correspond to the bits of the modified encoded word. The large block of data with the modified encoded word is then written back to the advanced ECC memory. RMW may impact the performance of an advanced ECC memory by decreasing data throughput and increasing access latency. To write a single encoded word to an advanced ECC memory, the ECC memory needs to perform a read operation and a write operation. This may decrease a rate at which data can be written to the advanced ECC memory and increase an amount of time needed to write data to the advanced ECC memory.

Providing error checking and correcting (ECC) capability for memory


The present invention provides a thermally conductive adhesive composition, based on the total weight of the composition, comprising: (a) 5-70% by weight of an epoxy component; (b) 5-60% by weight of thermally conductive material; (c) 0.001-10% by weight of a photoinitiator; (d) 0-40% by weight of a thermoplastic polymer; (e) 0-50% by weight of a hydroxyl-functional component; and (f) 0-50% by weight of a halogen-free flame retardant. The present invention further provides a thermally conductive adhesive tape comprising the adhesive composition.

The rapid developments in electronic product and commodity industry bring about huge demands for user-friendly interface bonding materials. As a conventional method in the art, a thermal interface material has to be used with mechanical bonding together so as to bond components in electric and electronic products. Specifically, holes need to be drilled in chips and radiators. In addition, screws, gaskets, screw caps as well as thermal grease are needed, and they are connected by a very complicated, high cost and time-consuming approach.
There is a need for a user-friendly interface adhesive tape to replace mechanical bolts used in the conventional method to bond two components in electric and electronic products. The bond strength of the tape is very important for achieving a long-term stable fixation of the components in the product. To be used in electric and electronic products, the tape should also provide efficient heat dissipation.
Therefore, there is a need for an adhesive tape providing excellent bond strength and high thermal conductivity, which can be conveniently used to bond components in electric and electronic products, so as to offer a "one-stop and easy solution" to the customers.


A device and method for automatically changing a broadcast channel of a vehicle television with a diversity antenna is provided. The device includes an antenna switching unit connected with the diversity antennas and switching one of the diversity antennas; an image signal level detector for detecting an image signal level; an audio signal level detector for detecting an audio signal level; a storage unit for storing regional broadcast channel information, a channel change history, a value of number of switching times; and a controller for controlling the antenna switching unit, counting and storing the number of switching times, checking a quality of the broadcast signal, deciding a desired broadcast channel, and controlling the tuner to change into the decided broadcast channel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle television using a diversity antenna, and more particularly, to a device and method for automatically changing a reception broadcast channel of a vehicle television with a diversity antenna when an image signal and a voice signal have much noises and the diversity antenna has many number of switching times.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an industrial technology develops and a general public's life is rich, a car becomes a necessity to general public. The general public increasingly spends a time in the car on business and/or to enjoy leisure. As the time spent in the car is increased, it is a trend that a vehicle car audio system is installed as a basic specification to relieve boredom during car driving, and a vehicle television is also much installed in recent years.
However, due to a characteristic of a vehicle, that is, due to vehicle's sequential turning while driving at a fast speed, it is difficult to receive a television broadcast signal while driving. In order to solve such a drawback, put on a market is being a vehicle television with a plurality of diversity antennas, for switching the antenna outputting a good quality of broadcast signal and receiving the broadcast signal with a different directionality.
The vehicle television determines a quality of the broadcast signal using a vertical sync signal of the broadcast signal for the same broadcast channel received through each of the diversity antennas, switches the antenna receiving the good quality of broadcast signal, and receiving the broadcast signal through the switched antenna.
As described above, the vehicle television receives the broadcast signal for the same broadcast channel. In case where, due to vehicle movement, the broadcast channel for the same broadcasting station is changed, thereby deteriorating the quality of broadcast signal or making it difficult to receive the broadcast signal, a driver should directly manipulate a channel key and search for the changed channel.
Due to this, the driver turns his/her eyes to the television during driving and therefore, there is a drawback of lack of driver's concentration and occurrence of a traffic accident.
In order to solve this drawback, there has been proposed a method in which a region using a different broadcast channel for the same broadcasting station is defined, a current position is measured using a global positing system (GPS), and a broadcast channel is automatically changed to the broadcast channel of the region corresponding to the measured position.
In case where the method uses the GPS, it is advantageous of automatically accurately changing the broadcast channel on a per-preset region basis, but has a drawback in that, even when a good quality of broadcast signal is substantially received at a boundary between regions, the broadcast channel is changed.

Device and method for automatically changing broadcast channel of vehicle television with diversity antenna


The present invention relates to a composition for, inter alia, preventing or treating a climacteric disease, or preventing or improving a climacteric skin symptom comprising a soybean extract comprising coumestrol as an active ingredient, and more specifically relates to a composition for, inter alia, preventing or treating a climacteric disease, or preventing or improving a climacteric skin symptom comprising a germinated and fermented soybean extract comprising coumestrol as an active ingredient.

Climacteric symptoms refer to the symptoms caused by the decreased secretion of male or female hormones. For women in particular, climacteric diseases occur for about 2-10 years around menopause due to a decrease in the ovaries' production of estrogen and cause such symptoms as high fever, sweating, insomnia, depression, urinary incontinence, pain, osteoporosis, myocardial infarction, stroke and hypertension.
Osteoporosis, which is the most representative disease among the climacteric symptoms, refers to a symptom where total bone mass decreases due to increased activity of osteoclasts as compared to that of osteoblasts. The onset of osteoporosis leads to decreased width of cortical bone, expansion of the marrow cavity and decrease in bone density, making the bone more porous. The physical strength of bone is decreased with the progress of osteoporosis, resulting in back pain and joint pain and making the bone break easily even by a slight impact.
For prevention and treatment of the climacteric symptoms, hormone replacement therapy, nonsteroidal drugs, pharmacotherapies for treatment of osteoporosis, or the like have been developed. At present, the hormone replacement therapy is used as the most effective method. However, prolonged hormone administration is known to cause side effects such as increased risk of cancer, headache, weight gain, etc. Accordingly, development of a therapeutic agent derived from a naturally occurring substance, which is safer and more effective, is urgently needed.

Composition for preventing or treating climacteric symptoms comprising soybean extract comprising coumestrol as an active ingredient


A coating composition may include a fluoropolymer; a plurality of carbon nanotubes, wherein the carbon nanotubes are substantially non-agglomerated and substantially uniformly dispersed in the fluoropolymer; and a coupling agent. The coupling agent may include a first functional group, a second functional group, and a linking group. The first functional group may be bonded to the carbon nanotubes. The second functional group may be bonded to the fluoropolymer. The linking group may bond the first functional group to the second functional group.

1. Technical Field
The disclosed embodiments generally relate to the field of coatings. In particular, this disclosure relates to coatings as those that may be useful for applying a top layer coating onto a fuser roll used in printing and copying operations. The top layer coating includes a carbon nanotube reinforced fluoropolymer composite of substantially uniform dispersion, where the carbon nanotubes are chemically bonded with the fluoropolymer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a typical electrostatographic printing apparatus, a light image of an original to be copied is recorded in the form of an electrostatic latent image upon a photosensitive member and the latent image is subsequently rendered visible by the application of electroscopic thermoplastic resin particles which are commonly referred to as toner. The visible toner image is then in a loose powdered form and can be easily disturbed or destroyed. The toner image is usually fixed or fused upon a support which may be a photosensitive member itself or other support sheet such as plain paper.
The use of thermal energy for fixing toner images onto a support member is well known. In order to fuse electroscopic toner material onto a support surface permanently by heat, it is necessary to elevate the temperature of the toner material to a point at which the constituents of the toner material coalesce and become tacky. This heating causes the toner to flow to some extent into the fibers or pores of the support member. Thereafter, as the toner material cools, solidification of the toner material causes the toner material to be firmly bonded to the support.
Typically, thermoplastic resin particles are fused to the substrate by heating to a temperature of between about 90° C. to about 160° C. or higher depending upon the softening range of the particular resin used in the toner. It is not desirable, however, to raise the temperature of the substrate substantially higher than about 200° C. because of the tendency of the substrate to discolor at such elevated temperatures, particularly when the substrate is paper.
Several approaches to thermal fusing of electroscopic toner images have been described in the prior art. These methods include providing the application of heat and pressure substantially concurrently by various means: a roll pair maintained in pressure contact; a belt member in pressure contact with a roll; and the like. Heat may be applied by heating one or both of the rolls, plate members or belt members. The fusing of the toner particles takes place when the proper combination of heat, pressure and contact time is provided. The balancing of these parameters to bring about the fusing of the toner particles is well known in the art, and they can be adjusted to suit particular machines or process conditions.
During operation of a fusing system in which heat is applied to cause thermal fusing of the toner particles onto a support, both the toner image and the support are passed through a nip formed between the roll pair, or plate or belt members. The concurrent transfer of heat and the application of pressure in the nip affect the fusing of the toner image onto the support. It is important in the fusing process that no offset of the toner particles from the support to the fuser member take place during normal operations. Toner particles that offset onto the fuser member may subsequently transfer to other parts of the machine or onto the support in subsequent copying cycles, thus increasing the background or interfering with the material being copied there. The referred to "hot offset" occurs when the temperature of the toner is increased to a point where the toner particles liquefy and a splitting of the molten toner takes place during the fusing operation with a portion remaining on the fuser member. The hot offset temperature or degradation to the hot offset temperature is a measure of the release property of the fuser roll, and accordingly it is desired to provide a fusing surface, which has a low surfaced energy to provide the necessary release. To ensure and maintain good release properties of the fuser roll, it has become customary to apply release agents to the fuser roll during the fusing operation. Typically, these materials are applied as thin films of, for example, silicone oils to prevent toner offset.
Fuser and fixing rolls may be prepared by applying one or more layers to a suitable substrate. Cylindrical fuser and fixer rolls, for example, may be prepared by applying an elastomer or fluoroelastomer to an aluminum cylinder. The coated roll is heated to cure the elastomer. Such processing is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,501,881; 5,512,409; and 5,729,813; the disclosure of each of which is incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Fusing systems using fluoroelastomers as surfaces for fuser members are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,264,181; 4,257,699; 4,272,179; and 5,061,965; the disclosure of each of which is incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,432, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes a fusing surface layer obtained from a specific fluoroelastomer, poly(vinylidenefluoride-hexafluoropropylene-tetrafluoroethylene) where the vinylidenefluoride is present in an amount of less than 40 weight percent. This patent further discloses curing the fluoroelastomer with Viton® Curative No. 50 (VC-50) available from E. I. du Pont de Nemours, Inc., which is soluble in a solvent solution of the polymer at low base levels and is readily available at the reactive sites for cross-linking. This patent also discloses use of a metal oxide (such as cupric oxide) in addition to VC-50 for curing.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,127,205, which is incorporated in its entirety herein, provides a process for providing an elastomer surface on a fusing system member. Generally, the process includes forming a solvent solution/dispersion by mixing a fluoroelastomer dissolved in a solvent such as methyl ethyl ketone and methyl isobutyl ketone, a dehydrofluorinating agent such as a base, for example the basic metal oxides, MgO and/or Ca(OH)2, and a nucleophilic curing agent such as VC-50 which incorporates an accelerator and a cross-linking agent, and coating the solvent solution/dispersion onto the substrate. The surface is then stepwise heat cured. Prior to the stepwise heat curing, ball milling is usually performed, for from 2 to 24 hours.
Cross-linked fluoropolymers form elastomers, or fluoroelastomers, are chemically stable and exhibit good release properties. They also relatively soft and display elastic properties. Fillers are often used as in polymer formulations as reinforcing particles to improve the polymer formulation hardness and wear resistance. Thermal conductivity of the fuser system is also important because the fuser or fixer must adequately conduct heat to soften the toner particles for fusing. In order to increase the thermal conductivity of the fuser or fixer member, thermally conductive particles, such as metal oxide particles have been used as fillers. In order to provide high thermal conductivity, the loading of the filler must be high. Loading of a filler that is too high, however, leads to coatings that are too hard, brittle, and more prone to wear. The addition of fillers of conventional metal oxides, such as aluminum, iron, copper, tin and zinc oxides are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,395,444; 6,159,588; 6,114,041; 6,090,491; 6,007,657; 5,998,033; 5,935,712; 5,679,463; and 5,729,813; each of which is incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. Metal oxide fillers, at loadings of up to about 60 wt %, provide thermal conductivities from about 0.2 to about 1.0 Wm−1K1−. However, the increased loading adversely affects the wear and lifetime of the fuser.
A more mechanically robust coating is required for new generation fusing systems in order to improve lifetime and diminish the occurrence of roll failure due to edge wear. Higher thermal conductivity of the top layer would improve heat retention at the surface during fusing, and electrical conductivity would dissipate any static charge buildup.
The disclosure contained herein describes attempts to address one or more of the problems described above.


The ball lift device includes an improved track structure for stabilizing a bowling ball along a path of travel or guide path as it is lifted within the device. The device includes a means for lifting the ball by use of a pair of rotating V wheels and a drive means which rotates the V wheels through a drive belt which is driven by a motor. The V wheels are housed within a frame which has an entrance point for receiving the bowling ball to be lifted, and an exit point which ejects the bowling ball at a specified height. A guide support or single track structure defines the path of travel in which the ball is lifted through the device. The guide support includes a guide support bracket and a wear strip mounted over the bracket. A pair of side wear strips extend along the path of travel and are positioned so as to laterally stabilize the bowling ball as it is lifted along the guide support. The method of lifting includes the steps of providing a lifting device, introducing the ball into the lifting device along a path of travel, contacting the ball with a guide support assembly along a center line of the path of travel, and lifting the ball wherein the ball maintains contact against the guide support along the center line and is stabilized with at least one side wear strip.

A number of prior art devices exist which are used in a ball return system for returning a bowling ball to a bowler. Common to each of these devices is some means by which the bowling ball enters a lifting device, is lifted to a desired level, and then is ejected from the device to a waiting bowler.
One representative example of a prior art device is U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,327 to Heddon, et al. The system disclosed in this reference includes a conventional power lift device which includes a pair of tubular track members which receive and guide the bowling ball as it is lifted to a specified height.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,127,172 to Troiano, et al. discloses a mechanism for returning bowling balls from the alley pit to the players' area. The mechanism includes a pair of vertically disposed wheels and a guide way including a pair of tubular rods which are spaced equidistant from the outer peripheral edge of the wheels. A bowling ball is introduced in the space between the guide way and the lower wheel. The spinning action of the lower wheel and the upper wheel carries the bowling ball upwards to a specified height along the pair of rods where the ball is then ejected onto a platform.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,109,648 to Anderson, et al., and 3,313,540 to Unteidt disclose bowling ball lift mechanisms including a pair of continuous rod-like track members which secure a bowling ball against lower and upper rotating wheels. The wheels cause the bowling ball to be lifted along the track members. The track members are arcuately curved concentrically about the axis of rotation of each of the wheels.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,109,649 to Anderson, et al., and 3,479,029 to Zuercher, et al. both disclose bowling ball lift mechanisms which make use of a pair of tubular track members to engage the bowling ball as it is lifted to a specified height by a rotating lift wheel.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,682,405 to Huck discloses a ball lift apparatus including a pair of track members arranged in an S-shaped pattern. A conveyor belt disposed in a vertical position is spaced from the track members. The bowling ball enters one end of the apparatus and is engaged by the conveyor belt. The track members are spaced from the conveyor belt such that a bowling ball is caught between the conveyor belt and track members in order to lift and deposit the ball to a specified height.
Examples of prior art commercial devices include the Century C-90 Ball Lift which includes a pair of tubular track members, and the Brunswick Subway Power Lift assembly which makes use of a pair of conventional tracks with wear strips which may be replaced when worn.
While each of the foregoing inventions may be suitable for their intended purposes, one common disadvantage is that the dual or pair of track members are difficult to remove and replace when worn. Additionally, since there are always a pair of track members used in conjunction with a lifting mechanism, excessive wear on one track member may require that the pair be replaced as even the slightest amount of uneven wear between the track members can create problems for effectively lifting the bowling ball.


An image forming method applying X-ray exposure to a photothermographic material having, on at least one surface of a support, an image forming layer containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent for silver ions, and a binder, wherein the photothermographic material is brought into close contact with a fluorescence intensifying screen containing a fluorescent material that emits light, 50% or more of which has a wavelength in a range of 350 nm or more and 420 nm or less.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming method by using a photothermographic material and, more particularly, it relates to an image forming method exhibiting high sensitivity and having excellent image storability, due to the combination of a photothermographic material having a specific sensitivity in a wavelength region of 350 nm or more and 420 nm or less, and a fluorescence intensifying screen having a high light-emitting property within the region described above.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been a strong demand to adopt a dry process for photographic development in the medical and printing and plate-making fields. This trend has come about due to various factors, such as environmental preservation and the need to use space more efficiently. In the fields described above, digitalization has rapidly progressed. Systems are now in place in which image data is loaded into computers, stored and optionally processed. The data or information is then outputted via transmission to thee required locations and printed onto photosensitive materials with laser image setters or laser imagers. Due to these systems, in situ image development and preparation have become quite common.
It is necessary that the photosensitive materials used in these systems are able to record images by high-illuminance laser exposure and that they can form clear black images having high resolution and sharpness. For such digital image recording materials, various types of hard-copy systems that utilize pigments and dyes, such as ink jet printers and electrophotographic systems, have been marketed as conventional image-forming systems. Nonetheless, these are not satisfactory in view of the image quality (i.e., sharpness, granularity, gradation and color tone) necessary for determining the diagnostic ability used in cases such as images for medical use. Further, the recording speed (i.e., sensitivity) has not yet reached a level capable of substituting existing silver salt films for wet development in medical use.
Thermal image-forming systems utilizing organic silver salts are well-known. In these systems, an image-forming layer in which a reducible silver salt (for example, organic silver salt), a photosensitive silver halide and, when necessary, a color-tone-adjusting agent for controlling the tone of silver are dispersed in a binder matrix.
After image exposure, the photothermographic material is heated to a high temperature (for example, 80° C. or higher) and black silver images are formed by an oxidation/reduction reaction between a silver halide or reducible silver salt (functioning as an oxidizer) and a reducing agent. The oxidation/reduction reaction is promoted by the catalytic effect of latent images of the silver halide that are generated by exposure. As a result, black silver images are formed in the exposed areas. These photothermographic materials have been disclosed in many publications and the Fuji Medical Dry Imager FM-DPL has been sold as a medical image-forming system for actual use.
Image-forming systems utilizing organic silver salts essentially encounter two serious problems, since these have no fixing step and the silver halide remains on the film even after heat development.
One of the problems involves image storability after development processing, particularly, the deterioration of the printout when exposed to light. A method of utilizing silver iodide has been known as a countermeasure for improving the printout quality. Silver iodide has a characteristic of causing considerably less deterioration of the printout compared with silver bromide or silver bromoiodide, since it has an iodide content of 5 mol % or less, and thus has great potential to aid in overcoming the problem. However, silver iodide particles known to date have extremely low sensitivity, making them far from suitable for use in actual systems. Further, there is a problem in that the excellent printout quality achieved with silver iodide is lost when a countermeasure for increasing sensitivity by preventing re-combination of photoelectrons and holes is applied.
As means for increasing the sensitivity of the silver iodide photographic emulsion, it has been well documented in professional literature that sensitivity is enhanced by dipping the photothermographic material in an aqueous solution of a halogen receptor such as sodium nitrite, pyrogallol and hydroquinone or silver nitrate, or by sulfur sensitization at pAg of 7.5. However, the inventors found that the halogen receptors exhibited very little sensitizing effect when used with the photothermographic material of the present invention, making them extremely insufficient.
Another problem is that, due to light scattering caused by residual silver halide, the film tends to become turbid and semi-transparent or opaque, thus lowering the image quality. In order to overcome this problem, a method of granulating the photosensitive silver halide to fine particles (the range in actual use being 0.15 μm to 0.08 μm) and reducing the addition amount as much as possible, thereby decreasing the turbidity caused by the silver halide, has been adopted. However, this compromise further lowered sensitivity, and could not completely solve the problem of turbidity, leaving clouding that made the film hazy.
In wet developing systems, residual silver halide is removed by treating the material with a fixing solution containing a solvent for the silver halide after development. As the solvent for the silver halide, various organic and inorganic compounds capable of forming complexes with silver ions have been known. Incorporation of similar fixing means was also attempted in the past for dry heat development. For example, it was proposed to incorporate a compound capable of forming a complex with silver ions in a film layer and solubilize the silver halide by heat development (usually referred to as "fixing"). However, this method requires the use of silver bromide or silver bromochloride, and also requires subsequent heating for fixing at high temperatures of 155° C. to 160° C. Further, a method of providing a separate sheet that contains a compound capable of forming a complex with silver ions (i.e., a fixing sheet), has also been proposed. In this method, images are formed by heat development of a photothermographic material, after which the fixing sheet is laid over the photothermographic meterial, thereby dissolving and removing the residual silver halide. However, since this system uses two sheets, it complicates the processing steps, and makes it difficult to ensure operation stability. Further, the fixing sheet has to be discarded after processing, resulting in waste materials. In light of these problems, it has been difficult to put this method into actual use.
In addition to the method described above, a fixing method in heat development has been proposed that incorporates a fixing agent for a silver halide in microcapsules and involves releasing and actuating the fixing agent during heat development, however, it is typically difficult to effectively release the fixing agent. While a method of fixing using a fixing solution after heat development has also been proposed, this is not suitable for a completely dry process since it requires wet processing.
As described above, all of the methods for improving clouding of the film known so far have significant drawbacks and have caused difficulties when put to actual use.
Meanwhile, it has been proposed to apply the aforementioned photothermographic material to photosensitive materials used in photography. The photosensitive materials used in pohtography referred to herein are not adapted to record image information by scanning exposure with a laser or the like, but rather a material on which images are recorded by planar exposure. This is generally used in the field of photosensitive materials for wet development and it has been known, for example, as direct or indirect X-ray films and mammographic films for medical use. These are also used for various kinds of photomechanical process films for printing use, recording films for industrial use, or photographic films for ordinary cameras. For example, X-ray photothermographic materials coated on both sides with a blue fluorescence-intensifying sheet; photothermographic materials using plate-shaped particles of silver bromoiodide; or photosensitive materials for medical use in which plate particles with high silver chloride content having (100) main face are coated on both surfaces of a support have also been disclosed in patent literature. However, none of these obtain the high sensitivity necessary for application to actual photosensitive materials for photography. Further, photothermographic materials that are coated on both sides are also disclosed in other patent literature (see, for example, JP-A No. 2002-90941). Japanese Patent No. 3229344 discloses a photothermographic material for X-ray photography using a UV-ray emitting fluorescent screen that emits light at 200 nm to 350 nm.
Each of the known examples uses fine silver halide particles of 0.1 μm or less, and although these do not exhibit worsened haze, they do show low sensitivity, making them unsuitable for actual use in photography.
While photosensitive materials using plate-shaped particles of silver iodide for the silver halide particles have been known in the field of wet development (see, for example, JP-A Nos. 59-119344 and 59-119350), there have been no examples of actual application thereof to photothermographic materials. This is because they tend to show less sensitivity, have no effective sensitizing means, and moreover, they encounter further higher technical problems, such as increases in haze due to enlargement of the particle size in the heat development.
JP-A Nos. 2003-215754 and 2003-91053 disclose exposing photothermographic materials, which use silver iodide as the silver halide, to high-illuminance light having an emission peak of 350 nm to 450 nm or to a laser. However, such high-illuminance light is not available in the X-ray exposure for photographic use to which the present invention is concerned. In addition, the inventions described in the patent literature set forth above are not suitable for actual photographic use since the silver halide particles are small and show less sensitivity, despite the fact that haze does not worsen.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Image forming method using photothermographic material


The present invention describes terminal phosphate blocked nucleoside polyphosphates that are stable at high temperature and their use in nucleic acid amplification and analysis. Current invention further describes charge modified terminal phosphate blocked nucleoside polyphosphates for improved incorporation and direct loading of nucleic acid sequencing reactions onto separating media.

DNA amplification by a number of amplification methods is performed at high temperatures. For example, in PCR, repeated cycles of denaturation at 95° C., annealing around 60° C. and extension around 70° C. causes significant breakdown of the dNTP's. This may significantly affect the yield of product in later cycles. Other amplification methods such as RCA and NASBA, although isothermal, also are conducted at higher temperatures. In case of NASBA, which is performed at 41° C., the stability of nucleotides may not be very critical. However RCA may be conducted at higher temperature depending upon the polymerase used and the complexity of sequence to be amplified. Stability of nucleotides can be an issue under these conditions. It is therefore desirable to have nucleotides that can survive this repeated cycling of temperature or prolonged heating at a constant yet high temperature and hence continue to give high product yields even in later cycles of amplification and possibly cut down the number of cycles/time required to achieve desirable amplification.
The sequence of nucleotide bases in a DNA molecule can be determined in a variety of ways. The chain termination method generally involves synthesizing DNA complementary to the template strand to be sequenced by extending a primer able to hybridize to a portion of that template strand with a DNA polymerase. During the synthesis reaction, deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTP's) are incorporated to form a DNA fragment until a chain terminating agent, for example, a dideoxynucleoside triphosphate (ddNTP) is incorporated. Incorporation of a ddNTP prevents further DNA synthesis (a process called chain termination). The size of each DNA fragment synthesized in this procedure is then determined by gel electrophoresis and this information used to determine the sequence of nucleotides in the original template DNA. For example, Tabor and Richardson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,699, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein, describes a two step sequencing method in which an unlabeled primer is labeled in a labeling step, and then extended in the presence of excess dNTPs and a ddNTP in a chain termination step. In the labeling step, a low concentration of dNTPs is provided (one being labeled) to allow a small amount of primer extension.
In the dideoxy sequencing method, the primer may be labeled, for example with 32P, by a process using a polynucleotide kinase. Such labeling allows detection of extended primers after gel electrophoresis by auto-radiography of the resulting gel. Alternatively, a labeled dNTP may be incorporated during the process of DNA synthesis, and the presence of such labeled dNTPs detected by autoradiography or other means. To this end, the dNTP may be labeled either radioactively with 32P or 35S. In another procedure, the primer can be labeled with one or more fluorescent moieties for detection by fluorescence. In yet another procedure, the ddNTP may be labeled, for example, with a fluorescent marker.
In a sequencing reaction, the labeled dNTPs or ddNTPs partially decompose, most likely due to the thermocycling conditions, and generate labeled by-products which migrate in the separating media, thus interfering with interpretation of the true sequencing fragments. For example, labeled dNTP or ddNTP decomposition products and unreacted terminators may appear on sequencing gels or electropherogram as peaks or blobs (FIG. 1, Lanes 3 and 4, blobs result when sequencing products containing conventional terminators are directly loaded onto, an electrophoretic gel). At the present time, this problem is addressed by precipitation of the sequencing products using e.g., ethanol precipitation prior to loading (FIG. 1, lanes 1 and 2). While this reduces the contamination somewhat, the procedure is time consuming and creates a bottleneck for high throughput sequencing applications.
Thus, a process is needed for improving the clarity of sequencing data. Ideally, such a process would reduce sample preparation time and result in improved sequencing throughput. Moreover, such a method would also be economical to use. These and other concerns are addressed in greater detail below.
Recently, charge modified nucleoside-triphosphates that are either highly negatively charged so that they (or any fragmentation products) move well ahead of the sequence product fragments or highly positively charged so that they (or any fragmentation products) move in the opposite direction of the sequencing fragment when separated on a sequencing gel, have been described (WO 01/19841). These nucleotides have a string of negatively or positively charged moieties attached to the base. These nucleotides once incorporated, due to the presence of string of charges on the base, significantly affect the mobility of sequencing fragments. It is desirable to have modified nucleoside triphosphates that are either highly negatively charged or net positively charged, but after incorporation have same charge as the natural nucleotides. Therefore, mobility of the sequencing products is not affected. Even when mobility is not an issue, it is desirable to have more stable nucleoside triphosphate so that any possible complications from breakdown products are prevented.

Terminal phosphate blocked nucleoside polyphosphates


Angular adjustment of a camshaft in an internal combustion engine. A vibrational condition of the camshaft is recorded, and an enabling of the camshaft adjustment and/or the use of the instantaneous value of the camshaft position are/is dependent at least temporarily on the recorded vibrational condition.

A method of this type is described in German Patent Application No. DE 39 30 157 A1. It is used for camshafts of internal combustion engines. When such an angular adjustment of a camshaft is employed, the opening and closing angles of an intake or exhaust valve of the internal combustion engine can be adapted to the particular operating situation of the internal combustion engine. In the conventional method, a hydraulic control system is used for angularly adjusting the camshaft position in relation to the crankshaft. To that end, as a function of two hydraulic chambers acting in mutual opposition, the camshaft is linked to a setting element driven by the crankshaft. The position of the camshaft relative to the setting element changes depending on the hydraulic volume that is adjusted in the one or other hydraulic chamber. A hydraulic valve controls the charging of the hydraulic chambers with hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic valve is driven electrically by a control and/or regulating device.
Problems can arise under certain operating conditions of the internal combustion engine when the position of the camshaft is angularly adjusted in relation to the crankshaft. For that reason, such a camshaft adjustment is only enabled by the control and/or regulating device under certain predefined operating conditions of the internal combustion engine. When the angular adjustment has not been enabled, the adjusting element is mechanically and/or hydraulically retained in a defined locking position. The actual angular position of the camshaft is recorded by a sensor and used in the control and/or regulating device for ascertaining the air charge in the cylinder and for ascertaining the ignition angle.

Method for operating an internal combustion engine


The invention provides a method for producing electrolyte solvent, the method comprising reacting a glycol with a disilazane in the presence of a catalyst for a time and at a temperature to silylate the glycol, separating the catalyst from the silylated glycol, removing unreacted silazane; and purifying the silylated glycol.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for producing electrolyte solvents, and more particularly, this invention relates to an industrial scale method for producing electrolyte solvents.
2. Background of the Invention
The market for high power and high energy batteries continues to increase. However, the R&D for developing industrially scalable protocols is a barrier for many market participants.
Electrolytes are integral portions of batteries in that they shuttle charge to and from electrodes. A homogeneously mixed, well dispersed electrolyte facilitates efficient battery operation. Electrolyte solvents facilitate this homogeneity.
State of the art technology for preparing these solvents uses highly inefficient, multi-stage procedures requiring highly corrosive reagents. Further, a by-product is generated that requires additional processes to remove. Specifically, current methods for producing electrolyte solvents for lithium ion batteries require large amounts of flammable and peroxide-forming tetrahydrofuran (THF). (See Equation 1, below.) As a result, these methods use relatively large amounts of solvent for the reaction and workup to remove triethylammonium chloride byproduct. As such, time consuming, and multiple aqueous extractions of the product are necessary.
In Equation 1, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethanol (molecular weight: 120.15 grams/mole) reacts with trimethylsilyl chloride in the presence of triethylamine and tetrahydrofuran to produce 2,2-dimethyl-3,6,9-trioxa-2-siladecane (molecular weight: 192.33 grams/mole) and triethylamine hydrochloride salt. The molecular structure of the reagents and products of Equation 1 can be seen in prior art FIG. 1.
Furthermore, state of the art methods require reaction times of more than 17 hours, which is not acceptable for scale-up protocols. For example, double distillations are necessary to achieve the electrolyte purity (approximately 99.5 percent) required by battery manufacturers.
Also, these methods require anhydrous solvents and reagents. These reactants need to be handled under inert atmospheres and protected from moisture.
Overall, state of the art processes generate large amounts of waste which need to be specially handled. Therefore, these processes are not economic.
A need exists in the art for a method for producing electrolyte solvent that allows its industrial scalability. The method should use nonproprietary reactants. The method should be run at relatively lower temperatures. Finally, the method should not require special atmospheres or handling.

Process for the production of low flammability electrolyte solvents


The mechanism includes a virtual address detecting circuit for detecting the virtual address of the instruction code. When a virtual address is detected, an indicating signal is generated, which is then sent to an indirect address register to register the indirect address of the instruction code. Thereafter, an indirect address replacing circuit is used to decode and replace the indirect address registered in and sent from the indirect address register with a direct address. In the absence of the virtual address, the direct address is allowed to pass through the indirect address replacing circuit.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an instruction decoding mechanism for reducing the execution time of a microprocessor, and more particularly, to a mechanism for reducing execution time of a microprocessor during addresses decoding by means of earlier detection, and the subsequent replacement, of indirect addresses with direct addresses.
According to the conventional addressing method of a microprocessor, the indirect addressing method thereof is to be done by using an indirect register (such as an index register) and a data register (such as a data block register) to obtain an actual address for instruction decoding. The actual address is substantially the sum of the implied value of the data register and the value stored in the indirect register. Therefore, when performing data access, some storage space in the data register must be taken, and a considerable time will be wasted.
The indirect address register and the virtual addressing approach are derived from the known method of memory mapping I/O, and may be applied to various functional registers, such as a timer/counter, an interrupt control register, and an I/O register. The mapping method is widely used in various commercially available microprocessors, such as Motorola M68000 series and Intel 8051 series microprocessors. Particularly, such method is mostly used in the microcontroller for control purpose, and its advantages are as follows:
(1). When a register address uses a memory address, no additional circuit upon designing a special register is required for decoding operation; i.e., it requires only the circuit of the original memory for decoding without having to provide additional instruction and instruction-decoding circuits. Therefore, such method can simplify the IC considerably.
(2). In a micro-controller and a micro-processor, there are more operation requirements to the aforesaid special register. For example, when a bit data operation for an I/O port is executed, such as setting or clearing the data of a bit, such circuits used in the special register and the memory may only be used for the special register, which will limit the functions of the system. On the contrary, if the special register and the memory address are used together, the efficiency and the functions of the system may be increased considerably.
FIG. 1 is a timing sequence according to the prior art decoding method. The conventional processes mainly includes steps of a fetching cycle, a decoding cycle, and an executing cycle in sequence. The fetching cycle is indicated by FETCH, the decoding cycle is indicated by DECODE, and the executing cycle is indicated by EXECUTION.
In the fetching cycle, the instruction code is read at first. The instruction code or operation code is a portion of a machine language or assembly language instruction that specifies the type of the instruction (that is, what kind of operation the instruction performs) and the structure of the data upon which it operates.
The fetched instruction code is decoded by either direct addressing mode or indirect addressing mode. In the indirect addressing operation mode, the real address is necessary to be further counted. The execution cycle includes steps of reading register value, performing operation, and writing back the data to the register.
As described above, the instruction decoding cycle may be achieved either by direct addressing mode or indirect addressing mode. Typically, the instruction decoding operation may be completed by means of the pipeline decoding approach. The operation of the pipeline decoding approach may be performed by two types as follows:
______________________________________ Type I: ______________________________________ .vertline. FETCH .vertline. DECODE+ .vertline. EXECUTION .vertline. FETCH .vertline. DECODE+ .vertline. EXECUTION ______________________________________
In the above case, the time required for DECODE and EXECUTION will limit the functions of the micro-processor.
______________________________________ Type II: ______________________________________ .vertline. FETCH+ .vertline. EXECUTION .vertline. DECODE .vertline. FETCH+ .vertline. EXECUTION .vertline. DECODE ______________________________________
In this later case, all signals after DECODE must be recorded for EXECUTION use.
The conventional addressing mode and the instruction operation method usually can provide a powerful function; the circuit required by a more complex instruction would be more difficult to design, and would require longer designing time. In other words, it would be much difficult to use the Pipeline and Super scale technique to increase the functions. Therefore, an idea of RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) has been proposed so as to cause the instructions of complex functions to be divided into the most simple instructions by means of statistics and analysis. Because of simplicity, such configuration can provide a higher efficiency, can be modified easily, and can be arranged in a regular order. Therefore, the pipeline and super scale technique can be used easily to provide a higher function.
The present invention is deemed to conform to the aforesaid simplicity in terms of changing instructions, i.e., the time sequence order can easily be used for the pipeline technique to increase the efficiency of the system. The aforesaid advantages cannot be provided by the conventional instruction decoding; such replacing method is deemed having industrial value in the field of developing high-efficiency microprocessor.

Instruction decoding mechanism for reducing execution time by earlier detection and replacement of indirect addresses with direct addresses