A system and method for implementing a technique for dynamically switching between or mixing position and orientation determinations in a hybrid tracking system using both electromagnetic and non-electromagnetic tracking, and having a transmitter coil array for generating a magnetic field, a receiver circuit for sensing the magnetic field, and at least one non-magnetic sensor.

Electromagnetic tracking systems use electromagnetic field emitters and sensors to determine position and/or orientation (PnO) of a tracked object. Electromagnetic tracking systems provide a high level of performance in terms of accuracy, precision and update rate, but their accuracy is reduced when nearby ferrous or conductive materials distort the generated magnetic field. Alternative non-magnetic tracking technologies such as optics, gyroscopes, accelerometers, barometers, RF and acoustics (or some combination of these and/or other types of sensors) cannot offer the same benefits as electromagnetic trackers. For example, optical systems suffer from occlusion problems. Gyroscopes and accelerometers (often combined in an Inertial Measurement Unit or IMU) suffer from drift issues over the longer term.

Dynamic mixing of and switching between sensor measurements in hybrid trackers using electromagnetic tracking


In a method for directing a computer network request to process through one or more components, a processor identifies a plurality of input/output (I/O) paths capable of serving a computer network request and a plurality of components along each path of the plurality of I/O paths. A processor predicts resource demands at each respective component of the plurality of components along each path of the plurality of I/O paths. A processor estimates expected delay times at each respective component of the plurality of components along each path of the plurality of I/O paths using predicted resource demands at each component. A processor determines an expected delay time for each path of the plurality of I/O paths based on the expected delay times at each respective component of the plurality of components along each path of the plurality of I/O paths.

A software-defined data center is an architectural approach to information technology (IT) infrastructure that extends virtualization concepts to all of the data center's resources and services. In a software-defined data center, services such as networking, compute, and storage are pooled, aggregated, and managed by an intelligent, policy-driven software controller.
A proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. A client may connect to a proxy server and request a service from a different server. The proxy server may evaluate the request as a way to simplify and control access to data and resources.

Path selection for network service requests

International Business Machines Corporation


In a mounting structure for mounting an injector to an internal combustion engine, a fixing member is inserted into a hole of a cylinder head in an axial direction. Thus, the injector is fixed between the fixing member and the cylinder head. A connector portion of the fixing member is inserted into the hole of the cylinder head together with the fixing member. Therefore, the connector portion of the fixing member can be easily connected with a connector portion of the injector even if the hole of the cylinder head is deep. A first socket provided on an end of the connector portion of the fixing member opposite from the injector is disposed outside the cylinder head. Therefore, the injector can be easily connected with a power source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting structure and a fixing member for mounting a fuel injection valve to an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of Related Art
A technology disclosed in JP-A-H09-88765 (Patent Document 1) is publicly known as a mounting structure of a fuel injection valve in an engine, for instance. In the technology of Patent Document 1, a fixing member is attached to an end of the fuel injection valve on a side opposite from a combustion chamber so that the fuel injection valve is held between the fixing member and a cylinder head. In this case, in order to respond to a pressure in the combustion chamber, the fixing member is formed by a member having relatively high rigidity and is fixed to the cylinder head with a screw member.
In the case of a direct injection type engine, which injects fuel directly into a combustion chamber of the engine, the fuel injection valve should be preferably disposed in a central part of the combustion chamber in order to improve engine efficiency. However, in the case where the fuel injection valve is disposed in the central part of the combustion chamber, the fuel injection valve needs to be inserted deeply into the cylinder head so that the fuel injection valve penetrates the cylinder head. Moreover, recently, equipments are densely arranged around the engine. Therefore, in the case where the fixing member, of which a flange extends from the hole of the cylinder head, and the screw member for fixing the fixing member to the cylinder head are used as in the technology of Patent Document 1, it is difficult to ensure spaces for installing the fixing member and the screw member.
The fuel injection valve is operated by electric power supplied to an electromagnetic drive portion. Therefore, the fuel injection valve has a connector, which is connected with a power source. However, in the case where the fuel injection valve is inserted deeply into the cylinder head, it is difficult to connect the connector with the power source, and it is difficult to ensure an accommodation portion for accommodating the connector.

Structure and fixing member for mounting fuel injection valve


Exemplary embodiments of a camera module are proposed, the camera module including an image sensor photographing a object image, a memory unit stored with a look-up table recorded with pixel number of the object image corresponding to a length of the object, and an image signal processor detecting a pixel number of the object image photographed by the image sensor, reading out a length of a object corresponding to the detected pixel number from the memory unit and inspecting horizontality of the image sensor and the object.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The teachings in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate generally to a camera module and a method for inspecting horizontality of object and the camera module.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Generally, a camera module includes a lens unit including lenses, a housing assembly coupled to the lens unit, and a sensor unit including an IR (Infrared) filter and an image sensor. After a camera module is assembled, the camera module photographs an object, performs an image test, measures a device or measures position information of the device.
At this time, there may occurs a problem of a measured data being distorted, in a case the camera module and the object are not horizontally positioned. The horizontality of the camera module and the object is an important factor to characteristic data measured by the camera module, such that it is imperative to develop and research techniques for reducing distortion of characteristic data.

Camera module and method for inspecting horizontality of object and the camera module


An RFID transceiver and RFID-tag reader cooperate to convey information from one to the other and further accommodate the RFID-tag reader transmitting information to the RFID transceiver that causes a modification of information presented via the RFID transceiver. By one approach an RFID-tag reader detects a circumstance that evidences a particular status as pertains to a particular item of such information in a given RFID transceivers. An RFID-tag reader can then serve to modify the information at the corresponding RFID transceiver. By one approach, the aforementioned information comprises a to-do list. The aforementioned modification can comprise modifying at least one to-do item in that to-do list. The aforementioned detection of a circumstance can comprise detecting a physical location of the given RFID transceiver. That location information can be compared to locations that correspond to specific to-do items in the list to identify correlations that evidence completion of specific to-do items.

RFID tags are known in the art. These so-called tags often assume the form factor of a label or a literal "tag" but are also sometimes integrated with a host article and/or its packaging. RFID tags typically comprise an integrated circuit and one or more antennas. The integrated circuit typically carries out a variety of functions including modulating and demodulating radio frequency signals, data storage, and data processing. Some integrated circuits are active or self-powered (in whole or in part) while others are passive, being completely dependent upon an external power source (such as an RFID tag reader) to support their occasional functionality.
There are proposals to utilize RFID tags to individually identify individual items. The Electronic Product Code (EPC) as managed by EPCGlobal, Inc. represents one such effort in these regards. EPC-based RFID tags each have a unique serial number to thereby uniquely identify each tag and, by association, each item correlated on a one-for-one basis with such tags. (The corresponding document entitled EPC Radio-Frequency Identity Protocols Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID Protocol for Communications at 860 MHz-960 MHz Version 1.0.9 is hereby fully incorporated herein by this reference.)
In addition to reading part or all of the informational contents of an RFID tag, an RFID-tag reader can also serve to convey information to an RFID tag.
Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. Certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

Apparatus and method pertaining to conveying information via an RFID transceiver


A circuit for eliminating noise includes a sound card (30) with an audio signal output, a power supply (10) for providing working voltage to the sound card, a first transistor (Q1), a second transistor (Q2), and a third transistor (Q3). The power supply has a power good pin, a PSON# pin, and a standby voltage pin. During powering on time of the sound card, the power good pin is at low level and the second transistor is therefore turned on to ground the audio signal output so as to eliminate turn-on noise. During powering down time of the sound card, the PSON# pin turns from low to high level to turn on the third transistor before the audio power for providing working voltage to the sound card is powered down, thus the first transistor turns off, and the second transistor turns on to ground the audio signal output of the sound card so as to eliminate turn-off noise.

1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to circuits for eliminating noise, and more particularly to a circuit for eliminating popping sound when a computer is switched on and off.
2. Description of Related Art
In an audio system of a computer, at the time when the computer is turned on or off, a popping sound is emitted from a speaker. In order to prevent the popping sound, a conventional circuit for eliminating noise is provided as shown in FIG. 1. The noise elimination circuit includes a sound card for receiving a digital audio signal and transforming it to an analog audio signal; a power supply with a +5V voltage pin connected with the sound card for providing a working voltage thereto; and an N-channel-enhancement MOSFET Q with a gate connected with a PSON# kPower Supply ON) pin of the power supply, a drain connected to the +5V voltage pin of the power supply through a resistor R, and a source connected to ground. During powering down time, the PSON# pin of the power supply switches from low to high level. Thus, the MOSFET Q is turned on and rendered conductive. The +5V voltage pin for providing a working voltage to the sound card is connected to ground through the conductive MOSFET Q. The sound card does not work and generate any audio signal as without working voltage, thus the popping noise is nearly eliminated when powering off the power supply.
However, the circuit for eliminating noise doesn't completely eliminate the popping sound as electric charge stored in capacitors connected to the power supply is not discharged instantly when the computer is powered down and does nothing about the popping sound when the computer is powered up.
What is needed, therefore, is a circuit for completely eliminating turn-on and turn-off popping noise from a computer.


An apparatus (20) for use in stripping irregular material (8) from a line (3, 4) during relative movement between the apparatus (20) and line (3, 4), including a material guide (50), stripping mechanism (40) and line guide (30). A first line guide element (30a), first stripping element (40a) and first material guide element (50a) collectively form a first stripping assembly and the second line guide element (30b), second stripping element (40b) and second material guide element (50b) collectively form a second stripping assembly, the line passing between the stripping assemblies during stripping. The stripping assemblies are orientated during stripping such that the first material guide rotation axis and the first stripping element rotation axis are on a first lateral side of the line and the second material guide rotation axis and the second stripping element rotation axis are on a second lateral side of the line.

To aid clarity and to avoid prolixity the present invention will be described herein with respect to stripping of grapevine material after pruning in grape vineyard operations for which the present invention has particular application. However, it should be appreciated that the principles of the present invention may find use in other applications and thus reference herein to vineyard stripping and pruning should not be seen to be limiting.
By way of example only, the present invention may also have application in:                other horticultural operations where foliage or other plant material is required to be removed from a wire, line or the like;        aquaculture and/or marine applications where seaweed, molluscs or other organisms need to be removed from cables, chains, rope or the like;        removing unwanted foliage from power wires, guy-ropes, cables or the like.
As part of annual maintenance of grapevines it is necessary to remove old, weak, diseased, non-productive or otherwise unsuitable "cordons" or "canes" of the grapevine. A "cordon" or "cane" refers to a branch of a woody plant to be pruned or left to bud.
Single plants can be pruned to have single or multiple cordons/canes in a number of methods. The two most prominent methods of pruning are known as "spur-pruning" and "cane-pruning" which suit different types of terroir and grape varieties.
Spur-pruning can be used on any variety but is ideally suited to grape varieties that are fruitful in the bud area near the trunk of the vine. Any shoots growing near the trunk are removed and the vine pruned such that the vine consists of a series of 'spurs' growing from the cordons which are wrapped about a fruiting wire, i.e. a fixed wire to which the cordons are attached. Thus, spur-pruning results in an array of spurs projecting from the cordons at regular distances from the trunk. The spurs are cut back each year to produce new shoots which bear fruit.
Cane-pruning is described more fully below and is typically used on varieties where the buds closest to the trunk are unfruitful or whose bunches are small. Cane-pruning leaves a select few canes each year extending from the trunk to act as the 'fruiting wood'. This selection ensures all the nutrients and energy of the vine are taken up by the select canes and thus promotes a full crop from the selected canes over a shorter time-period. In contrast a vine "spur-pruned" spreads the nutrients and energy over multiple spurs over the growing season.
Spur-pruning produces a relatively greater yield in consistent growing conditions over the season but can result in low yield or quality where conditions are variable or the grape variety is generally low-yielding. For example, frosts may result in poor growth on the closest spurs to the trunk while summer drought may result in poor growth on the outer spurs later in the season. In contrast, cane-pruning ensures most shoots grow simultaneously with all the nutrients and energy being available to the shoots over the season. Thus, while spur-pruning can be used in many climates, the highly variable weather conditions in New Zealand and many other regions require cane-pruning to ensure adequate harvest.
"Cane-pruning" or "cordon-pruning" of unwanted canes from Grapevines is a labour intensive operation and can be broken down into four distinct tasks as follows:
1. Cordon Selection
The first stage of cane-pruning involves "pre-cutting" to select and cut the unwanted canes away from the head of the vine leaving a number of canes selected with the attributes of:                originating from an area close to the head or crown of the vine;        full length and not stunted;        undamaged and free of disease;        golden brown in colour;        having a sufficient number of healthy buds;        sufficient thickness, e.g. thick or thicker than a human finger.
The cane selection stage is performed manually by a skilled labourer as the selection of appropriate canes can have a high impact on the short and long term productivity of a mature vine.
2. Cutting the Unwanted Cane
The unwanted canes are then cut from the fruiting wire to which they were wrapped about during the previous season's pruning. This cutting makes manual 'stripping' of the cut canes easier. This further cutting process is relatively unskilled compared with the cane selection and is usually performed in tandem with cane selection.
3. Stripping Out
The unwanted canes make up about 90% of the total growth on a mature vine and are often tangled in amongst the foliage, wires or other canes, thereby preventing them from falling away from the vine once cut. These unwanted canes must be removed manually in a process referred to as "stripping-out". Stripping-out generally involves a person gripping the unwanted canes and ripping them away from the vine and wires in a downward motion. Stripping-out can be physically demanding and time consuming. Moreover, stripping-out may also be hazardous when canes are ripped free of the vine as they may whip the person in the face and eyes.
4. Trimming and Wrapping
Once the stripping-out is complete the remaining canes are trimmed to length and shape and wrapped on to the fruiting wire ready for the next growing season. These processes are also done manually and while trimming is generally unskilled, wrapping requires skilled labour.
Thus, cane-pruning of grapevines is a labour-intensive process that has a number of sub-processes requiring skilled workers.
Spur pruning is a faster and less-skilled hand-pruning technique than cane-pruning as there is no selection stage and the spurs are simply pruned back to the required length. The relative simplicity of spur-pruning means that cutting machines can be used to run along the vine and cut the spurs back to a consistent level. In contrast, cane-pruning leaves unwanted canes wrapped about the fruiting wire and thus the cutting techniques of the spur-pruning machines may cut the fruiting wire and/or may not adequately remove the canes.
While a number of machines have been developed to alleviate the heavy manual requirement of spur-pruning grapevines, there has been little development in machines for cane-pruning given the high-skill requirement.
Typical prior art electrical wire strippers are also unsuitable as they cannot be used to strip cut canes of grapevines, other organic material or any intrinsically irregular material that grows on the line. It is inherently difficult to ensure that all of the material on the line is stripped as electrical wire strippers rely on the material and line being fixed in position and dimensions, or alternatively rely on the wire stripper blades moving to accommodate any irregularity.
Attempts at reducing at least some of the labour component of cane-pruning have been made and described in New Zealand patent number NZ560554 by Langlois. The Langlois machine has two contra-rotating rollers in a confronting relationship either side of the row of vines. The rollers are positioned above the wires such that the rollers grip the upper portions of the unwanted canes and pull them from the wires. The rollers are attached to the boom of a tractor or the like which can then move along the row of vines.
While the Langlois machine offers a mechanical alternative to manual stripping of the canes, there are a number of problems that may arise in operation. For example:                the rollers must be lifted over each post along the row of vines thereby reducing speed and efficiency;        the rotating rollers rip the canes from the wire with substantial force, thereby potentially damaging any uncut canes or detaching the fruiting wire from the posts;        the stripped canes are ejected upwards in the Langlois device at substantial speed, and these may land on the tractor, personnel, other vines or otherwise prove undesirable;        the canes are required to extend above the wire to be effectively stripped which means conventional "pre-pruning" or "summer" pruning must be reduced.
Typical prior art wire strippers are also unsuitable as they cannot be used to strip cut canes of grapevines, other organic material or any intrinsically irregular material that grows on the line. It is inherently difficult to ensure that all of the material on the line is stripped as the prior art wire strippers rely on the material and line being fixed in position and dimensions, or alternatively rely on the wire stripper blades moving to accommodate any irregularity.
Some of the inventors of the present invention devised a stripping apparatus that solved many of the aforementioned problems. This stripping apparatus is described in WO/2009/051498 by George et al.
As described above, grapevines are grown on a trellis system located on one side of a row of supporting posts. Each trellis is grown on the same side of each row of posts, i.e. normally on the sunward-facing side. While this arrangement provides optimal growing conditions it presents a problem for pruning and stripping operations. It is normally convenient for the stripping/pruning apparatus to be located on one side of a carrier, tractor or harvester. However, once the apparatus has completed a row the carrier cannot simply turn down the next row as the apparatus will be on the opposite side of the carrier to the trellis system to be stripped. This problem is illustrated in FIG. 2.
Typical prior art solutions to this problem include either using two stripping apparatus (one on either side of the carrier to alternately strip each row) or alternatively to drive the carrier back to the start of each row after each stripping operation.
Another solution, albeit complex and inconvenient, is to construct the stripping apparatus with the carrier mounting and drive connector on both sides of the apparatus so that it can be disconnected and re-mounted on either side of the carrier at the end of each row. However, it will be obvious that disconnecting the apparatus would normally take longer and present more difficulty than simply driving back to the start of the next row.
It will be appreciated that such prior art methods either duplicate the cost of the stripping apparatus or increase the time and fuel costs for operation of a single stripping apparatus.
Some vineyards include vine-rows that extend over undulating ground which results in loosening tension on the wire when detached from the posts and/or where the vertical tension of the wires reverses over their length. This reversed tension presents problems for the George et al. machine if the tension is directed toward away from the line guide as the wires may exit the line guide and be cut by the surrounding blades. Similarly, where the wire tension is too loose the wire may bend around the line guide, exit and become entangled in the blades and be damaged.
Further problems arise where the wire is made from steel that is too soft as narrow and restrictive channels may abrade the steel. Similarly, any galvanizing on the wire may also be abraded.
The prior art may also not be able to accommodate more than one wire at a time which is important for effectively stripping material. Stripping wires individually may function when the material is wrapped tightly around the wire. However, in many applications, the material is only loosely wrapped about the wire and thus there is potential for any stripping mechanism contacting the loose material to push the loose material along the wire without stripping it. Moreover, in combined stripping and mulching devices the loose material may drop off the wire before being mulched. In contrast, if multiple wires are picked up together they act to pinch the material between adjacent wires and hold the material in place while being stripped, thereby minimising any longitudinal slipping of the material along the wire or premature stripping.
In some vine-growing operations the vines are only spur-pruned and the fruiting canes left on the lifting wires for multiple seasons. These operations result in larger, harder canes wrapped about the wires which are correspondingly harder to remove and using manual labour to remove such canes can be prohibitively expensive. These operations therefore leave the canes on the lifting wires for the useful life of the plant and then the entire plant and wire system are removed and new vines planted, obviously at great expense.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide an improved method and apparatus for stripping the unwanted canes from the fruiting wire.
In particular it would be advantageous to provide an improved apparatus and/or method that may address at least one of the following relative to the prior art:                reduced size;        accommodate multiple lines;        operate on both sides of the carrier;        eliminate need for duplicate devices;        operate over undulating ground, i.e. lines with portions of opposite vertical tension;        strip variable tension lines and particularly loose lines;        reduce damage to softer wires and/or galvanizing;        cut the material into small pieces;        strip larger and harder material.
It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.
All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein; this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country.
It is acknowledged that the term 'comprise' may, under varying jurisdictions, be attributed with either an exclusive or an inclusive meaning. For the purpose of this specification, and unless otherwise noted, the term 'comprise' shall have an inclusive meaning—i.e. that it will be taken to mean an inclusion of not only the listed components it directly references, but also other non-specified components or elements. This rationale will also be used when the term 'comprised' or 'comprising' is used in relation to one or more steps in a method or process.
Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.


The present invention provides a process for producing particles, such as oxide nanoparticles, in a substantially water-free environment. The process involves mixing at least one metal compound of the formula MX(m−n) with at least one surfactant and at least one solvent, wherein M is an electropositive element of Groups 1–15; each X is independently selected from the group consisting of O1/2, F, Cl, Br, I, OR, O2CR, NR2, and R; each R is independently a hydrocarbyl group; n is equal to ½ the oxidation state of the metal M in the product particle; and m is equal to the oxidation state of the element M. The components are typically combined to form a mixture which is thermally treated for a time period sufficient to convert the metal compound into particles of the corresponding oxide, having sizes in a range between about 0.5 nanometer and about 1000 nanometers. Examples of metal compounds employed in this process include materials such as Si(OR)4, Ti(OR)4 (where R is as described above), (Zr(OiPr)2)(OAc)2, and the like. Illustrative oxide materials which can be prepared by this process include TiO2, ZrO2, SiO2, and B2O3.

This invention generally relates to a method for the synthesis of oxide nanoparticles. More specifically, it relates to oxide nanoparticles synthesized in an essentially water free environment.
There is a great deal of interest in particulate materials in a controlled fashion with particle sizes less than about 1000 nm, commonly referred to as nanoparticles. Nanoparticles exhibit a unique size dependence on their physical properties, such as bandgap, superparamagnetism, and optical properties. Nanoparticles are also interesting as fillers due to their extremely high surface/volume ratios and the fact that, due to their size, they scatter visible light poorly.
Conventionally, metal oxide particles may be prepared by precipitation from aqueous solutions, for example, when a soluble metal salt solution undergoes a pH change. Nitrate, carbonate, oxalate, and similar metal salts may be thermally decomposed to yield oxides from aqueous solutions as well. The book entitled "Treatise in Inorganic Chemistry", by H. Remy, translated by J. S. Anderson and edited by J. Kleinberg, Elsevier, 1956 discusses such methods. In these processes, water is unavoidably retained in the particulate oxide particle. Residual proton content is very difficult to eliminate.
The sol gel process is well known for producing hydrous metal oxides, which can then be calcined, but also invariably contain excess hydrogen in the product. This method has also been used to produce various metal oxide nanoparticles, and even metal oxide coatings of nanoparticles, with mixed results. In one case, a substoichiometric amount of water is used in the hydrolysis of alkoxide precursors to form titania nanoparticles.
Previous methods for producing hydrous metal oxides can cause difficulty in forming oxide nanoparticles due to the continuing presence of water. Thus, there remains a need to produce oxide nanoparticles using precursors similar to those used in a sol-gel process without addition of water for hydrolysis of the precursor.


An integrated body fluid sampling device is used to sample a body fluid from an incision in the skin of a body part. The device includes a lancet for forming the incision in the skin. A housing is coupled to the lancet. The housing defines at least in part a capillary channel with an opening. The capillary channel is sized to draw the body fluid from the incision via capillary action. An expression pad is coupled to the housing. The expression pad has opposing angled sides for compressing the backside of a body part where the incision is made. The lancet extends from the housing to form the incision. Fluid from the incision is drawn into the channel and is deposited on the test strip for analysis. A test strip is positioned along the capillary channel for analyzing the fluid.

The present invention generally relates to integrated lancing test devices, and more specifically, but not exclusively, concerns a device and technique for expressing a body fluid.
The acquisition and testing of body fluids is useful for many purposes, and continues to grow in importance for use in medical diagnosis and treatment, and in other diverse applications. A common technique for collecting a body fluid sample is to form an incision in the skin to bring the fluid to the skin surface. A cutting instrument is used to form the incision in the skin. The resulting blood or interstitial fluid specimen is then collected in a small tube or other container, or is placed directly in contact with a test strip. The fingertip is frequently used as the fluid source because it is highly vascularized and therefore produces a good quantity of blood. However, the fingertip also has a large concentration of nerve endings, and lancing the fingertip can therefore be painful. Alternate sampling sites, such as the palm of the hand, forearm, earlobe and the like, may be useful for sampling, and are less painful. However, they also produce lesser amounts of blood.
An increase in blood flow to the fingertips allows a shallower incision, thus reducing the pain caused by the incision. While devices exist to increase blood flow to the sample sites, they generally do so by applying a tourniquet around the body part in which the incision is made. Because the devices wrap around the body part in close proximity to the location of the incision, these devices make it more difficult for the patient to view the incision site and testing operation. Thus, there is a need for improvement in this field.


The BER is used as a parameter for evaluating the performance of an optical transmission system. Performance of optical systems is also defined by the Q factor, which indicates the signal-to-noise ratio of the electric signal regenerated by the receiver. In the absence of distortion, Q is univocally determined by the BER. Q is calculated using an estimated BER measured with the path under normal conditions of operation, and a distortion-free Q is determined in the same operating point of the system. The distortion penalty for the path is obtained by comparing the measured Q with the distortion free Q. In addition, the distortion penalty for a transmitter-receiver pair, and a distortion penalty for a transmission link between the transmitter and receiver may be determined.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a performance evaluation analysis in optical systems, and more particularly to a distortion measurement procedure based on signal level adjustment.
2. Background of the Invention
Optical signals suffer degradation between the transmitter and receiver from such factors as noise, inter-symbol interference, fiber dispersion, non-linearity of the elements and transmission medium, etc. In addition, in amplified wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) systems, the transmission characteristics vary from one channel to another due to the non-flat gain and noise profile of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs).
Distortion is defined as any inaccurate replication of a signal transmitted over a communication link, and could be referred to any network element (NE) along the link. It can be measured by assessing the difference between the wave shape of the original signal and that of the signal at the network element of interest, after it has traversed the transmission link.
In the last decade, transmission rates of data signals have increased progressively, which demands faster and more sensitive transmission systems. For transmission at high rates, such as 40 or 80 Gb/s, the distortion of the optical link is a critical parameter. With various types of dispersion shifted fiber, dispersion compensating fiber and dispersion compensating filters that make up a given link, determining distortion is no longer a simple operation, especially in optical transmission systems with in-line optical amplifiers. System performance degradation caused by noise and optical path distortions are usually difficult to separate, making the performance evaluation complicated.
In the evaluation of the characteristics of an optical fiber communication system, the bit error rate (BER) has usually been used as a parameter for performance evaluation. BER is defined as the ratio between the number of the erroneously received bits to the total number of bits received over a period of time (a second). A number of codes have been provided in the signal at transmitter for error detection, the basic idea being to add redundant bits to the input data stream over a known number of bits. The BER calculated by the receiver includes information on all impairments suffered by the signal between the transmitter and receiver, i.e. both noise and distortion information.
Performance of an optical system is also defined by a parameter called Q. The Q value indicates the signal-to-noise ratio of the electric signal regenerated by the optical receiver, and is defined as follows: ##EQU1## where .mu..sub.m is the mean value of the `1`s, .mu..sub.s is the mean value of the `0`s, .sigma..sub.m is the standard deviation of the level of `1`s, and .sigma..sub.s is the standard deviation of the level of `0`s. In the absence of distortion, Q entirely represents the bit error rate (BER) performance of the system, and this property is used in the present invention.
Optical systems have very low BERs under nominal condition of operation, and therefore measurement of BER is time consuming. In a system having a transmission rate of 5 GB/s for instance, a minimum of six hours is needed to measure a BER of 10.sup.-14 or below. It is also evident that the BER may vary significantly during this long period of time. Thus, if the BER decreases to 10.sup.-10 for a short period even, the mean value of the BER over the above six hours will never reach 10.sup.-14, making the measurement unreliable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,954 (Taga et al., issued Dec. 17, 1996 and assigned to Kokusai Denshin Kabushiki Kaisha) discloses a method for measuring the Q factor as a performance evaluation parameter for a transmission system. However, the patent is concerned with reducing the time necessary for measuring Q and obtaining real-time Q values, rather than to separating the noise and distortion contributions to the errors along a transmission path.
Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a parameter that represents noise only characteristics of a system. In non-optical systems, where envelope-detection (square-law detection) is not necessary, the noise is generally independent of the signal level, and as such, in the absence of distortion, SNR is the only determining parameter for BER performance of the system. In these systems, an AGC (automatic gain controller) may be used to compensate for variations in the received power.
On the other hand, in optical systems, because of the square-law detection effected at the receiver, there are some signal-dependent noise components, so that the optical SNR (OSNR) depends on the signal level. As such, the BER of optical systems depends not only on the OSNR, but also on the signal, i.e. on the level of the received power. Even when an equivalent optical AGC is used, the BER performance of the system is not completely independent of the received optical power. The present invention accounts for this dependency by effecting all measurements of BER and OSNR for the same power of the signal.
There are several test instruments available for measuring the extent of signal degradation using an eye closure diagram. An eye closure diagram is the graphic pattern produced on an oscilloscope when a baseband signal is applied to the vertical input of the oscilloscope and the symbol rate triggers the instrument time base. For a binary signal, such an eye diagram has a single eye which is open or closed to an extent determined by the signal degradation. An open pattern is desired. Changes in the eye size indicate inter-symbol interference, amplitude irregularities, or timing problems, such as jitters, depending on the signal that is measured.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,360 (Tremblay et al., issued Apr. 18, 1989 and assigned to Northern Telecom Limited) discloses a device for measuring chromatic dispersion of an optical fiber based on a baseband phase comparison method. The device described in this U.S. patent evaluates the transmission link performance using three threshold levels for recovering data. Two of the thresholds are obtained by measuring the level of "long 0s" and "long 1s", respectively, for a preset error rate, and the third threshold is provided in a selected relationship to the other two.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,790 (Tsukamoto et al., issued Jan. 24, 1989 and assigned to Anritsu Corporation) discloses a device comprising a transmitter for launching signals of various wavelengths into a reference or test fiber, and a receiver. At the receiver, the difference between two adjacent wavelengths is measured for both the reference and test paths for determining the delay of the respective wavelength.
None of these U.S. patents is concerned with providing a distortion measurement procedure that is simple to implement and gives a reliable measure of the contribution of the distortion to the system performance.

Distortion penalty measurement technique in optical systems based on signal level adjustment


A data processing apparatus and method are provided for moving data between registers and memory. The data processing apparatus comprises a register data store having a plurality of registers operable to store data elements. A processor is operable to perform in parallel a data processing operation on multiple data elements accessed in at least one of the registers. Access logic is operable in response to a single access instruction to move a plurality of data elements between specified registers and a continuous block of memory in which data elements are stored as an array of structures having a structure format, the structure format having a plurality of components. The single access instruction identifies the number of components in the structure format, and the access logic is further operable to rearrange the plurality of data elements as they are moved such that each specified register stores data elements of one component whilst in memory the data elements are stored as the array of structures.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus and method for moving data between registers and memory.
2. Background of the Invention
When it is necessary to perform a particular data processing operation on a number of separate data elements, one known approach for accelerating the performance of such an operation is to employ a SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) approach. In accordance with the SIMD approach, multiple of the data elements are placed side-by-side within a register, and then the operation is performed in parallel on those data elements.
However, the real performance benefits of the SIMD approach can only be fully realised if the data elements can be arranged in the appropriate order within the register without significant overhead. Typically, prior to performing the SIMD operation, the relevant data elements will need to be loaded from memory into the register(s), and it is often the case that the required data elements for the SIMD operation are not located consecutively within the memory address space. As an example, the data in memory may represent red, green and blue components for pixel values (i.e. be RGB data), and accordingly when data is loaded from a continuous block of memory into a register, the data elements within the register will also represent red, green and blue components, repeated for each pixel. It may be desired to perform a particular operation on all of the red components retrieved, and accordingly a problem that arises is how to arrange the red components in a manner such that a SIMD operation can then be applied to them.
In accordance with one known technique, data from a continuous block of memory (incorporating the required data elements to be subjected to SIMD processing) is loaded from memory into one or more registers. If each data element within a register is then considered as occupying a different lane of processing, the processor can be arranged to operate on different lanes in different ways in order to perform the required SIMD processing of particular data elements. Alternatively, certain customised instructions can be developed for particular operations. Whilst use of these techniques can avoid the need to reorder the data before the SIMD operation is performed, both of these approaches are relatively complex, and significantly increase code size by requiring different instructions and/or processes to be defined for different operations. Accordingly, such approaches do not represent a generic solution.
In addition, it can be seen that such approaches present a large overhead in terms of wasted resource bandwidth. For example, if a particular register has the capacity to store eight data elements, but some of the locations within the register contain data elements which are not going to be subjected to the SIMD operation, then it is not possible to get the maximum potential benefit from the use of the SIMD operation. As a particular example, if only four of the data elements within a particular register are to be subjected to the SIMD operation, then only half of the potential bandwidth supported by the register is being utilised.
An alternative prior art approach is to load the required data from the memory into one or more registers in the same manner as described above, but then to employ certain rearrangement operations specified by additional instructions in order to rearrange the data so that the data elements to be subjected to a SIMD operation are placed side by side within one or more registers. Whilst this then enables the subsequent SIMD operation to make maximum use of the available bandwidth of the register, there is a significant performance impact due to the requirement to execute one or more further instructions prior to execution of the SIMD operation in order to rearrange the data as required. This can significantly adversely affect the potential benefit to be realised from use of the SIMD operation.
In the different technical field of vector processing, it is known to provide load instructions which can collect individual data elements from non-consecutive locations in memory by specifying a starting address and a stride. This can for example enable every third data element starting from a particular address to be loaded into a register. Similar store instructions may also be provided.
Such an approach can be advantageous in vector processing systems, since such systems do not generally employ caches within the memory system, and typically are not seeking to access continuous blocks of memory. Accordingly, the increased complexity in the load/store hardware required to implement such striding functions is deemed worthwhile.
However, data processing systems that may be used to perform the earlier described SIMD operations on data elements placed side-by-side within particular registers typically do wish to access continuous blocks of memory, and accordingly it would not be desirable to increase the complexity of the basic load/store hardware in order to support such striding functions. As an example, considering the earlier example where the data represents red, green and blue components of pixels, then it may be desired to access the red, green and blue data elements for a particular sequence of pixels, and these data elements will typically be stored within a continuous block of memory. Whilst increasing the complexity of the load/store unit to support striding functionality might enable the red components to be gathered into a particular register, the blue components to be gathered into another register, and the green components to be gathered into another register, this would require separate instructions to be issued for each component, and further would significantly increase the number of memory accesses required in order to retrieve the data. In particular, it can be seen that every data element would in that instance be accessed from a non-consecutive location in memory, and that hence potentially a separate access would be required for every data element, whereas in fact the data required does occupy a continuous block of memory. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that employing such an approach would not only increase the complexity of the load/store hardware, but would also have a very significant adverse impact on the speed with which the data can be accessed.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved technique for moving data elements between specified registers and a continuous block of memory in order to support efficient SIMD processing operations.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Data processing apparatus and method for moving data elements between specified registers and a continuous block of memory


A test fixture for testing printed circuit boards includes an array of test probes held in contact with a pattern of test points in a circuit array printed on the circuit board. The circuit array is positioned on the board with respect to a fiducial mark on the board, and a tooling pin hole on the board is aligned with the circuit array. The fixture includes a tooling pin inserted in the tooling pin hole to hold the circuit array in a fixed position relative to the test probes during testing. The fiducial mark is sensed, and an optical reading shows the alignment or misalignment of the test points on the board relative to the probes. The tooling pin is adjusted on the fixture to move the board relative to the probes to correct misalignment. The optical reading indicates movement of the tooling pin and board to a corrected position necessary to align the circuits on the board to the probe field. The alignment of the board on the fixture can be optically sensed by a lens system, fiber optic image conduit, light source, an image enlarger and video probe, removable from the fixture base, that produces images of the fiducial mark and a known zero reference point on a TV monitor. The zero reference is adjustable electronically during calibration. Alignment of the fiducial mark image to the reference point image produces precise alignment of the test probes and the circuit array.

In the automatic testing of printed circuit boards, conventional spring-loaded test probes are typically mounted on a test fixture, and the circuit board under test is held in pressure contact with the spring probes to provide electrical contact between diagnostic or testing equipment and circuits on the board under test. Each test fixture typically contains a base or probe plate having an array of spring probes dedicated to the board under test. Identical circuit boards are then aligned with the fixture and tested, one at a time, to determine whether there are any defects in the circuits printed on each board.
During testing, the spring probes must be correctly aligned with test points in the circuits printed on the board under test. This requires correct alignment of the board on the fixture so that the spring probes are automatically registered with corresponding test points in the circuit array printed on each board. In order to align the board with the probes, the customary practice has been to first drill tooling pin holes in the circuit board. Drilling is done by the board manufacturer, and usually a pair of tooling pin holes are drilled in diagonally opposite corners of the board. During testing, tooling pins in opposite corners of the fixture are positioned in corresponding tooling pin holes to automatically align the board with the array of test probes on the fixture. This procedure requires that the tooling pin holes be drilled accurately in the board by the board manufacturer, so that when each board is later mounted on the tooling pins, the test probes will automatically register with the circuits printed on the board when the test probes are brought into pressure contact with the board during testing.
Printed circuit boards made by a given manufacturer are usually produced in lots, and boards within a given lot will tend to produce a certain misalignment, from tolerance error, when boards within that lot are mounted on a fixture. Alignment tolerances will tend to vary from lot to lot with a given manufacturer. The same board made by a different manufacturer also tends to have different tolerance variations and misalignment errors from lot to lot.
Printed circuit boards typically have a pair of "fiducial marks" printed in the margin of the board at known reference positions relative to the circuit array or "artwork" printed on the board. The fiducial marks are printed on the board by the board manufacturer, and the fiducial marks are used as a guide for the manufacturer's drilling of the tooling pin holes at locations on the board that will automatically align (hopefully) the board to the test probes when the board is mounted on the tooling pins.
There are drawbacks to using these procedures for aligning a printed circuit board with a test fixture. Mechanical tolerances are involved in (1) positioning of the drilling tool in the drilling machine, (2) positioning of the tooling pin holes drilled in the printed circuit board with respect to the artwork on the board, and (3) positioning of the tooling pins on the fixture with respect to the tooling pin holes in the board. Because of these tolerance accumulations, the test probes often do not precisely register with the test points in the circuit array printed on the board. This problem is magnified by tolerance variations in board lots from different manufacturers. The problem also is compounded by advances in the art of printed circuit board technology, where printing of circuits with finer lines and narrower circuit spacings requires more accurate registration of the test probes with the circuits under test. At the present time, for example, it is common for test probes to be misaligned within a range of 0.005 to 0.008 inch in a typical test fixture; more accurate alignment is desirable, and the present invention provides techniques for achieving greater alignment accuracy.


An optical frequency division multiplexing network includes first optical communication paths connected to terminals, respectively, a second optical communication path connected to the outside and a node composed of a selection unit for selecting signals having optical frequencies to be sent to the plurality of terminals, respectively, from signals transmitted through the second optical communication path in optical frequency division multiplexing, a conversion unit for converting the selected signals into signals having a single optical frequency and an output unit for producing the converted signals to the terminals through the first optical communication paths, respectively.

The present invention relates to an information transmission system employing optical communication, and more particularly to a network with high reliability and flexibility using optical frequency selection and optical frequency conversion functions.
Recently, with the advance of coherent communication techniques, there has been proposed a network utilizing optical frequency division multiplexing (or optical wavelength division multiplexing) transmission.
Typical examples of the optical frequency or wavelength division multiplexing network are found in paper (1) "IEEE Journal of Lightwave Technology, Vol. 7, (No. 11, pp. 1759-1768, 1989" and paper (2) "Proceedings of IOOC, '90, pp. 84-95, 1990". Networks described in other papers are similar to those described in the above two papers.
A network configuration described in the paper (1) is shown in FIG. 2 of the paper and part thereof corresponding to the present invention is shown in FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings. FIG. 2 shows a line distribution and collection system of the network shown in the paper (1). The system of FIG. 2 includes a remote node 10 having a wavelength demultiplexer 500 and a wavelength multiplexer 501 connected through optical fibers 100 and 200, respectively, to a central office and subscriber terminals 20-1.about.N connected through optical fibers 300-1.about.N to 400-1.about.N to the remote node. Signals having wavelength .lambda..sub.ll to .lambda..sub.ln transmitted from the central office in wavelength division multiplexing fashion are demultiplexed into signals having the respective optical frequencies by the wavelength demultiplexer to be transmitted to the subscriber terminals 20-1.about.N. On the countrary, signals having wavelength .lambda..sub.2l to .lambda..sub.2n transmitted from the subscriber terminals 20-1.about.N are wavelength-multiplexed by the wavelength multiplexer to be transmitted to the central office.
In the above-mentioned system, the subscriber terminals 20-1.about.N must transmit and receive signals having different wavelengths, respectively. In the paper (1), as shown in FIG. 4 thereof, receivers are common to the subscriber terminals, while transmitters employ lasers having different wavelengths for each subscriber terminal. Accordingly, a laser having stable wavelength must be provided in each subscriber terminal and hence there is a problem in reliability and flexibility. Further, movement of the subscriber terminal is not easy.
In the paper (1), transmission employs the conventional intensity modulation optical communication and accordingly it is difficult that the multiplex degree of optical signal exceeds 100. Even in this system, a coherent receiver capable of effecting multiplexing with the multiplex degree of 1000 or more can be used. In this case, receivers capable of receiving signals having wavelengths .lambda..sub.ll to .lambda..sub.ln transmitted from the central office assigned to the subscriber terminals 20-1.about.N with wavelength division multiplexing are required. Accordingly, the receivers are expensive as compared with the present invention described later.
Further, coherent receivers having variable transmission wavelength and common to the subscriber terminals 20-1.about.N can be employed. In this case, however, signals having wavelength .lambda..sub.2l to .lambda..sub.2n transmitted from the subscriber terminals are also multiplexed and accordingly the wavelength must be stable. It is difficult to remotely control the wavelength and hence the reliability of the network is also degraded.
Furthermore, when it is to be attempted that the optical fibers 300-1.about.N and 400-1.about.N are combined to effect bi-directional transmission by means of a single optical fiber per subscriber terminal, "it is basically required that all of wavelengths .lambda..sub.ll to .lambda..sub.ln and .lambda..sub.21 to .lambda..sub.2n are different" and utilization efficiency of frequency is deteriorated.
A network configuration described in the paper (2) is shown in FIG. 1 of the paper and is shown in FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings in corresponding manner to the present invention. The system includes a remote node (not shown in the paper (2)) having a power divider 502 and a transport star coupler or wavelength multiplexer 501 connected to a central office (not shown in the paper (2)) through optical fibers 100 and 200 and fixed wavelength receivers and tunable transmitters or subscriber terminals 20-1.about.N connected to the remote node through optical fibers 300-1.about.N and 400-1.about.N. All optical signals having wavelengths .lambda..sub.ll to .lambda..sub.ln transmitted from the central office with wavelength division multiplexing are transmitted to the subscriber terminals 20-1.about.N by means of the power divider and the subscriber terminals 20-1.about.N receive only necessary signals by receivers for receiving only particular wavelength. On the contrary, signal having wavelengths .lambda..sub.2l to .lambda..sub.2n transmitted from the subscriber terminals are wavelength-multiplexed by the wavelength multiplexer to be transmitted to the central office.
This system is featured in that an inexpensive power divider is used instead of the wavelength demultiplexer of the paper (1) and wavelength selection reception which is a maximum advantage of coherent transmission can be utilized.
The maximum drawback of this system is that all of the subscriber terminals 20-1.about.N can receive all signals. Thus, there is a problem in privacy characteristic.
Accordingly, in the system of the paper (2), receivers having a fixed receive frequency are disposed in each of the subscriber terminals 20-1.about.N. However, there remains the problem in the privacy characteristic for malicious operation.
Further, when a coherent transmitter and receiver are used, the transmitter and receiver of the system have also the same problem as in the transmitter and receiver of the paper (1).
The conventional network utilizing the wavelength division multiplexing has drawbacks as follows. Particularly, since the wavelength employed between the central office and the remote node and between the remote node and the subscriber terminals is the same, a failure occurring in one subscriber terminal influences all of the subscriber terminals connected to the remote node to which the subscriber terminal having the failure is connected. Further, since the transmitter and receiver of the subscriber terminal must deal with a multiplicity of frequencies and require the same reliability as that of the central office, it is very expensive. In addition, expansion of the network and rearrangement of the subscriber terminals are not made easily and the flexibility of the network is lacking.

Optical frequency division multiplexing network


Servers, storage medium and methods associated with provision of user interface on a computing device are disclosed herein. In embodiments, a storage medium may have instructions to enable the computing device to monitor interactions with the first computing device by a user of the first computing device. The instructions may enable the first computing device to upload detected interactions or characteristic data of the interactions to a remote computing service to enable accumulation of the characteristic data of the interactions or generation of customizable user interface settings at the remote computing service. The instructions may enable the first computing device to subsequently download of the accumulated characteristic data of the interactions or customizable user interface settings to a second computing device associated with the user, for use to facilitate provision of a user interface on the second computing device, based at least in part on downloaded characteristic data of the interactions or customizable user interface settings. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
In general, users are not satisfied by the user experience (known as UX) and user interfaces (known as UI) that are demonstrated by web applications today. Many users want to customize web applications according to their individual needs and habits. User preferences would typically include specific and friendly user interfaces. Users are generally familiar with applications which run on different Operation Systems (OS) as native applications. These applications will typically be deployed to different touch devices, however, due to natural limitations of layout design and missing differentiation of user touch input, such as different touch habit, different fingers etc., it may be difficult to customize an application's layout for each individual. Users of an application therefore work with the same layout and same usage model on different devices.
To solve the native application layout issues on different devices, developers typically have to prepare and build up a variety of themes to make native applications adjust to different devices and usage scenarios. Such applications load different icons and widgets On different windows and screen sizes. These applications may be built with specific sources and components on different target device. Developers use the relative position and percentage sizing in layout to improve UI adjustment to the target devices. However, for web applications, it may be difficult to match an application to a variety of client devices, so developers have to keep tuning the applications in order to refine the UI as they do on native applications.

Provision of a user interface based on user interaction with a computing device


A circuit for receiving digital signals over a transmission line. A feedback circuit is coupled to an input node of the transmission line and adjusts the input impedance of the receiver circuit to match the characteristic impedance of the transmission line. The feedback circuit includes a first current source controlled by a first voltage and having a first transconductance, and a second current source controlled by the first voltage and having a second transconductance equal to the first transconductance times a first scaling factor. The feedback circuit includes a first resistance element having a resistance equal to the first scaling factor plus one, times the characteristic impedance of the transmission line, and is coupled between the outputs of the first and second current sources. Finally, the feedback circuit also includes a differential amplifier that compares the output of the first current source to a reference value then generates the first voltage output to control each of the first and second current sources.

A multi-conductor electrical cable is often used to communicate electrical signals, such as audio and video signals, from one electronic device to another. In a common application, modern smartphones include a female audio jack for receiving a male plug configured at one end of a cable from an external device, such as a headset, to facilitate analog voice and audio communications. It is also possible to use a multi-conductor cable for sending and receiving digital data between digital devices at high frequencies, e.g., exceeding 10 MHz, thereby providing enhanced features and more sophisticated control schemes. However, variations in the process, supply voltage and temperature of the receiver circuit elements, herein referred to as PVT variations, create problems for reliably extracting digital data when using such cables. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a receiver circuit that could compensate for PVT variations in the active circuit elements in order to communicate digital data between devices and to obtain reliable data extraction.

Line receiver circuit with active termination


Methods for measuring the flow differential through a dialysis machine are disclosed in which the dialysis machine includes a heat exchanger having a primary side and a secondary side for exchanging heat therebetween. The method includes measuring the temperature differences across the primary and secondary sides of the heat exchanger and calculating the flow differential based upon these measured temperature differences. Apparatus for measuring such a flow differential is also disclosed, as are methods for calibrating that apparatus.

The present invention is intended to be employed in a dialysis machine for measuring and/or monitoring the degree of ultrafiltration taking place during the dialysis procedure. A dialysis machine in which the invention can be employed is disclosed in European Patent No. B1-0,278,100 which describes a dialysis machine corresponding essentially to the commercial dialysis machine sold under the trademark GAMBRO AK 100.
Such a dialysis machine is provided with an inlet for an incoming liquid flow, such as pure water, and one or more inlets for the addition of concentrate thereto. The liquids from these inlets are mixed to form a dialysis solution, called the dialysate, which is supplied to a dialyser.
The dialyser includes a membrane which divides the dialyser into a blood side and a dialysate side. The dialysis solution passes over the dialysate side and purifies the blood by transporting impurities such as urea from the blood through the membrane to the dialysis solution, and by transporting necessary substances such as bicarbonate from the dialysis solution to the blood. In addition, a quantity of the liquid content in the blood, i.e., blood plasma, is drawn from the blood to the dialysis solution, as the so-called ultrafiltrate.
The dialysis solution is returned to the dialysis machine and discharged as an outgoing liquid flow from the dialysis machine to a drain.
Furthermore, the dialysis machine comprises a variety of means for regulating the composition of the dialysis solution, for achieving sufficient pressure and flow conditions for the dialysis solution, as well as for regulating and transporting the blood flow on the blood side of the dialyser. Thus, the dialysis machine includes a flow measuring device for measuring the flow of dialysis solution to and from the dialyser, and for calculating the ultrafiltrate as a difference between these flows.
German Patent No. A1-4,127,675 discloses a method and apparatus for monitoring the fluid flow in a conduit. A heat impulse is supplied to the fluid and the increase of temperature due to the supplied heat energy is used as a measurement of the mass flow through the conduit. The principle is called a thermal flow meter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,759 discloses a method and apparatus for measuring the ultrafiltrate in a dialysis machine using a balancing device. The balancing device induces an error in the ultrafiltrate measurement due to different temperatures in the two balancing chambers, resulting in a small change of density. This error is compensated for by measuring the temperature difference and applying a correction factor thereto.
In a medical dialysis apparatus, it is customary to use a second independent measuring device for purposes of safety while monitoring significant properties and operating parameters of the dialysis machine.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a device which monitors the ultrafiltrate totally independently of the normal operation of the dialysis machine.

Method and apparatus for measuring the flow differential in a dialysis machine, and method for calibrating the apparatus


A system is provided for forming a continuous mineral fiber wool tow and cutting the tow into discrete lengths. The system comprises a conveying apparatus for pulling a mineral fiber wool tow from a mineral fiber pack at a first location and transporting the tow to a chopping station. A chopping apparatus is positioned at the chopping station for chopping the tow into discrete lengths. The conveying apparatus further receives the discrete lengths at the chopping station and transports the discrete lengths to a collecting station. The conveying apparatus further includes a collection device located at the collecting station for receiving the discrete lengths of mineral fiber wool material and collecting the discrete lengths for subsequent use.

Chopping devices for cutting glass filaments are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,869,268 to Briar et al. teaches a device for chopping continuous glass filaments drawn from streams of molten glass into discrete segments. The device comprises a cot roll and a juxtaposed cutting roll, which together define a cutting nip for receiving the glass filaments. The cot and cutting rolls supply the attenuation forces to draw the streams of molten glass into filaments and further serve to chop the glass filaments into discrete segments. Because the filaments are continuous and pulled by the cot and cutter rolls towards them, conveying or delivering the glass filaments to the cutting nip is generally not a problem. Also, because the filaments are continuous and due to their weight, it is typically not difficult to keep the glass filaments properly positioned between the cot and cutting rolls during the cutting step.
It would be desirable to use a chopping device comprising cot and cutting rolls to cut a light-weight mineral fiber wool tow into discrete sections. However, in order to do so, a conveying system must be designed which is capable of delivering a light-weight tow to a cutting nip between cot and cutting rolls. The system must also be capable of maintaining the light-weight tow properly positioned between the two rolls.
In accordance with the present invention, a conveying system is provided which is capable of delivering a light-weight tow to a cutting nip between cot and cutting rolls.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a system is provided for forming a continuous mineral fiber wool tow and cutting the tow into discrete lengths. The system comprises a conveying apparatus for pulling a mineral fiber wool tow from a mineral fiber pack at a first location and transporting the tow to a chopping station. A chopping apparatus is positioned at the chopping station for chopping the tow into discrete lengths. The conveying apparatus further receives the discrete lengths at the chopping station and transports the discrete lengths to a collecting station. The conveying apparatus further includes a collection device located at the collecting station for receiving the discrete lengths of mineral fiber wool material and collecting the discrete lengths for subsequent use.
Preferably, the chopping apparatus comprises a cot roll having a generally smooth outer circumferential surface; a drive motor for effecting rotation of the cot roll; a rotatable cutting roll juxtaposed to the cot roll and contacting the cot roll at its circumferential surface to rotate with the cot roll; and a substantially air-tight enclosure surrounding the cot roll and the cutting roll. The rotatable cutting roll and the cot roll define a cutting nip for receiving the tow such that the tow is received in the nip and cut into discrete lengths.
The cutting roll may comprise a cutting wheel having a plurality of cutting blades associated therewith and spaced apart from one another about the cutting wheel.
The conveying apparatus preferably comprises a collection hood for receiving the mineral fiber tow; a nozzle extending into the air-tight enclosure for delivering the tow to the cutting nip; a first conduit section coupled to and extending between the hood and the nozzle; a second conduit section coupled to and extending between the chopping device and the collection device and a vacuum pump associated with the collection device for drawing a vacuum in the collection device, the air-tight enclosure, the nozzle, the first and second conduit sections, and the collection hood.
In one embodiment, the conveying apparatus further comprises a third conduit section coupled to and extending between the collection hood and the second conduit section for defining a bypass path for the tow when the tow is to be conveyed to the collecting station without being cut into discrete lengths. A first valve device may be associated with the first conduit section for allowing the tow to pass through the first conduit section when the first valve device is in its open position and for preventing the tow from passing through the first conduit section when the first valve device is in its closed position. A second valve device may be associated with the third conduit section for allowing the tow to pass through the third conduit section when the second valve device is in its open position and for preventing the tow from passing through the third conduit section when the second valve device is in its closed position.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a chopping device is provided for cutting a continuous mineral fiber wool tow into discrete lengths. The cutting device comprises a cot roll having a generally smooth outer circumferential surface; a drive motor for effecting rotation of the cot roll; and a rotatable cutting roll juxtaposed to the cot roll and contacting the cot roll at its circumferential surface to rotate with the cot roll. The rotatable cutting roll and the cot roll define a cutting nip for receiving the tow such that the tow is received in the nip and cut into discrete lengths. The cutting roll preferably comprises a cutting wheel having a plurality of cutting blades associated therewith and spaced apart from one another about the cutting wheel. At least one of the cutting blades has a generally V shape, a chevron shape or is formed in the shape of an arc.
In one of the illustrated embodiments, the blades are spaced apart from one another about the cutting wheel such that at least one blade is always in contact with the cot roll during rotation of the cot roll and the cutting roll.
It is further contemplated that the cutting roll may further comprise a plurality of teeth positioned about at least one of the outer circumferential edges of the cutting wheel.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for forming a continuous mineral fiber wool tow and cutting the tow into discrete lengths. The method comprises the steps of: pulling a continuous mineral fiber wool tow from a mineral fiber pack; conveying the tow to a chopping station; chopping the tow into discrete lengths at the chopping station; and transporting the discrete lengths from the chopping station to a collecting station where the discrete lengths are collected for subsequent use.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a conveying system which is capable of delivering a light-weight tow to a cutting nip between cot and cutting rolls. It is further an object of the present invention to provide a conveying system which is capable of maintaining a light-weight tow generally centered between cot and cutting rolls such that the tow is cut into discrete lengths or segments. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for cutting a mineral fiber wool tow into discrete lengths.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

System for forming and cutting a mineral fiber tow

Owens Corning Fiberglas Technology, Inc.


A shaft assembly, comprising: a generally hollow shaft having first and second ends and at least one internal tube positioned within the shaft so as to be adapted to be placed under tension to control the natural frequency of the shaft. The shaft assembly has a predetermined length and the series of internal tubes has a cumulative length that is greater than the predetermined length of the shaft.

Driveline systems, also referred to as power train systems, deliver power to different combinations of drive wheels, such as, for example front drive wheels, rear drive wheels, or some combination thereof. In some systems, drivelines permit the driven wheels to rotate at different speeds. For example, the outside wheels must rotate faster than the inside drive wheels, and front drive wheels must normally rotate faster than the rear wheels.
A representative driveline lines system for a rear wheel or all wheel drive vehicle, for example, incorporates one or more constant velocity joint to connect a pair of front and rear propeller shafts ("propshafts") to transfer torque from a power take off unit to a rear drive line module. However, at certain rotational speeds and resonant frequencies, the propshafts are known to exhibit unbalanced rotation, creating undesirable vibrations. These vibrations, are known to result in bending or torsional forces within and along the length of the respective propeller shaft. Such bending and torsional forces are neither desirable nor suitable in the operation of the driveline system.
In some instances, it has been known to employ dynamic dampers and mass dampers to suppress undesirable vibrations. Such dampers are installed or inserted directly onto the rotary driveshafts. The dampers transfers and absorbs the vibrational energy of the rotary propeller shaft by generating a prescribed vibrational frequency adjusted to the dominant frequency of the vibrations. The dynamic damper thus cancels or negates vibrations that are induced onto or caused by the rotary propshaft in normal operation of the propshaft of the vehicle. However, the use of such dampers does not address or increase, the threshold resonant frequency at which harmful bending of the propshaft will occur.
Thus, there exists a need for a propshaft assembly that minimizes or even negates undesirable vibrations caused by unbalanced rotation, but also increases the resonant frequency of bending of the driveshaft itself.


System speed boundary tests are made on nets interconnecting field programmable logic without any external testing equipment or special printed circuit board layout for such a test. Only a single net interconnecting all field programmable logic in a ring is employed. The tests are made for opens and shorts and localize faults to a particular net. Nets interconnecting field programmable logic are tested utilizing the information stored in the circuit design file and the reprogrammability of the field programmable logic to construct a circuit that is then implemented in the field programmable logic and tests all interconnecting nets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for performing automatic tests on a printed circuit board (PCB) or card and, more particularly, to a network test circuit and method that utilizes a unique pulse and sequential count to detect and locate opens and shorts on card networks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The IEEE (Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers) 1149 standard addresses the growing demand for a means of performing in-circuit testing. The standard provides several important functions: external network (net) testing, internal functional testing, and a sample mode. The external testing provides a means for testing for opens and shorts on printed circuit board (PCB) or card networks. The other two functions provide a means for testing the function of the chip itself.
The IEEE standard proposes a four pin interface which each chip should provide. The four pins are a mode pin, a scan-in pin, a scan-out pin, and a pin for the test clock. The IEEE standard also defines a boundary circuit which each chip should provide at every input/output (I/O). This boundary circuit is where the testing takes place.
The operation of a boundary scan is fairly straight forward. In a system, the scan-out and scan-in pins for the chips are connected so that the boundary scan latches in those chips form a ring. The test patterns for the chips are then scanned into the output boundary latches. The pattern of "1s" and "0s" is held at these output latches while the input boundary latches receive the result. The resulting pattern is then scanned out of the input boundary latches and compared to the expected result. If the expected pattern differs from the received pattern, a problem exists. All tests and result gathering are conducted at the test speed provided by the test clock.
In practice, the boundary scan technique is much more complicated than described above, and considerable research has been and continues to be devoted to test pattern generation, fault isolation, and fault detection. However, the foregoing description should provide a basic understanding of how the boundary scan technique works.
The IEEE 1149 standard led to a flurry of activity in boundary scan techniques. One area of particular concentration is pattern generation; i.e., what is a good set of test patterns to scan into the boundary registers? At the 1988 International Test Conference, Abu Hassan et al. presented a paper entitled "Testing and Diagnosis of Interconnects Using Boundary Scan Architecture" which describes a walking sequence test pattern. The walking sequence consists of a pattern, for example a logic "1", which is scanned through the boundary latches. In the case of the walking "1" pattern, a logic "1" is shifted into the first output boundary register, the test is begun, and the input boundary registers latch in the result. The resulting pattern is shifted out and the number of logic "1s" is counted. If the number of logic "1s" received is too few or too many, a faulty net exists. The walking sequence test pattern may be used to detect OR-shorts, stuck-on-one (S-A-1) faults, AND-shorts, and stuck-on-zero (S-A-0) faults. The walking sequence has the advantages that it is easy to use and very time efficient.
Matthias Gruetzner, in "Design for Testability for Wafer-Scale Integration Interconnect Systems Design and Test Methodology", Proceedings of the 1988 International Test Conference, 1988, pp. 146-152, describes an echoregister circuit. This circuit receives the results from a boundary test, then "echoes" them back to the sender. In this procedure, the device under test needs only to be accessed at one end.
Also relevant to the art of testing electrical circuit boards using boundary scan techniques are the following references:
R. W. Bassett et al., "Boundary-Scan Design Principles for Efficient LSSD ASIC Testing", IBM Journal of Research and Development, vol. 34, no. 2/3, March/May 1990, pp. 339-354.
Dirk van de Lagemaat and Harry Blecker, "Testing a Board with Boundary Scan", Proceedings of the 1987 International Test Conference, pp. 724-730.
Colin Maunder and Frans Beenker, "Boundary-Scan: A Framework for Structural Design-for-Test", Proceedings of the 1987 International Test Conference, pp. 714-723.
Paul T. Wagner, "Interconnect Testing with Boundary Scan", Proceedings of the 1987 International Test Conference, pp. 52-57.
In the patented literature, U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,174 to Mori et al. discloses a fault diagnostic distributed processing method and system. Mori et al. are primarily concerned with fault detection and isolation in distributed systems and, therefore, is not directly applicable to the problem solved by the subject invention. One major difference is the matter of time-out. In the Mori et al. patent, the tester has to wait a period of time (i.e., it has to time-out) before it realizes that there is a problem. This approach is not suitable to efficient printed circuit board testing.
The location of opens and shorts on a PCB or card is a difficult task when a bed-of-nails test cannot be easily performed. The need for such a testing mechanism arises, first, during laboratory debugging and, second, during field test. The testing for opens and shorts is needed during laboratory debugging when the card manufacturing process has not been completely established and is still unreliable. It is also needed during debugging when engineering changes are made. These changes have the potential of adversely affecting the card networks (e.g., solder bridges may be accidently made or networks accidently cut). In the field, when a card defect is suspected of causing a system malfunction, a means for testing for opens and shorts without a bed-of-nails tester is also required.
The echoregister circuit of Gruetzner allows testing where pins would normally be inaccessible. However, the echoregister does not return responses sequentially so that multi-drop nets cannot be tested. The walking sequence proposed by Hassan et al. provides the sequential response lacking with the echoregister circuit, but this approach does not allow the testing of multiple pins at system speed; rather, the test is performed at service clock speed. In addition, while both approaches provide a good level of confidence in the test results, better fault isolation than either can provide is desired.

Method and apparatus for diagnosing net interconnect faults using echo pulsed signals

International Business Machines Corporation


A cellular phone battery charger includes a housing, a control circuit assembly mounted within the housing, the control circuit assembly having a power jack for obtaining power supply from a car battery by a cable or a city power supply outlet by a transformer, a coupling element mounted in the housing at the rear side to hold any of a variety of cellular phone connectors for connection to a particular cellular phone, and a batter holder mounted in the housing at the front side and electrically connected to the control circuit assembly for receiving a 9V alkaline battery for providing battery power supply to the connected cellular phone in an emergency case.

The present invention relates to cellular phone battery chargers, and more particularly to a cellular phone battery charger with an emergency battery charging function which can be attached with a 9V alkaline battery to provide battery power supply to the connected cellular phone when in an emergency case.
FIG. 4 shows the arrangement of a cellular phone adapter with the related peripheral apparatus according to the prior art. The cellular phone adapter 9 has a signal jack for receiving the plug 51 of a hand-free speaker and microphone circuit assembly 5, a power jack for receiving the first plug 93 of a cable 91, which has a second plug 92 for connection to the socket for cigarette lighter of a motor vehicle to obtain car battery power supply from it, and an electric connector for connection to a cellular phone 8. If the cellular phone user leaves from the car to a far place and the battery power of the cellular phone is low, the cellular phone becomes unable to function.

Cellular phone battery charger with an emergency battery charging function


An image processer has an extractor to extract a character area from color image data. A color-difference-value acquirer acquires information about color-difference values in the character area. A color-saturation-value acquirer acquires information about color saturation in the character area. A color-difference-subrange storage stores pre-defined color-difference subranges. A chromatic-region determination section determines the character area as gray when color salutation values fail to satisfy a condition for a chromatic color, and determines the character area as a chromatic region when color saturation values in the character area satisfy the condition. A first color-difference-subrange assignment section assigns a stored color-difference subrange to the character area determined as the chromatic region based on information about color-difference values. A representative-color setup section sets color information about the character area determined as chromatic by using an average of the color-difference values in the color-difference subrange assigned to the character area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for subjecting color image data including a character to an image processing, and a computer-readable recording medium which records a program for performing the image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, it has become so popular to use a scanner apparatus designed to read a color image from a document so as to create an electronic file containing data about the color image, and transmit the electronic file to an external terminal unit, such as a personal computer, which is connected to the scanner apparatus via a network or a communication interface, and a complex machine having such a scanner function and a copy function.
With a view to reduction in communication load and in storage space required for storing image data in the form of an electronic file, the scanner apparatus or the complex machine is designed to compress color image data read from a document so as to reduce a file size. As a methodology for efficiently compressing image data, there has been known an irreversible compression (i.e., glossy compression) scheme suitable for compression of a multivalued image, such as a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) scheme, which is configured to irreversibly compress image data while keeping deterioration in image quality at an invisible level by taking advantage of human's visual characteristics, so as to perform high-efficiency data compression.
In an operation of compressing image data consisting of a mixture of a character and a background image, using the irreversible compression scheme, there is a problem that severe deterioration in image quality occurs in an area having a high contract, such as a character area, to cause a decline in visibility of the character. In order to improve the problem about poor visibility of a character mixed with a multivalued image, the following technique has been known.
In this conventional technique, only a character area is extracted from a color image read from a document, and formed as monochrome (i.e., achromatic) binarized image data. The obtained binarized image data is compressed using an reversible compression scheme suitable for compression of binarized data, such as an MMR (Modified Relative Element Address Designate) scheme. In addition, information about a specific color exhibiting a peak in a color histogram of the character area is acquired as color information of the character area. Image data about the remaining area other than the character area is compressed using the high-efficiency irreversible compression scheme.
That is, the above conventional technique is designed to compress image data about a character area and image data about a non-character area individually, and additionally acquire color information of the character area, so as to reduce a data volume without a decline in visibility of the character area (see, for example, JP 2002-77633A). There has also been known a file format, such as a high-compression PDF (Portable Document Format) or an XPS (XML Paper Specification) format, which is capable of combining the image data/color information of the character area and the image data about the remaining area other than the character area, and creating a single electronic file containing the combined data.
However, in cases where a specific color exhibiting a peak in a color histogram of a character area is used as a representative color of the character area as mentioned above, color reproducibility of a color character will deteriorate. This causes a problem that a delicate difference in hue cannot be rendered, for example, in a color image where a vermilion seal is stamped beside a red character.

Image processing apparatus and computer-readable recording medium which records image processing program