A cover for levers and a method for making the same. The cover extends from an initial end to a terminal end of the lever. The cover is formed from a single strand of leather or other suitable material, a plurality of strands, or an elongated rectangular sheet partially serrated to provide a plurality of strands, each strand originating from an unserrated portion along the lateral edge. The strand or strands are wrapped about the lever and secured in position. The strands may be braided about the lever following any of a number of braiding patterns. After the lever is wrapped, the excess length of the plurality of strands may be fashioned so as to be permitted to hang freely.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cover for levers and the like and more particularly, to a cover for motorcycle clutch and brake levers and a method of making the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lever covers enhance the control of the lever and the operation of the machinery associated therewith. Clutch and brake lever covers for motorcycles and the like improve the control of the levers and the motor vehicle. A cover, however, which may easily loosen up, slip, and twist through use over a period of time may reduce the control of the machinery thereby, increasing the risk. A cover which fits tightly and securely over levers would reduce the risk of the cover becoming deformed and would assure optimum operation and control of the machinery. Handle grips which improve control as well as provide comfort to a user's hands are well known in the art. Examples of some grips are shown U.S. Pat. No. 2,506,197 issued May 2, 1950 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,508,812 issued May 23, 1950, each to Sel H. Burger. Burger discloses hollow grips, each of which is frictionally engagable by an end portion of a handle bar. A plurality of flexible elements in the form of streamers are secured to the grips by fasteners.
Another grip is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,672,342 issued Mar. 16, 1954 to John A. Griffin illustrating handgrips, one of which is shown in FIG. 5 as being a braided ribbon formed of seven strands of twine tightly braided to form a flat braided ribbon which is wound in tight convolutions about a handle.
Another patent which may be of interest is U.S. Pat. 4,459,871 issued Jul. 17, 1984 to Keizo Shimano.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.


The invention relates to a fluid ejection system comprising a print head unit including a fluid ejection nozzle array, wherein the fluid ejection nozzle array comprises at least a first set of nozzles having nozzles of a first fluid ejection capacity and a second set of nozzles having nozzles of a second fluid ejection capacity and nozzles of a third fluid ejection capacity, wherein the first fluid ejection capacity, the second fluid ejection capacity and the third fluid ejection capacity are different from one another, and further including a printer controller which, in a first printing mode, selects nozzles of the first and second sets for firing in proportions so that the overall color densities generated by the nozzles of second set when compared to nozzles of the first set are the same in a defined print area.

Printers ejecting fluid from a fluid ejection nozzle array, such as ink jet printers, traditionally feature ink drops of the same size for a given color. The drop size or drop weight normally is chosen as a trade off between printing quality and printing speed. For achieving a high printing quality, such as one having a low drop visibility and small granularity of the printed image, small ink drops are desirable. This, however, goes at the expense of speed which asks for large ink volumes fired per unit time. High speed and through-put which can be achieved using large drop weights. Larger drops also create less aerodynamic effects, such as a distortion or deflection of the ink drop while it is travelling from the print head to the print media. Therefore, there is an apparent contradiction between image quality and printer throughput. One solution to this conflict is the addition of print cartridges including light inks which produce less grain visibility at a given drop weight.
While extra ink cartridges are a solution to the conflict of printing quality and printing speed, they are perceived as added costs and added complexity. Accordingly, dual drop weight print heads have been developed where a single integrated print head enables printing ink jet droplets of different drop weights. Such printers can fire any combination of small or large ink droplets on a given print position wherein the size and combinations of ink droplets are determined by the printer in order to provide an optimum printer quality and speed. Such dual-drop volume print heads eliminate the need for lighter inks, reduce image grain and increase the available color gamut for printing color images.
Further, printing systems are known which create different drop sizes or drop masses by controlling nozzles of the same nozzle geometry with different wave forms of a control voltage.
The present invention is applicable to printers having one or more fluid ejection nozzle arrays, such as ink jet printers, for example photo printers, small and large format technical printers, office and home printers etc.

Fluid ejection system and method of controlling ejection of fluid from a fluid ejection nozzle array

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A verifying method of an optical proximity correction is provided. The verifying method includes the following steps. A first netlist file is extracted from an integrated pre-OPC layout. A first post-OPC layout and a second post-OPC layout are merged to be an integrated post-OPC layout. A second netlist file is extracted from the integrated post-OPC layout. The first netlist file and the second netlist are compared.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates in general to a verifying method, and more particularly to a verifying method of an optical proximity correction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Accompanied with development of the semiconductor technology, an optical proximity correction is developed. In the optical proximity correction, the pattern of the mask can be corrected, such that a pattern obtained from exposing by the corrected mask can satisfy requirements.
However, it is an important trend to reduce the pitch. If the pitch is too small, an exposing interference may occur during an exposing process. Circuit short or circuit open may happen, or some electric characteristics, such as breakdown voltage, may not reach to a predetermined value. Therefore, there is an great challenge to the optical proximity correction.

Verifying method of optical proximity correction


A signal source device includes at least one digital-to-analog converter, at least one connector, a first output path from the at least one digital-to-analog converter to the at least one connector, and a second output path from the at least one digital-to-analog converter to the at least one connector. A method of generating a analog signal includes generating at least one analog signal from at least one digital-to-analog converter, transmitting a first analog signal of the at least one analog signal along a first output path from the at least one digital-to-analog converter to at least one connector, and transmitting a second analog signal of the at least one analog signal along a second output path from the at least one digital-to-analog converter to the at least one connector.

Optimization of a single high speed output for both high bandwidth and high output amplitude range presents several problems for designs implemented in advanced CMOS IC process nodes. However, some signals have extremely high bandwidth requirements but do not require high amplitude range. In other cases, some signals have lower bandwidth requirements but require high amplitude range point to point in the voltage waveform.
Embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and methods address shortcomings in the prior art.

Dual output signal paths for signal source channels to optimize for bandwidth and amplitude range


A device and a method for stabilizing a combination of a tractor vehicle and at least one semitrailer or trailer is described, where the trailer or semitrailer is automatically braked if the semitrailer or trailer buckles with respect to the tractor vehicle at a buckling rate which is greater than a predetermined limit buckling rate.

The present invention relates to a device and a method for stabilizing a combination of a tractor vehicle, which may be a passenger vehicle or truck, and at least one semitrailer or trailer, which may be a truck trailer for a poassenger vehicle, e.g., a caravan.
German Published Patent Application No. 25 47 487 describes a device for stabilizing a vehicle having at least one guiding part and one pushing part. The pushing part is connected to the guiding part by a joint. The device has a measuring sensor for sampling the buckling angle that occurs between the guiding part and the pushing part. Furthermore, a measuring sensor is also provided for detecting the steering angle. The device includes an analyzer circuit which receives the signals from the two measuring sensors and generates an output signal when the buckling angle exceeds a certain angle size which depends on the steering angle. The certain angle sizes correspond to the buckling angles determined as a function of the steering angle and permitted on the basis of the prevailing driving situation. Furthermore, this device includes an apparatus for automatic control of a brake pressure of at least one axle of the pushing part, which is actuated according to the output signal of the analyzer circuit.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved device and an improved method for stabilizing a combination of a tractor vehicle and at least one semitrailer or trailer.
This object is achieved by a device and by a method according to the present invention. To stabilize a combination of a tractor vehicle and at least one semitrailer or trailer, the semitrailer or trailer is braked (automatically) if the semitrailer or trailer buckles with respect to the tractor vehicle at a buckling rate whose value or absolute value is greater than a predetermined limit buckling rate. The trailer or semitrailer is then braked in particular when the following equation holds:
xcex94{dot over ("psgr")} greater than xcex94{dot over ("psgr")}lim, when xcex94"psgr" greater than 0
or
xcex94{dot over ("psgr")} less than xe2x88x92xcex94{dot over ("psgr")}lim, when xcex94"psgr" less than 0
where
xcex94{dot over ("psgr")} is the buckling rate of the semitrailer or trailer with respect to the tractor vehicle,
xcex94{dot over ("psgr")}lim is the limit buckling rate of the semitrailer or trailer with respect to the tractor vehicle and
xcex94"psgr" is the buckling angle of the semitrailer or trailer with respect to the tractor vehicle. The buckling angle of the trailer or semitrailer with respect to the tractor vehicle is defined here as
xcex94"psgr"="psgr"zxe2x88x92"psgr"a
xe2x80x83where
"psgr"z is the yaw angle of the tractor vehicle and
"psgr"a is the yaw angle of the trailer or semitrailer.
The buckling angle is measured according to German Published Patent Application No. 25 47 487, for example.
A better stabilization of the combination of a tractor vehicle and trailer or semitrailer is achieved by automatic braking of the trailer or semitrailer when the trailer or semitrailer buckles with respect to the tractor vehicle at a buckling rate which is greater than a predetermined limit buckling rate.
If there is a higher-level brake command, e.g., due to operation of the brake by the driver of the combination, then the trailer or semitrailer is considered as braked in the sense of the present invention only if it is braked more strongly than the tractor vehicle.
In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the trailer or semitrailer is braked if:
xcex94"psgr" greater than xcex94"psgr"*, when xcex94"psgr" greater than 0
or
xcex94"psgr" less than xcex94"psgr"*, when xcex94"psgr" less than 0
where
xcex94"psgr" is the buckling angle and
xcex94"psgr"* is the preselected setpoint buckling angle.
The combination is also stabilized in this way.
Another improvement in the stabilization of the combination is achieved in an advantageous embodiment of the present invention by braking the trailer or semitrailer if a transverse force acts on the semitrailer or trailer in the direction of an increase in the buckling angle or if the angle of inclination and the buckling angle have the same operational sign. Detection of transverse force and angle of inclination are described in, for example, German Published Patent Application No. 40 26 627 and German Published Patent Application No. 40 30 653. The transverse force is the actual quantity to be analyzed. However, since the transverse force can be determined only in a relatively complicated procedure, the angle of inclination is instead used as an xe2x80x9cequivalent quantityxe2x80x9d and an angle of inclination is determined for the trailer or semitrailer.
Tire force sensors or sidewall sensors are known. These involve vehicle tires having magnetic surfaces vulcanized into the side walls. These magnetic surfaces pass by induction sensors during rotation of the tire, thereby generating electrical signals. With an appropriate analysis, the transverse forces prevailing on the individual tires, among other things, can be determined from these signals.
If the information about the transverse force is available, then the method and the device according to the present invention can be simplified so that no buckling angle sensor is used. Instead, the buckling angle would be determined as follows: the yaw rate of the semitrailer is determined from the transverse force. This requires, in addition to the transverse force acting on the semitrailer, the float angle of the tractor vehicle, the buckling angle (of the preceding increment of time), the yaw rate of the tractor vehicle plus various geometric quantities. The buckling rate is determined from the yaw rate of the semitrailer and the yaw rate of the tractor vehicle (measured with the yaw rate sensor). Then the buckling angle is calculated from the buckling rate by integration. This value of the buckling angle is taken into account in the next time increment.
In another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the trailer or semitrailer is braked if:
{dot over ("psgr")}z greater than {dot over ("psgr")}z*, when xcex94"psgr" greater than 0
or
{dot over ("psgr")}z less than {dot over ("psgr")}z*, when xcex94"psgr" less than 0
where
{dot over ("psgr")}z is the yaw rate of the tractor vehicle and
{dot over ("psgr")}z*is the setpoint yaw rate of the tractor vehicle.
An example of calculating the setpoint yaw rate of the tractor vehicle from the velocity of the combination and the steering angle has been published in the article xe2x80x9cFDRxe2x80x94die Fahrdynamikreglung von Bosch [FDRxe2x80x94Driving Dynamics Control from Bosch]xe2x80x9d by A. van Zanten, R. Erhardt and G. Pfaff, in the automotive engineering journal ATZ Automobiltechnische Zeitschrift, 96 (1994) 11, pp. 674-689 and the article xe2x80x9cVehicle Dynamics Controller for Commercial Vehiclesxe2x80x9d by F. Hecker, S. Hummel, O. Jundt, K.-D. Leimbach, I. Faye, H. Schramm, SAE Paper 973284.
In an especially advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the braking process is terminated, in particular immediately after a change in the operational sign of the buckling rate. The combination is stabilized especially well by this measure. By analysis of the buckling rate, the vehicle is prevented from becoming unstable again because of intervention measures that last too long under some circumstances.
As an alternative, a check is performed to determine whether the value of the buckling rate is in a small range around zero. This range is defined by a small value KG1, i.e., the range corresponds to the interval from xe2x88x92KG1 to +KG1. Consequently, braking of the trailer or semitrailer is terminated when the buckling rate is less than +KG1 for a positive buckling rate, or when the buckling rate is greater than xe2x88x92KG1 for a negative buckling rate.
In an especially advantageous embodiment, the present invention works together with a vehicle stabilization system such as that described, for example, in the articles xe2x80x9cFDRxe2x80x94Driving Dynamics Control from Boschxe2x80x9d by A. van Zanten, R. Erhardt and G. Pfaff, ATZ Automobiltechnische Zeitschrift, 96 (1994) 11, pp. 674-689 and the article xe2x80x9cVehicle Dynamics Controller for Commercial Vehiclesxe2x80x9d by F. Hecker, S. Hummel, O. Jundt, K.-D. Leimbach, I. Faye, H. Schramm, SAE Paper 973284.
In another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the at least one trailer or semitrailer is braked essentially the same on both sides.
In an advantageous embodiment, the tractor vehicle is equipped with the sensors used as part of vehicle dynamics control (see xe2x80x9cVehicle Dynamics Controller for Commercial Vehiclesxe2x80x9d by F. Hecker, S. Hummel, O. Jundt, K.-D. Leimbach, I. Faye, H. Schramm, SAE Paper 973284). Furthermore, the vehicle combination has a buckling angle sensor. The transverse force is calculated, for example, as a function of the yaw rate and the float angle of the tractor vehicle and various geometric parameters.
In an alternative embodiment, the tractor vehicle is equipped with sensors used as part of driving dynamics control. The vehicle combination does not have a buckling angle sensor. The vehicle combination has tire force sensors. The buckling angle is calculated as described above on the basis of the signals supplied by the tire force sensors.
In another alternative embodiment, the vehicle is equipped with the sensors used as part of driving dynamics control. Furthermore, the vehicle combination is equipped with a buckling angle sensor and tire force sensors.
The present invention can be used for hydraulic, electrohydraulic, pneumatic, electropneumatic or electromechanical brake systems.

Device and method for stabilizing a combination of a tractor vehicle and at least one semitrailer or trailer


The present invention discloses a LPC2468-based MVB-WTB gateway and associated operating methods in the field of train communications. The disclosed network gateway includes a MVB network card and a WTB network card. The WTB network card includes WTB-ARM and a WTB-FPGA module. The MVB network card includes MVB-ARM and MVB-FPGA module. The WTB-ARM module uses a LPC2468 processor to analyze data in the network layer and the data link layer based on gateway protocol. The WTB-FPGA module allows WTB to exchange data with other networks gateways, as well as between the WTB and MVB. The MVB-ARM module is responsible for executing protocols on the network cards. Via data communications on MVB, the MVB-FPGA module collects the process and message data of the MVB equipment, and exchange communication data between WTB within a network gateway. The present invention can increase speed and enhance reliability for communications between gateways.

MVB-WTB gateway is an implementation method for locomotive communications. Based on the characteristics of the train control, train communication network (TCN) can be divided into two buses: WTB (Wired Train Bus) that connects to each compartment; and MVB (Multifunction Vehicle Bus) that connect devices in the train. WTB and MVB are two separate communication subnets using different protocols, which are connected through a WTB node that is called the gateway. The gateway is responsible for conversions between the two protocols. In other words, MVB network and WTB network communicate through the gateway.
The conventional gateway is associated with several problems and deficiencies:
1) The WTB and MCB architecture includes the hardware structure of the existing gateway. Moreover, MCB also includes a central processor, an MVB unit, and an MVBCS01 protocol controller, etc., and also needs support of MVB-MAU. Thus MVB requires complex architecture design as well as complex hardware design, which inevitably leads to data exchange mechanism, increased considerations in software designs, and increased costs.
2) Periodic data transmission and sporadic data transmission time can be controlled by software. But because software execution itself takes time, and task switching and task executions also take time, the calculation of the frame times for data transmission control is not accurate, which can result in conflicts.
3) In existing TCN gateways, data communications between gateways can drop data frames. Once the data is lost, it will become a safe hazard for the train operations if the data is sent multiple times. In addition, the existing gateways are still insufficient in error correction capabilities. Once the data loss occurs, it is up to the gateway to determine if the problem arises from the communication process itself or other gateway nodes. Both cases can have very important impact on the safety of train's operations.

LPC2468-based MVB-WTB gateway and working method thereof

Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences


A transmission resource selection method, a terminal apparatus, a network apparatus, a chip, a computer readable storage medium, a computer program product, and a computer program are provided. The method includes: sending a duplication-transmission configuration to a UE unit, wherein the UE unit determines whether to perform duplication and/or transmission or not and determines transmission resources to be used to transmit and/or duplicate data according to the duplication-transmission configuration, and the duplication-transmission involves transmitting duplicated data by means of at least two transmission resources.

In the current solutions for performing duplication, there are usually two RLC entities in the duplication scenario. In addition, when the duplication is activated, it is usually necessary for the UE to request the transmission resource from the network side, and wait for the network device to configure the transmission resource for the UE, such as RLC entities. As a result, there is a problem that the time of waiting authorization resource for activating duplication is too long, and thus the system processing efficiency cannot be ensured.

Transmission resource selection method, network apparatus, and user equipment

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


An audio processing section generates at least a left-front audio signal, a right-front audio signal, a second left audio signal that is the same as a left-front audio signal, and a second right audio signal that is the same as the right-front audio signal based on a left-front audio signal and a right-front audio signal supplied from an audio selector, and outputs these signals to a main output terminal, and supplies the second left audio signal and the second right audio signal also to a switch section. When a first mode is selected, the switch section selects the audio signal from the audio processing section, and supplies it to a ZONE2 output terminal. On the other hand, when modes other than the first mode are selected, the switch section selects an audio signal from the audio selector, and supplies the selected audio signal to the ZONE2 output terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio processing apparatus having a first output terminal for outputting an audio signal to a first speaker arranged in a first room, and a second output terminal for outputting an audio signal to a second speaker arranged in a second room.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a constitution of a conventional AV amplifier 101. The AV amplifier 101 is connected to a plurality of BD (Blu-Ray Disc) players 20A and 20B. Digital audio signals are input from the BD players 20A and 20B into digital audio input terminals IN1 and IN2, and analog audio signals are input into analog audio input terminals IN3 and IN4. The AV amplifier 101, BD players 20A and 20B, and a main speaker 30 are arranged in a main room, and a ZONE2 speaker 40 is arranged in a ZONE2 room.
An audio signal to be output to the main speaker 30 will be described. A digital audio selector 2 selects one digital audio signal from digital audio signals supplied from the BD players 20A and 20B, and supplies this signal to a DSP 6. An analog audio selector 3 selects one analog audio signal from analog audio signals supplied from the BD players 20A and 20B, and supplies this signal to an ADC 5. The ADC 5 converts the analog audio signal into a digital audio signal, and supplies the digital audio signal to the DSP 6. Actually, only the digital audio signal from any one of the digital audio selector 2 and the analog audio selector 3 is supplied to the DSP 6. The DSP 6 executes an audio process on the supplied digital audio signal, and supplies the processed signal to a DAC 7. The DAC 7 converts the supplied digital audio signal into an analog audio signal, and supplies the converted signal to an amplifying section 8. The amplifying section 8 amplifies the supplied audio signal, and outputs the audio signal to the main speaker 30 via a speaker output terminal 9 for the main speaker.
An audio signal to be output to the ZONE2 speaker 40 will be described. An analog audio selector 4 selects one analog audio signal from analog audio signals supplied from the BD players 20A and 20B, and supplies the selected signal to an amplifying section 10. The amplifying section amplifies the supplied audio signal, and outputs the amplified audio signal to the ZONE2 speaker 40 via a speaker output terminal 11 for the ZONE2 speaker. Only an analog audio signal from the analog audio selector 4 can be output to the ZONE2 speaker 40, and thus digital audio signals input into the digital audio input terminals IN1 and IN2 cannot be output from the ZONE2 speaker 40.
The main room is, for example, a living room, and the ZONE2 room is a room adjacent to the living room (for example, a child room or a kitchen). Doors between these rooms are opened, and the main room and the ZONE2 room are occasionally used as one big room. At this time, it is assumed that the same audio signals from the BD player 20A or 20B are output as BGM to the main speaker to be arranged in the main room and the ZONE2 speaker to be arranged in the ZONE2 room. However, the audio signal to be output to the main speaker 30 is subject to the audio process in the DSP 6, and the audio signal to be output to the ZONE2 speaker 40 is not subject to the audio process in the DSP. For this reason, the audio signal to be output to the main speaker 30 is delayed by the time for the audio process in the DPS 6 with respect to the audio signal to be output to the ZONE2 speaker 40. As a result, the audio signal to be output from the main speaker 30 and the audio signal to be output from the ZONE2 speaker 40 are not output simultaneously, thereby providing a sense of discomfort to listeners.
In order to solve this problem, the following method is present. In this method, the analog audio signal to be supplied from the analog audio selector 3 is supplied directly to the amplifying section 8 without via the ADC 5, the DSP 6 and the DAC 7, so as to be output to the main speaker 30. In this case, however, the DSP 6 cannot generate surround audio signals (for example, a central audio signal C, a surround left audio signal SL, a surround right audio signal SR, and a lowpass audio signal SW) based on analog audio signals including a left-front audio signal L and a right-front audio signal R. For this reason, an audio cannot be output from speakers of these channels in the main speaker 30.

Audio processing apparatus with selection to and from multi-room mode


The described methods, systems, and other aspects can advantageously provide balanced multi-stage processing of non-uniform object data. An example method may receive a list of buckets. Each of the buckets in the list of buckets can store one or more restorable objects. The method further comprises distributing the list of buckets to the two or more second nodes; determining a number of the one or more restorable objects in each bucket; determining a size of the one or more restorable objects in each bucket; generating batches of to-be-restored data objects based on the determined number of the one or more restorable objects in each bucket and the determined size of the one or more restorable objects in each bucket; and distributing the batches among the two or more second nodes for storage-related task processing.

The present disclosure relates to storage systems. In a more particular example, the present disclosure relates to efficient processing of objects.
Today's cloud-based object storage systems generally include multiple computer servers called system nodes. The large-scale metadata processing is done by distributing processing to all available system nodes. This is done using two components, the distributing component which works on partitions given as input dataset and distributes the partitions into different system nodes for processing. The processing component works on the partition and responds to the distribution component after completion. The partitioning requires information about input dataset to efficiently create partitions, for example, the number of entries in the input dataset.
The above-distributed processing framework generally works well on the local dataset, as the framework has access to low-level metadata partitioning information. However, for object restore, since the dataset to be processed is on the remote system, the underlying partition information is not readily accessible. Accordingly, with a simple partition of distributed buckets as partitions, the framework will suffer from non-uniform distribution of work or task in object restore.

Distributed batch processing of non-uniform data objects


An improved solar lighting system can be applied to a number of temporary signs and is particularly adapted for use on a real estate sign. The system includes three parts: a solar generating unit containing a repositionable array or photovoltaic cells, electronic circuitry and storage batteries; an illumination unit containing electric lamps and reflectors and attachment devices for connection to a variety of signs; and a connecting cable for safely conducting electric energy between the units and for providing device security to discourage theft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present field concerns providing lighting for signs and especially a solar-powered lighting device suited for application to a variety of signs, especially real estate signs.
2. Description of Related Art
The business of advertising depends on a number of channels of mass communication to disseminate its messages. Broadcast means such as radio or television are popular because they are instantaneous and reach a large number of people. However, the traditional means of advertisement, the printed word is far from being replaced. Various publications are filled with printed inducements, and outdoor signs which are, perhaps, one of the original means for advertising are ubiquitous.
Billboards and other permanent sign installations are effective where the advertisement to be disseminated is not necessarily linked to the location of the sign. However, many signs are uniquely linked to their geographic location. When a fast food restaurant has need for a food preparer, it is likely to mount a temporary sign "Fry Chef Wanted" on the door or some other conspicuous location associated with the facility. The public naturally associates the advertisement with the restaurant and know where the job is located. Similarly, when a piece of property is put on sale, it is usual to locate a real estate sign listing the realtor and other pertinent information somewhere on the sale property. Most people are familiar with the residential real estate sign and when looking for a home to purchase may well drive through a suitable neighborhoods looking for sign to see what properties are available.
Although weekends are prime house hunting times, many people cruise around after work looking for properties for sale. Therefore, it is often extremely advantageous to have the real estate signs prominently displayed and preferably lighted. It is rare that a home owner will run an electric power cord to a real estate, or other temporary, sign. Therefore, there is a significant need for a means to illuminate such signs without depending on the local electric utilities. Solar energy, as harnessed by photovoltaic cells, is a logical way to provide electric power without a connection to the electric utilities. Several inventors have attempted to adapt solar-powered lighting to real estate and other signs.
An early patent by Stackpole (U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,317) describes the electronic circuitry necessary for a more or less permanent solar-powered sign and solar generator. Doyle (U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,329) describes a solar-powered illumination system specifically adapted to real estate signs wherein a single unit containing solar cells, electronic circuitry and lights is removably attached to a typical real estate sign. Ruocco et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,076) add an alarm and radio transmitting device to the single unit of Doyle. While these one-piece units solve part of the problem of adding temporary lighting to existing signs, there is still considerable room for improvement.
Locating the solar cells directly on the sign as taught by Ruocco et al. and Doyle has several drawbacks. First, the relatively small surface area provided by the top of a sign cross arm rarely provides sufficient area for enough solar cells. The result is that the illumination provided is less than optimally brightness and tends to be of limited duration. While it is possible to provide a larger collector surface, such a configuration tends to be ungainly when placed directly on the sign. In addition, the exactly optimal location for a sign is rarely the optimal location for receiving solar energy. For example, the sign is placed for best street viewing even though there may be an overhanging tree or other object blocking solar access.

Universal solar-powered sign illumination system


A method of fabricating a microelectronic multi-chip module comprises: providing a cavity down ball grid array having a die and solder balls on a die side thereof; providing a package including at least one die thereon on a die side thereof; stacking the package onto the backside of the ball grid array opposite from the die side of the ball grid array. The backsides of the ball grid array and of the package may include land pads for providing interconnection between the ball grid array and the package during stacking.

The prior art provides a number of ways to stack multi-chip modules ("MCM's"). Two existing packaging technologies in particular address problems typically associated with the stacking of such modules.
The Ultra Thin Stacked Chip Scale Package (UT-SCSP) technology envisions using thinner dice, for example, dice having a height ("z height") of up to about 3 mils (instead of the usual 4 or 5 mils for a conventional Stack Chip Scale Package), and then stacking about two to about five of such dice. An example of a UT-SCSP is shown in FIG. 1. As seen in FIG. 1, a UT-SCSP module 100 includes a substrate 110 including conductive traces 120 connected to solder balls 130, wirebonds 140 connecting conductive traces 120 to respective ones of the dice 150, the dice being mounted to each other with conventional die attach 160. Dice 150 are embedded in a mold compound 170. UT-SCSP technology allows an increase in package capability and functionality while maintaining specific z-height requirements and the same footprint. For example, UT-SCSP technology offers the possibility of stacking two to five memory die with an optional logic die in a single module. The total module thickness varies from between about 1.0 to about 1.4 mm. However, UT-SCSP technology does not allow a stacking of square-shaped dice without the use of a spacer in between the dice, since the wirebonds of a bottom die would otherwise touch the top die. In addition, and as suggested in FIG. 1, UT-SCSP technology does not allow an optimum package test yield when a defective die is part of the package, to the extent that UT-SCSP technology provides an already stacked module before testing can be effected.
An alternative technology, termed the Folded Stacked Chip Scale Package technology (FS-CSP technology), envisions folding a top package over a bottom package using a folded flop, that is, a flexible substrate with copper traces that is folded for the purpose of interconnection. The top package typically has a land pad which serves as the connection between the top package and the bottom package. An example of an FS-CSP module is shown in FIG. 2. As seen in FIG. 2, a FS-CSP module 200 includes a top package 210 and a bottom package 220. Each of the packages includes a substrate 230 having conductive traces (not shown) connected to solder balls 240, wirebonds 250 connecting conductive traces in the substrate to respective ones of the dice 260, the dice being mounted to each other with conventional die attach (not shown). Dice 260 are embedded in a mold compound 280. FS-CSP technology allows higher test yields with when compared with UT-SCSP technology, to the extent that the bottom and top packages, such as bottom package 220 and top package 210, are assembled separately, thus allowing the packages to be tested prior to stacking. However, FS-CSP technology results in the creation of a module exhibiting bending stresses that tend to crack associated conductive traces, such as conductive traces (not shown) in flexible substrate 290 of module 200, disadvantageously creating the risk of open traces. Another disadvantage of an FS-CSP module is the existence of extended copper traces from the top package to the bottom package, which traces, by virtue of their extended length, tend to cause increase resistances and hence large voltage losses.
One way to package electronic devices together is through the use of a ball grid array (BGA). Among the conventional types of electronic packages, ball grid array (BGA) is most common. A back of a die is attached to the bonding pad on a substrate using an adhesive tape or other nonconductive adhesive materials. The bonding pads on the die and the contact points on the substrate are electrically connected using conductive wires. An encapsulation encloses the die, the conductive wires, and the contacts. In addition, a plurality of solder balls is planted onto the ball pads on the substrate so that the ball grid array may transmit electrical signals to the external circuit through the solder balls. Since the circuit layout on the BGA package is arranged in the form of an array, the package can accommodate a large number of external contacts. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional cavity down ball grid array package. As shown in FIG. 3, the cavity down ball grid array package 300 includes a substrate 310, a die 320, a plurality of conductive traces 330, wirebonds 335, an encapsulation mold 340 and a plurality of solder balls 350. The solder balls 350 are attached to contacts on the substrate 310. Through the solder balls 350, the substrate 310 can connect electrically with an external circuit (not shown). In a cavity down BGA, as in BGA 300, the die and solder balls are attached on one surface of the substrate, the other surface being available for attachment to a conductive pad, such as a copper pad, or directly to a heat sink for improved thermal and electrical performance. The provision of the die and solder balls on a single surface of the substrate brings about a lower height of the package.
None of the available packaging techniques that allow maintaining height requirements of a package without losing package functionality and capacity.


Embodiments concern coupling polarized light at two or more wavelengths across the aqueous humor of the eye (e.g., as part of a noninvasive glucose monitoring system). An approach discloses non-contact and minimal contact eye-coupling designs that are part of a system for providing glucose concentration levels via measurements acquired by passing two or more optical beams through the cornea/aqueous chamber in the eye. The approach provides for coupling the light to account for the index mismatch incurred while allowing for monitoring the light polarization. Specifically, in an embodiment the light transitions from the device, through the air, through the proximal side of the cornea, through the aqueous humor, through the medial side of the cornea, and through the air back into the device. Embodiments address the index of refraction mismatch and polarized light maintaining concerns with a coupling approach that can take the form of contact and non-contact mechanisms.

Diabetes is a huge problem in the US and has more than doubled world-wide since 1980 to over 345 million people. Self-monitoring of blood glucose is recommended for diabetic patients as the current standard of care. There is a need by people with Diabetes to monitor glucose noninvasively and avoid the frequent (up to 5 times daily) finger or forearm pricks required today. There is an unmet need for simple, non-invasive self-glucose monitoring devices for people with both Type 1 insulin dependent diabetes and especially for the majority of patients who require less intensive treatment strategies such as those with controlled type 2 diabetes due to life-style modification, oral agent therapy or simple combination oral agent/basal insulin therapy. An equal number of individuals with impaired glucose tolerance and pre-diabetes would benefit from a non-invasive monitoring method to assess their own glucose several times weekly or monthly to detect disease progression. There are also a significant number of patients for whom there is a need for simple non-invasive monitoring for a determinate period of time including women with gestational diabetes, who may or may not be taking insulin, patients with insulin resistance due to heart failure and individuals undergoing chemotherapy or transplant anti-rejection therapies. Thus, there is a very large unmet need for simple non-invasive system.
Existing invasive glucose sensors are commonly used to measure the blood-glucose level of individuals with diabetes. Just by way of example, such sensing systems may be utilized by drawing blood and directly sensing the concentration of glucose in the blood. The problem with these types of sensors is that they are painfully invasive, time consuming, raise concerns about blood borne pathogens, can be embarrassing, and especially troublesome for children. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems are also available but they are indwelling, suffer from many of the same issues as finger stick devices, and additionally require frequent calibration.
An improved alternative to these invasive glucose sensors is an optical glucose sensor, which is noninvasive. Optical glucose sensors are capable of quantitatively determining the concentration of optically active substances in the human body. As understood by those skilled in the art, the plane of polarization of linearly polarized light rotates as it interacts with optically active material, such as glucose.
FIG. 1 illustrates the principle by which the concentration of an optically active material can be measured utilizing an optical sensor. Unpolarized monochromatic light 100 is passed through a vertical polarizer 105. The linearly polarized light 110 exiting the vertical polarizer 105 is subsequently passed through an optically active sample 115, such as a sample containing glucose. The optically active sample rotates the plane of polarization of the linearly polarized light 110 by an angle, ϕ, which is proportional to the concentration of the optically active sample. The light exiting the optically active sample is passed through a horizontal polarizer 120. The intensity of the light passing through the horizontal polarizer 120 and detected by the light detector 125 is related to the horizontal component of the plane of polarization introduced by the rotation of the vertically polarized light by the optically active sample 115. Therefore, for a fixed path length through the sample chamber the intensity of the light measured by the detector 125 is proportional to the concentration of the optically active sample.
The fluid contained in the anterior chamber of the eye is known as the aqueous humor and is relatively scatter free, making the anterior chamber an ideal sampling point to detect glucose concentrations utilizing an optical sensor. The diffusion or secretion of glucose into the aqueous humor is highly correlated to the amount of glucose found in the blood. More specifically, the aqueous humor fluid yields a glucose content equal to approximately 70% of that found in blood. Thus, an individual's blood glucose concentration can be ascertained by an optical glucose sensor that detects changes in the plane of polarization of linearly polarized light directed through the anterior chamber of the individual's eye. Examples of such optical glucose sensors may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,885,882 and 5,209,231, which are herein incorporated by reference.

Eye coupling mechanism for noninvasive glucose measurements with polarized light


An apparatus for supporting a design of a circuit including a plurality of elements, comprising: an acquiring unit that acquires a clock tree of the circuit; a constructing unit that constructs, based on the clock tree, a plurality of groups each of which includes a part of elements of same skew; an analyzing unit that performs an analysis of a timing of an inter-group path between two of the groups; and an output unit that outputs a result of the analysis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for supporting the design of a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI).
2. Description of the Related Art
Timing design is a process for estimating a circuit delay of an LSI, executing optimization, and verifying that the delay is within a range required for the normal operation of the LSI. Timing design is indispensable for guaranteeing that a fabricated LSI operates normally, and is very important because the timing design includes a large amount of work and accounts for a large percentage of the process steps for designing the LSI. To reduce the time required for designing an LSI, first, facilitating reduction of the number of process steps for the timing design is necessary.
In LSI design in recent years, for the reasons of reduction of power consumption, reuse of modules, etc., restrictions on complicated timing design are often required. For example, reduction of power consumption is generally facilitated by using a low clock frequency for the parts that do not need to operate fast by dividing the original frequency, and by stopping the supply of unnecessary clock by inserting a clock gate. Because one LSI is used for a plurality of devices, a plurality of operation modes each of which having a timing condition different from that of others may be prepared. Therefore, the restriction on the timing design of an LSI often becomes complicated.
For an LSI to operate at a target frequency, two types of timing restrictions, a set-up restriction and a hold restriction need to be complied with. In general, the timing at which a signal transmitted from a flip flop (FF) on the transmitting side arrives at an FF on the receiving side must be after the present clock and before the next clock. The hold restriction and the set-up restriction respectively mean to guarantee that the arrival of a signal occurs after the present clock and that the arrival of a signal occurs before the next clock, and respectively determine the minimum value and the maximum value of propagating time of the signal.
In a conventional common design flow, after the timing restriction between FFs has been derived and a timing optimizing-arrangement has executed assuming that all FFs receive a clock at the same time, a clock tree is constructed such that skews (the difference in clock arrival time between FFs) are respectively minimized.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a clock tree. The thick lines indicate clock paths, the thin lines indicate data paths, and "CS" indicates a clock source. When a clock tree 700 is constructed, the skew in a group G constituted of an FF1, an FF3, . . . located at ends of the clock tree that constitutes a clock generating circuit needs to be zero.
A data path DP is a bus that outputs data from the FF1 to an FF2 (for example, a dividing circuit or a clock gate) that is not located at an end of the clock tree. In this case, the skew is adjusted after arrangement and wiring. As a conventional technique that adjusts a skew after arrangement and wiring, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-185466 can be listed.
When arrangement and wiring are executed and the clock tree 700 is simply constructed after completing logic synthesis, a timing error can be discovered early by performing static timing analysis (STA). Thereby, the clock tree is re-generated by imposing the timing restriction on the FFs and the error can be corrected.
However, in the clock tree 700 shown in FIG. 7, though the FF1 and the FF3 are in the same group, the FF3 starts operating after the FF2 has started operating into which data has been inputted from the FF1 through the data path DP and, therefore, a skew is generated between the FF1 and the FF3. Therefore, due to the presence of the data path DP, a problem has been arisen that compliance with the timing restriction may be difficult.
As described above, when the timing restriction still remains being not complied with after arrangement and wiring, correction must be executed according to an engineering change order (ECO). However, in the correction after arrangement and wiring, a problem has been arisen that the labor of the designers is increased and the time required for designing becomes longer because of the returned design.
As described above, when the clock tree 700 is simply constructed after completing logic synthesis, an STA analysis is performed to detect timing errors. However, in general, an STA analysis covers all the paths. When the timing of some of the FFs has been respectively changed, the STA analysis needs to be performed on all the paths one by one because other paths may also be influenced. Therefore, because an STA analysis is necessary for each correction of the clock timing when the clock tree is constructed after completing logic synthesis, a problem has arisen that the time required for designing becomes longer.

Method and apparatus for constructing and optimizing a skew of a clock tree


Systems, methods and computer-readable media enabled methods are disclosed for detecting LIDAR window obstructions in an FMCW LIDAR system, analyzing the operational effects of the LIDAR window obstructions on the FMCW LIDAR system, and mitigating the operational effects on the FMCW LIDAR system.

Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave (FMCW) LIDAR systems use tunable lasers for frequency-chirped illumination of targets, and coherent receivers for detection of backscattered or reflected light from the targets that are combined with a local copy of the transmitted signal. Mixing the local copy with the return signal, delayed by the round-trip time to the target and back, generates a beat frequency at the receiver that is proportional to the distance to each target in the field of view of the system.
These systems can be used on autonomous vehicles for navigation, where the external environment can be harsh. To protect the optical, electro-optical and mechanical components of the systems, the optical beams are transmitted through sealed windows. However, the beams can be obstructed by rain, water droplets, mud, road salt, insects or other debris, which can block or attenuate the beams, creating a safety hazard.


An adjustable decorative base trim plate serves as a replacement foot pad for a toilet. The trim plate is positioned between the toilet and floor to provide an attractive, level cover over discrepancies in the flooring surface that can result from toilet replacement. The trim plate is in two pieces that have overlapping flange members and slide to expand and cover a variety of sizes of footprint. Optional cutouts in each piece permit the toilet flange to protrude through. Arcuate lines can be provided to suggest trim lines that can be cut to reposition the flange openings The trim plate is formed of a tough, durable sheet material stiff enough to press against the floor and any caulking material and to stay flat and thick enough to support the toilet.

This invention relates to devices for attaching toilets and is, in particular, directed to a trim plate that can be situated between the floor and the base of a toilet to provide an attractive, level cover over discrepancies in the flooring surface.
A recent development in plumbing has been the development of highly efficient low-water-volume water-saver flush toilets. These are often retrofitted into existing bathrooms to replace older high-water-volume units. In fact, in many localities local governments and water authorities are encouraging this type of toilet replacement by granting incentives, such as water bill credits, for each old style toilet that is replaced with a water-saver toilet.
Unfortunately, removal of the old toilet can leave an unsightly "footprint" on the bare floor. Frequently, the flooring material does not continue under the toilet, and quite often there is damage to the flooring within the footprint. Even after repair of the floor the footprint can be unsightly and uneven. The replacement toilet often has a different footprint, frequently smaller, so that a portion of the uneven, unattractive flooring remains exposed beneath the base of the new toilet.
Also, the toilet flange position often occurs at different places relative to the base with different models of the older toilets. Consequently, the part of the old toilet footprint that remains exposed under the new toilet base may vary from one installation to another.

Adjustable trim plate for toilet replacement


An x-ray detector which provides for the conversion of x-ray photons into photoelectrons and subsequent amplification of these photoelectrons through the generation of electron avalanches in a thin gas-filled region subject to a high electric potential. The detector comprises a cathode (photocathode) and an anode separated by the thin, gas-filled region. The cathode may comprise a substrate, such a beryllium, coated with a layer of high atomic number material, such as gold, while the anode can be a single conducting plane of material, such as gold, or a plane of resistive material, such as chromium/silicon monoxide, or multiple areas of conductive or resistive material, mounted on a substrate composed of glass, plastic or ceramic. The charge collected from each electron avalanche by the anode is passed through processing electronics to a point of use, such as an oscilloscope.

The invention relates to photon detectors, particularly to x-ray photon detection, and more particularly to an x-ray detector which involves the conversion of x-ray photons into electrons (photoelectrons) and subsequent amplification of these photoelectrons via generation of electron avalanches.
Photon detectors operate by converting photons into electronic signals that can be processed into pulses or images. These include devices such as photodiodes, photomultiplier tubes, vidicons, charged-coupled devices (CCD's) and silicon detectors doped with impurities such as lithium, etc. All photon detectors are characterized by their sensitivity to photons as a function of photon energy, their ability to amplify incident photons into large electrical signals proportional to the incident photon intensity (gain), their ability to distinguish fine detail in an image (position resolution), their temporal response to incident photons (time resolution), and their inherent noise level (dark current). These prior devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,032,729 issued Jul. 16, 1991 to G. Charpak; No. 4,999,500 issued Mar. 12, 1991 to A. Breskin et al.; No. 4,896,041 issued Jan. 23, 1990 to H. Vlasbloem et al.; No. 4,859,855 issued Aug. 22, 1989 to H. Vlasbloem; No. 4,686,368 issued Aug. 11, 1987 to H. L. Anderson et al.; and No. 4,431,921 issued Feb. 14, 1984 to H. A. A. W. Filthub.
There are many applications where high efficiency and high image resolution of x-rays are important, such as x-ray microscopy and holography using incoherent and coherent sources of gamma rays and x-rays. A new field is microscopy of biological samples using x-rays and is reliant on new sources of intense x-rays available at synchrotron light sources. Traditional imaging has been accomplished using Si(Li) detectors and x-ray pinhole cameras or grazing incidence or refractive (Fresnel) optics. In a pinhole camera, the image is built up slowly by counting photons as the object is scanned across a fine x-ray beam formed by the pinhole. The process is complex and time consuming. Certain applications call for reasonable quantum efficiency of the detector at room temperature, which cannot be provided by the Si(Li) detectors which require bulky liquid nitrogen cooling systems for efficient operation.
Thus, there is a need in the field of photon detectors, for a detector capable of exhibiting photon sensitivity over a wide range of energies, has fast time response thus allowing operation at a frequency up to the GigaHertz level, provides adjustment gain, exhibits low noise, and has the capability to operate with reasonable quantum efficiency at room temperature. The present invention fills the above-mentioned need and provides a replacement for present-day x-ray photodetectors, such as the Si(Li) detectors, while exhibiting the fast time response typical of photomultiplier tubes, provides adjustable gain of up to about 10.sup.9, exhibits low noise typical of photomultiplier tubes, while operating efficiently at room temperature. Also, the present invention has the capability to perform as a position sensitive detector with position resolution similar to a CCD or Vidicon, but with a factor of 1000 times the speed of readout. The speed of the invention allows for unprecedented dynamic range of visual information, allowing for the detection of photons with high fidelity in conditions that would normally saturate CCD detector pixels. Unlike CCD detectors, the present invention is not subject to radiation damage.

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


A hinge comprises a first member having a protrusion, wherein the protrusion has a cam profile shape; and a second member having a cavity operable to receive the protrusion, wherein a cam profile shape of the cavity corresponds to the cam profile shape of the protrusion such that, when the protrusion is in a first position, a gap is present between the second member and the protrusion and, when the protrusion is in a second position, substantially no gap is present between the second member and the protrusion.

In a communications system, such as a distributed antenna system, it is often necessary to place a remote unit in an outdoor area. For example, a remote unit may be placed in an outdoor stadium, park, etc. Placing a remote unit outdoors potentially exposes the unit to adverse weather conditions, such as rain, wind, etc. In order to protect the electronic components of the remote unit, the electronic components are typically placed in a enclosure which is sealed watertight. While enclosures protect the electronic components, conventional enclosures also make it difficult to access the components during installation or maintenance by blocking or providing small access areas to one or more sides of the electronic components.
Therefore, for the reasons stated above and for other reasons which shall become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and studying the present application, there is a need in the art for an improved electronics enclosure which provides greater ease of access to electronic components contained therein.


A rotary electrical switch for panel mounting in a motor vehicle for control of a blower motor of a heating, ventilating and/or air conditioning installation, includes a set of conductive contact strips. These comprise coplanar primary strips and a secondary strip for power supply. The switch has a body mounted for rotation about an axis at right angles to the plane of the coplanar contact strips. The body supports a radial ring member which is bent back into two half rings with conductive radial projecting portions connected together electrically. Each projecting portion carries at its end an arm having two contact pads for making contact with the primary contact strips in two parallel planes. The projecting portions have at least one third pad for making a further contact with the secondary contact strip in one of the two planes.

The above type of switch is disclosed for example in French patent specification No. 95 10566 of the Company Valeo Electronique. It is generally used for the control of an electrical apparatus such as the electric motor of a blower. The primary contact strips in the set are connected to load resistors having different values. Thus, a user can set the running mode, or speed, of the motor of the installation according to the contacts established by the switch, and in consequence according to its angular position. This setting governs the mass flow of air processed in the installation that is delivered into the cabin of the vehicle.
Because of its configuration, such a switch is of an overall size, especially in the radial direction, which is such as to confine its use to certain types of vehicles. In addition, its relatively large overall size prevents the installation from being controlled in different operating modes, of which there are at least two.

Electrical switches for mounting in control panels, especially for heating, ventilating and/or air conditioning systems for motor vehicles


A leaf spring assembly for a vehicle having a frame and an axle. The leaf spring assembly includes a first leaf spring and a trailing arm having first and second ends. The first end of the trailing arm adapted to be coupled to the frame to form a trailing arm attachment point. The first leaf spring is disposed beneath the trailing arm and includes a width defining a lateral direction and first and second ends defining a longitudinal direction. The first end of the first leaf spring being concentrically wound with the first end of the trailing arm and adapted to be attached to the frame.

Modern heavy-duty trucks are typically equipped with beam axles and leaf spring suspensions. Leaf springs provide a simple and economical assembly for locating and controlling articulation of the axle. Within available design space, it is often not possible to design a spring that has both the necessary load capacity and a spring rate low enough for optimal ride comfort. Also, because the roll stiffness produced by a pair of leaf springs derives mostly from their vertical stiffness, leaf springs having low spring rates may not provide adequate roll stiffness. This requires the use of supplementary roll stiffening mechanisms, such as anti-roll bars.
Air springs are commonly used on the rear axle suspensions of heavy trucks, in part because it is easier to achieve low spring rates with air springs than other types of springs. However, air springs provide no axle locating or structural functionality. As such, other assemblies for locating and controlling axle motion must be provided.
On rear axle air suspensions, various types of linkages are used to locate and control the axle motion. In most cases, lateral positioning of the axle includes the use of a transverse rod that has one end pivotally connected to the axle and the other end pivotally connected to the truck frame. Alternatively a V-link structure may be used to react lateral loads. Vehicles with front mounted engines precludes the use of these types of linkages for front axle air suspensions. Hence, lateral loads must be reacted through other types of assemblies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,812, issued to Stephens et al., the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference, describes one approach to incorporating air springs into a front suspension to achieve a low vertical spring rate along with a linkage that locates the axle and resists lateral loads. A pair of stiff beams pivotally connects the axle to forward pivots. Two air springs are interposed between each beam and the vehicle frame and support the sprung mass. A "double shackle" linkage is used at the rear of the beam to allow the rear of the beam to move vertically without restraint. Lateral loads applied to the axle are reacted through the forward ends of each beam at the forward pivots and through the linkages at the rear of each beam at the rear frame brackets.
A portion of the suspension roll stiffness is provided by the roll couple produced by the pairs of air springs on each side of the vehicle as the chassis rolls relative to the axle. Supplemental roll stiffness is generated from the flexural stiffness of the forward ends of the beams and the torsional stiffness of the axle which together act as an anti-roll bar under roll deflection. Some additional roll stiffness is produced from direct twisting of the beams themselves.
A disadvantage of this design is the introduction of additional linkages and pivots to the rear of each beam. The pivots located at the ends of the beams are particularly troublesome since they must support a bending moment when the axle is subjected to lateral loads, introducing the potential for wear and lash in the linkage.


A fixing device 23 according to the present invention includes: a fixing roller 25 for fixing a toner image onto a sheet of paper; a plurality of separation claws 40 in contact with the fixing roller 25 to separate the sheet of paper, onto which the toner image is fixed, from the fixing roller 25; a holder 28 for supporting the plurality of separation claws 40; and a slide mechanism 30 for sliding the holder 28 along a longitudinal direction of the fixing roller 25.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine and a printer has been conventionally provided with a fixing device by which a toner image is fixed onto a sheet of paper.
The fixing device includes, for example, a fixing roller and a pressurizing roller that is pressed against the fixing roller. The fixing device fixes the toner image onto the sheet of paper by heating and pressurizing the sheet of paper in a fixing nip formed between the fixing roller and the pressurizing roller. Moreover, the fixing device of such configuration includes a separation claw that is in contact with the fixing roller, the separation claw being used to separate the sheet of paper, onto which the toner image is fixed, from the fixing roller.
Normally, the aforementioned separation claw is in contact with the fixing roller at all times. Thus, a portion on the fixing roller in contact with the separation claw gets locally worn down, thereby causing a toner to get into the worn portion and generating a poor image. Now, there has been disclosed in Patent Document 1 a configuration which attempts to prevent the local wear on a fixing roller by alternating a separation claw to be brought into contact with the fixing roller in a fixing device including a plurality of separation claws.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H07-261589

Fixing device and image forming apparatus


A base coat coating composition which is able to suppress cracking of a metal thin film, even when a tough top coat layer capable of satisfactorily protecting the metal thin film is formed on the metal thin film, and even when a heat resistance test is performed, as well as a composite film and a method for producing the composite film. Specifically, a base coat coating composition used for undercoating a metal thin film formed on a metal substrate, and containing a coating film-forming component which contains at least 30% by mass of an epoxy (meth)acrylate having a cyclic structure and has an average molecular weight between crosslinks of 180 to 1,000, as well as a composite film having a base coat layer obtained from the base coat coating composition, and a method for producing the composite film.

The surfaces of vehicle components and the like composed of a metal substrate (such as the aluminum wheels of automobiles) are often coated with a metal thin film in order to impart the component with superior design properties and a more luxurious feel. Examples of methods for forming these types of metal thin films include conventional methods such as vapor deposition methods and sputtering methods. Further, chrome or chrome alloys are frequently used as the metal for forming these metal thin films. Metal thin films formed from chrome or chrome alloys have a high degree of hardness and a darkish texture, yielding an external appearance with a very luxurious look.
When forming a metal thin film on the surface of a substrate, a base coat layer is usually provided on the substrate surface, with the metal thin film then being formed on top of the base coat layer. A top coat layer is typically provided on the surface of the metal thin film for the purpose of protecting the metal thin film. Moreover, in order to improve the adhesion between the substrate and the base coat layer, the surface of the substrate is sometimes subjected to a powder coating treatment prior to formation of the base coat layer (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Base coat coating composition, composite film, and method for producing same


An improved creping adhesive is prepared by first reacting a dibasic carboxylic acid, or its ester, half-ester, or anhydride derivative, with a polyalkylene polyamine, preferably in aqueous solution, under conditions suitable to produce a water soluble polyamide. The water-soluble polyamide is then reacted with an epihalohydrin until substantially fully cross-linked, and stabilized by acidification with phosphoric acid at the end of the polymerization reaction to form a water-soluble poly(aminoamide)-epihalohydrin creping adhesive that is re-wetable and facilitates water spray removal of buildup so as to lengthen the life of the creping blades, with attendant significant decrease in downtime and maintenance.

In the manufacture of tissue and towel products, a common step is creping the product to provide desired aesthetic and performance properties to the product. Creping is commonly used in both the conventional wet press and through air drying processes. Many of the aesthetic properties of tissue and towel products rely more upon the perceptions of the consumer than on properties that can be measured quantitatively. Such things as softness, and perceived bulk are not easily quantified, but have significant impacts on consumer acceptance. However both softness and bulk are dramatically improved by the creping process. Creping is generally accomplished by mechanically foreshortening or compacting paper in the machine direction with a flexible blade, a so-called doctor blade, against a Yankee dryer in an on-machine operation. This blade is also sometimes referred to as a creping blade or simply a creper. By breaking a significant number of interfiber bonds and slowing down the speeds between the Yankee and the reel, creping increases the basis weight (mass per unit area) of the paper and effects significant changes in many physical properties, particularly when measured in the machine direction. Creping thus enhances bulk and stretch, and increases the perceived softness of the resulting product.
A Yankee dryer is a large diameter, generally 8-20 foot drum which is designed to be pressurized with steam to provide a hot surface for completing the drying of papermaking webs at the end of the papermaking process. The paper web which is first formed on a foraminiferous forming carrier, such as a Fourdrinier wire, where it is freed of the copious water needed to disperse the fibrous slurry, then is usually transferred to a felt or fabric either for dewatering in a press section where de-watering is continued by mechanically compacting the paper or by some other water removal method such as through-drying with hot air, before finally being transferred in the semi-dry condition to the surface of the Yankee for the drying to be completed. Before transferring to the Yankee dryer, an adhesive is applied directly to the Yankee dryer.
Obtaining and maintaining adhesion of tissue and towel products to Yankee dryers is an important factor in determining crepe quality. Re-wetability, doctorability, and the level of adhesion are important properties of a creping adhesive. The ability of the adhesive to be rewet on the surface of the dryer helps to prevent buildup on the drum and on the creping blade. Inadequate adhesion results in poor creping, sheet floating, and poor sheet handling whereas excessive adhesion may result in crepe blade picking, sheet plugging behind the crepe blade, and sheet breaks due to excessive tension. Traditionally, creping adhesives alone or in combination with release agents and/or modifiers have been applied to the surface of the dryer in order to provide the appropriate adhesion to produce the desired crepe. The adhesive coating also serves the purpose of protecting the Yankee dryer and creping blade surfaces from excessive wear. In this role, the coating agents provide improved runnability of the tissue machine. As creping blades wear, they must be replaced with new ones. This replacement process represents a significant source of tissue machine downtime, or lost production.
Various types of creping adhesives have been used to adhere fibrous webs to dryer surfaces such as Yankee dryers. Some examples of prior art creping adhesives rely upon combinations of self-crosslinkable soft polymers with a non-film forming hard polymer emulsion (U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,579). Some others involve thermoset resins (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,528,316 and 4,501,640). The ability to control the mechanical properties of the polymers, as well as the adhesion and release of the fibrous web from the Yankee dryer, is limited when using these types of creping adhesives. A variety of proposals have been made in an attempt to improve the properties of certain adhesives. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,773 describes the use of a phosphate surfactant with an adhesive composition that includes a non-self-crosslinkable polymer or oligomer having functional groups that can be ionic crosslinked using a high valence metallic crosslinking agent. U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,571 describes the use of an acid selected from hypophosphorous acid, phosphorous acid, hypodiphosphoric acid, diphosphorous acid, hypophosphoric acid, pyrophosphorous acid, or their salts, to stabilize a polymer selected from polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrin resin, polyamine-epichlorohydrin resin, reaction products of epichlorohydrin with highly branched polyamidoamines and polyvinyl alcohol.
Poly(aminoamide)-epihalohydrin type creping adhesives (also referred to as PAE resins), exemplified by poly(aminoamide)-epichlorohydrin, provide a class of resins distinct from the above polymers. Resins of this type have been used for many years in paper making and are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,926,116 and 3,058,873, the disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference. They are generally prepared by reacting an epihalohydrin and a polyamide containing secondary or tertiary amine groups, followed by stabilizing the reaction products by acidification with sulfuric or hydrochloric acid. They have very useful properties when freshly applied in runnability and initial re-wetability and doctorability. However, a problem with the poly(aminoamide)-epihalohydrin type creping adhesives is the phenomenon of coating buildup. This problem is evidenced by high spots in the coating on the Yankee and/or build up on the rear surface of the blade, particularly along the edges or corners of the creping blade, which can cause chattering, or bouncing of the blade. Ultimately, portions of the sheet may travel underneath the creping blade, causing picks or holes in the sheet leading to sheet breaks and machine downtime. Commonly water sprays have been used to remove or minimize adhesive buildup, but eventually may prove inadequate.
In order to produce a bulky and soft tissue with conventional wet press paper machines, the paper sheet is preferably dried to very low moisture levels (e.g., less than 3%), thus economic considerations often require an adhesive that will perform at very high sheet temperatures. But the foregoing problems with the poly(aminoamide)-epihalohydrin type creping adhesives can be particularly severe at higher temperatures.
Another difficulty with PAE resins is the adverse effect of sizing agents such as alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), alkylene ketene dimers and alkylene succinic anhydride (ASA) on the creping process. These sizing agents, particularly AKD, are sometimes added to paper webs to impart moisture resistance properties for some special grades of paper. However, AKD performs as a strong release on the Yankee. When AKD is added to the furnish in the wet end, most of the PAE adhesives have issues in generating sufficient adhesion between the Yankee surface and the sheet often resulting in poor creping and sheet handling issues or limiting the amount of these sizing agents that can be incorporated into the sheet if good creping is desired.

Phosphoric acid quenched creping adhesive


An antibacterial/antifungal inorganic matter is composited with wood by impregnating wood with a solution containing a silicon alkoxide and an antibacterial/antifungal organic silicon compound having a hydrolyzable alkoxysilyl group, and subjecting the silicon compounds within the cell walls (inter- and intracellular) spaces to hydrolysis at various temperatures and polycondensation. The same is prepared by treating wood with a siloxane oligomer and curing the oligomer. The antibacterial/antifungal component is prevented from being leached out.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for preparing an antibacterial/antifungal inorganic matter-composited wood and more particularly, to a method for preparing an antibacterial/antifungal inorganic matter-composited wood having an antibacterial/antifungal component incorporated therein in such a manner that the antibacterial/antifungal component is prevented from being leached out in water and the antibacterial/antifungal function is semi-permanently imparted to wood.
2. Prior Art
The utilization of wood is often restricted by its characteristic features of "flammability," "biodeterioration" and "dimensional instability".
A number of proposals have been made for improving these properties. To impart antibacterial/antifungal and preservative functions, a variety of treatments have been proposed and practiced in the art.
One of the currently available preservative (antibacterial/antifungal) treatments is the application of creosote oil which has long been employed. The creosote oil is a mixture of aromatic hydrocarbons as a main component and numerous compounds. The creosote oil-treated wood found application as railroad ties and utility poles. As a wood preservative, the creosote oil has the advantages of low cost, ease of penetration and effective preservative action and the disadvantages of giving off stenchful and eye and skin-irritant fumes. When dissolved out, the creosote oil can contaminate the surrounding soil and leach into rivers or lakes where it is toxic to fish. In many aspects, the creosote oil imposes a heavy burden to the environment.
The exterior wood which is most frequently used at present is CCA-impregnated wood. The CCA is a water-soluble chemical agent containing copper (Cu), chromium (Cr) and arsenic (As) as basic chemicals. It is in wide-spread use over the world because the wood treated therewith exhibits excellent performance. However, the inclusion of such elements as chromium and arsenic draws concerns about the safety of this chemical agent. In some countries, the use of CCA is restricted. Since CCA-treated wood pieces are often used as play instruments in parks and schools, the influence of CCA on human bodies through skin contact is also a concern. With respect to oral toxicity, the toxicity of CCA must be carefully examined because CCA-treated wood pieces are used as outdoor play instruments for children. While acid rain now becomes one of the causes of global environmental damage, it is expected that CCA chemicals can be leached out of the wood with acid rain. When CCA-treated wood is burned for disposal, arsenides are sublimated from the CCA agent as diarsenic trioxide and released into the air, and oxides of copper and chromium are released as microparticulates. From the safety standpoint, the Environmental Protection Agency of USA rules that CCA-treated wood must not be burned in the open air or fireplaces. In UK, it is required that if one makes a fire in the open air using CCA-treated wood, the distance from houses must be at least 100 meters.
Since creosote oil and CCA impose heavy burdens on the environment as mentioned above, careful consideration must be made on their use at the present day when global environmental problems are highlighted. It is DDAC (didecyldimethylammonium chloride) that enjoys a rapidly growing share as a preservative agent for impregnation. This agent contains a metal salt. An increasing demand for DDAC is expected since DDAC avoids the problem associated with the disposal of wood which is of most concern in the case of CCA. Regrettably, the effect of DDAC does not last long and its semi-permanent fixation has not been realized. Besides, metal salts of naphthenic acid are used as a preservative of the surface treatment type and also as a chemical agent for pressure impregnation. They are known to be fully safe, but the retention of their effect is yet a problem. For this reason, the metal naphthenates are mainly used for the treatment of foundations (see "Wood Science Series 5--Environment," Kaisei-sha, 1995). The social demand for antibacterial/antifungal and bactericidal properties is very high as demonstrated in Japan during the prevalence of group food poisoning by pathogenic colibacillus O-157 in 1996. It is urgently required to develop a wood treating agent capable of retaining its effect semi-permanently and remaining safe.
Making investigations to develop high functional wood which is improved in environmental pollution and leach, we found a method for modifying wood by impregnating wood with a silicon alkoxide and subjecting it to hydrolysis and polycondensation to form silicon oxide fixedly within the wood cell walls (inter- and intracellular spaces) whereby various functions such as anti-rotting, dimensional stability and flame retardance are imparted to the wood as reported in the Journal of the Japan Wood Research Society, 38, 11, 1043 (1992). This method relies on the sol-gel process of metal alkoxide in that the starting solution of metal alkoxide-water-alcohol-catalyst converts into a sol of metal oxide through hydrolysis and self-polycondensation of the metal alkoxide. With further progress of reaction, the solution converts into a gel. When this reaction is carried out within wood cells, the inorganic matter based on metal oxide is incorporated into wood.
However, the recent research works revealed that the process of compositing wood with metal oxide largely depends on the rate of hydrolysis of a particular metal alkoxide used and that the distribution of metal oxide in wood cells largely varies with processing conditions. In the event of compositing wood with inorganic matter using a silicon alkoxide having a low rate of hydrolysis and subsequent polycondensation, for example, if the wood used is a moisture-conditioned piece of wood (water in wood is all bound water and present solely in cell walls), the hydrolysis and polycondensation reaction of the silicon alkoxide does proceed solely within the cell walls where bound water is present, resulting in inorganic matter-composited wood in which cell cavities are empty. This composited wood maintains the advantages of wood including light weight, strength and heat insulation, that is, it is modified wood which is provided with rot resistance, dimensional stability and flame retardance while maintaining the porous feature of wood (see the Journal of the Japan Wood Research Society, 39, 3, 301 (1993)). If the wood used is a water-saturated piece (not only cell walls but also cell cavities are full of water), there results in inorganic matter-composited wood in which not only cell walls but also cell cavities are filled with silicon dioxide (see the Journal of the Japan Wood Research Society, 39, 3, 301 (1993)).
If the metal alkoxide used is changed, there is obtained inorganic matter-composited wood having a completely different distribution. If a titanium alkoxide having a high rate of hydrolysis and subsequent polycondensation is used, for example, titanium oxide forms solely in cell cavities in the case of a moisture-conditioned piece. In the case of a water-saturated piece, oxide forms solely on the outer surface of the piece, but no metal oxide is composited in the interior of the piece. See the Journal of the Japan Wood Research Society, 39, 3, 308 (1993).
Based on these findings, we further investigated the relationship between the intracellular distribution of metal oxide and the function imparted thereby, and found that selective compositing of metal oxide in cell walls is a key for a minor amount of metal oxide formed to exert effective functions (see Wood Industry, 50, 9, 400 (1995)). Such compositing is possible with inorganic matter-composited wood based on silicon oxide resulting from silicon alkoxide. once distributed in wood cell walls, silicon oxide is not leached out in water or other solvents and semi-permanently fixed within cell walls.

Method for preparing antibacterial/antifungal inorganic matter-composited wood


A memory device is described that uses extra data bits stored in a multi-level cell (MLC) to provide error information. An example embodiment provides a memory cell that uses more than 2X logic levels to store X data bits and an error bit. At least one extra bit provided during a read operation is used to provide error information or a confidence factor of the X data bits originally stored in the cell.

Flash memory is non-volatile, which means that it stores information on a semiconductor in a way that does not need power to maintain the information in the chip. Flash memory stores information in an array of transistors, called "cells," each of which stores one or more bits of information. Current flash memory devices are made in two forms: NOR flash and NAND flash. The names refer to the type of logic used in the storage cell array.
A flash cell is similar to a standard MOSFET transistor, except that it has two gates instead of just one. One gate is the control gate (CG) like in other MOS transistors, but the second is a floating gate (FG) that is insulated all around by an oxide layer. The FG is between the CG and the substrate. Because the FG is isolated by its insulating oxide layer, any electrons placed on it get trapped there and thus store the information.
When electrons are trapped on the FG, they modify (partially cancel out) an electric field coming from the CG, which modifies the threshold voltage (Vt) of the cell. Thus, when the cell is "read" by placing a specific voltage on the CG, electrical current will either flow or not flow between the cell's source and drain connections, depending on the Vt of the cell. This presence or absence of current can be sensed and translated into 1's and 0's, reproducing the stored data.
During data read and write functions, voltage coupling can influence proper memory operation. Further, close physical proximity of memory cells can result in cell to cell coupling that can influence proper memory operation and data accuracy.
For reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need for methods and devices to detect errors present in stored data.


Urea is pyrolyzed in a chamber designed to facilitate gasification of the urea by pyrolysis with conversion of urea to ammonia and isocyanic acid (HNCO) with water vapor and carbon dioxide. The product gases are introduced into exhaust gases from a lean-burn engine, preferably upstream of a turbocharger. The exhaust gases are then contacted with an SCR catalyst.

Where SCR catalysts are employed to limit NO.sub.x emissions from diesel engines, one has to deal with either the dangers of ammonia or a risk of fouling the catalysts under most conditions. In this regard, see R. J. Hulterman: A Selective Catalytic Reduction Of NO.sub.x from Diesel Engines Using Injection Of Urea; Ph.D. thesis, September 1995. Hulterman describes a number of technical challenges including clogging of atomizers, decomposition problems and system dynamics.
The limited attempts to use urea SCR for diesel engines have required the use of large pyrolization chambers or other devices following the point of urea introduction into the exhaust, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,893, to Hug, et al. Equipment of this type highlights the known problems with urea.
Urea takes time to break down in hot exhaust gases and may cause nozzle plugging. To protect an SCR catalyst from fouling, Hug, et al., propose bulky equipment. In addition, this disclosure highlights the necessity of maintaining the urea solution at a temperature below 100.degree. C. to prevent hydrolysis. They propose the use of moderate urea pressures when feeding the urea and find it necessary to have alternative means to introduce high-pressure air into the feed line when it becomes plugged. The nozzles employed by Hug, et al., are apparently capable of producing moderately-fine sprays, the dispersion of which is aided by auxiliary air, but the droplets are still so large that a large pyrolization channel is required. Moreover, they employ dilute solutions that require significant heating to simply evaporate the water. See also, WO 97/01387.
In European Patent Specification 487,886 A1, urea SCR is said to be improved by obtaining quantitative hydrolysis of urea outside the supply lines. The disclosure calls for spraying fine droplets of aqueous urea onto a specially-formulated catalytic surface. The objective of the disclosure is to avoid pyrolysis and its potential for solid deposition, while achieving hydrolysis of urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide.
In European Patent Specification 615,777 A1, there is described an apparatus that feeds solid urea into a channel containing exhaust gases, which are said to be hydrolyzed in the presence of a catalyst. For successful operation the disclosure indicates that it is necessary to employ a hydrolysis catalyst, compressed air for dispersion of fine solids, means for grinding the urea into fine solids and a coating to prevent urea prills form sticking together. The disclosure notes that if the inside of the catalyzer and the nozzle tip only were coated with the catalyst, corrosion and deposition occurred. Despite achieving the goal of removing water from the process, the specification introduces solid urea into the gas stream--possibly depositing urea on the SCR catalyst.
Each of the points of caution by these references about the difficulties of using urea with SCR systems, especially for mobile sources, illustrates the trouble and lack of practical success the art has had and continues to have.
The art is awaiting the development of a process and apparatus that would permit the use of urea or other reagent in an SCR process simply, reliably, economically and safely.

Urea pyrolysis chamber and process for reducing lean-burn engine NO.sub.x emissions by selective catalytic reduction


A satellite identification system for identifying a communications satellite from which a broadcast communication signal is being received by an antenna, wherein the communication signal includes data identifying a programmer that broadcast the communication signal and/or an uplink location from which the communication signal is broadcast. The system includes a memory storing a look-up table correlating satellite identification data for a plurality of satellites with the programmer identification data and/or the uplink location data for the plurality of satellites; means for detecting the programmer identification data and/or the uplink location data from a communication signal received by the antenna from one of the plurality of satellites; and means for accessing the look-up table in response to the detected programmer identification data and/or the uplink location data to retrieve the satellite identification data for the satellite from which the communication signal is received. The satellite identification system is included in a satellite antenna alignment system for automatically identifying reference satellites. The satellite antenna alignment system also automatically aligns the antenna to a position at which optimum quality is achieved for a communication signal received from a reference satellite; and the alignment positions of the antenna are measured and stored for at least two reference satellites to which the antenna is automatically aligned. Current correlated data is provided in the look-up tables by detecting updated correlated data in a communication signal received by the antenna and loading the updated correlated data into the look-up tables.

The present invention generally pertains to alignment of satellite antennas and is particularly directed to a system for identifying a communication satellite from which a broadcast communication signal is being received by an antenna for use in a system for causing an antenna controller for a ground-based satellite antenna to determine the alignment positions of the antenna for a plurality of satellites included in a group of satellites.
A satellite antenna alignment system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,592 to Woo H. Paik, William Fong, Ashok K. George and John E. McCormick includes means for measuring the alignment positions of the antenna for at least two reference satellites included in said group of satellites; and means for processing said measurements with stored data indicating the relative positions of the reference satellites and other satellites included in said group of satellites in accordance with an algorithm to determine the alignment positions of the antenna for the other satellites included in said group.

Satellite identification and antenna alignment


A method for operating a hybrid drive device, in particular for a motor vehicle, which has at least one combustion engine and at least one electric machine, the combustion engine and the electric machine being mechanically and operatively connectible to each other by a separating clutch, and a slip torque transmitted by the separating clutch being ascertained. There is a provision for the slip torque to be determined as a function of the speed characteristic of a drive shaft of the combustion engine at least when starting and/or stopping the combustion engine and to be taken into account when operating the hybrid drive device.

From the related art, a multitude of methods are known by now for operating a hybrid drive device, which has at least one combustion engine and at least one electric machine. In such hybrid drive devices, the combustion engine and the electric machine are normally mechanically and operatively connectible to each other by a separating clutch. In the so-called parallel hybrid, the drive shaft of the combustion engine and an input shaft of the electric machine are operatively connected to each other by the separating clutch. The vehicle control system is able to influence the separating clutch. In addition to the operating modes, hybrid driving, boost operating mode and recuperation, an appropriate actuation of the separating clutch also allows for purely electric driving, the separating clutch being open in the latter case and the combustion engine normally being switched off or stopped. Using the vehicle control system, it is possible to influence the torque or slip torque currently transmitted by the separating clutch in the slip state, for example by adjusting the contact pressure on clutch friction linings. When the slip torque occurs, the electric machine and the combustion engine run at different speeds such that there exists a slip in the separating clutch. A specified slip torque seldom corresponds to the slip torque actually transmitted by the separating clutch since varying coefficients of friction of the clutch linings produce inaccuracies in the control as a result of wear or temperature changes, hydraulic or mechanical inaccuracies in the actuation system of the separating clutch, hystereses, signal propagation times, aging and similar processes. The time at which a torque begins to be transmitted when closing the separating clutch is therefore also associated with uncertainties.
The actually transmitted slip torque, however, is important for operating the hybrid drive device. In particular when starting the combustion engine from the state of pure electric driving, which occurs by closing the separating clutch while driving, that is, while the electric machine is rotating and the combustion engine is initially at a standstill, the combustion engine is tow-started via the separating clutch. The electric machine, which acts on the drive wheels of the motor vehicle directly or via a transmission, is affected by the transmitted slip torque when closing the separating clutch. This may result in a drop in the speed of the electric machine. In addition, when the combustion engine is started for example, the combustion engine speed may be overshot as a result of the first ignition, which results in a temporary increase of the speed of the electric machine. This affects the rest of the drive train and in particular the drive wheels, which impairs the driving comfort. Knowing the transmitted slip torque, however, would make it possible, among other things, to compensate for or prevent such influences.
For detecting the actually transmitted slip torque, it is known for example to measure it with the aid of an appropriate torque sensor. This is expensive, however, and requires a corresponding installation space.

Method for operating a hybrid drive device