The present disclosure relates to a method for increasing an amount of air and/or oxygen passing through an airway of an individual, reducing airway restrictions in an individual, increasing airway patency and/or maintaining airway patency in an individual, decreasing snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, or a combination thereof, in an individual. The method may comprise stimulating at least four regions of the individual's neck, where two of the at least four regions of the individual's neck are anterior triangle regions on opposing sides of the individual's midline, and another two of the at least four regions of the individual's neck are anterior triangle regions on opposing sides of the individual's midline, posterior to the two of the at least four regions. The present disclosure also discusses related devices and systems.

Snoring is a common chronic ailment that affects a large global population. Snoring is commonly caused by muscles in the tongue and/or associated upper airway muscles to relax, which causes the muscles to partially block the airway and vibrate as the body pushes air through the restricted airway. Snoring can disrupt an individual's, and their partner's, deep sleep and can cause sleep deprivation, which has negative long-term health effects.
Obstructive sleep apnea affects a large segment of the population; a segment that will continue to grow with the global populations' increasing obesity rates. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by muscles relaxing around the airway and blocking the airway. Obstructive sleep apnea reduces the amount of time an individual stays in restorative phase of sleep including rapid eye movement (REM), and therefore, may cause daytime fatigue.
Restricting airflow in an individual's airway may cause hypoxemia and pose significant long-term negative side effects including hypertension, heart problems, an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, and diabetes, and cognitive deficiency.
One known method for treating snoring and/or sleep apnea is the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device. A CPAP device continuously forces pressurized air through a restricted or blocked air passage via a mask that covers the face and/or nose of an individual, and is connected by a hose to a machine to pump pressurized air to keep the individual's airway open while sleeping. Other known treatment devices include Mandibular Advancement Devices, Provent Therapy, chin straps, and surgery.
Improvements in treating sleep related breathing disorders, for example, snoring and sleep apnea, are desirable.

Method and device for treating sleep related breathing disorders


A support damper is provided for a bearing assembly to improve the damping capabilities of an uncentered squeeze film damper and to provide a support structure stiffness to minimize rotor to structure unbalance response. In one embodiment, and by way of example only, the support damper includes an inner ring, an outer ring, and U-shaped beams. The inner ring is configured to be disposed around the bearing assembly and to extend axially along a portion thereof. The outer ring is spaced apart from the inner ring and extends radially outwardly relative thereto. The U-shaped beams couple the inner ring to the outer ring. Methods of manufacturing the support damper are also provided.

Gas turbine engines are used as the primary power source for many types of aircraft. Most turbine engines include rotating components such as a fan, a compressor, and a turbine. The rotating components may be clamped together either by a tieshaft or bolted flange joints to form a rotor group. Two or more bearing assemblies may be employed to support the rotor group. Generally, the bearing assemblies may be surrounded by a support housing, which may be connected to an engine case.
During high-speed rotation of the rotor group, forces may be transmitted from the rotor group to the support housing. To damp the effects of the transmitted forces, a squeeze film damper may be included in some engines. A squeeze film damper operates by supplying fluid (usually oil) through dedicated oil delivery passages into a squeeze film cavity formed via a clearance between the support housing and the bearing assemblies.
Although squeeze film dampers are relatively useful in reducing rotor vibration in some cases, they may suffer drawbacks in others. For example, because the rotor orbiting within the mount itself may become off-center with respect to the squeeze film cavity, the rotating rotor group may not remain concentric. Thus, the rotor may sit at the bottom of the damper clearance or may be unable to process around the clearance between the bearing assembly and the support housing. As a result, the squeeze film damper may become relatively stiff during operation and may not absorb as much vibration as desired. Additionally, the support housing stiffness may allow the rotor group to vibrate with certain modes when subjected to a particular engine operating speed range, and the squeeze film damper may not adequately damp this increased rotor unbalance response.
Hence, it is desirable to have an apparatus that may be used to improve the damping capabilities of an off-center squeeze film damper and provide a support structure stiffness that minimizes a rotor-to-structure unbalance response. It is desirable for the apparatus to be capable of limiting rotor radial excursion and to accommodate a particular rotor thrust load. It is also desirable for the apparatus to have a relatively compact design and to be capable of being retrofitted into existing engines.

Support dampers for bearing assemblies and methods of manufacture


A kettledrum is connected to a support leg stand by a connecting mechanism which includes a connecting member attached to the leg stand and a drum clamping mechanism attached to the counterhoop of the drum. The drum clamping mechanism includes an auxiliary clamping unit having a joining part which engages a joining hole formed in a main clamping unit. Three connecting mechanisms may be equiangularly spaced around the drum for providing a stable support of the drum and reduction of vibrations.

Conventionally, a regular support for a kettledrum involves support holes on the drum shell, with three fixing units to directly tighten the support holes, and on the fixing units is fixed the support leg stand, thus to form a support surface to maintain a proper distance between the kettledrum and the floor; however, in the above support method, because of the installation part on the counterhoop, the distance and angle between the support leg stands could not be equally divided at 120.degree. intervals, instead, they are divided at the angles of 110.degree., 115.degree., 115.degree., therefore, the formed support surface could not achieve a sufficient supporting effect for the kettledrum, and the drilling of support holes on the drum shell will cause sophisticated production procedures and cause a major harm to the drum itself.
Furthermore, since the support holes are located at specific positions on the drum, in case the drummer needs to change the location of the kettledrum due to the accompaniment by various musical instruments, he will have to relocate the kettledrum because of different intervals of the support leg stands, or he will have to remove the support legs to make necessary adjustment, and the placement location will not be compatible after said adjustment is made, therefore, some drummers will have to make another integrated placement of the accompanying musical instruments due to the above complicated procedures for adjustment, then he will have to make necessary selection to suit different song or music styles, but actually, the placement of too many musical instruments will reduce the battering smoothness to the drummer, so the integral quality of the drumming effect will be affected;
Besides, when the fixing unit is directly fixed on the drum, it will affect the drum resonance, the drumming sound will become dull and inactive, besides, the drum must be suspended for battering effect under some particular circumstances, but since the fixing unit is directly fixed to the drum, the drum will become too heavy to be suspended; therefore,

Structural improvement of connecting mechanism for kettledrum mechanism for connecting a kettledrum to a support stand

7 Fl., No. 34, Alley 100, Lane 109, Sec. 2, Mu-Cha Rd.


A method for adhering glass products to a work surface which comprises placing adjacent to the surfaces of the pieces to be joined a continuous, non-perforated metallic foil strip, which absorbs electromagnetic waves. The strip which is contiguous with a heat activatable adhesive material, is positioned between the pieces and exposed to electromagnetic waves while the pieces are held together to form a bonded relationship between the pieces.

This disclosure relates to the installation of glass products by adhesive attachment. "Glass products" is the term used in the construction and home furnishings industries to describe glass tiles and mirrors. These glass products are generally employed to construct and adorn walls and, occasionally, ceilings. On the job, the glass products are typically affixed to an underlayment of plaster, dry wall, concrete, cinder blocks and a variety of other decorative and non-decorative wall panels or coverings, including, occasionally, glass and tile wall panels.
The attachment of glass products to the work surface is typically effected by employing mechanical fastening devices such as brackets and adhesives. However, these attachment devices are rapidly falling into disfavor and new adhesives are being developed which are safer to work with and produce attachments that are actually more secure than the traditional attachment methods. However, the use of new adhesives alone is not the final answer. Current adhesives are messy and difficult to apply to "hidden" or inaccessible places. It is apparent, then, that inventions are waiting to be made which address the placement of adhesive material in a neat, clean, safe and effective manner that can be used beneficially in the construction trades, and especially with regard to the placement of glass products to a work surface.
Not surprisingly then, others have experimented with alternatives to traditional fastening and adhering devices for the attachment of construction products to a work surface.

Method of adhering glass products to a work surface


Components of a crop re-hydration system are advantageously carried on free space of a large square baler. Specifically, a direct-fired steam generator is mounted at a rear location on the baler so as not to transfer heat to a hydraulic fluid supply tank located at a forward location on the baler. Further, the combustion chamber of the steam generator is coupled to a forwardly extending main steam conduit having a length sufficient for ensuring that the water injected into the combustion chamber is thoroughly mixed with hot combustion gases and changed to steam prior to reaching a steam distribution manifold located at a forward end of the baler. A combustion air intake filter is positioned in a relatively clean zone at an elevated location at the rear of the baler. Water tanks are mounted closely adjacent ground wheel axles of the baler so that the weight of the water does not unduly load the baler frame.

The practice of using steam to re-hydrate hay, or other crop, prior to baling, is discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,604,857, 4,873,772 and 5,758,479. The acceptance to date of such a harvesting practice has been low, and it is thought that this low acceptance is due to the lack of a fully-integrated machine for producing the steam, treating the crop with steam and processing the treated crop.

Crop re-hydration system carried by a large square baler


When there arises a need to change an air conditioner capability, a vehicular air conditioner capable of easily meeting this need is achieved. Also, even if some of a plurality of air conditioner units break down, a vehicular air conditioner capable of properly air conditioning a vehicular space using other air conditioner units, is achieved.

Conventionally, as an example of vehicular air conditioner, there is an air conditioner of a type in which plurality of air conditioner units are used to air-condition a plurality of zones, into which a vehicular space is divided (refer to Patent Document 1 for example).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-87321 (FIG. 1).

Abstract: This vehicular air conditioner includes a controller 20 for calculating a total heat supply amount, based on a target temperature and an actual room temperature; at least one heater 5 and/or at least one cooler 6; a controller 20 that sets generated heat amounts of the heater 5 and/or the cooler 6 of each of the air conditioner units 30, based on a calculated total heat supply amount and the number of used air conditioner units 30; and a drive controller that controls operations of the heater 5 and/or the cooler 6, based on the generated heat amounts that have been set.


Provided is an ink-jet recording process comprising, using an ink containing a coloring matter, a liquid medium and at least one thermoreversible thickening polymer, ejecting the ink from orifices of a recording head onto a recording medium in accordance with recording signals to perform recording, wherein said ink is heated to various temperatures corresponding to recording image color signals to vary an optical density or a color reproduction range of a printed matter formed on a recording medium, thereby performing recording.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ink-jet recording process making use of a water-based ink especially suited for ink-jet printers, and an ink-jet recording apparatus making use of such an ink.
2. Related Background Art
Ink-jet recording process is a process in which ejected ink droplets are formed using a recording solution such as ink by various methods and the ink droplets are adhered to a recording medium such as paper to make a record.
Ink-jet recording apparatus employing a recording process of this type enable high-speed printing at low noise and high-density recording. Moreover, the apparatus can print images on plain paper without requiring any processing such as developing and fixing, and hence the apparatus itself can be made down sized. Also, such apparatus can be manufactured with good productivity when mass-produced and can be manufactured at a low production cost.
In particular, On-Demand type ink-jet recording apparatus can readily form color images and make the apparatus itself small-sized, simple and inexpensive, and therefore this application is considered promising.
However, with the spread of color type ink-jet recording apparatus, it has become desired to improve color representation of recorded images formed on recording media. In improving color reproducibility, a color region which the recording images can form is further expanded to form intermediate tints.
As measures conventionally taken for meeting such a requirement, a method of providing density gradation of colored pixels is available, as proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2-165964, and 2-231148 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,078. This method includes a technique in which a shot-in quantity of ink in one pixel is varied to change a size of dot diameter so that the coverage of pixels is changed, a technique in which, while the dot diameter is unchanged, a number of dots arranged in one pixel is changed so that the coverage of pixels is changed, a technique in which one dot is shot into each pixel using plural kinds of inks having different concentrations of coloring matter components in ink so that the pixels themselves have different densities, and also a technique in which some of these technique are used in combination. Using these techniques, efforts have been made for the achievement of improvements in color reproduction by changing the density gradation of the colored pixels to increase the ability to form intermediate tints.
However, in order to accomplish a technique for changing density gradation of colored pixels to increase the ability to form intermediate tints, it has become necessary to arrange the recording head nozzles in a higher density, to eject ink droplets from the recording head in a smaller volume and to make the recording head move on a recording medium in a greater number of times than ever. Accordingly, it has become necessary to re-design recording heads and to provide a high-speed CPU or memory for large amounts processing image information resulting in a great cost increase.
In order to accomplish a technique making use of plural kinds of inks having different concentrations of coloring matter components in ink, it has become necessary to provide recording heads in the number corresponding to the types of ink and a controller for controlling these heads, also resulting in a great cost increase.

Ink-jet recording process, and ink-jet recording apparatus


Embodiments provide for a cable connector for coupling a cable with a device having a mating connector. The cable connector includes a cable connector body having a device end, a cable end, a bottom side, and a pivot point on the bottom side between the device and cable ends. Also, the cable connector includes a strut having a first strut end pivotally coupled with the pivot point and a second strut end. The strut is operable to rotate between a retracted position and an actuated position. The second strut end is adapted to engage the device on a surface of the device below the mating connector in the actuated position.

Cable connectors may be mechanical assemblies for joining electrical circuits. Cable connectors may join two lengths of flexible wire, cable, or optical interface to an electrical terminal. Cable connectors may be referred to as a physical interface in computing. The connection using cable connectors may be temporary, require a tool for removal, or serve as permanent connectors. These cable connectors may employ a threaded member, e.g. a screw, as a locking mechanism to prevent the cable from disengaging from the electrical terminal under normal use.


A parking assist device detecting a parking stall line from an image, which is captured by a capturing portion; setting a parking target position on the basis of the parking stall line; and assisting the vehicle to travel to the parking target position; the parking assist device includes a vehicle detecting portion for detecting a movement of the vehicle, a memorizing portion for memorizing the movement detected by the vehicle detecting portion, as a vehicle moving trajectory, a temporary parking target position estimating portion for assuming a temporary parking target position on the basis of variations of the vehicle moving trajectory, which has been memorized by the memorizing portion, and a parking stall line searching area setting portion for setting a parking stall line searching area, within which a parking stall line is searched on the basis of the temporary parking target position.

A known parking assist device disclosed in JP59-201082A assists a vehicle to be parked into a parking stall as follows. First, the known parking assist device detects an actual steering angle by means of a steering sensor, and then, on the basis of a detected vehicle position and a predetermined data, which relates to a parking operation and previously inputted into the parking assist device. Then, the parking assist device calculates a required steering angle, which is required for the parking operation and displaying the required steering angle, is calculated, and further, and finally the parking assist device displays an instructing angle, which is required for operating the steering in order to park the vehicle into the parking stall, on a simple display means. Because the parking assist device disclosed in JP59-201082A calculates the steering angle on the basis of only the steering sensor, an error on detecting relative positions between the vehicle and the parking stall has been occurred. In consideration of such errors, parking assist devices disclosed in JP6-111198A, JP11-208420A, JP2000-079860A and JP2003-205807A, detect a parking target position after processing a rear image that is captured by, for example a CCD camera (charge-coupled device camera).
Specifically, the parking assist device disclosed in JP6-111198A captures a predetermined area around the vehicle including a parking stall by means of the CCD camera, calculates distances from the vehicle to the parking stall in each azimuth, and selects a single distance which is shortest, and set it as an entrance of the parking stall. Specifically, the parking assist device disclosed in JP11-208420A superposes an image that indicating a temporary parking target position of the vehicle on the captured image and sets a parking target position by adjusting the temporary parking target position by a position adjusting means such as a touch panel. More specifically, the parking assist device disclosed in JP2000-079860A sets a specific area of window in the vicinity of a white line and recognizes a parking stall depending on feature and the geometrical arrangement of the white line. Furthermore, in the light of a driving characteristic of a driver who generally passes in front of a parking target position and then turns the vehicle in order to park the vehicle into the target position, the parking assist device disclosed in JP2003-205807A assumes a parking target position on the basis of a running state of the vehicle before the parking operation and a moving locus and sets an initial displaying position within an adjusting frame for setting a target of the parking.
However, because the known parking assist device disclosed in JP6-111198A uses the image captured by the camera without applying any process, the parking target position cannot be detected accurately due to external elements such as a parking stall line of another parking stall, an image of another vehicle, which can be an obstacle, and a shadow of a building. In such case, it may be considered that an accurate parking target position can be obtained by executing the calculating operation over and over again, however, such measure is not general for the image data processing operation. The known parking assist device disclosed in JP2000-079860A processes within a certain area of the captured image, which is regulated by the window, in order to detect the parking stall line, so that another vehicle that may be an obstacle or element such as a background image, which may result in disturbance (brightness, a shadow of the vehicle and dirt on a road surface), can be eliminated. However, because the known parking assist device disclosed in JP2000-079860A needs to move the vehicle until the guide line reaches the target parking stall, the user need to do an extra operation. Thus, the level of easiness to park the vehicle by means of the parking assist device, which can rotates the wheel automatically, has been reduced.
Further, according to the known parking assist device disclosed in JP11-208420A, the driver need to adjust the temporary parking target position in order to set the parking target position correctly, as a result, the driver also need to do an extra operation, for example moving the temporary parking target position in a vertical direction and in a horizontal direction for each 2 dots, and setting the angle of the parking target position.
Furthermore, according to the known parking assist device disclosed in JP2003-205807A, because the vehicle moving locus may differs depending on levels of driving techniques or situations of the parking stall, for example, a position of another vehicle, which is parked in the vicinity of the target parking stall, it can be determined that the driver intends to park the vehicle into one of the left and the right parking stalls, however, the parking target position may be out of the parking stall. Thus, the driver need to adjust the adjusting frame displayed on the display by position adjusting means such as a touch panel in order to readjust the parking target position, as a result, it takes some time for the driver to set the parking target position.
A need thus exists to provide a parking assist device that can set a parking target position with high speed and high accuracy and can reduce burden on the user for setting the parking target position of the parking assist device.


A circuit device, for example, a hybrid integrated circuit device, for improving the positioning accuracy of a frame element is disclosed. At least two thick film electrodes (7a) of circular configuration having a diameter of 0.3 mm or greater are formed on a component mounting surface (7S) of a thick film substrate (7) along outer wall peripheries (5OE) of a bottom surface (5B) of a frame element (5) bonded on the component mounting surface (7S) with an adhesive (6), and raised portions (4a) consisting essentially of solder are formed on the thick film electrodes (7a), respectively. The presence of the raised portions (4a) determines the position of the frame element (5) and prevents positional error of the frame element (5). The thick film electrodes (7a) may be of rectangular configuration which allows stabler positioning of the frame element (5). The thick film electrodes (7a) and raised portions (4a) may be formed along inner wall peripheries of the bottom surface (5B) of the frame element (5).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit device, for example, a hybrid integrated circuit device, which has a plurality of components including active and passive devices, such as a semiconductor device and a capacitor, mounted on a mounting substrate such as a thick film substrate or printed board, and a frame element or cap fixed on the mounting substrate to protect the mounted components, and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of an example of conventional hybrid integrated circuit devices. In FIG. 18, the reference numeral 1 designates a thick film substrate; 2 designates a flip chip IC connected to and fixed on thick film electrodes (not shown) formed on a component mounting surface of the thick film substrate 1 with solder bumps; and 3 designates a multilayer capacitor chip connected to and fixed on thick film electrodes (not shown) formed on the component mounting surface of the thick film substrate 1 with solder material 4. These components 2 and 3 are covered with silicone resin 20.
In the conventional hybrid integrated circuit device, the mounted components are covered with silicone resin to ensure water repellency. However, the mounted components must be also protected from the action of external forces and completely protected from moisture.


The present invention provides a dynamoelectric rotor enabling electromagnetic noise to be reduced by linking a facing tip end portion and root end portion of adjacent claw-shaped magnetic poles by a linking member and placing a field winding in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the claw-shaped magnetic poles in an electrically-insulated state so as to suppress vibration of the claw-shaped magnetic poles effectively.

In conventional automotive alternator rotors, a rotor core includes: a cylindrical portion on which a field winding is installed with an insulating member interposed; yoke portions disposed so as to extend radially outward from each of two axial end portions of the cylindrical portion; and a plurality of claw-shaped magnetic poles bent so as to extend axially from outer peripheral portions of each of the yoke portions and intermesh with each other alternately so as to cover the field winding. A predetermined clearance is disposed between adjacent claw-shaped magnetic poles so as to prevent magnetic flux from leaking out from between the adjacent claw-shaped magnetic poles. In addition, ring-shaped vibration damping members are disposed so as to be placed in close contact with inner peripheral surfaces of the claw-shaped magnetic poles and an outer peripheral surface of the field winding. (See Patent Literature 1, for example.)
An automotive alternator having a Lundell rotor of this kind has a power generating function in which magnetic flux is generated by passing an electric current to the field winding and an alternating current flows through an armature winding due to changes in the magnetic flux arising together with rotation of the rotor.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI 4-325853 (Gazette)

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Abstract: In the present invention, a tip end portion and a root end portion of adjacent claw-shaped magnetic poles are linked by a linking structure, and a field winding is wound onto a boss portion so as to have a larger diameter than a root inside diameter of the claw-shaped magnetic poles and is placed in contact with an inner peripheral surface of at least one of the claw-shaped magnetic poles with an insulating member interposed.


An analog signal generation apparatus includes: a converter which converts an input waveform signal into a one-bit signal; a control section which, in response to a mute-off instruction, controls a pulse width time length of the one-bit signal, output from the converter, to progressively increase from zero to a target value; and a filter which converts the one-bit signal, controlled by the control section, into an analog signal. The control section may further perform, in response to a mute-on instruction, control for progressively decreasing the pulse width time length of the one-bit signal, output from the converter, from a current value to zero. The mute-off instruction is given in response to turning-on of a power supply, and the mute-on instruction is given in response to a power supply OFF instruction.

The present invention relates to techniques for generating an analogue signal based on a one-bit signal, and more particularly to a technique which is designed to suppress transitory noise occurring when a shift is made to a silent state at the time of turning on/off of a power supply, at the time of resetting or the like or when the silent state ends and which is applicable to apparatus, such as electronic musical instruments, for generating an audio waveform signal, digital-to-analog converters, etc.
Today, one-bit digital-to-analog (DA) converters are used extensively to convert a one-bit digital audio signal, generated or processed in accordance with PWM (Pulse Width Modulation), PDM (Pulse Density Modulation) or the like, into an analogue audio signal and output the converted analogue audio signal. Amplitude value of a raw waveform in a one-bit audio signal input to such a one-bit DA converter is represented by density of pulses, the one-bit DA converter generates an analog signal by filtering the input one-bit audio signal by means of a lowpass filter (LPF). In recent years, there has been known a technique which, in generating a one-bit digital signal from a raw waveform signal by use of a ΔΣ modulator, oversamples a digital audio signal (raw waveform) at a high sampling frequency to cause quantization noise to distribute over wide frequency bands, then performs noise shaping, by means of the ΔΣ modulator, for shaping the quantization noise such that the level of the quantization noise decreases in a low frequency band and increase in a high frequency band to thereby reduce the noise level in an audible frequency range (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. HEI-11-122112).
Also known is a DA conversion technique which generates a single analogue signal by use of two-phase one-bit signals consisting of positive-phase and reverse-phase signals (i.e., two differential signals or balanced signals) (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2006-80685). More specifically, according to this technique, the above-mentioned ΔΣ modulator is applied to a one-bit switching amplifier to generate two-phase differential signals from a one-bit digital signal that is an output of the ΔΣ modulator, and then an analog signal is generated from the differential signals by means of a power switch and an LPF. It has also been conventionally known to implement the ΔΣ modulator by a full differential circuit.
A one-bit signal in the aforementioned one-bit DA converter represents peak values of an original waveform by density of a pulse train, and it is a signal where, in a silent state, timing to output a pulse and timing to not output a pulse occurs alternately at an equal ratio (i.e., with a duty cycle of 50%). Normally, as a power supply to an electronic musical instrument, audio equipment or other apparatus is turned on from an off state, energization of the apparatus is started from a state where the apparatus is not energized at all. At that time, operation of a DA conversion system provided in the apparatus is initially started in a silent state. Thus, when shifting to the silent state in response to the turning-on of the power supply (i.e., power supply ON), the DA conversion system suddenly shifts from the non-energized state to a state in which there is output a one-bit signal where timing to output a pulse and timing to not output a pulse occurs alternately at an equal ratio, so that transitory noise would undesirably occur. When the DA conversion system shuts down to the power supply OFF state too, there would sometimes occur the problem of transitory noise. Namely, when the silent state ends in response to the power supply OFF, the one-bit signal where the timing to output a pulse and the timing to not output a pulse has so far occurred alternately at an equal ratio is suddenly shut down, so that transitory noise would arise.

Generation of analog signal based on one-bit signal


A system and methods are provided that make compile-time declarative modeling available for SOAP-based data transmission(s). The declarative modeling minimizes the amount of coding required of a developer. The underlying details regarding the SOAP protocol, dispatching to the appropriate object and function, marshaling and un-marshaling of XML and generating the SOAP response are hidden from the developer when implementing SOAP-based Web services. The task of creating a SOAP-based web service is thus greatly simplified by reducing the number and complexity of considerations required of the developer when generating SOAP-based Web services. In one embodiment, attributes for Visual C++ are utilized as a framework for a declarative syntax for SOAP-based Web services, which Visual C++ attributes have access to type and marshaling information.

Over time, the desired range of functionality of computer programs has increased quite significantly making programming an increasingly cumbersome and complex task. Some programming languages tend to be better than others at performing some types of tasks, but in general, the later in time the programming language was introduced, the more complex functionality that the programming language possesses, empowering today's developers more and more. Along with this empowerment, however, comes a concomitant learning curve and degree of care that is required of a developer in order to generate sophisticated, competent code. Further increasing the need for evolved software in today's computing environments is that software is being transported from computing device to computing device and across platforms more and more. Thus, developers are becoming interested in aspects of the software beyond bare bones standalone personal computer (PC) functionality. With the advent of parallel processing, complex computer programming languages, transmission of programs and data across networks, and cross platform computing, programming techniques have grown to be considerably more complex, and capable of much more than the simple standalone instruction by instruction model once known.
In this regard, Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) was developed as a way for a program or other object running in one kind of operating system, such as MICROSOFT® WINDOWS®, on one device to communicate with a program or other object in the same or another kind of an operating system, such as Linux, on another device by using the World Wide Web's HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and extensible Markup Language (XML) as the mechanisms for information exchange. Since Web protocols are installed and available for use by all major operating system platforms, HTTP and XML provide an already at-hand solution to the problem of how programs running under different operating systems in a network can communicate with each other. SOAP specifies exactly how to encode an HTTP header and an XML file so that a program in one computer can call a program in another computer and pass it information. It also specifies how the called program can return a response.
SOAP was developed by a consortium of software companies, and has been proposed as a standard interface to be adopted by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It is somewhat similar to the Internet Inter-ORB Protocol (IIOP), a protocol that is part of the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA). SUN MICROSYSTEMS'® Remote Method Invocation (RMI) is a similar client/server interprogram protocol between programs written in Java.
An advantage of SOAP is that program calls are much more likely to circumvent or pass through firewall servers that, through the designated port mechanism, screen out requests other than those for known applications. Since HTTP requests are usually allowed through firewalls, programs using SOAP to communicate can be reasonably sure that they can communicate with programs anywhere the Internet reaches.
The above background illustrates (1) that computer programming needs can change quickly in a very short time along with the changing computing environments in which they are intended to operate and (2) that computing programming environments are considerably more complex than they once were. As computing environments become more and more complex, there is generally a greater need for uniformity of functionality across platforms, uniformity among programming language editors, uniformity among programming language compilers and run time aspects of programming. In short, as today's computer system architectures have quickly expanded to the limits of the Earth via global networks, the types of programming tasks that are possible and desirable has also expanded to new limits. For example, since a program may traverse hundreds, if not hundreds of thousands of computers, as a result of copying, downloading or other transmission of the source or object code, developed by a plurality of unknown developers, affiliated with one another or not, the program, program object or program output may not always be understood at or capable of reaching a given destination. In particular, there has grown a need for programmers and computing devices to be able to simplify communications involving and coding for implementing SOAP-based Web services. Under current techniques for implementing SOAP-based Web services, a developer is generally required to write repetitive, error-prone and lengthy code making the coding process cumbersome.
Due to the difficulty of writing effective web services and converting existing code into web services, developers will need technologies and tools to make their jobs easier. There is thus a need for a declarative syntax for specifying SOAP-based web services, especially as web service developers move towards the .NET platform in order to provide an easy to use and systematic way to develop web services. Thus, as networked computing environments continue to push the limits, it would be desirable to combine flexible declarative capabilities with a programming language when implementing SOAP-based communications. There is a further need for a mechanism that substantially reduces the amount and complexity of coding required of a developer in connection with the implementation of SOAP-based Web services.

System and methods for providing a declarative syntax for specifying SOAP-based web services


Disclosed herein are compound embodiments that are useful for treating a variety of diseases, particularly neurological diseases, motor neuron diseases, copper deficiency-related diseases, and/or mitochondrial deficiencies. The compound embodiments described herein also can be used in PET methods. Also disclosed herein are embodiments of methods of making and using the compound embodiments, as well as pharmaceutical formulations comprising the disclosed compound embodiments.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is estimated to affect 30,000 Americans and over 400,000 people worldwide at any given time. Approximately 5000 Americans receive the diagnosis each year. The disease causes the unrelenting death of motor neurons, resulting in a progressive paralysis that kills its victims within one to five years on average. Only two agents have been approved for treating ALS by the FDA, and both solely slow disease progression in a subset of patients and extend life at best by a few months. In addition, many common breeds of dogs, including Corgis, German Shepherds and Rhodesian Ridgebacks, frequently carry a homozygous mutation in the SOD gene. Between 6-12 years of age, these dogs develop canine degenerative myelopathy, a progressive disease that affects motor neurons with many similarities to human illness.
A need exists in the art for therapeutics that can reproducibly treat ALS and other neurological and/or copper deficiency-related diseases.

Therapeutic metal complexes and ligands and methods of making and using the same


A measurement device and a method for analyzing a sample gas by infrared absorption spectroscopy are described. The measurement device comprises a narrowband laser having a line width of less than 0.2 cm−1 and being smaller than a width of an infrared absorption line to be measured of a sample gas. The measurement device is suited and can be arranged to measure the respiratory gas of a human or animal as sample gas, wherein the respiratory gas exchanges in the measurement chamber only by the respiration of the human or animal, and the respiratory resistance of the measurement device is less than 60 mbar.

The invention relates to a measurement device for analyzing a sample gas by infrared absorption spectroscopy as well as an according method.
Since centuries it is known that the respiratory odor is an indicator for a possible disease—the most prominent example is the sweetish-fruity odor caused by acetone in diabetes mellitus type I. Even the odor of healthy humans contains several hundred volatile chemical compounds, so-called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in low concentration (ppm to ppt range). Some of these play an important role in physiological or patho-physiological processes. If a disease is present, the concentration of certain trace gases increases in the breath. In some diseases, also gases can be detected which do not occur in the healthy organism. Thus, the respiratory gas analysis has a big potential for the clinical diagnostics and therapy monitoring. However, the trace gas concentration is often so low that it cannot be measured sufficiently exact with the available gas-analytical methods.
There exist highly sensitive detection methods like e.g. the mass spectroscopy or the FTIR-spectroscopy in multipass sample cells. However, such detection devices cannot be applied directly to a patient and are, consequently, of no relevance for the clinical daily routine. This is also due to the fact that the evaluation needs several days and that non-calculable sources of error occur due to the transport of the samples. Mobile constructions in the area of the infrared absorption spectroscopy having diode lasers (e.g. lead salt lasers) as light sources are also in use since several decades, they could, however, until now not achieve the necessary stability over a longer time period for the sensitive detection of gases so that also in this case the use remained restricted to the medical basic research.
An alternative method is the so-called NDIRS-method (NDIRS-non-dispersive IR spectroscopy). It detects density fluctuations in the sample gas which are triggered by absorption of infrared light. This detection method is sensitive and can perform a measurement every two and a half minutes. However, the measurement results are biassed by other gases like e.g. oxygen so that this method can only be restrictively used in the clinical daily routine.
Another method is used by the company Oridion Systems Ltd. under the denomination BreathID®. Here, a CO2 pressure lamp is used as light source. However, this method is strongly restricted in its sensitivity and speediness by occurring line width fluctuations (in the lamp and in the sample gas), low light intensities and spectral fluctuations and, thereby, does not provide 15 highly sensitive measurement results in short time. The NDIRS method and the method of Oridion Systems Ltd. are well suited for e.g. the detection of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori in the stomach of a patient. The presence of the bacterium is detected in a qualitative manner by an increased 13CO2 content in the exhalation air after application of a 13C-labelled diagnostic.
Qualitative test methods become of no importance if the test lies within the same price segment like the treatment. A further strategy to guarantee the simple and fast detection of volatile chemical compounds is the use of surface-sensitive microchips which select and bind special trace gases from the respiratory air. Thereby, a sensitive detection of these volatile chemical compounds is possible and the qualitative decision whether or not the patient is ill can be made.
The mere detection of a disease is Instructive; however, it does not provide any information on a suited therapy. Thus, the future of respiratory gas analysis lies in the quantitative determination of the degree of disease which offers the physician a direct determination aid for the therapy. If such tests can be carried out simply and quick and the results are immediately present in a comprehensible form for the physician, the test can become accepted in the clinical daily routine.
The requirements for quantitative respiratory gas tests are high: For unambiguously identifying the trace gases, a high selectivity and detection sensitivity is necessary since the concentration lies often in the ppm to ppb range. The exact quantitative determination of the trace gas amount has to be guaranteed. Additionally, the measurements should occur online and in real-time to avoid a laborious and error-prone sample collection (e. g. in bags or in side stream). For a feasible and economic use, simple operation, compactness, robustness, low maintenance effort and/or a favorable cost-benefit ratio are to be required. These high and manifold requirements can currently not be completely met by any gas analytic method.
The exhaled air of humans has a carbon dioxide volume fraction of 2% to 4% and is exhaled in 10 to 20 breaths per minute, by infants and newborns even in 25 to 50 breaths per minute. The respiratory pressure of humans is approximately 50 mbar to maximal 160 mbar, at a volume of approximately 0.5 I. Only approximately 70% of the respiratory air reach the lung so that also in only approximately 70% of the gas volume a significantly increased carbon dioxide fraction is present. In the remaining gas volume—the dead space volume—the carbon dioxide concentration can decrease just onto the concentration of the ambient air of approximately 0.04%. This results in that the carbon dioxide concentration in the respiratory air can fluctuate by 2 orders of magnitude from 0.04% to 4%. Carbon dioxide concentrations of over 5% are toxic and can e.g. lead to headaches and cramps.
The produced carbon dioxide amount depends on the individual metabolism of each single human. Different approximation methods are used to estimate the carbon dioxide production of a human. The influencing parameters are e.g. body weight and body surface. The body surface is in turn often estimated by the body size and the body height so that it is often calculated with only moderately exact parameters in the medical science, strongly restricting a quantitative result evaluation or making it even impossible.
For a direct quantitative determination of metabolism processes or metabolisms it is necessary to track the dynamics of the process in a time-resolved manner, at the best in real time. If the metabolism dynamics exhibits a kinetics which can be modelled by a first order differential equation (first order dynamics), the maximum of the kinetics A and the time constant tau can be determined by solving the differential equation or by fitting an exponential function y(t)=A*exp(−t/tau). Quantitative metabolic parameters can then be determined from the parameters A and tau. Triggering of the metabolism dynamics is at the best achieved by the short-term initiation, e.g. by an i.v. application of a diagnostics or by releasing a diagnostic by a light exposure/irradiation.
If the release or the start of the dynamics takes longer than the slope tau or than a breath, the dynamics of the release has to be separately determined and to be deconvoluted from the metabolism dynamics. An example of a fast metabolism start is the i.v. application of the diagnostic 13C methacetin in bolus. It is distributed with the blood (approximately 60 heart beats per minute) in the body and reaches in approximately I second the liver where it is metabolized to paracetamol and 13CO2. The start of the dynamics is much faster than the respiratory rhythm and thus leads to a first order dynamics which can be directly evaluated. If the SC-methacetin is, however, orally applied, the adsorption in the stomach leads to a convolution of the dynamics with the stomach adsorption dynamics which significantly biases the dynamics.
To monitor the metabolism dynamics in real time, each breath should be measured with a very high sensitivity. This means that the respiratory air in the measurement chamber has to be rapidly exchanged and that a complete evaluation of the breath must have been occurred in less than two seconds.
An analysis method enabling a quantitative determination of the liver function is disclosed in WO 2007/000145 A2. This method is based on a substrate accumulation of the substrate to be metabolized in the liver and the determination of the maximal reaction rate of the substrate, enabling conclusions on the liver function capacity of a patient.
From WO 2007/107366 A1, a generic device for the spectroscopic analysis of a gas is known in which a sample gas continuously flows through a measurement chamber.

Measurement device and method for analyzing a sample gas by infrared absorption spectroscopy


A packaging structure (10) is provided having a hermetic sealed cavity for microelectronic applications. The packaging structure (10) comprises first and second packaging layers (12, 28) forming a cavity. Two liquid crystal polymer (LCP) layers (16, 22) are formed between and hermetically seal the first and second packaging layers (12, 28). First and second conductive strips (18, 20) are formed between the LCP layers (16, 22) and extend into the cavity. An electronic device (24) is positioned within the cavity and is coupled to the first and second conductive strips (18, 20).

With the growth of the use of personal communication devices, e.g., cell phones and two way radios, high performance and high frequency packaging materials have increased in importance. Desired characteristics for electronic packaging include high electric and thermal performance, thinness, low weight, small size, high component density, and low cost.
Conventional packages are fabricated from materials such as plastic, Teflon or ceramics. The type of material that is used depends on a number of factors which include frequency of operation, environment and cost. Plastic packages are typically the lowest in cost but may not be suitable for high frequencies of operation or very high temperatures. Applications that require exposure to extreme temperatures will commonly use ceramics. As the frequency of operation increases, it becomes advantageous to utilize materials that have lower dielectric constants to allow for the implementation so that the final package, with interconnects, will avoid noise or signal loss associated with high speed circuits.
Furthermore, as electronic devices continue to follow the trend of miniaturization, moisture and dust become more of a hindrance to maintaining functionality of such electronic devices. Patterned metal films generally have a thickness less than 25 μm and line widths of 50 μm or less for operating frequencies in the 1.0 to 100 GHz.
In U.S. Patent Application 2004/0207059, an adhesive between ceramic layer was used to seal a cavity. However, the adhesive material is substantially rigid, resulting in potential stress issues. Furthermore, the package is not inherently hermetic, the adhesive serves no purpose other than attaching the cover, and neither a multilayer interconnection nor low loss transmission lines are taught.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide packaging having a hermetic cavity for microelectronic applications. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.


A phase-locked loop circuitry (200) having low variation transconductance design comprises a voltage controlled oscillator structure (308) to provide an output signal (Fosc) having an oscillation frequency. The voltage controlled oscillator structure (308) comprises a voltage-to-current converter circuit (312) and a current controlled oscillator circuit (314). The voltage-to-current converter circuit is designed with a low variation transconductance. The voltage-controlled oscillator circuit (200) has a characteristic curve being independent of different PVT (processes, supply voltages and temperature) conditions to ensure that the phase-locked loop circuitry (200) is stable under different PVT condition.

A phase-locked loop circuitry comprises a phase/frequency detector which compares an input/reference signal and a feedback signal of a feedback path of the phase-locked loop circuity. The phase detector outputs an error signal which is proportional to the phase difference of the input/reference signal of the phase/frequency detector and the feedback signal. A charge pump generates amounts of charge corresponding to the error signals. A loop filter accumulates the amounts of charge to generate a loop-filter voltage.
The loop-filter voltage is a control signal/control voltage that is applied to an input terminal of a voltage-controlled oscillator. The voltage-controlled oscillator, which is driven by the control signal/control voltage, creates an output signal having an oscillation frequency and a phase, wherein the phase deviation between the input/reference signal and the output signal of the voltage-controlled oscillator circuit is nearly constant. The output signal is fed back through an optional divider circuit to the input side of the phase/frequency detector.
The characteristic curve of the voltage-controlled oscillator circuit plays a key role when it comes to the stability of the phase-locked loop circuitry. Its designed frequency and the gain (Kvco) are two major factors which affect the stability of the phase-locked loop circuitry. Under different processes, supply voltages and temperature (PVT), the characteristic curve of the voltage-controlled oscillator changes a lot.
There is a desire to provide a phase-locked loop circuitry comprising a voltage-controlled oscillator structure whose characteristic curve is almost independent of different PVT (processes, supply voltages, temperature) condition.

Phase-locked loop circuitry having low variation transconductance design


Providing a user interface utility across service providers includes determining an active service associated with a particular service provider from a plurality of predetermined related services associated with respective service providers stored in a memory. A utility corresponding to the plurality of predetermined related services is formatted for display on a display device, and a function selected in the utility for the active service associated with the particular service provider is executed. The function is common to each of the plurality of predetermined related services. The same utility is displayed for each of the plurality of predetermined related services associated with respective service providers, which are different from each other.

The present disclosure generally relates to user interfaces, and more particularly, to a user interface utility that is persistent across service providers.
When changing from one software service provider to another software service provider, in a particular service or application type (e.g., a SaaS service such as web mail or the like), the entire graphical user interface (GUI) changes, even though at least some of the basic functionality may often remain mostly the same. These changes make it difficult for users of the previous systems or services to adapt to the new interface. Thus, changing service providers in an organization may create significant costs for training, lost productivity, and helpdesk issues. Accordingly, there may be reluctance to change service providers, and agile service use is more difficult to implement.

User interface utility across service providers


A modular retaining wall system uses a plurality of different sized masonry blocks to form uniform sized modules for constructing a segmented retaining wall. Each module has the same overall dimensions of height, width and depth, while the masonry blocks used to define the module vary in size and shape. Walls or structure faces have vertical or vertically set back surfaces are possible, using interlocking pins, channels and pin holes. A pin having an adjustable length is provided to accommodate masonry blocks of varying height.

The present invention relates to segmented retaining wall systems for soil retention or other environmental or aesthetic uses. In particular, the invention relates to retaining wall systems using masonry blocks to create modules resulting in a random appearance of the face of a retaining wall.
Segmented retaining wall systems are commonly used for residential, commercial and governmental projects. Transportation departments and the U.S. Army Corps of engineers routinely use retaining wall systems to retain soil and other structures. These systems can create straight or curved walls and can even be used along shore lines where embankment control is desired.
Segmented retaining wall systems can be comprised of poured slabs, bricks, natural stone, masonry blocks or other components. Individual units can be held together by mortar, other adhesives, gravity, pins, or other fasteners.
Uniform bricks or masonry blocks can provide a stable, durable and attractive retaining wall. However, these walls tend to have a very homogenous and uniform appearance that may not be suitable for every project. Sometimes a more unique randomized retaining wall or landscape is desired.
Natural stone can be used to provide a unique random appearance to a landscape. However, without the use of mortar or some other adhesive/sealant, natural stone retaining walls have poor soil retention properties. Additionally, Natural Stone retaining walls are expensive and cumbersome to construct. It is therefore desired to create a retaining wall system that maintains the unique random quality of a natural stone wall surface, with the structural and soil retention properties, as well as the economic efficiencies, of man-made masonry block walls.
Working with masonry blocks of different size affects the securing methods typically used during construction. A mortarless wall that uses pins to secure masonry blocks would require numerous pins of different sizes corresponding to the size of the particular masonry block. Installers have the burden of keeping track of the appropriate pins and using them accordingly. It is desirable to have a universal securing pin that could be used with different sized masonry blocks.
Depending on the requirements ofthe landscape, the composition of the soil, the height of a wall, or the desired aesthetic appearance of a wall, a segmented retaining wall may need to be canted or vertical. It is desirable to have masonry blocks for a mortarless segmented retaining wall that can be used to build either a canted wall or a vertical wall.
The present invention is a block module for use in constructing wall structures. The block module includes a starting set of a plurality of first, second and third masonry blocks. Each of the first, second and third masonry blocks have the same front-to-back depth. The first, second and third masonry blocks differ in side-to-side widths. The second and third masonry blocks have the same top-to-bottom heights, and the first masonry blocks each have a top-to-bottom height different from the top-to-bottom height of the second and third masonry blocks. The selected masonry blocks of the starting set, in assembled combination, define one of a plurality of block modules. Each of the block modules have differently aligned combinations of masonry blocks, and each of the block modules has the same overall dimensions of height, width and depth.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the block module includes a plurality of courses of interlocking masonry blocks. Each course of interlocking masonry blocks has a uniform width, and each block module has the same overall dimensions of height, width and depth.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for forming one of a plurality of wall structure block modules. The method includes defining a starting set of a plurality of first, second and third masonry blocks. The first, second and third masonry blocks are formed to have the same front-to-back depths. The first, second and third masonry blocks are formed to have different side-to-side widths. The second and third masonry blocks are formed to have the same top-to-bottom heights, and the first masonry blocks are formed to have a top-to-bottom height different from the top-to-bottom height of the second and third masonry blocks. The method also includes assembling selected masonry blocks from the starting set into one of a plurality of differently aligned assembled combinations. Each combination defines one of the plurality of wall structure block modules, which have the same overall dimensions of height, width, and depth.


Two pairs of vias are arranged in a printed circuit board. A first pair of vias, which conveys a first signal pair, is arranged in a plane that is substantially equidistant from the vias in a second pair of vias, which conveys a second signal pair. Similarly, the second pair of vias is located in a plane that is substantially equidistant from each via in the first pair of vias. In some embodiments, such an arrangement reduces the crosstalk effect of the first signal pair on the second signal pair and vice versa.

Printed circuit board (PCB) design is becoming increasingly complex due to a variety of factors. Such factors include increasing data rates of signals conveyed by printed circuit boards, increasing numbers of I/O signals per integrated circuit, decreasing sizes of printed circuit boards and integrated circuits, decreasing space between integrated circuits on printed circuit boards, increasing numbers of layers within printed circuit boards, and increasing printed circuit board thickness. Many of these factors lead to increasing trace and via density within printed circuit boards.
Due to the combination of increases in trace and via density increases and as increases in signal data rates, traces and vias are experiencing increased amounts of crosstalk. Crosstalk occurs when signals being routed by neighboring signal lines interfere with each other. Crosstalk leads to increased signal noise, and this noise makes it more difficult for a receiver to correctly interpret the signal.
In the past, crosstalk has been reduced by maintaining an amount of separation or isolation between traces and vias such that the crosstalk between signals conveyed by those traces and vias was minimized. Vias can be isolated by creating a virtual ground plane between vias. Typically, it is easier for designers to provide more space and/or more isolation between traces than it is between vias, especially in areas of high via density, such as the area underneath a set of ball grid array connectors used to couple an integrated circuit to the printed circuit board. Accordingly, it is desirable to be able to decrease the crosstalk between vias in a printed circuit board.

System and method for reducing crosstalk between vias in a printed circuit board


A road friction coefficient estimating unit calculates a tire sideslip angle and a cornering force, and estimates a road friction coefficient on the basis of the ratio of the calculated cornering force to the calculated tire sideslip angle. A vehicle travels on multiple road surfaces that differ in road friction coefficient, and tire sideslip angles and cornering forces on the road surfaces are detected in advance. The road friction coefficient estimating unit stores, in a memory, a correlation among the detected tire sideslip angles, the detected cornering forces, and the road friction coefficients in the form of numerical values or a mathematical expression, and estimates a road friction coefficient using the correlation stored in the memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a road friction coefficient estimating unit for a vehicle and a road friction coefficient estimating method for a vehicle.
2. Discussion of Background
Various road friction coefficient estimating methods are described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-56388 (JP 2006-56388 A).
A steering assist electric motor used in a vehicle electric power steering system is provided, for example, in a steering gear device formed of a rack and a pinion or in a column mechanism arranged between a steering wheel and a steering gear device. In each case, an operation of a steered shaft coupled to steered wheels is assisted by the electric motor.
As the amount by which a tire is steered with respect to the travelling direction of a vehicle is increased by turning the steering wheel by a larger amount, a reaction force from the road surface increases and a larger force is required to turn the steering wheel. Therefore, the above-described electric motor is configured such that, as a steering torque of the steering wheel increases, a steering assist torque for assisting a steering operation is increased by increasing a motor current.
Among forces that the vehicle receives from a ground surface via each tire, a force with which the ground surface pulls the tire in the lateral direction (direction perpendicular to the travelling direction of the vehicle) is called "cornering force", and a force with which the ground surface pulls the tire in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the tire is called "tire lateral force". In addition, a torque around a ground contact point of the tire is called "self-aligning torque". That is, the tire that has a tire sideslip angle (angle between the travelling direction of the vehicle and the direction of the tire) and that is generating a cornering force (or lateral force) generates a moment (self-aligning torque) for returning the tire sideslip angle to zero degrees. The self-aligning torque is expressed by the product of a cornering force by a trail length (distance from a ground contact center to a point of application of the cornering force). Here, the trail length is expressed by the sum of a pneumatic trail and a caster trail.
In addition, the ratio of a cornering force to a tire sideslip angle is called "cornering power". When a tire sideslip angle is zero or falls within a small range close to zero, a cornering force and a tire sideslip angle are in a linear proportional relationship, and the "cornering power" takes a constant value. However, as the tire sideslip angle becomes large, the rate of increase in cornering force gradually decreases. A range in which the rate of increase in concerning force gradually decreases is called a saturated range. In the saturated range, the ratio of the cornering force to the tire sideslip angle is a function of a road friction coefficient.
A steering mechanism of the power steering system includes a pinion shaft coupled to a steering column, and a rack shaft that is meshed with the pinion shaft and that serves as a steered shaft extending in the lateral direction of the vehicle. Knuckle arms are respectively coupled to a pair of end portions of the rack shaft via tie rods, and the direction of steered wheels including tires is changed by the knuckle arms.
A value obtained by multiplying a rack axial force in the lateral direction, which acts on the rack shaft, by a knuckle arm length is equal to the self-aligning torque of a steered tire. The self-aligning torque is expressed by the product of a cornering force by a trail length, as described above. Thus, the rack axial force is obtained by multiplying a cornering force by the ratio of the trail length to the knuckle arm length.
When the rack axial force is obtained through calculation with the use of a vehicle model, if the cornering force of a tire is in a saturated range, a term that includes a road friction coefficient appears in a rack axial force estimating equation (or a cornering force estimating equation). It is possible to measure the other terms used in the rack axial force estimating equation by using various sensors mounted in the vehicle. However, it is difficult to measure a road friction coefficient.
Therefore, it is possible to apply a vehicle model only in a linear range in which a road friction coefficient is not used. However, it is difficult to apply a vehicle model in a saturated range in which a road friction coefficient is used.

Road friction coefficient estimating unit and road friction coefficient estimating method


A light control device adjusts light intensity. The light control device determines whether or not the image based on an image signal is a correction object based on an image feature quantity of the image signal, and set adjustment information for adjusting intensity of light based on the determined result. Then, the light control device adjusts the light intensity of the light for the image display based on the adjustment information.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a dimming control device, an image display device, and a dimming control method.
2. Related Art
As an example of a display device, there has been known a projection display device (a liquid crystal projector) for projecting an image emitted from an optical system using a liquid crystal light valve on a screen in an enlarged manner with a projection lens.
However, such a projection display device has a problem that it is difficult to obtain sufficient contrast due to light leakage or stray light caused in a variety of optical elements constituting the optical system. In order to resolve such a problem, it is sufficient to, for example, vary the intensity of the light to be input to a liquid crystal light valve in accordance with an image signal. However, a high-pressure mercury lamp predominates as the light source used for the projection display device in the present circumstances, and there is a situation in which it is extremely difficult to control the light output intensity of the high-pressure mercury lamp itself.
Further, since the luminance of the light source is fixed as described above, there also arise a problem that the screen is too bright in, for example, a rather dark appreciation environment and a problem that the brightness of the screen varies in the case of changing the size of the projection image due to zooming.
Therefore, as an illumination device for the projection display device, there has been proposed a configuration provided with a dimming element having a structure of combining a louver (a light blocking plate) for dimming with respect to the light source, and performing control so that the light-blocking amount with respect to the outgoing light from the light source is varied in accordance with the image signal using the dimming element. Thus, the change of the light intensity of the light emitted from the light source can be performed at high speed and with high flexibility using the dimming element separated from the light source (see, e.g., JP-A-2005-10354).
However, in the case of performing the dimming control by the dimming element provided with the light-blocking plate as described above, the larger the dimming amount is, the more easily the color shading in the display image occurs.
In the liquid crystal projector, a fly-eye lens is disposed along a surface perpendicular to the light axis of the light emitted from the light source. The light emitted from the light source is divided by the fly-eye lens into a plurality of lights, and thus, the illuminance distribution of the light entering the liquid crystal light valve is homogenized.
By increasing the dimming amount using the dimming element provided with the light blocking plate, the number of lens cells through which the light is transmitted in the fly-eye lens decreases, which causes the color shading in the image displayed on the screen.

Dimming control device, image display device, and dimming control method


To provide a waterproof cable that is easily manufactured and improves waterproofness.

Japanese Registered Patent No. 4926340 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Literature 1), for example, discloses a molding structure of a cable connecting part and a molding method, as a related art. Patent Literature 1 discloses a structure of a molding part for insulating and protecting a connecting part on which conductors of cables are connected with each other. In the structure, a core in which a pair or a plurality of pairs of positioning side wall pieces are formed integrally on one surface of a positioning substrate piece is used. A conductor connecting part is inserted between the side wall pieces of the core, the connecting part is arranged on the substrate piece, and the conductor connecting part and the core are molded from resin in a state in which cable wires are arranged at intervals so as not to be mutually overlapped as seen in a planar manner. Planar positioning pieces for positioning the core on the molding part are formed integrally on the other surface of the substrate piece.
Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2001-297852 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Literature 2), for example, discloses a waterproof treatment method for a joint portion of a cable, as a related art. The waterproof treatment method for a joint portion in Patent Literature 2 is a method for performing waterproof treatment on the joint portion between wirings and includes: a first molding process in which positioning portions are formed at the prescribed position from the joint portion; and a second molding process in which, after the first molding process, the joint portion is positioned with respect to the positioning portions and further the surrounding of the joint portion is coated by resin. According to the waterproof treatment method for a joint portion described in claim 1 of Patent Literature 2, the positioning portions are formed at the prescribed position from the joint portion in the first molding process. In the second molding process, the positioning portions obtained in the preceding process are first positioned in a fixed manner, being able to accurately position the joint portion provided at the prescribed position from the positioning portions. Thus, the surrounding of the joint portion is coated by resin in a state in which the joint portion is accurately positioned, being able to form a waterproof layer having appropriate thickness around the joint portion.

Waterproof cable and waterproof cable manufacturing method

Abstract: The waterproof cable includes: a first cable; a second cable, an end of which is connected with an end of the first cable; a first resin member that coats a connecting part and is formed by insert-molding; a second resin member that coats the first resin member and is formed by insert-molding; and a third resin member that coats the second resin member and is formed by insert-molding.


This invention provides a buried-type semiconductor laser device that operates stably and reliably at a high temperature for a prolonged period of time. A buried-type semiconductor laser device according to the invention comprises a semiconductor substrate 2, a first ridge mesa 8 formed on said substrate 2, said first ridge mesa 8 being covered on the top with at least an active layer 4 and provided at both lateral edges with current blocking layers 9, 10 of p-n reverse junction semiconductors arranged along the active layer for confining electric currents, and a second ridge mesa 11 formed by said first ridge mesa 8 and said current blocking layers 9, 10 and provided at both lateral edges with a semi-insulating layer 13.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement on a buried-type semiconductor laser device to be used as a light source in an optical telecommunication system.
2. Prior Art
A semiconductor laser device to be used as a light source in an optical telecommunication system is required to have various functional features such as a high output power and a low threshold current, and a high speed modulation capability.
A buried-type semiconductor laser device (having a BH structure) is known to meet such requirements.
FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a typical known buried-type semiconductor laser device.
Referring to FIG. 2, the buried-type semiconductor laser device 14 comprises an n-InP semiconductor substrate 15, on which an n-InP buffer layer 16, a nondoped GaInAsP active layer 17 (having an energy band gap wavelength of 1.3 .mu.m), InP clad layers 18 and 19 and a GaInAs contact layer 20 are sequentially formed by means of an epitaxial growth technique such as the MOCVD method to bring forth a multilayer structure.
Additionally, p-InP current blocking layers 21 and n-InP current blocking layers 22 extends from the respective upper edges of the clad layer 18 to cover the etched areas of the buffer layer 16 and then grooves 23 are cut through the current blocking layers 21 and 22, the clad layer 19 and the contact layer 20 in order to reduce the device capacity. The grooves 23 and part of the segmented contact layer are covered by an SiO.sub.2 insulating film 24.
3. Problem to be Solved by the Invention
A buried-type semiconductor laser device 14 having a configuration as illustrated in FIG. 2 is subject to internal stresses (distortions) particularly in the active layer 17 which is particularly remarkable at high temperature due to the significant difference in the thermal expansion coefficient between and the close physical proximity of the insulating films 24 covering the surface of the grooves 23 and the active layer 17.
A semiconductor laser device 14 which is subject to such distortions cannot reliably operate for a long period of time.
4. Object of the Invention
In view of the above identified technological problem, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a buried-type semiconductor laser device that operates stably and reliably at high temperature for a prolonged period of time.


A rotary tool for spreading mulch outwardly from a mound of the same. The tool has an elongated shaft with a rotatable body mounted proximate a first end thereof. The body has a peripheral edge with a plurality of flexible fingers radiating outwardly and downwardly therefrom. The fingers may be individually securable to the body. In a second embodiment, a ring is detachably mounted to the body and the fingers are on the ring. When the tool is activated, the fingers engage the mulch mound and cause pieces of mulch to be flicked outwardly away from the body. The tool may also be used as a shovel-type device when the motor is not activated and the mulch can then be carried on the upper surface of the body.

1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to rotary tools. More particularly, the invention relates to a rotary tool for spreading particulate materials. Specifically, the invention relates to a rotary tool which includes a rotatable body with a plurality of fingers radiating outwardly therefrom.
2. Background Information
In landscaping, it is common to apply particulate materials such as mulch to flowerbeds to reduce weed growth, retain moisture in the soil and improve the aesthetic appearance of the flowerbed. Commonly used mulch particulate materials include leaves, bark chips and shredded wood. These materials are usually delivered by wheelbarrow or bag to the flowerbed and the gardener then spreads the particulate materials around the plants using a rake. Spreading and leveling a particulate materials mound is both time consuming and laborious because of the physical nature of these types of materials and their tendency to stick together in clumps. This is especially true for employees of landscaping services who may have to particulate materials a large number of flowerbeds for numerous clients in a fairly short time span. It is also possible that a gardener will wish to distribute other types of particulate materials, such as gravel or stones, over the ground surface within a flower bed. These particulate materials are equally difficult to distribute over the surface.
There is therefore a need in the art for a device that assists the gardener to spread particulate materials, such as mulch, gravel or stone, around a flowerbed and which particularly assists in distributing the particulate materials from an initially formed mound of the same.

Rotary tool for spreading particulate materials and method of using the same


A ceiling-inserted fan includes a case having an air inlet on a bottom surface of the case and an air outlet on a side surface of the case, an adapter plate having a rectangular opening and forming at least part of the side surface of the case, a duct-connecting adapter protruding outward the adapter plate and an air-sending part for directing air from the air inlet to the air outlet. The duct-connecting adapter is separated from the adapter plate and includes a sealing section that contacts with a peripheral section of the rectangular opening inside the case and a locking section that contacts with the peripheral section of the rectangular opening outside the case. The sealing section and the locking section removably holds the peripheral section.

A ceiling-inserted fan is generally supported by robust stringpieces referred to as joists to be installed in a ceiling. There have been two different construction methods to install the ceiling-inserted fan, one is to first install the fan to the joists, then construct a ceiling board, or the other is to previously provide an opening on an existing ceiling board, then install the fan. In either case, a mounting bracket, which may come with the fan, is screwed to the joists first, then an adapter set is attached to the mounting bracket. Subsequently, a case of the ceiling-inserted fan is slid and fitted to the adapter set, then they are integrated with screws and/or any other fasteners.
Some building constructors or some areas require the ceiling-inserted fan to have incombustibility for installation in buildings. In these buildings, exposed portions except a duct-connecting adapter of the adapter set need to be metal excluding very small parts. In this case, the duct-connecting adapter is generally fixed to a periphery of an adapter plate with screws and/or any other fasteners, spotwelding, or caulking.
PTL 1 discloses a conventional ceiling-inserted fan. For the conventional ceiling-inserted fan, an adapter integrated with an adapter plate is screwed to a case of a fan.
The conventional ceiling-inserted fan is explained with reference to FIG. 19.
The conventional ceiling-inserted fan is installed in an attic and any other location of the building. Adapter set 104 is composed of adapter plate 102 and adapter 103 made of generally metal or resin. Adapter set 104 is screwed to a periphery of case 101 having an air outlet on a side surface of the case.
Apart from the conventional ceiling-inserted fan described above, PTL 2 discloses another conventional ceiling-inserted fan. For the other ceiling-inserted fan, an adapter is screwed to an adapter plate.
The other conventional ceiling-inserted fan is explained with reference to FIG. 20.
The other conventional ceiling-inserted fan is also installed in the attic and any other location of the building. Adapter 202 made of metal or resin is first screwed to adapter plate 203 made of generally metal, then an assembly of these components is screwed to an unillustrated case having an air outlet on a side surface.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.


Mating bevel gears generally include a pinion gear having a body that rotates about an axis and a side gear having a body that rotates about an axis that intersects the axis of the pinion gear. Pinion gear teeth of the pinion gear have a side that defines a curvature with an involute section through which a pitch line extends and a parabolic shape between the pinion gear teeth. Side gear teeth of the side gear have a side that defines a curvature with an involute section through which a pitch line extends and a parabolic shape between the side gear teeth. The curvatures on the pinion and the side gear teeth cooperatively define a controlled relative radius of curvature section except where the involute sections are located. The controlled relative radius of curvature section defines a sum of values of radius of curvature at a point of contact between the curvatures of the pinion gear teeth and the side gear teeth. The sum has a constant or decreasing value.

Spur gear teeth with an involute profile on a typical pair of parallel axis drive gears have reduced sensitivity to centering distance between the parallel axes. The contact stress of the spur gear teeth, however, increases from the pitch circle toward the top and bottom lands. Spur gear teeth on the typical pair of parallel axis gears with a constant relative radius of curvature section have a relatively constant contact stress from the pitch circle toward the top land and the bottom land but have increased sensitivity to centering distance of the parallel axes.

Controlled relative radius of curvature forged bevel gears with involute section


A system and method are provided for the thermal and non-thermal (oxidation) plasma treatment of medical waste using an electrode-less induction (thermal) and capacitive (non-thermal) plasma torches. The medical waste is pre-treated by liquid nitrogen, crushed and pulverized by LN2 crusher/pulverizer, and conveyed to the nitrogen/water thermal plasma reactor, which converts the powdered medical waste into carbon black and generated gas (resulting from the thermal step) is directed to the Oxygen non-thermal plasma reactor for post-treatment. The system is equipped with an emission control unit, dual frequency pulse RF power supply, and Liquid Nitrogen Generator. The off gas from LN2 crusher (nitrogen) is used for the induction plasma torch and off gas from LN2 generator (oxygen) is used as a plasma gas for the Non-thermal plasma torch.

This invention relates to the destruction of hazardous hospital waste and, more particularly, to the destruction of hazardous medical waste using an electrode-less radiofrequency inductive and capacitive plasma discharges in combination with cryogenic material pre-treatment. The processing method includes breaking up the medical waste into powder using liquid nitrogen crusher/mill, exposing the medical waste in powder form to thermal RF plasma, and converting the disinfected powder into compact form. The term medical waste encompasses not only medical waste, but also veterinary waste.
A major problem facing modern society is the disposal of hazardous medical waste materials in a manner which is capable of reducing hazardous waste to compounds suitable for environmental disposal. Such suitability is, of course, defined in terms of acceptable levels of pollutants as determined by regulatory agencies. For example, regulated medical waste consists of the following categories: pathological waste; blood and blood product; contaminated "sharps", such as needles, syringes, scalpels, blades, and broken glass; animal waste; cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated biological; and disposable products, such as gloves. Commercial medical waste treatment technique includes steam sterilization (autoclaving), incineration and chemical disinfection. A number of attempts have been made in the prior art to destroy medical waste using microwave, RF direct heating, direct current arc discharge plasma source and RF plasma source.
Incineration of medical waste, while it does effectively sterilize it, has other consequences that can be extremely detrimental to public health. One of these is the production and emission of dioxin. The medical waste consists approximately 15% of plastic, most of which is chlorinated, such as PVC, which is more than 50% chlorine by weight. When plastic is incinerated in the presence of carbon and oxygen, it creates dioxin—considered the most carcinogenic compound known. Incinerators emit pollutants at very high rate, such as cadmium, arsenic, lead, dioxins, and furans. Emissions from these incinerators may be a bigger public health threat than improper dumping.
The autoclave (steam sterilizer) has been used in medicine to sterilize medical instruments. Similar systems are used for medical waste treatment. Typically medical waste is directed to a sealed chamber, to which steam is fed at approximately 160 degrees C., and pressure range between 100 to 500 kPa. Treatment time vary from 30 to 100 minutes. The process is simple, easy to control, and efficient against most of the microorganisms. However, the autoclaving has several drawbacks: it is expensive and time consuming; and it is not recommended for the treatment of organic solvents and reagents, as well as chemotherapy, pharmacological and pathological waste.
The idea of microwave treatment of medical waste originated in Germany in the early 1980 s, and since then it has been used in many countries. The sanitation process uses steam pre-heating with the help of microwaves. Medical waste material is shredded and granulated. After that the waste is humidified by hot steam and moved to a waste treatment chamber for 20-30 minutes (see for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,223,231; 6,830,662B2). The system is totally closed, and therefore it does not cause any emissions. But the processed waste (disposal) still contains organic material, which could generate methane and other toxins during the landfill storage. Also, the microwave technology cannot be used in the case of liquid blood and hazardous chemicals and drugs.
None of these approaches have proven acceptable, due to the fact that materials released to the environment remain as unacceptable sources of pollution ([1] Alternative medical waste treatment technologies approved by California Department of Health Services, Medical waste management Program, MS7405, Jun. 18, 2004). Only plasma systems could be use to process all kinds of medical waste. Other technologies are limited.
One such attempt is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,593B2. This reference teaches the use of DC and/or AC plasma torches with a variable flame mounted with the vessel. The waste is introduced into the vessel in the form of solid pieces, preliminary treated by disinfectant. The plasma melts or vitrifies the inorganic portion of the waste and gasifies and dissociates the organic portion of the waste. The disadvantages of the above system are: it requires disinfectant for pre-treatment; a molten bath is necessary in order to make the system efficient, but at the same time the presence of the molten bath makes the system very inertial and increases the probability to generate dioxins at a very high rate, especially during the start-up and shut-off; and there is a high capital cost. The U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,563B1 teaches us method and systems for safely processing hazardous waste, including medical waste. The system is based on pyrolysis and includes a torch, vessel, scrubber, feeder thermal oxidizer and gas supply unit. The disadvantages of the system are that requires a separate gas supply unit and there is a short life time of the arc plasma's electrodes, due to the aggressive plasma environment (chlorine; HCl, etc.).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,009 teaches us plasma energy recycling and conversion (PERC) reactor and process for disposal of waste using induction coupled plasma heat source and two reaction chambers. Argon is used to create the plasma jet and convert waste to a gas.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,970 teaches us the method and equipment for waste thermal destruction on the surface of the bath of melted metal. The reliable destruction of bacteria is provided, but dioxin and furans are generated, especially during system start-up and shut-off.
The integrated plasma-frequency induction process for waste treatment is described in (WO/2004/048851 Blush Wizoso Integrated Plasma-Frequency Induction Process for Waste Treatment, Resource Recovery and Apparatus for Realizing Same, Oct. 6, 2004), and is based on combined simultaneous plasma arc and direct induction heating of preliminary briquetted waste. They use oxygen injection to the molten pool and quench the synthetic gas after reactor. The drawbacks are that the presence of oxygen dramatically increases the emission of dioxin, and the efficiency of induction heating is very sensitive to the chemical composition of the medical waste. Many experimental data shows that pyrolytic destruction of hazardous waste generates flammable and potentially explosive gases, such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide, making the pyrolytic systems unsafe to operate. Because medical waste comprises a combination of different substances (plastic, glass, fabrics, etc.) and is not consistent from day by day, it is very difficult and expensive to control the oxygen/hydrogen ratio, i.e. the system could easy exceed safe levels.
The prior art plasma medical waste treatment systems suffer from a variety of shortcomings, which have prevented their widespread use in commercial applications. One shortcoming results from the fact that the waste material generally cannot be introduced directly into a plasma arc, because such introduction causes contamination of the electrodes and subsequent erratic operation of the arc. The same things happen when material is introduced directly into RF plasma discharge. The performance of the arc plasma is highly sensitive to the waste composition and flow rate. Arc electrode erosion further complicates the maintenance, operation, and stability of the system. Small scale operation of DC arc plasmas is also very inefficient due in part to the minimum gas flow rate and electric power requirements needed to strike and sustain the arc. Scaling the prior art systems for operation with different medical waste composition has proven to be difficult, requiring major system configuration changes, which are expensive to accomplish.
In summary, none of the prior art systems have provided an apparatus and method of efficient medical waste treatment to prevent pollution from medical waste, and reduce hazardous medical waste to components suitable for environment disposal.

RF plasma system for medical waste treatment


A sand blasting machine consists of a working chest and an air compressor that are coupled together. The working chest includes a casing, a upper lid, a nozzle holding dock, a nozzle, an air discharge filter device, an actuation switch, a left glove operation means and a right glove operation means. The air compressor includes an air compressor body, a return tube and a foot frog. By means of these elements, the air compressor and the working chest are coupled together in an integrated manner. Hence carrying and transportation are easier. Sand blasting operation can be performed flexibly without site constraint.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sand blasting machine and particularly to a sand blasting machine that includes an air compressor and a working chest coupled together in an integrated manner and is easy to transport and operable without site constraint to do sand blasting operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Jewelry, artifacts, high price ornamental articles and the like usually require sand blasting to treat the surface to enhance the appealing and product value. Sand blasting equipment generally includes a closed working chamber and an air tube to receive compressed air from a remote air compressor that is ejected through a nozzle to perform sand blasting operation. Some even have a sealed steel chest to serve as the sand blasting working chamber. They all have to connect to the remote air compressor to receive the air as the driving power of sand blasting. And a foot-stepping switch is used to control the air to enter the nozzle.
The conventional equipment mentioned above still have shortcomings, notably:                1. The working chamber cannot be moved easily, and the steel chest is heavy and difficult to move. Hence work pieces have to be transported frequently. This increases labor cost.        2. The air compressor is located outdoors at a remote location. The air delivery tube is lengthy. The cost of the equipment is higher. Moreover, air resistance coefficient is greater and results in waste of energy. To stabilize the air delivery pressure, an air tank is needed. This also increases the cost and takes more space.        3. To control air intake through the foot-stepping switch on the ground surface often causes mistaken triggering by operators. Accidents are prone to take place.